A Grain of Sand (4)

Paladin Dave · #71 6th November 2009, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by Woman of Faith

The Paladin lieutenant rolled his eyes at Kirk's enthusiasm for the mayhem. "You're sword is in its sheath and it needs to stay there!" Jace hollered at Mina over the din of the tavern brawl. He put his hands under Mina's arms and quickly lifted her to her feet. A tankard hit him at the nape of his neck and he grunted in pain, "Ungh!" Still, he held to Mina, one arm around her waist, until he could be sure she was steady enough on her feet to stand on her own. With is other arm, he blocked and batted away flying plates, bowls, candlesticks, mugs and tankards.

~~~~~~~~~~

The cook thought to go against the Pra Yer and reared back to punch her. How DARE she have the temerity to order him about in his own kitchen?! Asha caught the man's fist and yelled, "I be not havin' TIME for this nonsense!" She decked the cook, laying him out on his kitchen floor, then she stomped into the taproom.

From her vantage point, she could see the bartender sharing an amorous moment with a tavern wench under the bar. Good grief. Rolling her eyes, Asha stepped forward and saw that Manfred was trying to bring order, with no success. Cupping her hands at the sides of her mouth, she called out, "I'M SORRY FOR THIS MANNY!!!"

Asha got herself into the middle of the big room, punching and kicking where necessary. When she reached the location she desired, the statuesque redhead began to concentrate. It didn't take long, perhaps a few seconds, then she was looking at the ceiling and a piercing sound was emitting from her mouth. It wasn't just piercing, it was stunning! Literally.

The thunderous noise echoed through the room and worked on everyone's ears, interfering with their equilibrium. Each person, elf and dwarf and otherwise in that room would feel their head throbbing and the pain growing until they couldn't stand it any longer. Reverberations from the sound actually shook the panes of glass in the windows and rocked any tankards still standing on any tables still standing.

Her own head throbbing, her body weak, Asha stumbled over to Manfred and laid her hands on his head and neck, praying for him and commanding healing upon him. "Manfred," she whispered quietly, "heal friends. Sorry, had to, stop brawl." She weaved and wobbled her way over to the corner, where she saw Oliver and Elenya as well as the brothers Stormcrow. Asha laid her hands on Oliver and Elenya, healing them, then the brothers as well. Finally, it was too much and Asha passed out.
[/size][/color][/font]

Manfred had a bit of an advantage in this nasty brawl, even without his sword drawn. He had no small amount of protection from his armor (in fact, that might discourage folks who thought before they punched things), and he had been rather proficient when it came to beating people bloody with his shield alone since his youth. The occasional thrown object that bounced off of his head was really the only thing that managed to hinder the rampaging paladin as he brutally subdued anyone who tried to attack him or any innocent bystander.

For a man his age, Manfred liked to think he was doing exceptionally well. Whether he would have prevailed or not, he never got to find out. He had just bowled down a man that had broken a chair over Manfred's shield, and was about to give the lout a solid punch to the ear when, well, everyone's ears got a good seismic boxing from Asha.

Manfred fell to the floor like a crumbling tower, and made about as much noise as one between his clanking plates, rustling chainmail, and the fallen brawler that he'd knocked the wind out of when he fell on him. He thought nothing, save for that he wished the ringing in his ears and the throbbing in his head would stop. He writhed sluggishly on the floor, gripping feebly at his ears until Asha approached and healed him.

It took the Crusader a moment to get his bearings and fully recover from the shock. He got to his feet, but had to stand still a moment to finally shake off the daze. By the time he realized what was going on, Asha had given out and everyone else seemed to be on the floor with her, save for Oliver, Elenya, and the boys.

Originally Posted by Woman of Faith

Jace was holding Mina up and knocking aside punches and flying missiles one minute, someone had even thrown a rat, the next minute he was grunting in awful pain and working to get Mina into a chair before they both went to the floor. "Argh!" Jace grunted loudly. "Does... she... HAVE... to make... her point... THAT way?!" he groused as he sank to his knees. The Paladin managed to get his comrade, who happened to be the woman he loved, into the chair before he landed on his knees and reached for his head, trying to block out the noise. He lay there immobile, staring mutely at the ceiling for what must have been half a minute before he could even move. When he did move, Jace realized no one had put a two ton boulder on his head. It just HURT! The lieutenant looked at Mina and rasped, "You... al..right?" Automatically, he put a couple Holy Bolts into himself, easing the pain. Then he put a few into Mina.

Mina had flopped, flailed, and floundered about in Jace's grip as she tried to help him fend off the bold tavern brawlers. Between her shaky legs and his preoccupation with trying to hold her up, the situation looked rather hopeless. In fact, Mina was almost certain that she'd been struck in the head and was slowly dying when the sound of Asha's stunning shout filled the room, rattling her mead-fogged brains.

It wasn't until Jace healed her that Mina was able to realize that she was, in fact, not dying. "I'm... getting better?" she murmured to herself in confusion. "I'm not dead?" She hadn't quite realized that it was Jace that brought her out of oblivion. In fact, her head didn't clear much at all until both she and Jace felt a plate-encased hand come to rest on each of them, letting a burst of healing power flow through them.

