Dracol Arc

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith looked up at the two large men who sat down in front of him. As he stared, his expression went eerily blank. He responded with one word.

"Yes."

[Asrana]

Both men smirked, rough faces topped with tangled hair, staring at Wraith.

The one to his left began chuckling with his friend, "I don't think ya understan', that's not a good thin' around here. Us independent types get cut out of the good soldierin' contracts by the Dragomirs and Jade...and yur one of 'em."

The inn keeper retreated into the kitchen, a look of fear in his eyes as patrons slowly shifted away from Wraith and the burly fellows.

The man on Wraith's right nodded, drawing a heavy dagger. "But if ye'll just hand over that package ya got from that Dragomir bitch, we'll let you go. Fer now."

[Bean Bandit]

Underneath the table, Wraith's leg snaked around the leg of his chair, hooking it over his foot. His left hand, also hidden below the table dropped straight down, and the throwing knife hidden in a sheath on his sleeve dropped into his hand.

As he did this, not a single bit of expression crossed his face, though his eyes began to glint slightly.

"No."

[Asrana]

OOC: And don't forget your kodachi somewhere on you... ^_^

note: I'll be on Soulriders 'till 7:35 or so your time, Bean

IC: The burly fellow's eyes narrowed, a low growl escaping his throat, "I don't think you understand us...give it to us...or die..."

[Bean Bandit]

His face remained blank for the threat. He looked at the speaker, carefully keeping track of the other with his peripheral vision. His hand flexed briefly around the knife, then relaxed into a throwing grip. The leg that was coiled around the leg of the chair tightened briefly as well.

"No."

[Asrana]

Both men growled, one to Wraith's left standing and drawing a short blade, the other lashing out with the dagger in a screaming arc for Wraith's face.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith's knife hand flashed up in a short arc, sending the throwing knife flying straight for the throat of the man wielding the dagger.

Almost at the same time, Wraith pushed himself back, the front legs of the chair rising into the air as he jerked his head out of the dagger's path. Just as he was nearly about to fall over backward, he shifted his free leg, and his weight, sharply to the right, overbalancing the chair.

His free leg caught his fall, and as the chair continued to fall, he made a kicking motion with his left leg, still coiled around the chair leg.

The kick snapped the chair loose, sending it flying into the man wielding the short blade.  While his attackers were occupied, he quickly drew the kodachi he kept secured to his belt and move to an attack stance...

[Asrana]

OOC: Hmm...something we never covered: First Kenhin/Aoshi battle style kodachi or like the one he added to his armament later?

IC:
The dagger armed ruffian tensed as the throwing knife ripped through his throat and windpipe. Blood gushing from his neck, the ruffian collapsed on the table, his dagger skittering across the table and thumping against the wooden floorboards.

The remaining opponent barely managed to catch the chair with a slash of his blade, and was now trying to pull the blade from the wood.

[Bean Bandit]

OOC: Like the first one, almost a katana, just short.

IC:
Wraith closed the distance between the two as the other man struggled to free his sword from the chair.

He grasped the chair leg and pulled it to the side quickly, and lashed out with the kodachi in his other hand in a brief slashing motion at his opponent's neck...

[Asrana]

Wraith's opponent had freed his blade and was beginning to raise it as Wraith's slash bit through his neck, almost severing it.

By now the common room had been deserted, leaving Wraith alone with the two bloody bodies.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith flicked his wrist, letting the blood slide off the kodachi in a neat spray before resheathing the sword.
He walked over to the other man, and pulled the knife from his neck, and began wiping the blood off on the dead thug's clothing. After it was clean, the knife disappeared back up his sleeve.

He turned and considered the bodies for a moment, some life returning to his eyes. He sighed and picked up the money bundle that the dead men had spent their lives attempting to obtain.

Removing a few pieces of gold and setting them where the caretaker of the inn could find them easily, but others wouldn't think to look, Wraith left the inn and walked out into the night, frowning marginally at the need to find alternate lodgings for the rest of the evening...

[Asrana]

The streets of Dracol were dark, deep shdows cast by the few torches and lamps mounted on the fronts of inns and taverns.

Noone appeared to be out, the only sounds the whispers of flame and occasonal murmurs from common rooms along the street.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith wandered the streets for a time, observing the inns and watching for the quietest, most unobtrusive one.

Best to avoid public places for a bit after the bodies were found...

[Asrana]

Wraith found a likely choice down a dark sidestreet, fewer torches and lanterns creating dark stretches of shadowed road.

The inn was visible by a single lantern, and in surprisingly good repair for the area. Worn wood walls and a signle metal bound door were what could be seen of the two story structure, any windows obscured in shadow. It's lantern hung from the same chains as the sign, a reddish board of wood with 'The Ceral Inn' painted on it in black letters.

[Bean Bandit]

Wraith nodded to himself, satisfied that he would be relatively undisturbed here.

Unfortunately, places like this tended to cater to others who didn't want to be found. He resolved to watch himself around the other patrons, (If there were any).

Warily, he pushed open the door to the inn and stepped inside, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his kodachi...