Just Another Day }{ First Thread, Open to All

[StewartofGondor]

((OoC: Sorry if you were waiting on me. End of term exams... :/ ))

Hunter found his task made exponentially more difficult as he left the plaza to follow the pair into the streets. The alleys were nearly deserted, save the occasional beggar, forcing Hunter to redouble his efforts to remain undetected. He was near enough to follow the pad of boot against cobblestone and the sounds of their voices, but he was too far to discern any actual words.

The further they moved into the poorer part of town, the more difficult Hunter's task became. Not only did the low-lifes scuffling around interfere with his ability to follow the sounds of the pair's movement, but the two had stopped talking. On several occasions he thought he had lost them, only to turn a corner and catch sight of them wandering ahead at the end of the street.

The sun was falling in the sky, lengthening the shadows in the streets. The sun was behind the stalker and his prey as they turned a corner, throwing the man's shadow ahead of him. Hunter threw himself into a side-street; the female had suddenly tensed herself. Had she seen his shadow? Hunter waited, his heart pounding so loudly it was difficult to listen. He held his breath, straining his ears... they were still walking.

Hunter remained in the dark of the alley, allowing the two to escape. It was no matter; the cobblestone road had ended as they moved into the destitute regions of the city, and the ground was naught but earth. Although the floor was riddled with footprints, theirs were fresh in the mud. It would not be overly difficult to find their trail. And although he risked losing them, Hunter would not have to worry so much about being heard.

He set out on the trail again, picking out the footsteps in the soft earth. Hunter was so absorbed in the task that he stepped right out into the open as he turned a corner. The guards moving toward him caught sight of the man before he could retreat into the shadows. Jumping back would be too suspicious; Hunter had to keep moving and pray he was not recognized as a wanted man.

"Evening." Hunter greeted the soldiers, forcing a smile as he passed. Inside, his heart sank. The road was paved ahead at the corner, and the pair would be impossible to track.

"Dangerous wanderin' the back streets alone." A mustached guard grumbled, shouldering past Hunter. He continued on his way, but for some reason his companions had stopped. "What's the hold up?" He grunted.

Hunter kept moving, slightly picking up his pace. He could feel the eyes of the other two guards on his back. The hiss of their whispers followed the rogue down the street, causing their mustached companion to pipe up with a "Who's he, now?"

They had recognized him, or at least thought they might have. His suspicion was confirmed as one of the guards shouted for him to halt. Hunter broke out into a dead sprint. The guards were fast, but Hunter was not weighted down by heavy armor.

"Somebody, stop him! Stop that man!" The guards called out uselessly, their booming voices echoing down the deserted street. Hunter darted to his right at an intersection, finding himself once again in muddy footing but on a considerably wider pathway.

[Jason]

OOC: So sorry for the long wait, family in town.

The thief turned towards Lia, stopping for a moment. "Not a clue." His gut churned once again, something was off. "Is something bothering you?" Isaac questioned her, hoping she had the same uneasy feelings as he, or maybe it was just the bread kicking in.

The shouts of the guards they had passed only minutes ago echoed through the desolate streets. "Somebody, stop him! Stop that man!" They were close. He slid his mask up, concealing his fierce smile.

Isaac whirled around, planting his feet in the mud whilst simultaneously sliding both of his daggers from their sheaths, had the guards pursued them? The thoroughfare they were on was dark, the sun had made its way behind the taller of the buildings, allowing shadows to fall.

The thief watched as a man frantically made his way onto the earthy road, for the most part concealed by shadow. This was no guard. He smiled, this was the man they was pursuing.

"So Lia, what exactly do we do now?" Isaac muttered, clearly amused by the situation they had been thrown into. They had various options, but the thief, as always, was in no mood to uphold the law.

[lia]

{ OOC: I probably won't be back until the new year, just to warn you, but you never know. Happy holidays. }

"Not a clue. Is something bother you?"

"No, I just-"

"Somebody, stop him! Stop that man!"

Lia grinned at the guards' shouts, and at Isaac's preparations for a fight. Perhaps they weren't being followed, but there was a suspicious character about. She looked over her shoulder, pinpointing where the frantic footsteps were coming from

"So Lia, what exactly do we do now?" she heard Isaac say.

"Why, we should help them, don't you think? Maybe this guy will plead his case and we can play with the guards a little, too."

