RP:Tyler meets Skylei

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Kelay Tavern

Built and rebuilt, torn apart and set like stubborn bone, this tavern is the pinnacle of Hollow's entirety, wrought around the premise of peace, equality, and consummate amity. And of course, the old place had seen all of the three, but so much more. Dire markings of claw and steel cut deep into wall panels and floorboards. Set against the land's usual motif of destruction are signs of comfort. Twisting shadows and smoothing out a careful blanket of light with soft, quaint fires, a candelabra dangles down by thick cords, gripping the circular holder. Each twists up, converging upon the center, where they snake about one another and form a thick, secure anchor to Kelay Tavern's high, accommodating ceiling. The candelabra rattle now and again from the inn patrons overhead, pouring down globs of wax to the center of the room, which is wide and unobstructed. Cheaply carpentered tables and chairs grow outward around the bare dancing area, keeping to the rounded theme, and also keeping to a dwarven barkeep's avariciously born taste for 'economical' furniture. Hardly any expense has been wasted on the actual upkeep of the public center though, as can be garnered from the smell of deep pine, rich tobacco, and even richer spirits. Stairs twist away dimly near the high bar. And atop that side rests the inn logs, quill, and ink. This establishment's fine keeper, Mesthak, can be seen smiling out from his post at the bar, straight across to the room's always crackling stone-wrought hearth. Behind him, atop lofty shelves, sits an array of dark, amber, and clear liquids. Food smells waft from somewhere near at hand. A carefully printed and hung sign details the purchasable items here in the place of merriment, loss, laughter, and life. Also, tucked into a corner near one of two windows closest to the tavern doorway is a thickly papered bulletin board. A sign has been added next to the board that reads, 'The management requires patrons be fully inebriated at all times and that no curing spells be performed in this tavern-Thank you'.


Tyler :: The doors of the Kelay tavern swing open allowing a cool rush of autumn air to flood the bar room floor as a human donned in heavily plated armor makes his entrance. Boots clack heavily against the floorboards as Tyler makes his way to the bar. As he closes in on his destination a thin mist begins to rise from his body, the heavy armor falling away from his person like dust before vanishing in thin air. The now poorly dressed man takes a seat on a crude wooden stool and reaches into his pocket as Mesthak approaches. A sigh of frustration is given as his fingers simply slide out of the holes in his pants. Shaking his head in dismissal to the dwarf as he realizes his lack of funds the illusionist turns to rest his elbows on the counter top and face the tavern patrons. He'd been a, shall we say "resident" of Kelay for over four months now and had yet to speak to a single local apart from the one elf lady he screwed around with causing her to lose countless months of work in a jiffy. His brown eyes scan the room as he looks for some social interaction, be it for better or worse.


Skylei is standing at the bar, less than a meter along from where Tyler now leans. She already has a tankard of ale in hand and is enjoying the ambiance of the tavern and the chatter of the patrons. She is yet to overhear anything of interest, but the scholar is happy to bide her time. As the human had entered she had looked him up and down and, aware that he had not purchased a drink, had beckoned Mesthak to tend her needs. Flipping him a copper or two, the half-elf purchases a second drink and has the Dwarf take it to where the human now stands. Mesthak taps Tyler on the shoulder and passes the ale to him "From da lass down there" Mesthak would gesture in the half-elf's direction before continuing with his work. Sky doesn't say anything about the gift herself; there is no need. She just hates to see a patron of the fine establishment without a beverage in hand.


Tyler arches a brow and turns to face the barkeep as he is tapped. Pulling his head back slightly in confusion as the Ale is handed to him. As Mesthak points further down the bar to Skylei, Tyler can't help but crack a smile. He looks to the drink then back to Mesthak, "Thanks". His gaze then turns back to Skylei and he allows himself to observe her. Her appearance was extremely familiar and he began to ponder, was this not the elven bred that he had messed with initially? With the illusion of rats and defiling her notes? Pushing the mind from his thoughts he assumed if it were her, she simply didn't recognize him. So, instead of causing more mischief the man popped the cork on the ale and took a sip before rising from his seat and moving towards the formal looking lady. Despite looking like a bum, Tyler did manage to take care of himself hygienically and he felt he had nothing to lose so long as he didn't offend the woman with an Ogre like odor. As he took a seat beside her he faced into the work area of the barkeep and swallowed the ale in his mouth. Allowing a "ah" to escape from the brews bite he then turned to face Skylei and raised the bottle to her. "I appreciate the gift. I'll be sure to return the favor some time." He then placed the bottle on the counter and rubbed his left hand on his pants leg before holding it out to the half elf. "Names Tyler by the way. It's nice to meet you."


