The Bond Between (1x1 Ivory_Coated_Stars)(DISCONTINUED T-T)

[chibi_blue_mouse]

It begins . . .

Nicodemus and his brother, X, eight and ten years old respectively, were running behind their mother who held onto them by a hand each. Flames from burning buildings lit up the night as the bandits raided their small village. Suddenly, Nicodemus tripped and lost his hold on his mother’s hand. He cried out as he fell down, scraping his knee in the process. X and his mother turned quickly and ran to him. But only X was able to make it to the boy. In the few seconds it took for the boys’ mother to realize her younger son had fallen behind and turn back for him, one of the bandits appeared out of the shadows and quickly ended the woman’s life.

“Momma!” Nicodemus screamed in horror, X’s equally terrified “Mom!” was screamed in unison as the boys saw their mother’s throat slit in the light of the burning village. They wanted to run to their mother, but more bandits had caught up to them and the boys found themselves restrained and dragged over to a wagon the bandits were using to collect the items they stole from the village. The brothers’ wrists were tied to the wagon after being thrown roughly inside. Being young children, the boys cried for some time, but when the wagon started moving, Nicodemus looked up at his brother, eyes wide with worry.

“What’s going to happen to us, X?” he asked, his voice choked and wavering.

“I don’t know. But we’ll stick together. Got it?” X replied, his expression hardening with determination. He had lost his village, his home, and his parents all in one night. He was not going to lose his little brother as well. Also, he had to make sure he was the strong one. He was the older brother after all . . . He had to be strong for Nicodemus.

Nicodemus nodded and then got as close to his brother as the ropes around his wrists would allow. The boys soon fell asleep, the movement of the wagon as well as the exhaustion that came from crying putting them both into a deep slumber.

When they awoke, it was to loud, drunken laughter as the bandits came in and cut them free from the ropes, although strong arms made sure neither boy could run away. The boys struggled, and X struggled all the more fiercely when he noticed that Nicodemus was being pulled away, separated from him.

Nicodemus, meanwhile, didn’t notice that he was being dragged away from his brother until he was thrown down onto a hard, wooden stage. He groaned as he pushed himself up onto his feet before gasping as he saw the crowd gathered in front of the stage. He froze in fear. He wanted to run, but there were guards on every side, and no place to run to! He didn’t register what exactly was happening until the loud bang of the gavel sounded and the auctioneer’s voice rang out, “SOLD!”

It was a slave auction. Nicodemus shivered as he realized that he had just been sold as a slave. He didn’t know until now that these things were real. He had only heard them as horror stories told to frighten young children into obedience back at the village. “You’d better mind your parents, or they’ll round you up and take you to the slave auction with all the rest of the naughty children!” X and Nicodemus had often been warned since they often got into trouble around the village, but never had Nicodemus or X ever thought the stories would be true.

As a hand grabbed his arm to pull him offstage to where his new master would be waiting, it was as though all the feeling returned to his body and he began to struggle. Hitting, kicking, biting, screaming, crying, anything that could possibly get him out of the situation! No! X said that they needed to stick together!

Suddenly, shouts rose up from the other side of the stage as X managed to maneuver out of the clutches of the bandits and make his way out onto the stage, racing for his brother. “Nico! Grab my hand!” he cried as he got near his brother.

But the bandits were quick on their feet, and the guards weren’t slouches either and even as Nicodemus reached for his brother, bandits and guards swarmed on X, pulling him backwards despite his struggles.

X and Nicodemus fought to stay together, but it was a losing battle. Just before they could pull Nicodemus offstage, X, realizing he might not see his brother again, shouted, “I’ll find you! I promise! I’ll free us both and I’ll find you!” Then a swift fist met the side of the boy’s head and X was knocked unconscious as Nicodemus was dragged offstage to his waiting master.

. . . With loss.

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The designs of fate . . .

Before I get into anything else, first thing I must say is that this is mostly going to be the story of the two brothers. Yes, there is some yaoi, but it won't be my primary concern or focus. This is the story of two brothers, the younger of which just happens to be gay. Whether or not the older one is also gay is up to you.

Plot points: You will play X, who after being carted from household to household, escapes six years into his enslavement and is found by a group of mercenaries/assassins who wish to bring him into their guild. At first, X is hesitant about this offer, wanting to immediately find Nicodemus and fulfill his promise. However, after the group informs him that the nature of their job allows them to go to many places and therefore maximizes the chance of finding one person in the large city they live in, X agrees to join them.

