Korran watched as Alaric and the others rowed away, the noise from the freshly chaotic crowd damaging any hope Fiona or he had of their voices reaching them. "We'll have to borrow another boat," he said conclusively, eyeing the docks and the various vessels along it. He noticed further down there was a motorboat that had three men piling in bags. Korran assumed the men had decided to hightail it out of the situation, despite the chance that their quick departure would make them appear suspicious. "Do you know how to operate a motorboat?"

Fiona followed his gaze. "No, but I imagine they won't mind sharing the details if we ask politely."

Two minutes later, they were pulling away from the docks with the three men watching from the shore, bruised but breathing. Luckily, they hadn't resisted much after the two had snuck up on them, considering neither Korran nor Fiona would have many qualms about killing them.

It wasn't hard to find the torchlight that shone like a beacon once they cleared the first set of ships. There they found two boats side by side with a rope hanging down the side of the ship. "Let's hope the rope is still attached to something up there," Fiona said, craning her neck for a better view.

"Hope is for the weak," Korran replied, crossing to the nearest boat and tugging as hard as he could on the rope. Failing to move he turned back to Fiona, "It's attached."

"Then you wouldn't mind going first."

"...Right." Korran gave the rope another tug before beginning his ascension. Muscle memory from his experiences climbing out of pits from a young age made using a rope for his climb almost too easy, though his pounding rib made the experience painful. A chilly wind rose from the ocean and bit his skin despite the cloak he wore, but he hardly noticed. Sounds of battle came pouring down to him before he reached the top and settled in a crouch behind the railing at the side. As he waited for Fiona to join him, he observed the ongoing battle on the deck.

Ardus faced off against two people simultaneously, and upon further examination, Korran made them out to be Bushy Eyebrows from the harbormaster's office and the sinister man with the scythe from the bridge. He seemed to be holding his own, which Korran realized to be thanks to no small part to Scythe's disinterest in working as a team with Bushy Eyebrows. Ardus showcased his experience by staying on the defensive, enticing the scythe wielder to chase him and keep Bushy Eyebrows from making a significant addition to the fight in the short period Korran observed.

Not far from them, Mathis seemed to have his hands full. Despite facing only one person, and having the help of Wulfur, who evidently had found purchase once or twice with his fangs, judging from the blood decorating them. Petra stood off to the side, looking rather worried and helpless as her companion risked his life. Their opponent was also from the bridge - the well-built man with crystal blue eyes who had stopped the scythe wielder.

When Fiona finally surfaced, Korran gestured toward Mathis' predicament and made his way forward, staying out of the fighter's line of sight. Fiona caught the hint, following along behind him in a similar crouched position. It was child play sneaking up on those focused on a battle, with only Petra being a position to notice them thanks to her distance. Korran made a shushing motion before she could reveal their powl and she obeyed.

Korran got as close as he possible before breaking into a light jog to close the remaining distance just as Blue Eyes - Koko, knocked Mathis' off course and went for the kill. He paused mid-way, somehow feeling the threat of Korran a mere second away from being stabbed. He whirled around, not in time to completely dodge the blade but the movement made Korran miss his lung and instead penetrate his rib. Koko lashed out instinctively, causing Korran to duck under the man's fist, but he didn't move in time to dodge the spear of Mathis burrowed into his shoulder. He made a grab for Mathis' embedded spear but he pulled it out quickly and his next thrust caused Koko to retreat backwards with a hiss.

"Where's Alaric?" Korran asked an exhausted Mathis.

Mathis' eyes wearily inhaled Korran and Korran could've sworn his complexion was a bit sickly for whatever reason. "He went after their leader in that superstructure there. The guy appeared plenty strong, too."

Korran considered the situation, noting Mathis' heavy breathing and Wulfur's apparent ineffectiveness against the man. It might've been better to stay there, aiding the tiring Mathis and Wulfur to ensure they won against the man, but there was a lot riding personally on Alaric's survival for Korran. He wasn't sure Alaric would even need help, but that also meant he wasn't sure he didn't need it. He made up his mind.

"I'll go after Alaric, Fiona you stay here and help them defeat this guy." Korran expected some resistance, with the headstrong Fiona claiming that she could go after Alaric instead of him, but none came, only a muttered okay.

Korran examined her, noting her strained expression. He'd forgotten about the ghastly wound on her back and despite her determination, it seemed to be bothering her. Korran leaned over to her, "Go get healed by Petra. Before you complain, think about yourself operating as deadweight in this fight. You'll just hold back Mathis with that; besides, it's about time the girl becomes useful in this fight."

Fiona's expression darkened but Korran turned away before she could get out her words. He looked curiously at Koko, who seemed content to watch the situation unfold without attacking. In contrast to his scythe-wielding buddy, he was extremely laid back and seemed more focused on occupying them than anything else.

He caught Korran watching him. "Going in after Borus and your friend, are you? I imagine he's gotten bored of that noble pretender by now and he's on his way up to the Gods. If you hurry you may get a chance to say goodbye, though you may join him soon."

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Korran spared him only a second. "I'll bring back this Borus' head for both you and the Gods you speak of."

Korran opened the door warily and the scene he chanced upon made him unconsciously hold his breath. The man, Borus he assumed, sported a large ridiculous blue afro, but what made his breath catch was the fact he stood over a downed Alaric. Immediately, Korran came to a conclusion; he would not be able to defeat this man if he held back even an ounce, especially with his rib giving him trouble. The man simply had a dangerous air about him.

Korran took a deep breath then another, starting a rhythm where he took timed rapid breaths that expanded the alveolar sacs in his lungs, significantly increasing the surface area available for gas exchange. This was only possible thanks to his lungs being trained from practically birth to withstand the strain the technique put on them over time. He charged toward the unsuspecting man and reached him before the door even closed.