Skylei :: It hadn't been so long since Skylei had appeared in much the same level of attire as Tyler adorned at that moment. And besides, she had spent the evening previous being punched by an orc, so even the smell of ogre would have likely not offended Sky. She was just grateful to have found herself passing the time in a place full of people who were unlikely to assault her on the least bit of provocation. Then again, this is Kelay Tavern so it is often easier not to make assumptions about what may or may not happen. Either way, Sky does not recoil in horror when the male approaches. Her tankard would be slid onto the bar top as the half-elf holds out the other hand to greet the male in the archetypal human way, "You are welcome. I hate to see a patron of this, fine establishment without a drink in hand. You'll need it to numb the tedious nature of the barmaid's chatter." She was only half-joking. A flick of her head in the direction of the tavern wenches who were crowded at the far end of the bar discussing haircuts or boyfriends or something of an equal intellectual value would confirm her statement. It was only after this that she would offer a name to his, "Skylei. A pleasure to meet you, I'm sure." Tankard was rejoined with hand and the half-elf continues to drink.


Tyler refrained from gripping Skylei's hand tightly as he gave it a light shake before turning back to face behind the bar. The chatter of the prep like patrons was indeed causing a ring in the humans ears. He fiddled with his ale for a moment as he searched for something to say. It was a rare occasion for Tyler to be engaged in social interaction and this time he jumped in head first. He raised the bottle to his lips to take a drink buying himself a few more seconds. As the bottle made contact with the bar top he spoke; "So, what brings you to the drunkards inn? Forgive my assumption but you don't much look like the type for the... let's say, warming embrace of this lawless town."


Skylei has never had a problem with drinking in silence and so had assumed that the interaction between the two would have ended with the exchange of names. She is almost surprised when the sound of his voice reaches her ears. Tearing her eyes from the pixie across the tavern, she would turn back to Tyler. Another quick sip of ale loosens her throat and tongue, "Drunkards Inn? Be careful, Mesthak will refuse to serve you if you insult his tavern." She was not entirely serious; indeed she would wink the eye out of sight to the Dwarven barkeep to express this. Mesthak himself scowls at the two as he busies himself cleaning glasses and dipping in and out of the store room. "And besides, I might like drunkards. I might be the type to get into all kinds of tavern brawls with the lowlifes that seem to haunt this village." The hand that wasn't holding the tankard would reach up and sweep her bangs off her face to reveal a dark purple bruise on her forehead, "Could'a got this in a drunken fight for all you know." She hadn't of course. But Sky saw no need to share that.


Tyler nods his head towards the crowd that occupied the tavern. "Not insulting the place, just the idiots whom inhabit it." He chuckled a bit to himself. As Skylei exposed the bruise on her forehead Tyler found himself arching a brow yet again. "Something makes me severely doubt that, love." He reaches up and places his thumb on the bruise and gently brushes against the skin. "That's not from any being I've seen frequent this place. Stronger than a human if I had to guess. To be blunt, I'm surprised your skull isn't cracked open." Tyler turns back to his ale and finishes the drink in a final take and places the empty bottle to be picked up by Mesthak whom he thanks before looking to the half elf. "Now tell me, what kinda' monster hits a lady?" Tyler seemed intent on finding out the culprit even though he knew that nearly everyone in this land was a monster and gender had no role in the land.