On the other side of the spectrum, Nicodemus has been faring decently as a slave. His masters have not been unduly cruel to him, and he's only switched households around four times, finding what seems like will be a permanent home by the time he's eighteen. Not being as spit-fire as his brother, Nicodemus gained a good reputation as a loyal slave and hard worker. That got the interest of the Lord of the city and he was bought to be a companion to the man's son, Y, whom you also shall be playing. To help him in daily tasks, train with him as he learns to defend himself and to protect him when Y cannot protect himself are the main duties that are set upon Nicodemus's shoulders. And after an initial dislike of each other, Nicodemus's loyalty and hard work do garner respect from Y eventually and by the time that Nicodemus has been there for a year, they've grown to be more like best friends than master and slave. Nicodemus would die for his master, and more than that, he's found himself with feelings for the man, feelings which he now tries to suppress. Nicodemus hasn't forgotten his brother's promise, but with every passing year, he grows more and more doubtful that X would be able to fulfill it. He celebrate's X's birthday in secret, making a small cupcake for his brother in the dead of night every year since he learned how to cook at age 12.

By the time 12 years have passed, X, receives a mission. An outside party wishes to kidnap Y and use him to gain a ransom to become rich. X has become rather addicted to his work, since he has not been able to find his brother. It has disheartened him of the chance of ever being able to find Nicodemus, so he takes the job without any real enthusiasm. The jobs are only distractions from the disappointment he feels with himself for being unable to find Nicodemus in all this time.

When he does get to Y's manor, he is able to knock out the young Lord with surprising ease despite having taken the other by surprise. However, X is taken by surprise when he is suddenly rammed into from the side by one of the slaves of the household. Nicodemus has seen an intruder just knock out his master and friend. Not wanting Y to be hurt, Nicodemus tells a lie, one that can easily be believed since he has been treated well and given finer clothes than what most slaves wear. He claimed to be Y instead. Time has passed, and both boys have now grown into men. Men who are meeting again in unfortunate circumstances. After all . . . you don't see what you don't expect to see . . . and X believes the lie.

. . . Are often cruel.

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The order of the universe . . .

Rules:
I don't mind swearing, but don't overuse the expletives, thank you. Odds are, I'll use a couple of them myself.
Keep it PG 13. Means no cybering. Close the curtain on them, or timeskip, but I will not cyber with you.
Try to be literate please. I understand that writer's block can happen to the best of us, but at least try to write more than four sentences.
Give your characters some character. I will be bored otherwise. I will also try to give my own characters some character and stick with that character unless character development and growth say otherwise.
HAVE FUN!!!!

. . . Must be obeyed.

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Life is a chess game . . .

Profiles: PM THESE TO ME!!!!!!!!!!

Yours:

[b]Name:[/b] X (This is Nicodemus's brother. Give him a name)
[b]Age:[/b] 22 (He's 10 when sold into slavery, and 12 years have passed. Makes him 22.)
[b]Status:[/b] Mercenary
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Biography:[/b] (Previously stated, but you can elaborate on what sort of jobs he's done or how he escaped, but it's all up to you really)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (Either a really detailed description of him, or get a pic)
[b]Played by:[/b] (Your username here)

[b]Name:[/b] Y (This is Nicodemus's master and love interest. Name him as well.)
[b]Age:[/b] (Can be between 20-23)
[b]Status:[/b] Lord
[b]Personality:[/b] (Please don't make him a wuss.)
[b]Biography:[/b] (What has his life been like so far?)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (Either a really detailed description of him, or get a pic)
[b]Played by:[/b] (Your username here)

Name: Kress
Age: 22
Status: Mercenary
Personality: Kress was originally a bright and adventurous person, who wanted nothing more than to explore the world for what it was. When his village burned down, he grew up, doing what he could to become strong for his younger brother. As the years passed, Kress grew more and more bitter with every failed attempt at locating his brother and his personality became that of a cold and merciless person. He lives and dies for his work, making him quite the workaholic as well. He is frigid and has a pessimistic outlook on things. He is still quite a spit-fire when angered, however. He really is not one to hold his tongue for anyone. Otherwise, when he's around his friends he is quiet, but not nearly as cold as he is on the job. Actually, on the contrary he is rather friendly, but he never opens up to a target, let alone talk to them more than he needs to.
Biography: After his village burned down, Kress and his brother had been sold into slavery. With every house however, the situation had only worsened. Kress had always done what he could to cause immense problems for his owners. He would steal from them and sell to bandits, he would let all of the animals escape, he would insult guests on a daily basis. He would do all he could to make their lives miserable. That being said, Kress also had a great deal of punishments handed his way. He still has a flurry of gaping scars lining his back from all of the beatings he's received. Because of his problematic background, Kress had only been sold to houses that cared little for their slaves. He would barely eat, he would get locked in a tiny box of a room for months on end, and at the last house he was serving at, the problematic slaves had to wear shock collars for when they had gotten out of control.