"Are you two alright?" Manfred asked, looking down with worry on his two Lieutenants.

Mina nodded uncertainly, then accepted the hand that Manfred offered to pull her up. "I think we'll be ok. What... what happened?" she murmured, looking around the pacified bar in confusion.

Manfred sighed and tried to help Jace up, scowling in annoyance. "Asha took care of the brawl problem. If you two are up to it, we need to revive our comrades and see to it that these dwarven rabble rousers are brought to justice. Bloody brutes may very well have caused several people to die tonight. We won't be sure until we get some order restored."

Woman of Faith · #72 6th November 2009, 08:51 PM

From where she was taking cover under the table, Scarlet watched Sir Manfred with open awe. He was such a... force! Then the noise, no, noise was too small a word for this, but Scarlet's vocabulary wasn't all that extensive. The ear piercing and mind melting noise had her rolling on the floor, holding her ears and crying like a baby. Then she passed out.

Minerva had just bashed a huge man in the face with a wood serving platter, one of her more famous moves in other bar room brawls, when the torment began. Her head felt like it was going to explode! The tough woman fell to her knees and finally onto her side, unconscious.

Oliver looked over at the Crusader and called out, "Sir Manfred? The colonel here needs healing, she's worn herself out." He pulled her from under the table, marveling that a woman could weigh so much yet not be at all fat. His eyes bugged playfully at Elenya in exaggerated effort as he looked at the young noblewoman. Getting Asha off the floor, finally, and into a chair, he propped the redhead on the table and asked Elenya, "Are you alright?"

Jace sat up more straightly and nodded at Mina. "Indeed," he said, "you are better." The Paladin chuckled, then winced and said, "No, you're not dead, though I can understand why you might feel that way." He put his fingers to his temples and began rubbing in gentle circles. Then Sir Manfred was there and Jace felt much better as the man's gauntleted hand left his shoulder. Looking up at the Crusader, Jace nodded and said, "I am, Sir Manfred, thank you."

Jace took the big man's hand and rose to his feet, looking on Mina with concern. Her answer wasn't as definitive as he could like. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he asked quietly, "Are you sure you're alright?" He and Sir Manfred could round up the instigators and worst offenders if she needed to rest a while longer. Jace put another Holy Bolt into Mina for good measure.

Paladin Dave · #73 7th November 2009, 02:27 PM

Manfred looked up from Jace and Mina, back over to where he had just left. Oliver called out that Asha needed healing, but Manfred sighed and shook his head no. "She doesn't react well to healing power, friend. It would do more harm than good, I'm afraid. Right now, all that can be done for her is to give her a safe place to rest. I'll revive the dwarf-- er, our dwarf. Kirk, that is. Perhaps he'll be able to sort things out here with the innkeeper." The Crusader rubbed his forehead and noted, dragging out the first word, "Whooom I also need to tend to. Damnation."

Mina looked up at Jace and nodded, slowly getting up to her feet. "Yes, I'll be fine. I think dear auntie Asha knocked me sober, but I'll be alright." she said wearily, keeping a hand pressed to her forehead. "Ugh." She began wandering around the room, obviously daunted by the tasking of taking care of so many disoriented, agonized people. Many of them were innocent, and would probably not be happy in the slightest with the party. Sure, they might have saved lives, but Mina knew exactly how they were feeling. It was like a combination of a solid blow to the head and a sudden, unprovoked hangover (oxymoronic as that may sound), and she doubted anyone would be having any more fun tonight.

"I'll take care of Kirk." Mina volunteered as she overheard Manfred, raising her voice so that her father and comrades could hear. Without waiting for a reply, the Lieutenant made her way over to where she thought she had last seen their dwarven compatriot. It took a bit of searching and moving groggy taverngoers about, but she eventually found Kirk on the floor. Praying quietly, Mina knelt at Kirk's side and laid hands on him, letting a burst of divine healing power course through him. "Kirk?" She asked as he showed signs of waking. "Are you alright?"

Woman of Faith · #74 7th November 2009, 02:53 PM

Jace helped Mina to her feet then she was walking a bit unsteadily away to go help others. Even when she was still probably needing help herself, there she went to go see to the needs of someone else. Yet another reason to love that amazing woman, she was devoted to her... well, devotion. Mina was a Paladin in every good sense of the word. He recalled the turn of the conversation before they were so rudely interrupted and wondered if he wasn't tipping his hand too much and crowding her. Jace decided he'd better back off and be more careful.

Jace went about the other side of the room, helping revive the innocent bystanders whose only recourse had been to hide under tables and behind the bar. Once they were all awake he started on some of the drunks who'd participated wholeheartedly in the fighting and had enjoyed it, if not escalated it. Minerva woke under Jace's hand and suddenly reared back to clout him on the jaw. "HOLD, woman!" he called out, "I be a friend!" Minerva scowled and said, "You're no enemy, I suppose, but you're no friend." Shaking his head, Jace wandered off to help someone else.