Skylei would take another sip of ale before pushing her bangs back across her purple forehead and rearranging them to create the semblance of decency. She couldn't go walking around with a bruise openly visible on her forehead. She has a reputation to maintain, after all. "He didn't get me full on. Don't think he actually wanted to crack my head open either, though I have no doubt he could have. Just think he wanted to teach me a lesson." She would let out a weak chuckle before looking Tyler directly in the eye, "Lesson 1 - If you call an orc stupid, they will punch you. Learnt that one last night, for sure." Sky shook her head gently and looks down to her feet, "T'be honest with you, I'm surprised the brute even understood what I was saying. Didn't think any of that race knew words longer than a single syllable." Self-consciously retouching her hair the half-elf would look to Tyler again, "I'm impressed you got that much information from one bruise though. Perhaps you're more of the brawler than I am."


Tyler took notice of Skylei's change of tone and forced himself to prevent a frown from forming. Instead he kept his eyes locked to the half blood and held a concerned look. "You'd be surprised, I've seen Ogre scholars and Orc politicians. It's rare but they exist." He listened to her tale and shook his head at the thought of a green-skin assaulting Skylei. The human couldn't help but laugh at her final sentence. "You're joking, right?" Rolling up his sleeve, Tyler flexed and then used his right hand to push his muscles up then let them fall and jiggle lightly. There was nearly nothing there. "I'm not a fighter. Well, not in the physical sense. I play a different sort of game." Moving his left hand to hover over the bar Tyler would clinch his hand into a fist before releasing. A light blue mist began to fall from his hand as mana began to flow from his body. As the specs touched the counter top they began to swirl and morph into an image. In only a matter of seconds a scene was being played out in front of the duo. It started out with a giant orc warlord marching down Kelay way, battleaxe in hand. He comes across a hooded figure and lets out a blood thirsty roar before charging. The hooded figure drops it's cloak and is revealed to be the half elf herself standing in the way. As the Orc rushes, Skylei pulls out a frying pan and slaps him in the face with it. The green skin falls to the ground and Skylei places her boot on his chest and places her arms to her side in a proud victory pose. The dust began to stop falling from Tyler's hand and would land on the counter before vanishing into nothing. The human smiled to the half elf. "I'm an illusionist. I can make... well, anything a reality. So long as my opponent believes what they are seeing is real, it effectively is. So in other words, I don't need brute strength."


Skylei would shrug at the idea of ogres and orcs engaging in the fields of politics and learning. She did not vocalize it, but elven racism ran deep in her blood and as far as she was concerned such pursuits should only be engaged in by those of average intelligence and of civilized natures. Leave the orcs and orges to their barbaric rituals and village pillaging. She wanted naught to do with them. As Tyler shows off his physique, or indeed lack of it, she has to work hard to suppress a giggle. There was likely more muscle on the petite half-breed than on the human before her but it would have been rude to point that out. "You never know. Some of the scrawniest humans I've ever met have been the fiercest fighters. Brute strength isn't everything." Falling silent again she would watch the illusion play out before her eyes. Real emotions are stirred within the half-elf at the illusionary masterpiece before her eyes. First amazement at the fascinating colours and scenes before her. Then, and she hated to admit it, fear as the image of the orc appears. It would seem the incident has shaken her slightly more than she is letting on, as her breathing becomes a little more shallow and her heart begins to pound so loudly in her chest, Sky feels as though the whole tavern must be able to hear it. As the final act of the scene plays out, Sky relaxes. A grin is formed upon her face as the orc is taken out with a frying pan and then the pictures vanish into nothingness, "Oh bravo. That was rather wonderful."


Tyler can sense the fear of Skylei just before she relaxes herself and the Human offers a comforting smile. He pressed his left elbow onto the counter and moves so that he can look the half blood directly in the eyes. He doesn't say anything for a moment, instead, he scans her eyes as if searching for something in her very soul. After a few moments he finally decides on his next choice of words. "You know, you don't have to act like your invincible." Tyler knew he would be pressing his luck by making the next few statements to Skylei whom was still essentially a stranger. He kept his voice lowered so it could not be heard outside of the duo. "It's alright to be afraid sometimes." He reaches up to push her bangs away and looks at the bruise once more. "What's not OK, however, is not facing those fears." He would pull his hand back to himself half out of courtesy and half out of fear that she might slice it off. "Maybe... Maybe I could be of assistance." He nods to the door. "There is a place not too far from here. If you'd have it, I'd like to try something and see if it helps at all." The human waiting anxiously for her answer. He knew it was possible to be down right rejected and likely lose any hope he had of befriending this stranger, but hey, what the hell is life for if not taking chances?