Kress had escaped and made it to the marketplace marketplace at one time, knowing he would only get so far before he was found again and take back, when he came across a man. He didn't look like much, and Kress was ready to pass him by, until the man offered him freedom. Kress followed him and his collar was cut off, leaving a scar on the side of his neck from the blade. He met a group of mercenaries that were willing to take him in and treat him as an equal, not a pet. He would simply have to earn his keep and he was free to go anywhere. Of course, there was a bit of hesitation on his end. Kress was desperate, but was he THAT desperate? Of course, when compared to going back to slavery, did he really have a choice? Kress accepted and soon became a mercenary.

As the years passed, Kress's hopes of finding his brother dimmed with every noble he had slain and every slave he searched. None of them were his brother. He became a workaholic, always accepting new missions, unknowingly gaining skills and tons on riches upon getting a hefty cut of the earnings. He also gained quite a reputation under his code name "Crow". It was a name given to him when he first arrived at the guild. Everyone needed one for the guild's protection. It was soon that his struggle to find his bother by assassinating nobles just turned into something he did daily out of a force of habit. Because of his status, he was chosen by the guild to do the next job: kidnap the young lord of a very elite house.
Appearance:
Played by: Ivory_Coated_Stars

Name: Alistair Reiville
Age: 21
Status: Lord
Personality: Alistair is a fun-loving person that is always in a constant search if something to ease his boredom. These feats go from traveling to attending parties, though it wasn't until his father had presented Nicodemus to him that his boredom had been sated. Alistair is actually quite a nice person, but he is extremely blunt, which causes him to hurt people when he really doesn't intend to. He is outspoken and outgoing, though he puts on a mask of elegance to the public, so he doesn't embarrass his father or his family. Though he is a nice person, he is still quite spoiled, so he does prefer to get his way most of the time. He is also quite curious, and often ventures into places he's not supposed to. Alistair hates to lose. He is very competitive when challenged and doesn't have the patience for much of anything. Most of these traits he only reveals to Nicodemus and the slaves of the household.
Biography: Being the only legitimate child of his house and the next heir to his line, Alistair was always raised as a spoiled child. He had gotten everything he had wanted when he wanted it and not a second later. Though, he often grew bored of that lifestyle, and wondered about the world beyond the wealthy. He often thought about how people clawed their way to the top how his father did and asked why? It was nothing special. Alistair was only able to leave his house every so often, and only if he had a bodyguard or was going to a villa that he was also bound to. He had to pretend to be someone he wasn't for the sake of his family. He had to keep his face shoved in books while the peasant kids were outside playing. It wasn't what he would consider "fun".

As Alistair had gotten older, he realized why he couldn't do what others could. He has had many attempts on his life, whether it be by bandits who wanted a ransom to jealous lords and ladies who wanted his family's riches. Of course, he always managed to come back home and the people responsible had always met a mysterious end.

It wasn't until he was nineteen that his father had presented him with Nicodemus. Alistair's father was concerned about his protection, so he was having Nicodemus trained to be by his side. Of course, Alistair wasn't fond of the idea of simply having another watchdog at his side, but Nicodemus was different. He never seemed to get too annoyed even with his worst antics, and overtime, Alistair treated Nicodemus more like his best friend than a slave, even giving him gifts like fine clothes and a nice room. When Alistair was to be kidnapped, however, Nicodemus had taken his place.
Appearance:
Played by: Ivory_Coated_Stars

