[center][i][h3]The Tavern[/h3][/i]

[u]The Scholar, The Exile & The Hunter[/u]

[@Hank], [@DearTrickster] and [@Dervish][/center]

[hr]

Kiralla wasn't surprised when the guards surrounded them. When she pushed herself back up to stand she lifted her hands above her head in surrender. Snowflake stood close, still as a statue. 

"Banish the Daedra!" A guard shouted at her. "Banish it now or-!"

The guard's crossbow swiftly redirected its aim to the incoming centaurs galloping in their direction. Kiralla ducked low behind Snowflake while its hulking presence forced the centuars to move around them. Huddling close to its massive leg making herself as small as possible watching Fiona, Gaela and Finch face the centaurs. One last centaur raced towards with intent to help the one Finch injured then was promptly clotheslined by Snowflake's icy club arm. Quickly casting Ice Spike spell in her hand the form of a icy spear several inches long. Then plunged it into the downed centaurs heart. Life drained away from his eyes as Kiralla watched it go. She absolutely hated having to kill the creatures. Knowing guiltily, she had a fair share of sketches of various centaurs in her journal.

"[color=moccasin]I'm s-so sorry.[/color]" She said then slid her hand over his eye lids to close them.

The long and monstrous roar errupted from the tavern making Kiralla nearly jump out of her skin. In her bones she knew who that belonged to without having to check, Maulakanth. Racing toward the door of the tavern it was still wide open after the barmaid escaped through it. The guard Maulakanth cut in half lay by his feet. The other two guards were shouting at him and attacking Maulakanth with unnbridled vengence. Cedric and Brynn had remained warily away from the orc out of reach from the swing of his swords. Her eyes swept through the fight then noted Maulakanth fought with a crossbow bolt sticking out from his abdomen. The guards must of shot him.

Beckoning Snowflake to come back into the tavern she took a long deep breath in having caught the overwhelming reek of blood and death. Then shouted as loud as she could at the guards, "[color=moccasin]Get out! [i]Now![/i][/color]"

Snowflake climbed back in through the window stomping back to her side. The guards continued the onslaught ignoring her shouting. Balling up her fists she then pointed at the guards, "[color=moccasin]Snowflake, protect the guh-guards and stop the or-orc from attacking![/color]

Snowflake stomped forward swinging its club arm at the guard's feet to sweep them away, swiftly bringing up its ice spear of a right arm up to stop the swing of Maulakanth's swords dead in their tracks. The sound of grating metal against the ice was piercing.

Maulakanth barely even noticed the frost atronach until it entered his field of view and blocked his swords with its arm. The orichalcum blades bit deep into the magical ice, but Snowflake's arm held, and Maulakanth was forced to a halt. He looked up, initially incomprehending in his rage, until it dawned on him that Kiralla's conjuration was trying to stop him. His eyes sought her out and he saw the small girl, a mixture of determination and desperation writ on her face. While the guards were still busy getting back on their feet, Maulakanth pulled his swords out of Snowflake's arm and took a few steps backward, panting heavily. Blood slowly trickled out of the hole punctured into his abdomen by the bolt -- the shaft was still stuck, blocking most of the flow, but the internal damage was no less severe because of it. More blood was splattered across his torso, most of it someone else's. He had completely disemboweled two men and impaled another on his blade -- that was guaranteed to make a mess. The tavern smelled heavily of iron and the rank stench of leaking organs.

[color=39b54a]"He shot me,"[/color] Maulakanth grunted, wincing, and pointed at the severed remains of the Imperial guard with the tip of one of his swords, as if that explained everything. His vision was still clouded with the blood-red mist of Orsimer rage and when the other two guards immediately started yelling, cursing the orc's entire bloodline and making angry promises to put him in the ground, Maulakanth's fury, barely subsided, flared again and he charged, determined to cut the Breton cunts down [i]through[/i] the atronach if he had to.

Snowflake brought it's left arm of a club back and waited for the right moment to hit Maulakanth. The orc charged forth meaning to use his immense strength and momentum to cut Snowflake down. Snowflake's club swung directly at Maulakanth's head meaning to knock him out. Kiralla knew it'd take more than a well placed club to his head to stop him. She just hoped it'd be enough to slow him down.