Woman of Faith · #75 7th November 2009, 03:04 PM

Michael stood up, his head still buzzing, and called out, "We need to get the inn's guests to their rooms and get the rest on their way home." He found one who'd been awakened and asked which one he was. In the next moment, Michael was slinging the man on his back and hauling him up the stairs.

dramaking · #76 7th November 2009, 07:39 PM

Now, the fact was that Philip had wanted to avoid another fight. He'd spent far more time than he'd wanted to in dealing with difficult people that evening, and after the twelve Bor Brew's he'd tossed down, he'd wanted nothing more than a little peace and quiet. Even that had ended up leaving him thinking. The result was, Philip was avoiding another fight. Then there was a thunderclap. Philip sighed, and sat down on a nearby stump.

Whatever it was that had happened, he hadn't seen it coming, and he probably didn't want to know. He sighed again, and ran his hand through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Then he noticed the silence. Whatever had happened, it had quieted everything down. Which was probably more foreboding that any sort of volume or violence.

He sprinted back, recovering his ground quickly , and only pausing when he reached the door of the tavern.

"Motheragod. You people are a walking maelstrom. I'm curious, how does this ALWAYS happen? Do you just walk into a city with the assumption that it's predestined that you'll blow it away? Or does it just seem like a good idea at the time? Oh, fut, never mind."

He picked up the few drunkards who seemed most coherent, asked them where their home were, and their wives names, and if they could put a moderately clear consonant and a vowel together, he would escort them out the door. Thankfully, the volume of Shout would have roused most families in the small village, and most of the poor rabble rousers would have anxious family and friend to escort them to their homes.
As soon as the chaos died down, Philip was going to have to find out what happened. Asha was unconscious, the room was turned all but inside out, and only a handful of people had been moving when he came in. More importantly, he was probably going to have to talk to the landlord with either the big ranger or the Crusader to calm tempers down. Odds were when he accepted their large party, he was not expecting a night of this much magnitude. Philip knew the feeling. When they had arrived in his city they had come followed by an army of the undead.

Shadowseldil · #77 8th November 2009, 01:33 AM

Kirk could feel someone coming to him, but he could not even look to see who it was. Such pain. And breathing. It was so hard. He could not think, he did not want to think. To be honest, he did not want to breathe, it hurt so badly, but his body was doing this whether he liked it or not.
Then, everything went right. A strange warmness flowed over him, such as he felt only once before, back in Phelatia the night they chased the princess. Breathing was easier, and his mind hurt less. He could feel his muscles again, and they moved how he wanted them.
"Kirk?" he heard Mina said, "Are you alright?"
"Well," he replied, sitting up, "I can breathe, at least. My head feels like a troll sat on it, but it's my pride hurts most. What was that, do we know?"

Paladin Dave · #78 8th November 2009, 10:52 PM

Mina sighed and offered both hands to help Kirk up. "That was Asha. All I can really say for certain is that she made a last resort move to quell the riot we had going in here. Don't worry; the effects should wear off soon enough."

Torn · #79 9th November 2009, 10:54 AM

((Sorry this took forever... I am turning into Dave....

))

Addie had hid in the corner for the better part of the fight, ducking and cowering. she was not a fighter, what had she gotten herself into? this was crazy! She had never in her life see a bar brawl, and never did she want to see one again. Her skirts were dirty, having ale spilled on them and blood splattered, she felt disgusting, and she hadnt even lifted a finger to help. That made her feel worse, but she didnt know how... she was not a fighter, she didnt know how to fight so why bother? she would have only hurt herself in the process. But now, as it all ended, she still cowered in the corner, watching as the others dispursed the fellow patrons of the inn.

Woman of Faith · #80 9th November 2009, 01:05 PM

Asha lay on the floor, oblivious to all that was going on around her.

Michael returned from taking a patron to his room when he saw Addie huddled in the same corner where Asha, Elenya and the Stormcrow boys were. He sidestepped Oliver and reached around Givenchy to held Addie to her feet. "Are you alright, love?" he asked quietly. His head was still pounding from that stunning shout of Asha's so he didn't want to speak very loudly.

Jace continued healing others further with Prayer and with Holy Bolts as he moved through the tap room. He found out an old man lived across the street in the upstairs of the cobbler's shop and he put him over his shoulder to carry him home.

Minerva stalked up the stairs and went to bed.

Scarlet, her head feeling like a thousand armored knights were stomping on it, crawled out from under the table and stood up. Oh! Check that, it felt like the knights AND their horses were trouncing on her head. Slowly, she made her way across the room to find Manfred. She put a hand on a table to steady herself as she asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Outside, Tullifer woke from his slumber, the stunning shout having roused even the dead in the area! Alright, only the very sick. Then he realized he needed to take care of something... cosmic. Looking up at Drea, he called out, "Drea? Are you awake?" He didn't know how she couldn't be awake after Asha's horrendous, thundering noise. He knew it was Asha because of the incident at the Cave of Hidden Treasures, and a few other times he'd gotten to witness through his travels as the Legend.