Mine:
Name: Nicodemus
Age: 20
Status: Slave
Personality: Nicodemus is loyal to the person he serves, determined to make the best out of his situation. He works hard and will persevere despite any setbacks. Determination is one the qualities he prides himself on. He's a calmer sort of fellow, usually able to reign in his anger, but if you hurt those he cares about, he will go to great lengths to make sure you pay for what you've done. What he doesn't like to show to the world is that he actually feels rather lonely in his position, and feels inadequate around the one friend he does have. He is, however optimistic about the future.
Biography: After being sold into slavery and separated from his brother, Nicodemus first served an elderly master who treated him kindly and allowed him to learn how to keep house without much fear of punishment. The worst punishment he received in that household was that if he broke something or made a mess, then he had to be the one to clean it up. Usually, without help from any of the other slaves. When his master died when he was 12, he was not returned to the auction, but instead willed to the man's niece. She treated him well, although he often had to skip a meal when he did something that displeased his mistress. When he turned 15, he was sold to another household. This one was easy enough to fit into and though there were many slaves to help with the work, Nicodemus did not slack off but worked as hard as ever. Then that master got into a bit of trouble with the law and Nicodemus and the other slaves were seized and taken back to the slave trade. Nicodemus was 16 when he was sold on auction again and he paid no attention to the crowd, his eyes looking past their faces to the past when he was last up on a stage. His brother did not come for him that day, but instead he was sold to a woman who often did not allow him to wear a shirt when he did chores. It was at that estate that he learned how to care for the grounds of a household as well as tend to animals, and went about these chores with his usual determination and hard work. And finally, a few days after he turned eighteen, Nicodemus was sold to the Lord of the city and given to his son to be a companion as well as a servant.
Appearance:
Played by: chibi_blue_mouse

Name: Kaitlyn
Age: 22
Status: Mercenary
Personality: Kaitlyn is all about weighing cost over gain. She lacks loyalty to just about anyone but herself. But she is diligent and thorough in what she decides to do. Once she fixes on a task, she will see it all the way through . . . or at least as far as the contract tells her to. After that it's not her problem. She does have a fun-loving side that she'll show occasionally but it's kinda hard to do when your a mercenary and by extension a fugitive.
Biography: Kaitlyn joined the mercenaries when she was really young. Her family had been killed by roving bandits and she had escaped out of her house via a window and she just . . . ran. The mercenaries had found her nearly starved to death on the streets and had taken her in. She found her niche in ranged weapons and acrobatics. Since she could take the rooftops of the city and snipe her targets, she became the mercenary's sharp shooter. And often, she was a lookout for other mercenaries and assassins. When she met Kress, he had just been taken in by a superior. She didn't think much of him, but, needing to be a lookout, she'd been sent on a couple of missions with him, watching the bloodbath from the rooftops. She noticed something that he did with every mission he went on. He would look over the slaves of the households. One day she asked who he was looking for. He told her about his brother and she scoffed at his mission. "How do you know he's even still in the city anymore?" They haven't spoken since.
Appearance:
Played by: chibi_blue_mouse

Name: Darien
Age: 21
Status: Mercenary
Personality: A rather charismatic fellow, Darien uses his charm to gain information. He's a bit overly confidant when it comes to his plans and it's difficult for him to admit when he's wrong. He's also extremely goal-oriented. While he does know how to turn on the charm, he has also isolated himself, refusing to get close to anyone. As such, he can be rather cold at times. But as cold as he can be, he does take care of the people who are useful to him, gaining their loyalty and trust.
Biography: Born into slavery, Darien spent the first 15 years of his life under the thumb of other people. It was in his fifteenth year that everything started to fall apart. He had met someone in his master's house. A favored slave. Their relationship only lasted a few months, however, because after sharing their first kiss, Darien had been brutally whipped in front of the other while their master shouted about how disgusting such a relationship was. Did he mention the favored slave was also a male? After the whipping, Darien was sold away. He never made it to the slave market though. By pretending to be weaker from the whipping than he actually was, he was able to take his two guards by surprise and escape into the streets of the city. He knew if he couldn't get his wounds treated though, he would likely die. He spent a day watching people, seeing some suspicious characters, some injured, walking through the streets. He followed those suspicious characters at a distance before he noticed more people who seemed to be heading to the same spot. One thing that connected them, they all had some sort of weapon on them. And any guards that walked through were avoided with the same sort of desperation that Darien had. These people were either criminals, escaped slaves, or both. Either way, they couldn't have gotten help at a normal doctor's place if they were wanted, so they had to have a healer of their own. It was the middle of the night when Darien snuck into their base. It looked like a regular one-story building, but too many people had been going inside for them to all fit. So Darien went underground, into the sewers. He was rewarded when he found a door that led into the underground complex. From there, he walked silently through the mercenaries' headquarters and found his way to one of their healers, following the sound of pained groans that came from someone's wound hurting as they tried to sleep. A stolen knife, swiped off of one of the injured and sleeping mercenaries, pressed against the neck of the healer was able to insure him the treatment he needed. It was only after his wounds were cleaned and he was given a fresh set of clothes that he allowed himself to collapse from exhaustion and the pain and blood loss he had been suffering from. When he woke up, he was given an offer. Join the mercenaries, or die for trespassing. How could he refuse?
Appearance:
Played by: chibi_blue_mouse

