A Partnership? (Elric)

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Second month of Summer, Era XIV - soon after Elric arrived in Vortex

The fallen prince of House Vamai'tai stalked through the streets of Vortex as the moon began its traditional rise. Deciding to bring his longswords with him this night, the young D'rinishad hoped something exciting would happen where he could put them to use. Knowing just the place with things such as that could happen, Kalenel rested his hands casually upon the hilts of his swords across the street from the Golden Dragon Inn.

He was well hidden in the shadows, and patiently waited for either someone that deserved to be robbed, or possibly a barfight where he could test his Rhingorda skills. Even though he was now a D'rinishad, Kalenel refused to take on the lifestyle of a noble. He was still a rogue at hard, and would be so for a very long time.

[Elric van Maer]

The place was smokey and loud as usual. He had only stayed at the Inn two darkenings, but already he was getting a feel for the tavern area. Typical tavern, if not a bit rough for his taste. He sat alone in the corner by a window that looked out on the street in front of the tavern. Between bites of bread dipped in soup he looked out the dirty glass to see the passersby and occasional loiterer. That when he noticed the dark elf across the street.

He hadn't seen a dark elf before, which was probably why he was so drawn to staring. Elric could barely see the figure standing in the shadows, but that made him or her ever more intriguing. The elf seemed to be watching the tavern, maybe for someone to exit or come along not paying attention. Elric knew a fellow roguish type when he saw one. Elric sat back in his chair and sipped his ale, watching the whole scene (if any) unfold.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Kalenel lifted his head slightly as he noticed a man sitting eating in the bar.

Was the human looking at him?

The young D'rinishad had thought his cover sufficient, but when he looked about his surroundings he saw that the moonlight had shifted to shine right upon him. Smirking at the revelation, Kalenel preceded to a darker portion of the street, still intent on observing the scene.

Inside the bar, things were not as quiet. Two men, one tall and lanky and the other short and stocky, approached Elric's table with grimaces on their faces. "Were you lookin' at my girl?!" The tall one said with a high squeaky voice. His shorter friend backed him up with a loud grunt, right before pushing the sitting human upon the shoulder roughly.

[Elric van Maer]

Elric didn't take kind to being pushed and yet at the same time he also didn't take kindly to being pummeled to death by someone much bigger than himself. Still, it was in Elric's blood to be a complete and total smart ass when necessary, which was almost always.

"Uh, your daughter? Not unless she's standing outside." He pointed outside to the empty street on the other side of the glass. "I've been watching grass grow for a solid candlemark now."

He picked up his cup to take another sip of ale with his left and, shifting his right hand beneath the table to the hilt of his kris, Shadow's Edge. If this guy wanted trouble, Elric would be sure to bring his custom blade out, as it would hopefully chase away any trouble coming his way. Then again, it might only amplify things, a chance he was more willing to take armed than unarmed.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Kalenel saw all of the ruckus from the outside, his lips spreading into a sly smirk. Tonight was going to be a interesting night after all, and Kalenel would be ready for whatever it had for him. Watching more intensly now, Kalenel awaited for whatever kind of fight that would surely ensue. Teasing his palms along the handles of his swords, the rogue played over several scenarios that he would not mind seeing tonight.

Taking a second, or maybe two, to actually digest the smart comment made by Elric, the duo looked at eachother for a long while before turning back to Elric simutaneously.

"FIGHT!" One of the other bar occupants yelled out, setting the whole bar into commotion. Within moments, hands of bar regulars pulled the two men and Elric out unto the street and set about in a ring around them. Unfortuntely, Elric was not able to pull loose his dagger from it's sheath in all of the ruckus.

With the two men opposite hime once again, now in makeshift fighting stances, Elric would quickly realize what was about to happen.

Suddenly, he noticed the dark figure he seen outside the bar standing next to him. It was indeed a dark elf, one with a handsome visage and flaring crimson eyes. "You need some help?" Kalenel said with a smirk, taking off his cloak hood and readying himself for a fight.

[Elric van Maer]

Everything had happened so fast. The argument had escalated at an alarming rate, moving quickly into the street. Elric hadn't had time to unleash his kris, though his hand rested only next to it if he needed to do so. Then, as the people circled around him, eagerly wanting to see a fight, he felt oddly alone and eager himself, to prove himself to someone, anyone.

But before a fist was thrown, Elric found himself standing next to the dark elf he had seen across the street. And what was this? He was offering his help? "Rogues to the end," he thought, a self-written rallying cry.

"Sure," he said to the dark elf, placing his right palm on the hilt of his kris. "Which one you want?"

Elric wasn't much of a proven fighter, but his passion would hopefully be enough to propel him to the top this darkening. At least it better be, or he was in trouble.

"I don't give a monkey's butt who the slop this darky friend of yours is, I'm gonna kick your ass into next cycle!" the taller of the two men shouted at Elric, the veins in his neck looking to pop out from under his skin.

Suddenly, the shorter of the two men bolted forward toward Kalenel, his right hand cocking back to punch the dark elf in the face. As he did so, the larger of the two men watched his buddy propel forward, then he looked to Elric and readied his fists as well.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Nodding toward his now ally, Kalenel set back in the ready stance he had learned many eras ago during his Rhingorda training. Although he had not pursued any further skill in the art formally as of yet, he was a good fighter with a quick wit. Letting his swords stay in their blackened sheath's, Kalenel turned once more toward his human aquantince. "How about we teach them some manners?" The fallen prince stated, in his deeply accented common speech. With another one of his signature smirks, he readied himself for the fight.

