Dark nights, old habits
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:38 pm
4th Zi'da, 720
"So why not join the Knights?"
Ryder glanced down to the small girl as she quizzed him on all of the ways he could help the people of Rharne and change his path in life. The man rolled his eyes a little at the idea, unsure of how much information he could share with his daughter. "Because the Knights fight things far bigger than a couple 'a caravans on the border of Etzos. Those aren't the fights I take, not when I got you to take care of" Ryder spoke, his Etzori accent already beginning to fade from the Arcs spent away from there. Serah gave an audible sigh and grabbed Ryder by the hand, looking up at him as the two stopped walking through the streets for a moment. In Ryder's other hand was a couple of fresh cuts of meat wrapped in a small bag for the wolves back home, having just come back from a butcher shop in the evening streets of Rharne.
"Dad. I can take care of myself while you're gone - and nobody can kill you. You said so yourself" she shot to Ryder with a sharp tone to her voice, the Mercenary wondering if his three years of adopting the teenage girl were starting to rub off on her and make her more confident. "Serah, the shit they fight out there? Those aren't people. Maybe I can beat most humans in a fight, maybe even some Mortalborn and worshippers 'ere and there. But giant flaming whatever the fucks? Not a risk I'm willing to take, not when I have the most important girl in the world at risk."
She paused for a trill before nodding back, going quiet for a moment but holding Ryder's hand even tighter. Despite not being her birth father the two had a bond that was unbreakable, though it was hardly surprising. The girl had nobody left but him, and if he hadn't intervened that one trial she would have been killed by her own father or left to die at the hands of whoever was looking for her. Ryder made sure to keep a warm smile as kissed her forehead, the two continuing their walk. Overhead, a raven watched down on the two, Rocky scouting the alleyways around them for safety and to ensure nobody ever got the drop on them. It was useful for information in a place like this, especially with drunkards as far as the eye could see.
Which meant Ryder saw as three men dragged a woman through some alleyways.
He stopped suddenly, eyes glancing over in the general direction. "Dad? What is it?" Serah asked, Ryder glancing back to her and handing her the meat. "Take these home, feed the dogs. I need to go and deal with something. Lock the doors until you hear me back, understand?" he shot to her, the girl nodding as Ryder handed her the dagger she normally brought with her to keep safe. Clutching the meat and the blade in her hands the girl started to run, pausing to turn back for a moment. "Go be a hero."
As the girl turned and ran away, Ryder smiled for a moment, remembering all the times Serah had praised him for helping people. The two took care of each other, in a way that only a family dynamic could. She brought out the best in him, even if he still held onto the Mercenary mentality. Money was important, big jobs like Storm's Edge would require a hell of a lot of money for him to be interested in, but saving people on the streets was different. There was rarely a risk to doing good for even one person, and keeping them away from the harm that might lead to their death. As much as he had denied it to Elisabeth, and denied it to most, there was something heroic in Ryder - just locked away. Perhaps Rharne would help him find it.
Using Rocky to navigate the twists and turns of the Earth Quarter, Ryder made his way through the various streets until he finally found himself at the same place the woman had been taken. A small house, seemingly abandoned, locked on all fronts. The mercenary walked up to the door and nudged it, something blocking the way as he heard muffled words and then silence. Whatever was happening there wasn't something supposed to be discovered. Very well. Drawing his longsword to his hand, Ryder prepared for a moment, bracing his body before kicking as hard as he could. The rotting wooden door crumbled a little under the blow, Ryder kicking again and the door falling to pieces in front of him as he saw the bookshelf that had been used to block it. Whoever owned this house either died before they could remove the furniture or wanted people to think it was empty. Everything was furnished inside, despite the appearance of a decrepit and unused place outside. Then again, even with the furniture, it was all dusty and old.
As he moved the bookshelf aside he saw the three men, one of which held a knife to the throat of the woman. "Who the fuck is this?! Nobody tol' us there'd be a guy with her. Who the fuck are you, pal? This is official business" the man spoke with a slur to his voice, the mercenary glancing to him with a small raised eyebrow. "Forgive me, this didn't look like Lightning Knights to me. Who's 'official' business would it happen to be?" the Mercenary said, glancing between the three as all of them held daggers in their hand. The biggest of the three, with a head shaped like a pumpkin and a bruise covering his left eye, stepped forward. "Mine. What's it to ya?"