. . . And we are the pieces.

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

((I figure we'll start right before Kress attacks. Btw, would you like me to make a profile for a friend of Kress's among the mercenaries? And do you want that love interest? Male or Female, it's fine.))

Nicodemus smiled as he made his way to the garden. His master, more like his best, and only, friend, was waiting there. Well, he said waiting there. Truth was it was the only place he hadn't checked for him yet. Alistair would often wander off in the mornings before Nicodemus had a chance to wake up. It was sort of a game between them. It had been one of the first things Alistair had done when Nicodemus had first arrived at the manor. "How many times can I give Nicodemus the slip." seemed to be Alistair's favorite way to try and get under his skin. But Nicodemus just treated it like a game of hide-and-seek . . . something he hadn't played since before he became a slave. Now, the game had been limited just to the mornings. Nicodemus was excited about today. He had finally opened up to Alistair and told him about life before the manor. About his brother, how he hoped to be reunited with him. And Alistair had been willing to help! They were going to go down to the slave market later today and see if they couldn't find Kress anywhere. It wouldn't be dignified, something Alistair had been determined in trying to teach Nicodemus since they were in each other's company so often, for him to jump for joy, but there was a definite bounce in his step.  

[Ivory_Coated_Stars]

Alistair groaned as the maids awakened him that morning. "Ugh, the light is blinding. Close the curtains Alessandra." The blonde uttered before pulling the sheets over his head and turning over. He was never fond of the mornings, or how his father sent the maids to awaken him at ungodly hours every morning. It was "unbefitting of a lord to sleep until noon." he would always say. Alistair wasn't lord of the house yet, so it seemed only right to let him enjoy his afternoons in a peaceful slumber. Well, the few afternoons he had left. He never knew when his old man would kick the bucket, with all of the assassinations there had been as of late. The last thing Alistair wanted was another reason for there to be a target over his head.

"But m'lord, you must awaken, or your father would be most upset." The maid said in a sweet voice, doing what she could to be careful not to anger him. Figures. Nicodemus treated him like a person. Nicodemus. Alistair shot out of his bed before reaching for his clothes that were pressed and laid out for him. He had almost forgotten. Today was the day that he promised he would take Nico to the slave market to find his brother. He had to help him. He would do everything in his power to help him. Being the son to lord of the city had its perks, and if Nico's brother was still a slave, Alistair doubted that any of the lords or ladies would deny his request to take him, for a small fee, of course.

After getting dressed, Alistair rushed to the gardens where he and Nico had made it a tradition to meet after a while. Alistair would always hide there to annoy his new watchdogs, but Nico would simply treat it as a game. Alistair smiled as he found a tree to sit amongst. He gazed up at the sun through its shade as he nearly dozed off to the scent of roses and gardenias. Hearing footsteps nearing on the pathways, Alistair opened his eyes before his dull grey gaze darted to Nico, who seemed to be looking for him. The blonde smiled before waving erratically. "Hey Nico!" He said to catch his companion's attention.

-

Kress let out a soft sigh as he removed the black mask obscuring half of his face. Another long day he though as he looked out on the horizon to the rising sun. He looked down at his bloodied blade and the corpse beyond it before simply picking it up and wiping it on the man's clothes and kicking his latest target into the river. He looked at his clothes, slightly annoyed with the sight. He hated messy jobs. He despised it when his targets made his job harder than it needed to be, but fussing over it wouldn't make it any easier and he knew that.

One down. He thought before he heard someone running in his general direction. He dodged to the side, seeing a woman in a tattered dress and running makeup stumble in front of him, wielding what very well may have been the smallest dagger he had ever seen. That's insulting. He thought before approaching the woman and stabbing her in the heart in one fluid motion, watching her drop to the ground. She was his second target of the day. She was the wife of the man he had pushed into the river. He would have let her live if she didn't have a separate bounty on her. Kress didn't take to killing women, but a mission was a mission.