It was tempting to attempt at the man's critical organs with a well-placed dagger strike, but in this state, he couldn't be sure some killing intent wouldn't leak out and warn the man, so he prepared a bare fist instead. His punch connected with a satisfying crunch, the man's head snapping backward with such force that one might think his neck was broken.

Korran advanced as the man slumped toward the ground, eager to finish him off before he could recover. Warriors may frown upon sneak attacks but assassins didn't share in that frivolous thinking. The only thing that mattered was being the one to walk away, not your opponent admitting they lost in an honorable battle with their last breath.

However, things didn't go quite as easily in a battle against truly skilled individuals. As Korran neared the man, he lashed out with the metal-encased shaft, landing a solid blow smack in Korran's stomach. Immediately, Korran lost his breath, sinking to his knees with a torturous oomph. His mouth hung open involuntarily and he spat blood as he struggled to regain his breath.

A headache surfaced as he fought for cooperation from his body, eventually regaining the ability to breathe after a grueling few seconds. Restarting the breathing technique wasn't easy and it was beyond risky, but he forced himself into the breathing pattern and felt immense relief when the feeling of lightness enveloped his body.

He looked up warily, the pain from his body residing, though his headache only grew. Borus stood with a wide grin adorning his features. He had a nasty purple bruise already starting to form on the cheek where Korran had punched him.

"Now, you seem like more fun, fellow. Is this your friend, perhaps?" He asked, motioning to Alaric's still figure. Korran spared a second to make sure the man was even still breathing before refocusing on Borus.

Borus frowned. "You don't seem too mad about-"

Korran launched himself at the man. This was no time for chit-chat, especially when he was using this breathing technique which had a limit.

Borus parried his first blow before attempting a counter attack, but Korran advanced forward like a dancer, his immaculate footwork and increased agility allowing him to weave around the big man, slashing him repeatedly with his daggers. He wasn't able to try for a critical hit, but he could tell the successive cuts he inflicted were at least annoying Borus. An annoyed person was more likely to mess up when the weight of pressure found them.

Sure enough, Borus made a wild thrust with his halberd, intending to predict Korran''s course since he wasn't able to keep up with his speed. Korran sidestepped the blow at nearly point-blank range, receiving a nick on his cheek as it passed by. He eagerly cut inside, sure that Borus wouldn't be able to block his attack but the man had other plans. He dropped his weapon, moving forward to meet Korran's charge with calculated certainty. Even in his enhanced state, Borus' unpredictable movement caused Korran to not react in time as Borus lowered his head and barrelled into his stomach, pinning him to the floor with his superior weight.

Korran could feel the man reaching for his halberd on top of him and adrenaline surged through his body. Out of instinct, he leaned back as much as he could, wrapping his legs around the man's neck and pulling his left hand out in a leglock designed to break the hand while simultaneously putting pressure on the victim's neck. He could feel Borus' ample strength as he thrashed around, fighting wildly to break the hold, but Korran's enhanced strength and experienced technique held against the man's brute power.

Korran put his all into the hold and truthfully, the man's hand should've been snapped by now, but the beefiness was not for show. As the initial panic passed, Borus started to think rationally again. He braced his feet and started to bring his upper body up gradually, lifting Korran as he did.

Korran wasn't exactly in the heavyweight division, but lifting him with bone-crushing force on his neck and hand was still no small feat. Koran waited until Borus had almost reached his full height before completely releasing the hold, maneuvering in the air so that he pulled Borus' head down by the shoulders where he became acquainted with Korran's knee. His head snapped back, blood squirting from his nose as he stumbled backward.

It was the perfect time for Korran to go for the kill, but his body faltered, his limit dangerously near. The analgesic effect of the breathing technique started to wane and his body started to feel heavy. Still, he pushed his body to advance on the stunned man, aiming a dagger at his heart. However, Borus had enough time to recover and grabbed Korran's hand, the two initiating a battle of strength to stop or forward the dagger's momentum.

The shaking battle allowed for the two to come as face to face as their height difference allowed. Borus' face was twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, the blood splattered across his face and pooled under his nose only aiding his crazy appearance. Korran recognized the crazy glint in his eyes; the look of a man who enjoyed the thrill of battle, and a strong opponent only increased the thrill.

"Boss, we've been duped!"

The men had been so enamored with their battle of wills that they hadn't noticed the man walking up the stairs behind them. Frankly, the man had been so quiet that it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Korran spared the new arrival a glance, noting that he wore a vest just like Bushy Eyebrows; he was probably a scout. "I've checked below and there's no one here, and certainly no treasure. It's completely empty."

Korran suddenly fell forward as Borus stopped fighting against him and was promptly kicked away, his body roaring as he met the ground with a loud thud. He couldn't maintain his breathing technique anymore, and his rib pain came back tenfold, with new aches attending to him from all over.

He watched from his slumped position as Borus wiped his nose before retrieving his halberd. "I figured. We've been making quite a ruckus and not even the slightest movement from below us. They must've planned to disembark from here."

Borus turned back to Korran, his smile returning. "You, boy. You don't belong with such an inept team. I see a similar spark within you that resides in myself. The Greta Company is no simple foe, but together we stand a better chance at fattening our pockets. I suspect we'll see each other again, I expect a response then."

Korran could hardly digest the man's words due to the pain that wreaked havoc on his body. He focused on the men's retreating footsteps, satisfied when the door opened and closed with their presence gone.

Korran was only dimly aware of Alaric standing as he welcomed the soothing embrace of darkness.