The voices were familiar as he looked through the crowd of men who were regaining their senses, he could see the duo. One was broad shouldered and appeared short given his overall mass, and the other was taller, athletic, yes, but not bulky like their companion. It’s Tony and Grif, he thought to himself. They’re not even in their guard gear. They’ll get slaughtered out here if I leave. His mind flashed back to the conversation they had at in the Floggin’ Inn. He remembered Tony calling him the uncle he wished he had. He rememberer Grif’s childlike pout. And he knew, that someone, they came to find and help him. And he knew he would not abandon them.

“Who are they?” Dusk Waker asked.

“Found family I guess you’d say,” his voice with a somber, quiet ring.

“We need to escape, tell them to run.”

Urberer looked over to the duo, who were doing what he’d knew they would, fight. These are Gricrir’s kids. They’ll uphold the law to the death. He sighs and turns back to Dusk Walker. “You should go Dusk Walker. I wish you luck in finding your Abby. It seems as though I won’t be able to help you. Those two, “ he points at the duo in the distance “they called me uncle. I just can’t let the kids down. And they’re not going to let the law down. So. Someone has to look out after them. You know what I mean? Follow this until it reaches a ’tee’ and then go left.” He offers a faint smile. “Goodbye warrior.”

“As you wish,” she said does a front flip over the lid and into the cistern.

Urberer turned to face the groups. They had regathered themvelves and were out numbering Tony and Grif. Grif appeared to be putting on an amazing show. But Tony, he seemed sluggish and stumbled all on his own. “Huh, why doesn’t he just drink the elixir I gave him. It’d knock the alcohol right out of him.” He shakes his head at the thought and as men begin to descend upon him his hand shakes just slightly.

Even with using less holy mana consumption by using a ward, that holy art really took a lot out of me. I can barely stand. Lady Fatigue is so good at sneaking up on you. Maybe. Maybe today I’ll get to meet amber again.

He begins to swirl his staff in a protective circle. Senses someone behind him he strikes and it is blocked by … Dusk Walker.

“Careful where you swing that thing Monk.”

“What are you doing?” Not able to hide his disbelief. “You had an easy way out.” His thoughts ran rapidly. He’d hope he’d be the only one to die in this shit show. Why is she here? He thought to himself.

“I’m not one.” Dusk Walker stands off to his side. “I said you were my mark didn’t I? No one’s going to harm you. But me. Now keep up.”

She went off at an angle attacking any who got in her way. Her moves were no where near as elegant or as powerful as they once were. Fatigue clearly taking its toll, but nonetheless she fought through it and Urberer had no choice but to do the same.

The two now worked together in their dance of death. Dusk Walker was the blade the thugs never seen as twisted and turned. Where her blade struck into the enemies soft spot, her rear and sides were protected by the glowing staff of Urberer. He deflected, she struck in an ongoing interwoven dance of moves. Despite the difficulty of the amount of people before them, they made headway, one step at a time, towards the duo.

Finally, they were only several feet away. Urberer could see that Tony and Grif still had their commoner’s clothes on. They too were fighting in unison with Grif’s kicks taking pinpoint shots against the foes that came her way. Tony strikes were large sweeping hay makers. One shot was so violent that it collided in the face of one man and sent him flying into another.

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“What are you two doing? Urberer yelled out at them.

“Someone came to the Inn and said that you needed help.” Grif said, doding around and striking.

“No, they said they wanted to see the beast of a man, hic, put some rowdy people in their place. SO here I am. Street brawl. Come on.” Tony said.

Urberer’s eyes shifted to Tony, his brows arching.

“Did they hit him on the head?”

“No,” Grif barely doges a lunge from somoene wielding a curved blade, common to ocean marauders. She lets then run by and then angles a kick to their lower back. “Uh. Sorry. He’s still drunk. Refusin’ to take the vial you gave us. He was a’ stumbling’ all the way here.” She dodges another attack and returns with two hand strikes to the person’s gut.

Why in the world are they fighting without weapons? Did they get disarmed? Urberer thought as he saw the hand strikes.

“Where’s your weapons? Did you get disarmed? You need weapons.” He continues to twirl his staff around, keeping attackers at bay and careful not to hit Dusk Walker in the process.

“Yes our weapons…”

There is no way Gricrir would train them not to have some sort of weapon on them. He’s the most prepared man I know. When it comes to back ups, he has backup to the backup spoons and forks, just in case things ‘get wild’. I couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t have ingrianed something similar?

Dusk Walker jumps into the conversation, with a cool voice that just hides irritation “In case you lovely people have yet to realize, we are in the middle of a fight. Either draw your weapons or grab some from these ruffians. But do something.”

Dusk Walker draws a compact night stick from a hidden holster hidden under her knee length skirt. She bashes one foe on the head and then lets out a large sigh.

“You had that on you the whole time?” Urberer asked, his voice raising slightly in disbelief.

“Yes. We -uh- Tony made a bet that he’d could take out more of ‘em then I could, without using any weapons.”

“Are you truly trying to fight off of all of these men without a weapon? You are very courageous.” Dusk Walker said knowingly to Grif.

In the heat of battle Grif gave a smile.

“The kind of courageous that comes from lack of experience.” Dusk Walker said, her words like a heavy hand to the ego.

Grif’s smile diminished. She simply nodded and then went on the assault with her weapon, seeming to down people way easier.

Well, those few words stung more than Gricrir’s long, oh so long lectures. I guess I won’t tell him about that. And that these two are betting wagers at a time like this? I can see why he calls them children. That’s good though, a little spunk can take you a long way. Urberer thought to himself. He then yelled out “Tony, use the vial. It’s alright. We can get you more my boy.” Urberer yells over the hum of battle.

“I’mmma man beast Unk Urberer. I got this! I’m gonna win dis’ bet even without a weapon.”

Urberer shakes his head and thinks “Note to self, do not get him too full on hard drink again.”

A loud screeching sound of a bird from above caught Urberer’s attention. He glance uped to see the crow, still at its perch, wings flapping, bringing it slightly aflight, and cawing at great lengths.

Wait, something is wrong. Why is the bird ….

His eyes glance back and forth on the field of play and then back up at the bird. He then scanned the roof top and saw four figures there, hooded, with hands stretched out. He would have entirely missed them had it not been for the watchful eye of the oversized crow.

While he could see them now, and the auras that were forming around their hands, he also knew it was too late to find cover. The question now was, what were they casting, and more importantly how large of an impact. He looked back to the ground level, head going this way and that, scanning and he looked back up ahead. Their hands were all pointed in one direction, close to him, but not close enough. Nor was it aimed at the duo; doubtful that they would used their skills on only two guards. It was only on one person who was doing their bust to cut into the hearts of their enemies, Dusk Walker.

Yelling out “Mages! Mages on the roofs!”

“Ma-maghes?” Tony asked.

“Mages!” Grif responded, attempting to spot them.

“On the roof?” Dusk Walker asked in a huff as she blocked a person attacking her from the front and the rear, causing her attention to be distracted.

“Dusk run!”

It was too late. Magical projectiles were now raining down in her location.

Something deep in Urberer stirred as his mind yelled Not again. His feet propelled him before logical could slow him. And just before impact Urberer stood in front of Dusk Walker, shielding her with the mass of body. And all he could see was blinding light before the impact.