After pushing her body into the river as well, the raven haired man went to collect his earnings and made it back to the abandoned building where his guild was. Through a series of staircases, he made it underground, where there were a few mercenaries like himself roaming around, others were out on missions or at their own homes. Kress had chosen to live there, it was definitely a place large enough to house him, as well as a good amount of others. He made it to the front of the room, where his boss, one of the guild leaders, was sitting. He tossed two large bags of gold coins on the desk. "You did well Crow." He said as he divided a cut for Kress to take after counting to make sure the money was all there. "I have another job for you, though its your choice whether you take it or not. You have already far exceeded your earnings for the month." Kress sighed as he shrugged. What was another job? It's not as if he had anything better to do with his time. Besides, he never liked vacations, considering the fact that all he would do was probably hole himself up in his room.

"I knew you would." He said before handing Kress a stack of papers filled with information. His eyes widening as he reached the end. "Kidnapping Alistair Reiville?" That was a big deal, considering who his father was. "I assure you that the client is offering a hefty price, and if this is successful, you will receive a large cut." Alistair sighed. If he didn't do it, no one would. He was actually slightly relieved to have a particularly difficult job for a change of pace. "I'll leave tonight."

chibi_blue_mouse

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Nicodemus laughed when he saw Alistair waving to him. "You know, if you break your arm waving like that, I'm the one who's going to be in for it, right?" he teased the other as he sped his steps up a bit. It was a bit tough being the personal bodyguard of such a lively young lord, but it was fun. And, though Nicodemus would never actually say it, Alistair's enthusiasm was one of the things he admired about the other.

Once he reached the other, he smirked a bit. "You really need to find some new hiding spots. Like . . . your bed. This garden thing is getting predictable." he teased some more.

Ivory_Coated_Stars

 

[Ivory_Coated_Stars]

Alistair smirked as he heard the other make his comment about his arm. "Well, If it ever came to that, I'd hide plant the evidence in your room." He joked before plopping back on the grass, stretching his arms and placing them behind his back as he stared up at Nico. "You know I can't pick somewhere new, or else who knows how long it would take you to find me. I specifically remember you taking an hour to find me the first time I hid from you." He laughed, teasing the other back. "Besides, if you weren't able to find me, then we wouldn't be able to go to the auction to see if we could find your brother today." Alistair opened one of his eyes in a nonchalant fashion, smiling at Nico, and hopeful that he'd find his brother that day. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious as to what kind of person his best friend's brother was.

Alistair's attention piqued as he heard a scream. He jolted up as he heard slaves yell "FIRE!" He stood up and within an instant darted off before reaching the front room where his estate was up in flames. He began to order the slaves out, seeing if he could find anyone caught in the flames. It was there that he saw a raven haired man clad in black standing amongst the flames with bloodied clothes and wielding an onyx blade.

-

Kress went to his room to get his things together. Apparently, this job couldn't wait until he was better prepared. He changed his clothes, pulling off his shirt to reveal deep scars and gashes running down his back from getting beaten by the very lords that he despises. He still remembered assassinating a few of them, though he had yet to get to the worst.

Kress pulled out more clothes, similar to his other ones. He grabbed his blades, though they were lightweight for his convenience. He let out a hefty sigh as he read over the floor plans to the large estate that his target was residing in. With a plan devised in his head, he set off to the city.

Upon approaching the estate, Kress hid in the shadows, his clothes and blades already bloodied due to the flurry of guards he had to take out. Of course, it was to be expected, though he picked the schedule time that only a few guards were actually stationed and the house was lively. The trick was a diversion. Kress made his way to the estate, killing a few more people in his path. His mask was pulled up to prevent anyone from getting a good look at his face, and he had set fire to the door way. He then hid behind a pillar and waited.

It was then that a blonde blue blood came out to usher all of the slaves out of the room. Kress smirked, as he never imagined that his target would come to him. He only wanted to grab a maid and get her to tell him where he was. With this, his job had gotten far easier. Kress walked over to the other, his weapon ready in case he needed it. When he reached the other, he pulled out a smelling salt that knocked him out in an instant.

chibi_blue_mouse

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Nicodemus's eyes widened as he heard the shout of fire before finding that Alistair was running TOWARDS the source of the danger! "Ali-!" he cut himself off with a bit of a huff before running after the other. He got there in time to see his master drop, unconscious as a rather dangerous looking man stood above him. Nicodemus didn't think twice. He charged, tackling the armed intruder away from his master.