"[color=moccasin]You cah-can't justify cutting a guard in-in half![/color]" Kiralla shouted. "[color=moccasin]You're only g-getting us in more-more trouble![/color]"

Ducking low to dodge the frost atronach's arm, Maulakanth was forced to skid to a halt and back away before the ice club smashed into him on the return swing. He was about to yell something offensive at Kiralla when he broke out in cold sweat. 

[color=39b54a]"Oh, [i]great,"[/i][/color] Maulakanth groaned. Withdrawal symptoms. [color=39b54a]"Now? Really?"[/color] He felt his heart beat irregularly in his chest and rushes of hot and cold run through his body. Panic threatened to seize him and he sank to his knees, swords clanging uselessly on the tavern floor. The adrenaline surge of his berserker's rage was replaced by a crippling feeling of weakness and compounded by his body finally pausing to take stock of its injuries. The pain his abdomen returned, the bolt burning in his gut like a glowing metal rod. The Breton guards, still wary, looked at each other with raised eyebrows. [color=39b54a]"You,"[/color] Maulakanth said, his voice hoarse, pointing at Kiralla. [color=39b54a]"Get the other girl, the alchemist."[/color] 

"[color=moccasin]Snowflake, pin him.[/color]" Kiralla commanded. Snowflake stomped forward using its club to push Maulakanth to the ground pressing its weight and pressure down on his chest. The icy spear poised at his neck inches away from his adam's apple. The cool mist drifing over Maulakanth's skin.

Kiralla approached slowly having taken her staff off her back and pointing it at the orc, with a glare to match. Still a few feet away she kicked away the swords well out of reach.

"[color=moccasin]What's wr-wrong? Besides the bolt st-sticking out of your stomach.[/color]" She asked noting his breathing was rather haggard. "[color=moccasin]I won-won't be dragging anyone else in-in here.[/color]"

Frustrated, Maulakanth tried to push Snowflake's enormous arm off of his chest, but the strength to do so had left him. He let his arms drop limply by his side, laid his head back and closed his eyes. [color=39b54a]"Potion,"[/color] he said. [color=39b54a]"I need a potion. Strength potion. I'll be fine after that... and some healing, maybe,"[/color] he added. 

[color=gold]"I'm gonna stop you right there, Mauly lad. We were supposed to be keeping a low profile and be good little lads and lasses without murdering half the fookin' town along the way. I am not going back in chains because of yer little tantrum, aye?"[/color] Cedric said, loosening the tension on his bow. He spat on the floor, looking up at the colossal ice creature pulled out of the ass end of Oblivion to do songs and dances for the mousy Breton girl. [color=gold]"Uh, good boy. Say, Kiralla, any way of having yer walking iceberg drag our orchard coloured shithead friend out of town while there's a mess keeping the guards from evicerating us?"[/color]

Kiralla spoke to Cedric her eyes and staff trained diligently on Maulakanth once he mentioned the strength potions she knew where she recognized his symptoms. "[color=moccasin]Yes. Snowflake c-can restrain him wh-while the centaurs are being taken ca-care of. By-by the looks of it Maulakanth is experiencing what happens to skooma or moonsugar a-addicts when they do-d-don't get their fix. In his-his case it is strength potions.[/color]"

The offense Maulakanth took at Cedric's words so great it invigorated him through sheer indignation and he turned his head to look at the Breton man. [color=39b54a]"These snot-nosed sods came in here with knives and cudgels and you have the nerve to tell me I should have 'laid low'? I kept my mouth shut when they came in here, it was Cunt-faced Brynn over here, or whatever the [i]fuck[/i] his name is, that escalated the situation. As for the guards -- the captain gave a clear order and the ex-Imperial disobeyed it. Worse, he tried to see me dead. Do you think a sabre-cat lays down its teeth when some heartland twat puts a piece of wood in it? This wasn't a tantrum, you spineless cunt, it was self-defense. Now get this atronach off me and [i]fetch the alchemist,[/i] Oblivion take you. I have centaurs to kill."[/color] 