[StewartofGondor]

Hunter wanted to punch himself in the gut for his carelessness, having one again turned a corner without looking. The man and the winged woman he had been stalking stood a ways down the otherwise empty street, looking directly at him. They were talking amongst themselves, but there was no time to worry about that now. No, what worried the rogue more was the fact that the man was armed with a twin pair of daggers, not to mention the troop of guards on his tail.

The length of his long jacket twirling as he spun himself to the right, Hunter took refuge in a somewhat-deep doorway. A few seconds later the guards came around the corner, the heavy stamp of their boots clattering against the pavement before they entered the earthy pathway.

"You two!" They barked to Isaac and Lia, slowing a few steps away from the pair. "The man that just came through here: where did he go?"

Hunter carefully stepped back out into the street and backed toward the intersection. The guards had run past him without realizing it, and if these two kept the guards distracted they would keep their backs to him while he made his escape back down the way he had come.

"There's a price on his head! There's a reward in it for you if you help; otherwise we can drag you off to the cells in his place! Where did he go?" The soldiers threatened the thief and the angel, oblivious that their quarry was getting away.

[lia]

"You two!" Lia smirked. "The man that just cem through here: where did he go? There's a price on his head! There a reward in it for you if you help; otherwise we can drag you off to the cells in his place! Where did he go?"

"What's his crime?" Lia asked, looking the guard in the eyes. "I may tell you where he ran... if it's bad enough." She knew taunting them wasn't the smartest idea, but being threatened to replace the man irked her; did they think that she and possibly even Isaac weren't skilled enough to take them out before they could even lay their hands on them? Her abilities shouldn't be underestimated.

[StewartofGondor]

The guard stammered, looking to his fellows for the answer he obviously did not have. The guard who had first recognized the fugitive was the one to speak up.

"Impersonating clergy, theft from the holy temple, defamation of the city guard, resisting arrest, and escaping confinement, among petty burglaries." He listed after stepping forward. Catching the odd look from the leader, he added, "I was among the troop that arrested him the, er, first two times..."

Hunter slinked back out of the alley, trying to move quickly but also not wanting to be heard. There was nowhere to hide in the street; if the soldiers turned around, they would surely catch sight of him. He only need twelve or so more seconds before he would be safely around the corner and be able to escape; the criminal's fate rested on whether these strangers would keep the guards distracted for that long.

[Chaz Algo]

It had been such a short time since his arrival. This land was strange as any other to him, their customs and delegations bitterly similar to most any city but it also seemed as the corner was turned there was some respect for odd races. It was a half-man and a masked man side by side. One was much larger build, with the large arcane symbol on the one's chest replacing the hair once grown there. Greyish blue polish skin was darker at this hour to be sure, with an arcane styled veil one would more often expect on a woman of the East than a man built like a brawler. Wide, sharp eyes gazed over the scene, as this one was obviously a sorceror and not of a neighboring land. He carried a large axe as well.

Shorter was the other one who held an intense energy and figure. It was this exposed man of a young age but terrible demeanor who glanced sideways to only half glance at the thief. He smelt the depseration, and could tell was in dire straits. Shiney, polished scales like sapphires melded with rubies shown from the deep red into black and brightly tipped scales of frosty turquoise with a matching tail dragging behind. Their conversation could be heard before the corner was turned and down this alley which they now stopped their pace ahead of the thief, but not too close to the guards.

The guards seemed to be harassing the woman and man, so Chaz took keen interest. His accomplice was more good natured, and waited as dynamic a personality he had. Their words went as follows; "I do not wish to change form, even if it is to ask for directions to the pub Grabbag. I might as well try to smell the booze not on the deviants. What say you?"
A lighter but softer tone, spoken through a slightly gutteral dialect of sorts. A precise ear would note this man had to be a half-orc to pronounce such things in such a way. "I could enchant a harlot, or just give her some coin. They always have loose lips. Heh heh, heh heh." Elbowing Chaz, trying to get him to joke along but he was all too serious these days. "By the Powers you need to unwind. I told you not to travel abroad without us."
"Steel yourself old friend, seems to be heated words ahead. I thought I heard something about theft and escape. Hopefully Phelps isn't up to no good. I knew his brother would fall sleep on us. But better he sleep than drink with us. Mayhap the City Guard will show us the way?" A sneer of a grin made sure he was willing for mischief or mayhem.