The Merry Maid (open)

Jaurtyin walks into the inn. Strange, though in the midst of the poorest part of the city, it seemed beggars were rich compared to the folk of this tavern. Ok, so I'm here, where do i go after this? he takes a seat in a corner looking out across the open diner. No music played. Was he wet? Jaurtyin looked at his arm. No form of liquid was apparent, yet he felt like he was wet. Strange. He never FELT anything.

Two others sat at a table talking in a hushed voice, but seeming quite threatening to one another. Oh how it reminded Jaurtyin of those two from before. How could anyone have such a disregard for life? Jaurtyin eyed the maid wiping the table with a rag in long need of cleaning. Wait... EYED!!!??? Jaurtyin sighed to himself and pulled out the paper he was given. After reading the text over and over, he let the thing drop from his frustrated hands. FRUSTRATED HANDS!!!??? Jaurtyin sighed yet again, but all then jumped out of his seat as the note fell into a pool of ale left by some klutz. this place was a mess.

Standing to leave, Jaurtyin merely glanced at the note, and it was... different. The words on it were different. Instructions now listed on the paper, jaurtyin understood now why such a large piece of paper contained the note.

'Ask the maid where the new moon and full moon meet.' Following the details, Jaurtyin approached the maid.

"Well hello there big boy." she looked at him almost hungrily while biting her lower lip. "Gunna need a crowbar to pull you out if you want some of this." Jaurtyin noticed she all but poured out of her shirt. She smelled of rank meat and bad alcohol. Wait... SMELLED!!!??? Jaurtyin knew he was not a person. He wasn't a human or Chimera or changling. He was raw material, shaped like armor. Nothing more.

Focusing back to what he wanted to talk about, jaurtyin managed to ask "Where does the new moon meet the full moon?"

Quite shockingly, the maid seemed to freeze. Eyes open and awake, and yet in a trans. The other two talking were frozen in motion. Not a hair twitched. the maid then spoke. "Come with me," but she was not herself. She pulled a bottle or two and turned around a few cups and spoons, and then a door opened up into a dark passage way. "Go in there and down the stairs. He is waiting for you?"

"Who is waiting for me," Jaurtyin started but the door shut and left him in the almost black.

The walls only a span apart, Jaurtyin felt his way through the darkness grumbling about how he shouldn't be able to feel anything. The length led to a corner turning to stairs and a dim light enough to barely make out the individual steps.

Looking down and then into the open room, a cloaked and hooded man stood by the far wall. His face revealed only enough to see a few days old beard and a unique hook shaped scar under his left eye and meeting his jaw line.

"Welcome," he said. "I know you are confused as to why you're here, so let me explain."

Jaurtyin shifted.

"As of right now, you are dead. All those in the world above who knew you or even seen you know you to be killed. Destroyed in your case. Some saw what they thought was the murder, and others came in to clean up the pieces."

"Why?"

"You are a gentle soul, I understand, and you care very much so for the living."

Jaurtyin loosened.

"We, my associates and I would like you to join us on our quest."

"What is your quest?"

"You cannot go back after you know, for then if you do, you will really die."

Jaurtyin clenched his fist. "Tell me."

Aldon found himself walking into The Merry Maid  following directions on a note which he had already uncovered the secret message on. He didn't really want to fight straight away This passcode probably leads to a secret undergound fighting ring as it always is. Aldon sat at the counter and ordered a glass of mead, which he chugged; the mug was empty in seconds. Aldon Stood up and said to the maid "So tell me where is it that the full moon and the new one meet up?"
The maid moved a few items and a secret door opened "He is waiting for you" she said to Aldon. Aldon worked his way down the stairs still asuming a fight was to be had.

"We are the peacekeepers," the man claimed. "The real ones. We monitor the city cutting out the greedy and corrupt like weeds."

"You are a dictatorship."

"We are a guardian. Tell me, you believe life to be precious? We believe ending those few who cannot be turned back to the light to save the hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands they had, are, and will kill."

"Can i avoid killing people?"

"You will be given tasks. Go about them as you will, so long as the task is completed."