Ryder sighed a little and sheathed his longsword, examining the room and seeing that he would likely be unable to get even one good swing with a ceiling this low. Instead, he drew out his masterwork combat knife, sliding his similar quality knuckle dusters on the other hand. "As charming as you three are, I'm gonna need you to let that woman go. Nobody has to die tonight," the Mercenary said with a sharp tone to his voice now, mindset returning back to how it had been in Etzos prior. As much as he enjoyed a relaxed trial with Serah here and there, this was what he loved. Fighting. Killing. All of it gave him a rush that little else could.
"Well, I'm thinkin' instead I slit your throat and let 'er watch, and we see if that persuades her to pay back the debt she owes. How does that sound, prett-" one of the men started as he walked closer to Ryder with a blade raised at the mercenary's throat before a knuckle duster met his face and knocked him flat to the floor. Both the other men immediately held their weapons out and ignored the woman, focusing more on the heavily armed fighter in front of them. Lowering his fist, Ryder held his knife up, ready to swing if necessary. Using knives had always felt weird to him, though it had been so long since he did that it was more than just weird now, but almost alien. Nothing about it made sense to him, the way it felt in his hands or the way he had to stab more than he usually would. Perhaps now was the time to remember how he had done it Arcs prior.
The first man ran at him and Ryder sidestepped the blow, swinging the knife and giving only a small cut to his face as he overestimated how long the blade would be. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. As the second man came in for a blow Ryder leaned in and shot his knee up to the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him a little. Behind the fight the woman shook with fear, keeping herself away from the violence in order to protect herself. She watched as Ryder swung a dagger down and, despite a clumsy swing, managed to plant it in the shoulder blade of the thug in front of him. As the man cried out in pain Ryder finished him off with a strong punch to the jaw, knocking him flat out with the added force of the dusters. The final man backed up a little, Ryder giving him a sharp look. "Never too late to run."
Despite what Ryder was used to, the man took his advice and bolted for the door, heading out as quick he could with struggled breaths. Both the thugs that were lying on the ground kept still, either knocked out or too tired to do anything else. "I'll walk you home" Ryder said to the woman with a raspy breath, adrenaline-pumping high and energy flooding his veins. Once Serah was safely in bed he would have to come out and find someone to spend the night with, he thought, to take all that adrenaline away. Until then, however, he had to stay focused on getting home to his daughter and ensuring the safety of this woman. Checking himself for all of his weapons and wiping the blood off his blade on the clothes of one of the men, Ryder made sure he had everything and followed the woman outside. Seeing her in the moonlight made it clearer to see her features, her young face and brunette hair looking up to Ryder with fear and nerves. She had deep blue eyes that looked terrified.
"What debt do you owe?" the Mercenary asked as they started to make their way, Ryder keeping his hand near his longsword should anyone else appear looking for trouble. "I...just twenty nels. A bet I lost and decided not to pay off, coz they seemed all talk" she shook with every word, likely never coming this close to death before. Ryder reached into his pocket and handed her a small pouch of leftover money from his trip to the butchers. "There. Give them that if they come back, now that one of them escaped. My house is over in the Earth Quarter, that one. If you think they're coming back for more than the money you find me" he said and pointed to his front door as they left an alleyway and entered the streets.
With a nod from the young girl Ryder walked her home, taking her to her front door safely before heading back to his own home. As he walked in he heard a loud bark from Bella, who had already devoured her steak, as Felrar slowly bit at his own. Bella came over and nuzzled against Ryder, licking and panting loudly as he knelt down and pet her. Serah sat up on the couch and smiled up at him, dagger still resting on the wooden table. "Were you a hero?" she grinned. Ryder sighed and started to remove his weapons. "Aye. I was a hero."
With a satisfied grin and a 'I told you so' look, Serah came over and helped him remove his weapons before giving him a hug - holding him tight.
