[Alexander]

Alexander's stomach was growling. Thinking back on it, he hadn't eaten in many long hours. He had spent most of the day in his room, lying on his bed, trying to sleep the day away. While Sakura was working for most of the day, Alexander would usually troll the city streets, looking for some sort of activity to keep his mind busy. Today, however, he didn't feel much like doing anything. Really, he wondered where Sakura was at this time of the night. Usually, the two met for dinner, but she was late. Now, after having been downstairs to ask of her whereabout, Alexander was becoming anxious.

According to Victor, she had left for her other tavern a few minutes earlier with Jack and some strange half-elf. Alex didn't like the sound of that. He trusted Sakura, but he couldn't force himself to not worry about her. She didn't like to venture into the streets after dark. Why would she do it with a stranger that no one seemed to know? Alexander had half a mind to go after her. Then again, what if it was business she was dealing with? Alex had virtually no idea the people she kept in contact with, outside of her crew and tavern staff, of course.

Alexander was sitting on his bed, his fingers and toes twitching nervously, when there was a terrible screeching at his window. Slightly startled, Alex whipped his head around to the window where Sakura's pet monkey Jack seemed to be having some sort of...epileptic siezure. Rushing over to the window, Alex pulled it open and let the monkey inside. He barely had a moment to wonder what the small simian was up to before it attacked him.

Leaping upon his shoulders and clawing at his hair and nose, Jack screeched wildly. Shouting in shock and pain, Alexander seized the monkey and threw it onto his bed.
"WHAT is WRONG with you!?" he shouted at it. Jack, however, resorted to jumping up and down, screeching and yelping, his little eyes bulging. It wsa only now that Alex realized that the monkey was in a total panic. He had never seen it like this.

Something was wrong.

Victor told it that Jack had been with Sak. In a flash, Alex's sword belt was fastened around his waist and his warhammer was in his hand. He wasn't wearing his armor, but he would have to cope without it. There wasn't time to fuss with it. Sakura could already be...

NO! Alexander shook his head to rid his mind of the thought as he bounded down the stairs and through the main bar room. He was out the door and into the streets in a flash, the cool night air rushing over his bare flesh. He knew the way to Sakura's other tavern. He had been there once before...without Sak's knowledge, of course. He was, after all, only human. He had been....curious.

As he ran down the city streets, warhammer in hand, he heard raised voices up ahead. He slowed down and stopped behind the corner of a building, pausing to poke his head around to see what was happening.

He saw Sakura. She was alive. But she was bleeding from a cut on her left arm. The alley was practically full of people. Sakura was squared off against one man, but there were five others that had surrounded a young adolescent. Alexander then realized that this must have been the half-elf that Victor had mentioned. He looked so young, but was likely older than Alex. He and Sakura looked to be outnumbered 6 to 2. Form the looks of it, they had been ambushed by the group of men.

The six disheveled men were all brandishing daggers, something that Alex was slightly relieved about. He would use his warhammer, which...if nothing else...was quite intimidating. Being nothing more than a metal block with a large spike jutting from one side of it, it was as forboding a weapon as one could hope for. He would step out and make his presence known. Then, while the attackers focused on him, perhaps Sakura and the half-elf could take advantage of the moment, even if it was to run away. Alex had decided long ago that, if it came to it, he would die for her... but it was not going to be tonight.

The time had come. Alexander could feel his adrenaline pumping into his bloodstream. He was beginning to feel it, the thirst for action. It was this that was going to keep him alive tonight. Exhaling sharply, Alexander stepped out from behind the building, warhammer resting calmly in his hands.

"Sakura," he said loudly. "You never said anything about fighting a gang of thieves tonight. How could you not invite me? You know I love destroying worthless pieces of human garbage." Alex was practically smiling as he spoke. Oh, there would be a battle, all right.


It was about damn time...