Neil had been ready to leap on Johann and try to wring his blunderbuss out of his hands, but luckily Emmaline had managed to wriggle her way out of the situation. The fact that she was gorgeous and naked likely helped her, though Neil was definitely not alright with these guys oggling her. 

"First thing's first, Johnson." Neil said. 

"Johann." He corrected, displeased. Neil closed his eyes and waved it off as if it were a minor thing.

"Right, Johann. What did I say? We're two enterprising thieves, looking to make some more coin. You boys look like you could use some help, maybe. If not, then we'll be on our way, or you can shoot us, of course." He opened his arms disarmingly, rolling his eyes as if that was the dumbest move one could ever pull. "But I don't think you want to waste shot or rust a knife on two people who can help you out. So if we tell you our story, are you interested because you're here to recruit us, or you just want some entertainment before you spit on Shallya's mercy?" 

The gaggle of bandits looked at Neil with a mixture of confusion, amusement, and incredulity. Clause was just then getting up, having slapped his groin long enough to make him groan with every step. Emmaline made her way over to Neil, but she didn't hide behind him or take his hand, as much as both would have liked that. They needed to look more enterprising than two victims with nothing to bargain. Johann pursed his lips, holding the silence for a long few moments before speaking. 

"We don't really need more crew... but if you're telling the truth and you two made it out of Nuln, then we might can use your skills." He raised his blunderbuss once more, however, and shook it in their direction for emphasis. "And we might be thieves like you, but we're Gods-fearing ones. That [i]thing[/i] you got seemed awfully ruinous to me." 

"Just kill 'em and be done with it!" Clause said, taking out a knife in one, swift motion. 

"Shut up, Clause!" Johann roared. "I'm talking to our friends here! Anyway, you give us a good reason why you have something like that, and you tell us what it is, and maybe I'll think about you two joining up. Otherwise, I'll bury you both in the garden out back, and take your chocolates and gold for ourselves." 

"We're not taking it anyway?" Another man pipped in, a short man with a square jaw and an ill look to him. "It's right there!" 

"Oh, they won't join us without divvying it up, anyway." Johann said with an open mouthed grin, a brass tooth shining in the dying firelight. "Now talk, and maybe we'll listen."