"So why not join the Knights?"
Ryder glanced down to the small girl as she quizzed him on all of the ways he could help the people of Rharne and change his path in life. The man rolled his eyes a little at the idea, unsure of how much information he could share with his daughter. "Because the Knights fight things far bigger than a couple 'a caravans on the border of Etzos. Those aren't the fights I take, not when I got you to take care of" Ryder spoke, his Etzori accent already beginning to fade from the Arcs spent away from there. Serah gave an audible sigh and grabbed Ryder by the hand, looking up at him as the two stopped walking through the streets for a moment. In Ryder's other hand was a couple of fresh cuts of meat wrapped in a small bag for the wolves back home, having just come back from a butcher shop in the evening streets of Rharne.
"Dad. I can take care of myself while you're gone - and nobody can kill you. You said so yourself" she shot to Ryder with a sharp tone to her voice, the Mercenary wondering if his three years of adopting the teenage girl were starting to rub off on her and make her more confident. "Serah, the shit they fight out there? Those aren't people. Maybe I can beat most humans in a fight, maybe even some Mortalborn and worshippers 'ere and there. But giant flaming whatever the fucks? Not a risk I'm willing to take, not when I have the most important girl in the world at risk."
She paused for a trill before nodding back, going quiet for a moment but holding Ryder's hand even tighter. Despite not being her birth father the two had a bond that was unbreakable, though it was hardly surprising. The girl had nobody left but him, and if he hadn't intervened that one trial she would have been killed by her own father or left to die at the hands of whoever was looking for her. Ryder made sure to keep a warm smile as kissed her forehead, the two continuing their walk. Overhead, a raven watched down on the two, Rocky scouting the alleyways around them for safety and to ensure nobody ever got the drop on them. It was useful for information in a place like this, especially with drunkards as far as the eye could see.
Which meant Ryder saw as three men dragged a woman through some alleyways.
He stopped suddenly, eyes glancing over in the general direction. "Dad? What is it?" Serah asked, Ryder glancing back to her and handing her the meat. "Take these home, feed the dogs. I need to go and deal with something. Lock the doors until you hear me back, understand?" he shot to her, the girl nodding as Ryder handed her the dagger she normally brought with her to keep safe. Clutching the meat and the blade in her hands the girl started to run, pausing to turn back for a moment. "Go be a hero."
As the girl turned and ran away, Ryder smiled for a moment, remembering all the times Serah had praised him for helping people. The two took care of each other, in a way that only a family dynamic could. She brought out the best in him, even if he still held onto the Mercenary mentality. Money was important, big jobs like Storm's Edge would require a hell of a lot of money for him to be interested in, but saving people on the streets was different. There was rarely a risk to doing good for even one person, and keeping them away from the harm that might lead to their death. As much as he had denied it to Elisabeth, and denied it to most, there was something heroic in Ryder - just locked away. Perhaps Rharne would help him find it.
Using Rocky to navigate the twists and turns of the Earth Quarter, Ryder made his way through the various streets until he finally found himself at the same place the woman had been taken. A small house, seemingly abandoned, locked on all fronts. The mercenary walked up to the door and nudged it, something blocking the way as he heard muffled words and then silence. Whatever was happening there wasn't something supposed to be discovered. Very well. Drawing his longsword to his hand, Ryder prepared for a moment, bracing his body before kicking as hard as he could. The rotting wooden door crumbled a little under the blow, Ryder kicking again and the door falling to pieces in front of him as he saw the bookshelf that had been used to block it. Whoever owned this house either died before they could remove the furniture or wanted people to think it was empty. Everything was furnished inside, despite the appearance of a decrepit and unused place outside. Then again, even with the furniture, it was all dusty and old.
As he moved the bookshelf aside he saw the three men, one of which held a knife to the throat of the woman. "Who the fuck is this?! Nobody tol' us there'd be a guy with her. Who the fuck are you, pal? This is official business" the man spoke with a slur to his voice, the mercenary glancing to him with a small raised eyebrow. "Forgive me, this didn't look like Lightning Knights to me. Who's 'official' business would it happen to be?" the Mercenary said, glancing between the three as all of them held daggers in their hand. The biggest of the three, with a head shaped like a pumpkin and a bruise covering his left eye, stepped forward. "Mine. What's it to ya?"