It didn't matter to Nicodemus that he was unarmed, his only focus right now was keeping Alistair safe. He threw a punch to the intruder's face, not caring about the mask or any of it. He was angry. "Stay away from my home!" he growled as he threw the punches. And truthfully he had started to see the manor as his home. He had felt most at home here of all the houses he'd been sold to . . . mostly thanks to Alistair.  

[Ivory_Coated_Stars]

Upon catching the other when he fainted, Kress felt a slam to his side, causing him to drop his target and land on the ground. He looked up at his attacker, a male that looked to be around the blonde's age, as he felt a flurry of punches bruising his jaw and causing his lip to bleed. Kress had enough. He snaked his leg around the other and ended up on top of him, pinning his arms down by the wrists with one hand and putting his blade to the boy's neck with the other hand. "Your home?" He said before looking at him inquisitively. Maybe he was after the wrong target. He looked at the male's clothes. They were fine like nobility's, and not the rags or uniforms that servants usually wore. Kress looked into the other's eyes and then up at the flames, that were only getting more intense. Kress pulled out his smelling salts, holding it up to the other, in hope of quickly knocking him out so that he could escape with ease.

((OOC: She sounds absolutely PERFECT for him. XD I love her already, she's going to be fun to RP with.))

chibi_blue_moon

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Nicodemus's eyes were wide as he was suddenly pinned on his back and there was a blade at his throat although he quickly composed his face into a glare. "Yes. My home." he bluffed, hoping that maybe he could pull attention away from Alistair. However, when the smelling salts came out, he tried to not breathe in the fumes. He could only hold his breath for so long before he had to take a breath and the salts knocked him out. As he fell unconscious, his eyes slid over to the unconscious Alistair. The other needed to wake up and get out of there . . . Even if he had managed in keeping the stranger's interest away from his master, the flames were something he could not control and if Alistair got hurt from the fire . . . Nicodemus felt as though he had failed his master.

Ivory_Coated_Stars

 

[Ivory_Coated_Stars]

When the other's body relaxed, Kress released his grip. He had fight, he would give him that. In a bit of a rush, Kress had gotten up, grabbing the boy that he thought to be the young lord and slinging him over his shoulder, but not before putting black cloth bag over his head in case he woke up. Didn't need him taking note of the mercenary base. Kress traced his gaze over to the blonde lying on the floor, abandoned by the countless maids and slaves that ran for their lives. He could have left him. He should have. But he wouldn't. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Kress sighed as he took the victim of circumstance by the collar, dragging him outside before taking off with the stranger on his shoulder, heading to his guild.

Upon approaching the building, Kress walked in, receiving a few short stares from other mercenaries until they paid him no heed. He even glanced over and spotted Kaitlin, a mercenary he found himself particularly attached to as a child, but hadn't spoken to since. Kress found an empty room and set a chair down, placing his target in it and tying him up with rope. This was always the initial process. Kress then pulled off the bag before grabbing a pale of water and splashing it over the young lord.

chibi_blue_mouse

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Nicodemus woke to water dousing him. He gasped as his eyes blinked open, looking around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He attempted to wipe the water from his face, but found that he couldn't lift his hands. He looked down to realize that he was tied to the chair he was sitting in and then he noticed that the intruder who had knocked out Alistair was in front of him. He glared at the other. He didn't see Alistair anywhere, so that was probably a good thing. "What happened to my friend?" he asked, the smallest of pauses between the last two words. He wasn't sure what the other wanted yet, so for the sake of Alistair's protection, he didn't want to say anything about his status yet. But he did want to know what had happened to the other after he passed out. "What do you want with me?" was another good question. A safe question, one that gave nothing away but could give him answers. Nicodemus was out of his element at the moment, but he would do what he could, what he thought best to help Alistair. To serve his master, his best friend. If Nicodemus could protect him from here, he would.