Reacting swiftly as the shorter man came toward him, the upstart warrior quickly dodged to the outside of the punch to his left. Hoping to still catch the advancing human off guard due to his momentum, Kalenel would attempt a swift kick to the man's stomach with his back right leg. It would be a swift kick, meant only to stun the man while Kalenel set himself in motion to land some bigger attacks. Whatever the outcome, Kalenel would position himself to the left of the man, alert as ever and ready to dodge any incoming strikes.

Only if the idiot of a man knew who he was up against the prodigy of none other than Faust D'rinishad...

Elric's opponent, smart enough to understand he had a reach advantage on the shorter Elric, stayed to the outside letting out a two quick jabs with his lead left hand. They would be easy enough to dodge, but Elric would need to figure out how to get inside the man's long reach.

The crowd around the two shouted to each other, making bets on who would be the victors of the bar brawl. The guard of the city stayed away, not bothering to break up an entertaining slobber knocker. They would however, likely step in if a weapon was pulled.

[Elric van Maer]

The man attacking Kalenel was taken by surprise as the dark elf moved swiftly to his side, kicking him in the stomach and sending him jutting backward, his hands at his stomach. Kalenel's kick had been successful, stunning his opponent who was huffing and puffing now, getting more and more angry for being made to look like an idiot. He kept breathing heavier and heavier, trying to regain his composure while cursing under his breath.

Elric on the other hand was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with his big oaf of an opponent. The man was quite larger than him, which made him a slower than Elric, but also a lot more intimidating. The boy chemist didn't want to get anywhere near his reach, dodging his jabs with success. But how would he get inside?

He looked to Kalenel, who was busy with the shorter of the two men, then back to his attacker. With a trick only a drunken idiot would fall for, Elric pointed to an unknown place behind the man and shouted "What's that?" If the man really was as drunk as he appeared to be, he'd look, and Elric would have a chance to run at him and body check him in the abdomen, hopefully knocking him backwards and down.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Not pausing to let the man recover from the kick, Kalenel quickly set up for another attack upon the drunken man. Dropping low, Kalenel executed a leg sweep to the short human, hoping to take his legs from under him. From there, he could easily put an end to his opponent's figthing spirit.

On the other side of the fighting circle, Elric's ruse worked extremely well as the skinny man fell completly for the ruse. Turning his head to look the opposite direction, the air in his lungs rushed out as he was slammed in the stomach. He stumbled back wildly, landing in the not so friendly hands of the crowd. In turn, the pushed him back into the melee, right in the direction of Elric. He would not have time to set up a defence, and it was up to the rogue how he would exploit that.

[Elric van Maer]

Elric did what made sense to him at that moment... even the odds a bit. Bringing his opponent down to his side, effectively taking away his height as an advantage, was the first thing on Elric's mind. As the man came tumbling towards him, Elric crouched down and kicked at the man's knee caps, hoping to effectively take him out of this fight. If that didn't work, Elric could only hope his body being crouched down would allow for the tall man to trip over him and land on his back.

As for Kalenel, his leg sweep landed perfectly, sending the man to his back with a big thud and cloud of dirt. The man moaned on the ground. He wasn't getting up.

"Hey!" a man from the crowd shouted at Kalenel. "Mind your own business bub," The man was aggressive in speech and body language. He was also a fairly muscular looking guy, probably a laborer of some sort, and he looked sober.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

"And mind yours!" Kalenel spoke harshly as he made certain than his opponent was down. Turning to help his human ally, Kalenel smirked at the sight. Elric's knee kick worked with perfection, the only downside was that the tall man tripped right on top of him. He was quite out of the fight though, mostly due somehow from the loud popping noise that erupted from his knee.

Rushing over and pushing the man of his partner, Kalenel extended his hand to help Elric to his feet. "Kalenel Vamai'tai at your service."

[Elric van Maer]

Elric was glad to have the big oaf off of him. He regained his breath as Kalenel helped get him to his feet. "Elric..." he said, looking up just in time to catch another human coming at them. "Look!" he said, pointing with his other hand. It was all he could say, being out of breath as he was.

The man who had spoken up to Kalenel was now charging him. In his hands was a chair from the tavern, and on his face a smirk that said "I'll mind you your business." He was angry, no doubt about that. He was coming in fast with the chair over his head, too fast for Kalenel to dodge. The chair came down fast, shattering over the dark elf's shoulders, sending him to the ground quickly. He wasn't really hurt, at least not in any way that would take him out of this brawl.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Rising quickly from the ground, Kalenel shook off the pain as he quickly observed his surroundings. It looked as if the whole populace around them were breaking out into fights. There were brawls all about them and people were now being pushed and slammed against Kalenel and Elric.

Lining up a punch at the man that hit him witht the chair, Kalenel feigned with his life before swinging with his right. It would be a swift and hard punch, one learned from eras of Rhingorda training. "Time to leave?"

It really wasn't a question, more of a statment.

[Elric van Maer]

The man stumbled backwards from the punch, running into two people arguing behind him. They pushed back and the three began wrestling. It was in deed a good time to bolt.

Elric looked to Kelenel and nodded in agreement. Then he began to look for a way out, deciding to follow Kelenel whichever way he went. All around them were people arguing and starting to throw fists. The two in the middle seemed utterly forgotten in the miniature riot breaking out. It would be good not to be present when the city guard showed up.

[Kalenel D'Rinishad]

Within a moment, Kalenel had his blades in his hand as intended to part any opposition in front of him. Making sure Elric was behind him, Kalenel weaved out of the group of drunkards, not without slapping a few limbs with the flats of his blades.

Making his way swiftly to a close alley, Kalenel turned around now to fully face his newfound ally. His handsomly crafted dark elven visage shown a smirk, appearantly at the near riot the two of them had stirred up. Sheathing his blades, Kalenel put his hand forward to grasp that of Elric's. "I enjoyed your tactics back there. Not skillful, but effective nonetheless."