Ryder sighed a little and sheathed his longsword, examining the room and seeing that he would likely be unable to get even one good swing with a ceiling this low. Instead, he drew out his masterwork combat knife, sliding his similar quality knuckle dusters on the other hand. "As charming as you three are, I'm gonna need you to let that woman go. Nobody has to die tonight," the Mercenary said with a sharp tone to his voice now, mindset returning back to how it had been in Etzos prior. As much as he enjoyed a relaxed trial with Serah here and there, this was what he loved. Fighting. Killing. All of it gave him a rush that little else could.
"Well, I'm thinkin' instead I slit your throat and let 'er watch, and we see if that persuades her to pay back the debt she owes. How does that sound, prett-" one of the men started as he walked closer to Ryder with a blade raised at the mercenary's throat before a knuckle duster met his face and knocked him flat to the floor. Both the other men immediately held their weapons out and ignored the woman, focusing more on the heavily armed fighter in front of them. Lowering his fist, Ryder held his knife up, ready to swing if necessary. Using knives had always felt weird to him, though it had been so long since he did that it was more than just weird now, but almost alien. Nothing about it made sense to him, the way it felt in his hands or the way he had to stab more than he usually would. Perhaps now was the time to remember how he had done it Arcs prior.
The first man ran at him and Ryder sidestepped the blow, swinging the knife and giving only a small cut to his face as he overestimated how long the blade would be. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. As the second man came in for a blow Ryder leaned in and shot his knee up to the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him a little. Behind the fight the woman shook with fear, keeping herself away from the violence in order to protect herself. She watched as Ryder swung a dagger down and, despite a clumsy swing, managed to plant it in the shoulder blade of the thug in front of him. As the man cried out in pain Ryder finished him off with a strong punch to the jaw, knocking him flat out with the added force of the dusters. The final man backed up a little, Ryder giving him a sharp look. "Never too late to run."
Despite what Ryder was used to, the man took his advice and bolted for the door, heading out as quick he could with struggled breaths. Both the thugs that were lying on the ground kept still, either knocked out or too tired to do anything else. "I'll walk you home" Ryder said to the woman with a raspy breath, adrenaline-pumping high and energy flooding his veins. Once Serah was safely in bed he would have to come out and find someone to spend the night with, he thought, to take all that adrenaline away. Until then, however, he had to stay focused on getting home to his daughter and ensuring the safety of this woman. Checking himself for all of his weapons and wiping the blood off his blade on the clothes of one of the men, Ryder made sure he had everything and followed the woman outside. Seeing her in the moonlight made it clearer to see her features, her young face and brunette hair looking up to Ryder with fear and nerves. She had deep blue eyes that looked terrified.
"What debt do you owe?" the Mercenary asked as they started to make their way, Ryder keeping his hand near his longsword should anyone else appear looking for trouble. "I...just twenty nels. A bet I lost and decided not to pay off, coz they seemed all talk" she shook with every word, likely never coming this close to death before. Ryder reached into his pocket and handed her a small pouch of leftover money from his trip to the butchers. "There. Give them that if they come back, now that one of them escaped. My house is over in the Earth Quarter, that one. If you think they're coming back for more than the money you find me" he said and pointed to his front door as they left an alleyway and entered the streets.
With a nod from the young girl Ryder walked her home, taking her to her front door safely before heading back to his own home. As he walked in he heard a loud bark from Bella, who had already devoured her steak, as Felrar slowly bit at his own. Bella came over and nuzzled against Ryder, licking and panting loudly as he knelt down and pet her. Serah sat up on the couch and smiled up at him, dagger still resting on the wooden table. "Were you a hero?" she grinned. Ryder sighed and started to remove his weapons. "Aye. I was a hero."
With a satisfied grin and a 'I told you so' look, Serah came over and helped him remove his weapons before giving him a hug - holding him tight.