Ivory_Coated_Stars

 

[Ivory_Coated_Stars]

Alistair woke up to the slight trot of a carriage below him. What happened? How did he get there. Suddenly the thought of his attacker came into mind an his body stiffened and his eyes widened. He peered over at his parents, who were sitting across from him. "Where is he? Where is my attacker?" He said before his mother put a doting hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm her son. "You need to rest dear, we are on our way to the villa outside of the city where you will be safe." She said in a hushed voice before looking over at his father, who was more angry if anything. "How dare they send filthy mercenaries set fire to my home and attempt to kidnap my son. I'll have whoever responsible suffer!" He said, off on his own little tangent. Alistair was ready to calm down until he noted a familiar face missing. He wasn't in the carriage, and when Alistair opened the door, he didn't see him amongst any of the personnel outside of the carriage either.

"Where is Nicodemus?" Alistair asked, slightly puzzled by his absence. His confusion turned into worry in an instant before his father scoffed. "He probably ran away like the other slaves did in the midst of the confusion, the cowards." Alistair's brows furrowed. There is no way. He would never run away. Something was wrong, and Alistair knew it. "Anyway, as a young lord, you shouldn't be concerned about the help." His father said nonchalantly as he turned his attention toward the window

Alistair snapped. "Do not speak of him in such an ill manner! He was not the help, father, he was much more than that." The male was slightly shocked himself at what he had said, his look of surprise matching that of his parents'. He never spoke out to his parents, let alone command them to do anything. He just couldn't sit and take anyone calling Nico a coward. He knew he wasn't. He remembered voices, one sounding like Nico. He said something about the mansion being his home. His best guess was that the mercenaries took him in his stead. What would they do when they found out that Nico wasn't him? Would they kill him? Alistair took a shaky breath before trying to think clearly in the silence of the carriage. He knew that he had to search for him. He didn't even want to know what losing him would feel like.

Now, what about the mercenary was particularly unique? Alistair thought back to his short encounter with the man. He had black hair, dark clothing, and "a tattoo of a crow on his left shoulder." The blonde muttered to himself before his mother looked up at him. "What was that dear?" She asked in a soft spoken manner.

"Nothing, I'm simply talking to myself." Alistair said as he looked out of the window, noting guards marching along the carriage. He had an idea that just might be crazy. It involved a mercenary and a good deal of money.

-

Kress sighed as he pulled his mask down, matching his captive's glare, though in mere minutes, that death worthy glare morphed into one of an inquisitive nature. This target, he looked all too familiar to him, though Kress couldn't place it for the life of him. Even as he got closer, his mind and memory just wouldn't click.

As the young lord asked questions, Kress remained quiet. He didn't wish to hold a conversation. He just wanted to get this job over with, receive his earnings and move on to the next lucky sap to be his target, but Kress supposed that the least he could do was give him something. "Your friend is fine, though he is the least of your worries right now." The raven haired male said before hearing the door creak open and his boss emerging, clad in black and towering over the captive in the chair. He gave him a quick once over and squinted his eyes. "This is not the target, Crow." Kress's gaze shot from the mercenary to the target. Though his confusion was eminent, he did not reveal it in his features. "The target was blonde with grey eyes."

Kress looked over at the male sitting in the chair, glaring a look of death about him before he unsheathed his blade, ready to strike. He despised it when people like him who wanted to play 'hero' made his job harder, and he didn't hesitate to dispose of those he didn't need. Kress's superior held up a hand stopping him in his tracks. "Don't eliminate him yet. He clearly seems important, maybe we can get a ransom from him." The mercenary looked back at Kress. "You should hope that we can turn your foolish mistake into a gain, Crow." The man said before turning his attention back to the captive in the chair. "What is your name, boy? For your sake, I better like your answer."

((OOC: I was thinking that maybe Alistair could hire Kaitlin to go find Nico. What do you think?))

chibi_blue_mouse

 

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Nicodemus winced as another person came into the room to say that he was not the right target. So they had been after Alistair! Well, good. He stopped their plans for that, or at the very least complicated them. He had a small smirk on his face right up till the mercenary called 'Crow' glared at him and he flinched as the other drew his blade. As much as he was willing to give his life for Alistair, he didn't want to die just yet! But he wouldn't be dying right at that second. The other man wanted to see if he was of use, wanted to know his name. Nicodemus glared. "Why should I tell you anything? You'll probably use it to get to your target." he spat angrily. "You won't get anything from me." he hissed. He was putting on a brave face, but he was still worried that his loyalty to Alistair would get him killed.

((Sounds good. ^-^ Although Kaitlyn is VERY picky about her jobs. XD He'll have to convince her that the gain outweighs the risk.))

Ivory_Coated_Stars