Aldon found his way down the stairs and was guided to a man already holding counsel with an alchemical which he had already met with previously. "So... what's goiing on in this neck of the woods?" Aldon asked in a sarcastic tone as he slid a chair which was sat against a well polished stone wall acrosst the carpeted floor. It seems I may have wasted my time as obviously no fight is to be had in a carpeted room Aldon thought to himself but I have some time to kill so I'll humor them. Aldon then continued as he took a seat in this chair. "Also might I ask why I am here as this is most obviously not a fighting ring."

"Ah," says the cloaked man. "Here is our other guest today." Jaurtyin looks back. What!? They want him as well? "I assume you came alone as requested?"

Aldon gave a slight pause not as if to ponder on the question but as if to wonder why such a nice place is under a pub. "No as you can plainly see I brought the entire city guard." Aldon sarcastically replied with a slight smirk on his face. "On a more serious note. Why am I here... Who are you... Who am I anyway?" Aldon continued still with a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he ended the sentance.

"Good. as of this moment, anyone when knew you before knows you for dead now. You were murdered. A few saw the tragic accident, but now you can no longer speak to them." The man looked at Jaurtyin. "that means you too."

What? but that little girl, and the fox...

"Anyone who knew you closely have been compensated for." Jaurtyin let out a sigh. "Here, we would like you to help us ensure peace and justice to this great city. Smart mouth as you are, your skills would be quite handy in dealing with certain..." the man smiled "tasks."

"Wait so you you were just a lazy bastard and picked me seeing as all my freinds and familiy are dead or haven't seen me in 10 years and don't even know what I look like. Then everyone else doesn't even know of my real name as almost my entire life in this city is under an alias. By the way the last time I used my real name on anything your grandmother was still alive. Not that it's a bad thing thing she's dead, she was a real bitch." Aldon Joked barely hoding in laughter. "But what I am saying is that you didn't even have to fake my death because as far as anyone close to me knows I already was. So in short it ws just a the move of a lazy bastard"

"You may have been dead, the real you, but Aldon steel fist is dead now as well."

The man assesses Jaurtyin and Aldon. "So tell me, do you accept?" After a pause, "you will be compensated for your missions and duties to a point only to succeed if you need money, weapons, or any other supplies."

"After years of not one defeat I am just found dead there will be some skeptics. Infact I am sure I talked to tim the fire mage just today on my way here." Aldon continued in a less than serious tone "Firsrtly though, before I accept I would like to appologise, I should be serious and belive me I am trying, but I am failing. It's just this cloaked little shit made me come over here thinking I was to have a fight, denied me of that right, and is now trying to impress me like I am his alchohoolic father. Now be a sport and go grab daddy a beer."

(Tim the fire mage is also a joke if you didn't catch that)

"Who said we didn't bring you here for a fight?"

Jaurtyin looked at the man suddenly as if suddenly seeing someone else.

"We have a job for you. You know the summer solstice will be soon, and the guilds are playing nice only to save their own hides. We have news that the merchant's guild has a number of machines ready to absorb what power they can get to fuel their machines. I want you to start sabotaging select companies."

"So explain to me why you killed of my alias when it makes absolutely no sense to do so?" Aldon asked actually seeming serious for once, his intrest seeming to be on fighting. "I mean why kill of my fighting name it's just an alias and on a personal level no one has really known me for ten years?"

"Just to ensure that you could go about how you would need to. You may be recognized, but disguises can be provided. We needed to ensure that your duty to our organization comes first."

"Sure I understand we must be loyal" Aldon said as he stood slowly and then started pacing towards the stairs. "but why 'kill' us off before we accept?" Aldon seemed intrugued at some things that the man said but at the same time not interested at all in other things. Aldon stopped at the stairs and turned around but did not continue pacing.

Kikiri now dressed in her usual boyish clothing. She entered the inn which was specified on the note she had found, quite strangely, in her coat pocket. This place is pretty run down, even by lower class standards. She decided to warm a seat at the bar. Her side still hurt from her fight earlier at the Kreis mansion. She pulled out  the note from her pocket and stared at it for a time. The note began to change and read differently from before. "Were do the full moon and the new moon meet?" Kikiri asked the barmaid who preceded to scramble about with some items. A door opened in the wall, and she followed the stairway down to a room. There in the room was a cloaked figure, the alchemical from earlier, and the steel asshole. What in the frozen hell are these two doing here?

"Oh you're here too?" Jaurtyin remarked. He could almost feel the snarl. Feel!!!??? He was an alchemical! A suite of armor! He shouldn't feel anything.

