Blessing Story
Ymiden 82, 718
The sounds of cheers, yells and shouts from the taverns in Rharne are always so joyful and energetic, a place where troubles seem to disappear, even the worse of it was lost in the drink and song with friends and family.
Except for Aneka, this day was more than just another day of drinking or working. This was the day her father died and her whole life went tits up. It was ten years ago now, and the pain mostly subsided, but she still felt the regret and pain every time she walked down these streets. She felt the tears well up in her eyes before she rubbed them away with her sleeve.
She took a deep breath, the smell of Dust Quarter made her cough, but she also could smell some booze in a nearby tavern. She always fancied a drink, and was one of those "happy drunks" when she hits the bottle, but not today, today she didn't need to party, or to make friends, she just needed a drink.
She followed the sounds of cheers, walking down the dusty dirt road, vagrants and sit by the road, arms either outstretched asking for alms to eyeing up potential targets to steal from. Eventually she reached an old but relatively sturdy building, and she could already hear the music and drinking inside. She never frequented this "Copper Prince" but this was the closest place for a drink and she bloody well needed it.
Aneka pushed the door in and as soon as she did, the smell of cheep booze and music assaulted her, the place looked dingy, dark and miserable, but the people didn't seem to care, they seemed to be having a blast, laughing, drinking, singing and just about anything.
A woman in dark brown robes looked on at the new patron that walked in with a small smile, her face was covered by a hood and the low-light only illuminated bits of her face.
Aneka sat down on a rather crappy looking backless stool at the bar, she called over the bartender, an old man with a large bushy beard, he didn't look like he combs much, but she didn't really expect much here, not that she didn't mind. The man just looked at her and gave her a critical look and a stern nod. "Aye, what ya drinking, lass?" He said before crossing his arms.
"Flagon of ale, need a cheap drink." She said and the man went off to get her flagon. She saw the scratches and dents on the furniture here, this place wasn't a stranger to brawls, by the looks of things.
The man brought the ale and poured it in a semi-clean mug. Aneka placed the down six silver nels and the man deftly took them. She took a cursory sip before started drinking it proper. She felt the keen burn on her tongue and back her throat, and she recoiled at the taste. This ale was terrible, but she liked it, the kick wasn't strong nor was the taste good, but she really didn't care, all she wanted was to get drunk.
She finished her drink, looking down at the empty mug before filling it up again. She paused, remembering her first drink, it was ale but far better than the swill she was drinking now, she also hated the taste at the time, but it has grown on her. She reached forward to grab the mug before another hand took it.
"Hello there lassie." A large bald man with a black forest of a beard said, holding Neeka's drink before downing it. "Mighty kind of ya to pour me a drink. Now what's a pretty face like you doing in a place like this?" His breath reeked as if he was already drinking before hand or he hasn't washed his mouth in weeks.
"Leave me alone, feker." Neeka said with a small scowl. She really didn't need this right now. "Why don't you drag your sorry arse back to where ever ya came from." She said, her hand inching towards the flagon.
The large man slammed the mug down on the counter. "I don't like your tone, lass." He said, still having that dumb cocky grin on his stupid bushy face.
Another man walked up to the other side of her, this one looked thin and nasty, plenty of his teeth missing or yellow and he had this particular odor that suggests that he rather bathes if at all. "Aren't ya that Tristal kid? What's the matter? Daddy's death money ran out? Hah!" The man laughed thinking himself clever.
Neeka didn't show much emotion, she just took the flagon poured a good portion down her mouth without a word, she finished and placed the flagon down the counter gently, still not letting go. She took a relieved sigh before whispering to herself. "You just pushed the daddy button."
"The what?" And Neeka's reply was a flagon of ale smashing into this thin man's ugly face, the ceramic flagon broke and cut the thin man's cheek, this sent him recoiling back and falling off his stool, she then punching the big one in the crotch and kicked the stool from under him, sending him falling down to the ground as well. "Feking Skich! You'll pay for that!"
The thin man got up, face wet and cheeks red with rage, but Neeka got up from her stool, and throwing a heavy gut punch, following knee to the groin. "Ye don't feking talk about my dad like that, you Fod-sack!" She yelled, before grabbing him by the collar and slamming his head into the bar.