Skylei :: Tyler's statement goes ignored for now. The half-elf is very much aware of her own vincibility and, indeed, her own mortality, but she has found that it is easiest not to argue these things with people, especially not people she has bought a drink for in Kelay Tavern on a whim of kindness. Is she regretting it? Perhaps a little. It's not often you buy a man a drink and her repays you by feeling the bruise on your forehead, after all. Sky's tankard makes its way back to her eager lips and she drains what liquor remains, as a way of buying a few extra seconds of silence. This movement of her head allows her to, once again, redress her head with her hair and hide the bruise in question away from sight again. She would stay silent for a few moments before she responds to Tyler's question. "Depends really. Provided you're not planning on dragging me down a dark alleyway and adding to my collection of injuries, I cannot see a problem." The grin returns to the Halfling's features. It's probably unconvincing at this point.


Tyler smiles and offers a soft laugh. "I couldn't even if I wanted too." He motioned to his muscles again before rising from his seat and offers his hand for Skylei to take so that he may lead her to their destination. "Shall we?" The heavy armor that had covered the human upon his arrival slowly began to reappear around his body as mana specs rushed from the floor boards to his body.


Skylei lets out a deep sigh. Here goes nothing. Tankard firmly deposited on the bar, she would take the aforementioned hand and allow Tyler to lead her on to wherever the next destination might be.


Tyler grins and pulls Skylei gently behind him. The duo heading out into the cool darkness.

Fountain

Before you stands a large fountain made of stone. In its center, a statue of two lovers kneel in an embrace, the familiar vampiric features now blurred almost nondescript by the ravages of time. Several jets of water stream gracefully from beneath the sculpture into the rounded pool below, where thousands of coins shimmer in the waning light. Ancient runes, achingly inscribed along the stone rim, flare to life under your gaze and burn their way into your mind. The wind seems to rise up, carrying upon it soft whispers that form into one coalescing voice, Un davi, Uts medav ni emosif viet, en ovey dona shad oriem ne et remostes. You know not what it once meant, but are suddenly filled with a deep melancholy, rememberances of loves lost floating tenderly through your thoughts.



Tyler walked at a casual pace with Skylei's hand in his own. He had conjured a cloak to shield his face to passersby in the streets. Upon reaching their destination, he would allow the cloak to fall to the ground first followed by the armor, once again evaporating into nothing. Turning to face Skylei he smiled to her. The moonlight cascading across his pale complexion as gave her hand a light squeeze before releasing and moving to the fountain's edge and stepping upon it. He turned on his heel and began to speak as he paced back and forth on the old cobble. "You seem to be a bright person, Skylei. A bright person indeed. However, I don't see how or why, a bright person would pick a fight with a filthy, rustic, old, nasty, rotten little green-skin without a plan of retaliation." Tyler stopped in his tracks and offered his gaze to Skylei once more. "I plead with you, don't hate me for this. The moment it becomes over whelming simply say the magic word and it will cease." A smirk appears as Tyler's eyes begin to shift from brown to blood red. Mana rising once more, transforming the poorly dressed human into a loin-cloth wearing behemoth of an Orc. His muscles rippled into massive mounds and his teeth extending out to great lengths with drool dripping to the earth below. Seconds pass as Tyler is replaced with a fierce warrior. He decides to act the role. Looking dazed and confused at first the Orc glances around in confusion as to where he is before seeing the half blood standing before him. A malicious grin is given before a blood chilling war cry is given out and the Orc drops from the fountains edge. The earth quakes under his steps as he approaches Skylei. Tyler's voice can be heard softly ringing in her ear. "Defend yourself. Give it all you've got." He knew this exercise was likely to scare the hell out of Skylei after her encounter, and that was his plan. To allow her to overcome her fears and perhaps, face the bastard that caused her harm. As the orc closes in he raises his right arm and makes a fist and swings with all of his might towards the half elfs shoulder. If Skylei was fooled into believing the Orc was real, the blow would pack quite a punch, if not, she would only feel the strength of Tyler's own force.