"Yes," said the man. "You all have skills we could use." He remarked to Jaurtyin. "Now for your question Steel, we had to make sure that this organization would be a priority. If you have another life to live that could come in conflict with your dedication, the possibility would exist that you would act against us." Sees Konor arrive. "Ah now we are all here."

Adon said starting in a sarcastic manner "Oh I appreciate the presence your highness, but we can settle your 'royal' fights on a later date. But why 'kill' us off before we accept rather than 'kill' us after as it would be just as easy even easier actually. As I said I already talked to tim the fire mage on my way here and he watched me come in the pub so secondly where did I die?" Aldon continued with a smile as he walked by the stairs "Also how did I 'die' I mean there are people who woulldn't belive if I was just 'murdered' you know friends and all."

"Well if it isn't the steel buttcrack, and here i was hoping this would be a rematch of earlier, but sense the iron pacifist is here i guess we wont be having that pleasure." Kikiri retorted to the arrogant fighter. She then turned to the cloaked figure standing in the room. "And i still have no idea what in the seven hells is happening here. I mean seriously is this some sort of cult or something?" Kikiri leaned up on the wall blocking the stairway. Really hope this doesn't turn out to be some sort of crazy ritual or anything.

"Sorry for not introducing myself Konor. You are considered dead. And to answer both of your's questions as to how and where..." the man picks a paper out from his cloak and unfolds it... several times. "You," pointing at Steel, "were shot in a robbery. Konor was detained by the authorities and hung. As of when..." the man reaches for something in his pocket. "OH, as a matter of fact, this happens in 3... 2... 1..." Smiling putting the contraption away, "you are all dead as of this moment."

Jaurtyin looked over at Konor. Silent as a statue, he fingered his sword. He watched both Konor and Steel, eyes turning from one to another. Should either start something, they may not survive. Kill one to save a thousand? Good idea, but i may kill one to save one.

"If I had a concious I would be hurt, but belive me I wish we could finish our fight too." Aldon said to Konor before he heard the man say that he is dead. Aldon then fell to the ground seemingly in pain before bursting out in laughter. Aldon barely collected himself and stood up before saying. "Hypothecially speaking, say you missed a spot perhaps a magic rune only uncoverd to a close network of freinds, purely hypothetically what if you did indeed miss a spot?" Aldon said just before heard a voice in his head say Still walking around town merily? With a maid in hand too I see. Aldon thought to reply Indeed telepathy is a hard spot to scrub, I have the maid in hand, just picking up the mail. Just you wait, Tim, when the lights turn up, then it goes down.

Konor burst out laughing at the cloaked man's statement. "Ho man! this guy's a real comedian!" Kikiri said still laughing. This guy is fucking insane. Kikiri held out her hand with two fingers extended. "Two big problems with your little plan here. One, you killed us off before we even accepted your little deal. And two, you have me, the steel mop here, and the iron mood swing over there, all in one room." Kikiri said putting her hand back down at the end.

"As much as I would agree with you Konor, you three are among the best there are. We have followed you three for some time now studying you, but I give you compliments." The man directed toward Konor and Steel, "You two have secret lives hidden even from us, but we know about them." The man smiled deviously. "And Steel, if perhaps a magic rune or spell were to be cast within the vicinity of say... thirty yards of this inn, those who used it would be," he laughed, "shocked to feel the consequences."

"I agree with them on this," said Jaurtyin. "What's keeping us here? What if we just walk out?"

The man giggled. This room is under an enchantment of infinity, one that would keep you walking and walking as you pass through each door, you will appear right back where you are now." The man smiled at Steel. "And if you're wondering the enchantment was put up before the magic shock collar was installed."

Magic collar=threatening. Magic access>deactivated. Power forwarded to melee systems. "The collar enchantment may prevent magic, but these two here are combat fighters as well."

"I wouldn't call myself a mop because mops usually clean up more of a mess than they create" Aldon said to Konor before replying to the cloaked man sarcastically "Well I don't know if I can accept your offer, you know family matters and all." Aldon burst out laughing again, while still laughing Aldon continued "No I'm just kiding, it's just I don't ususally work for people who I don't know. Get it, 'cause I don't work, that's the one thing me and the upper class have in common." Aldon was barely keeping himself from bursing out in laughter for a third time.