The rest of the bar was moving away from the fight, but keeping an eye, this seemed like a normal occurrence because no one really seemed to mind a fight breaking out right now.
The fat one got up and grabbed Neeka, pulling her back and locked her arms in place. But the Adrenalin started kicking in, and she pushed her head forward, and slammed his back, headbutting the large one on the mouth, and she brought her feet up and pushed against the bar, knocking the big grappling oaf back and making him let go.
Neeka turned her attention to the big one, throwing a punch at him, but her footing was off, and the punch didn't have as much power as she would have liked. She yelled, fury taking over her in the fight.
The thin man eventually recovered, he took a stool and rushed forward, hitting Aneka on the back of the head, sending her sprawling to the ground. The man spat at her, a bloody yellowed tooth landing next to her as the large bearded man grabbed her and stood her up before throwing a heavy haymaker across Neeka's face, and sending her back to the ground.
Aneka's vision blurred, she was seeing stars and lights now, vague shapes among the sea of swirling stars. The din of music seemed to soften, and mute, the ringing in her ears stopped and her eyes could only focus on one thing.
Cloaked redheaded woman, looking at her.
It's her... I-I can't move... She thought, it wasn't the dizziness or pain that paralyzed her, it was fear. She felt herself get picked up, again her arms were bound behind her back, but she couldn't see anything, just that person looking at her.
She felt a punch at her gut, knocking the air out of her lungs, followed by another one across the face, blood splattering down on the blurry brown floor, but none of that mattered. All she can do was remember, what happened ten years ago, red hair, dark cloak, and her father lying in a pool of his own blood.
But beyond the din of chatter, and the repeated punches to the face and gut, she heard a voice. The hooded woman was talking to her.
"Well, are you really just going to sit there and take it?" Her voice was clear, as if sound carried her voice to her ears and blocked the rest of the noise. "What would your father think of you? If you can't even defend yourself how will you be able to protect your family?" She said and crossed her arms, a sly grin on her lips.
Aneka thought back to Ilia, Ilu and Phobos, thinking about her family got something stirring up inside her, and that thing was a bullheaded stubbornness and determination not to be beaten here now!
She screamed out and forced all her energy to stomp the one holding her in the foot. The fat man dropped and she dropped low, making the thin man's attack whiz pass her head. She pulled back her arm and rushed forward, slamming her fist into this man's gut, making him spit out some blood as Aneka. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, she felt a rush, her second wind.
Neeka stepped forward, and attacked the weakened and beaten thin bar patron at the sides of the head, making a thunderclap to disorient him and finished him off with an hook across the jaw, she was sure she heard some bones snap.
Aneka turned her attention to the large bearded man, she rushed forward, a powerful kick to the gonads that sent him down to his knees. She then pulled her knee back, and smashed it into the man's face, breaking his nose and sending him to the ground.
"T-That all you got? Two on one against... a little girl... Hah!" She yelled, shallow of breath and weak before she dropped to the ground herself. She needed to get that out of her system, that frustration and rage was a pain in the arse to deal with, but in her excitement of winning, she forgot she wasn't entirely safe just yet.
The redheaded woman in the cloak stepped over to her, and a flashbacks entered Aneka's mind, terrible ones. Her mind screamed to get up, to get away or fight or something, but her body refused, it was tired, out of energy and the pain had started to set in.
The hooded woman reached out her arm, offering it to Aneka. She pushed the last bit of her strength up and grabbed the hand. The hairs on her arm stood on end, as an electric current ran up Aneka's arm, the electricity crackled inside her hand before it stopped, leaving only a slight tingle in her hands.
The hooded woman pulled Aneka up, and carried her over to a more comfortable seat than the floor. "Huh, not bad, you'd make a fine Lightning Knight." She said and Aneka finally got a close enough look to see who exactly she was talking to. Ilaren, The Lightning of Rharne! Her mind was at a complete blank right now, and part of her thought she was just dreaming.
Ilaren smiled and ordered a round for everyone before leaving the Copper Prince.