Vivian saw Lazuli get to her feet out of the corner of her eye, noting her cousins rush for the crossbow as the bandit grabbed Lei'lira's leg. Realizing Lazuli's intent, Vivian abruptly changed her direction, abandoning her sword for the moment. She reached Lei'lira just as Lazuli fired and grabbed her cousin about the waste, yanking her away from the downed man and the bolt that pierced his chest. As the man loosed his hold and Lei'lira regained her footing, Vivian let go and went back to her sword, picking it up with every intent to finish the worm that had threatened her family, though at Lazuli's request, she stayed her blade.
"It's doubtful they were sent by anyone. Our region has a high crime rate, after all." she said quietly, in response to Lazuli's question to the brigand, her throat sore and her voice hoarse. She was a little startled to see Lazuli, who she remembered as a shy, gentle girl, interrogating the brigand so viciously, but then, she supposed, creatures such as these were less than human and deserved none of Lazuli's mercy. As the brigand seemed to die, Vivian left Lazuli to search his pockets, and having been nearly throttled by a man she assumed dead, sunk her rapier into the mans throat. "I'm...fine..." she said, reaching up with her free hand to feel the bruises now forming on her throat.
Looking down at the dead man, she paused in shock for a moment as the hole in the man's throat seemed to leak air for a moment before blood bubbled up and stopped the leak, the sudden realization that she had killed someone, however sub-human she considered him, and had only survived herself due to her cousins timely rescue hit her full force, causing her to drop her rapier again and double over, vomiting on the dead brigands face as her body made clear it's protest at her near death experience.
Once she had emptied her breakfast, Vivian picked up her sword again and cut a bit of cloth from the man's shirt, using it to wipe her mouth. "Sorry. I'm...really going to have get over that." she said, cutting another bit of cloth free and using it to clean the blood off her rapier. Tossing the bloody cloth aside, she noticed something under the brigands arm and kicked his arm over so that she could get a better look. It wasn't helpful though, just a stylized "V" on his armpit. Yet it was strangely familiar...
Walking over to the other body, she cut away the cloth around the dead mans arms and checked them both, finding another "V" tatoo. "I've seen this somewhere...a long time ago, when I was little. I think it was from a book." she said quietly before she shook her head. "I can't remember." she said in an irritated voice. Turning back to Lazuli and Lei'lira, she smiled warmly at her cousins. "Lazuli, Lira...thank you. I'd be dead now without you." she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she voiced her gratitude.
"It's doubtful they were sent by anyone. Our region has a high crime rate, after all." she said quietly, in response to Lazuli's question to the brigand, her throat sore and her voice hoarse. She was a little startled to see Lazuli, who she remembered as a shy, gentle girl, interrogating the brigand so viciously, but then, she supposed, creatures such as these were less than human and deserved none of Lazuli's mercy. As the brigand seemed to die, Vivian left Lazuli to search his pockets, and having been nearly throttled by a man she assumed dead, sunk her rapier into the mans throat. "I'm...fine..." she said, reaching up with her free hand to feel the bruises now forming on her throat.
Looking down at the dead man, she paused in shock for a moment as the hole in the man's throat seemed to leak air for a moment before blood bubbled up and stopped the leak, the sudden realization that she had killed someone, however sub-human she considered him, and had only survived herself due to her cousins timely rescue hit her full force, causing her to drop her rapier again and double over, vomiting on the dead brigands face as her body made clear it's protest at her near death experience.
Once she had emptied her breakfast, Vivian picked up her sword again and cut a bit of cloth from the man's shirt, using it to wipe her mouth. "Sorry. I'm...really going to have get over that." she said, cutting another bit of cloth free and using it to clean the blood off her rapier. Tossing the bloody cloth aside, she noticed something under the brigands arm and kicked his arm over so that she could get a better look. It wasn't helpful though, just a stylized "V" on his armpit. Yet it was strangely familiar...
Walking over to the other body, she cut away the cloth around the dead mans arms and checked them both, finding another "V" tatoo. "I've seen this somewhere...a long time ago, when I was little. I think it was from a book." she said quietly before she shook her head. "I can't remember." she said in an irritated voice. Turning back to Lazuli and Lei'lira, she smiled warmly at her cousins. "Lazuli, Lira...thank you. I'd be dead now without you." she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she voiced her gratitude.