"[color=moccasin]You-you didn't have to mur-[i]murder[/i] anyone! You don-don't get credit for not killing right away.[/color]" Kiralla snapped back at the orc. He was trying to defend his actions with self defence, she really had no patience for such blatant disregard to the consequences. "[color=moccasin]You can't contain yo-your bloodrage enough to thi-think with the pea-sized brain rolling around in your skull. Do you think-think the guards o-or the locals will [i]cer-care[/i] that it was 'self-defence' or [i]believe[/i] you? No! You cut them in half! Even if you stayed your blade they-they would still pin the blame of the brawl on you.[/color]"

One of the guards shouted at Kiralla now, "Step away from him! He deserves no less than the king's justice!"

[color=gold]"Oh, is the almighty Maulakanth admitting us puny mortals are a threat? Seems to me a man of yer statue should have had no problem dealing with some irritable locals without dicing them into stew chunks, but you aren't a man of half measures, are you?"[/color] Cedric retorted, rolling his eyes. The chaotic sounds of trampling hooves and screaming grew ever more insistent outside, and he knew he couldn't wait much longer. [color=gold]"Well, you big ol' saber cat, I leave you to our lovable iceberg and these nice guards because I have much more pressing shite to do than talk with a pathetic orc who needs his next fix. Get yer shite together, lad. You've killed enough today."[/color] 

As Cedric headed for the door, he grasped Kiralla by the shoulder. [color=gold]"You heard the gentleman in the fancy armour, king's justice awaits our friend who clearly doesn't want any."[/color] he said, heading out of the still-open doorway and into the din of the streets where much bigger problems were at hand.

Kiralla jerked her shoulder away from Cedric, "[color=moccasin]Do not touch m-me. Snowflake, come.[/color]" Then followed Cedric out allowing the guards to do their job. "[color=moccasin]I agree with you a-about Maulakanth but ple-[i]please[/i] do not touch me without my permission.[/color]"

Snowflake slowly backed away from Maulakanth while the guards pressed forward replacing the icy spear at his throat with their swords. Stomping behind its master it climbed back out of the window. Kiralla cast one look over her shoulder at the orc then turned her attention back to the centaurs still terrorizing the town. They couldn't afford to stand around allowing the raid to ruin their chances to get to Camlorn.

After his 'comrades' had left him, Maulakanth was hauled to his feet by the two guards. Righteous anger was still etched on their faces and Maulakanth, his hands being tied together with rope, decided not to provoke them. He tried to control his breathing in an attempt to clear his head. The withdrawal was urging, pleading and begging him to find a way out, some method of escape, so that he could return to the alchemist and persuade her to help him. 

And then he could kill that fucking Elkman. 

One of the guards gathered Maulakanth's swords, muttering an oath at the weight, while the other kept his blade pressed against the small of Maulakanth's back. "Walk," he spat at the orc. Maulakanth complied. What else was he going to do? The trio left the tavern and immediately headed towards the center of town. Maulakanth assumed the prison was there. He looked around for the others but there was little to see in the growing darkness and the sound of trampling hooves, screaming and the clashing of weapons urged the guards onward. An idea struck Maulakanth, fueled by desperation. 

[color=39b54a]"Over here! Hey!"[/color] Maulakanth bellowed after gathering his breath and remaining strength. The guards cursed and hissed at him to be silent, but the damage was already done. A duo of centaurs came galloping around the corner of a house. The guard carrying Maulakanth's swords dropped them and reached for his own weapon. The orc forgotten, the guards turned their full attention on the centaurs. Maulakanth quickly sank away into the shadows of a small alley between two stone houses. This was his chance. He crouched low, the pain in his gut almost unbearable, and managed to hop over his tied hands to bring them to his front. 

A mad dash, still keeping low the ground, got him as far as his blades. He picked them up with clumsy, sweaty fingers, his wrists still frustratingly tied together, and ran away -- the Hand of Mauloch running away from a fight. Somewhere in his mind, Maulakanth bitterly cursed himself -- but the addiction was in charge now. [i]The alchemist,[/i] he feverishly thought. [i]I have to find the alchemist.[/i]