Skylei :: This was fool's behaviour and Sky knew it. Any girl with any sense in all the lands of Hollow would know that to follow a man that you have only just met, in Kelay Tavern of all places, to a place of his suggestion was something that you just did not do. Still, something had clearly piqued her curiosity and she had thrown all caution to the wind and followed Tyler to this place. She was grateful too that it was this place. She knew it well. She had spent many hours of her youth sitting on the sides of the fountain, legs dangling off the edges talking love, life and loss with her friends, lovers and acquaintances. She feels safe here. The safe feeling however, does not last for very long. Before Sky even has a second to respond the illusionary transformation has begun and the fear that rose and formed lumps in her throat in the tavern but minutes before returns. Of course she had a plan. But that plan was one to destroy a feeble looking, loincloth wearing, human. And she wouldn't have had a problem with that; she was not incapable of defending herself against those of equal or lesser strength. But orcs were different. Skylei's instinct is to run as quickly as she can in the opposite direction to the oncoming illusion, but she doesn't have time to run before the orc reaches her and his fist makes contact with her shoulder. Sky goes flying across the courtyard and lands with a crash on the paving. In her deepest consciousness, she knows that none of this is real but that logical part of her brain is suppressed with fear, terror and illogical anxiety. The pain, at least, is certainly real. Her shoulder is bruised, quite possibly broken. Still, she is able to pull herself to her feet quickly enough and with enough concentration is able to produce fire; first sparks from her fingers and then flames that engulf her hands and forearms. Orcs don't like fire; they burn like any other creature. She doesn't move, hoping that the threat of fire is enough to deter another attack.


Tyler :: The Orc allows a proud grunt to escape followed by a celebratory roar as Skylei is launched across the courtyard. No time is wasted before he begins to approach the half elf again. However, as she rises and the fire is presented the green-skin comes to a halt and his eyes widen at first in confusion. Shuffling he lets out a 'Hmm?'. The behemoth taking a moment to observe the conjuration of flames before letting out a mocking smirk and laugh. Gritting his teeth and leaning forward his toes curl into the dirt as he readies a sprint. It starts. Foot after foot the massive beast charges towards Skylei, a loud thud accompanying each and every step as a long warcry is given for the entire approach. When the orc is a little over ten feet away he presses down and launches himself into the air toward Skylei. His massive frame on a crash course for her entire being headed by his broad shoulder.


Skylei is better prepared this time. The orc may have the physical advantage of strength, but Skylei is small, slight and much more agile. She holds her position for as long as she dares and when the orc reaches the peak in his jump she too jumps. Her jump is sideways, tucking her still flaming arms and legs in to her body and rolling away from the target area of the orc. As she rolls, and weight is pressed onto the shoulder than had taken the earlier blow, the half-elf grimaces and utters a small cry of pain. It seems more likely that the bone in the shoulder has been shattered and not just bruised. Pulling herself back to her feet, the half-elf resumes her defensive stance, flaming hands held directly in front of her "I'm not scared of you." She would whispered, more to herself than to her assailant. It is not a convincing delivery and the half-elf is yet to convince herself of that fact.


Tyler :: The Orc collides with heavy impact into the dirt below and slides a few feet with an "Umph!" His crumbled body doesn't remain motionless for long as his right hand extends into the air before slamming down to the ground as he picks himself up. Shaking his entire body much like a canine the Orc takes a moment to reassess his location and once again notices Skylei. A roar is given as Tyler begins to work more of his mana into the scenario. The Orc holds on his hand and slowly a figure begins to appear in his grasp. It is a limp corpse. But not just any. No. The lifeless corpse is that of Skylei. Her head gripped between the Orcs massive palm. A wicked grin is presented as the Orc looks to the corpse and then back to Skylei. With a battle cry his hand is clinched and the illusionary Skylei's skull is crushed in the orcs hand with a loud pop. Blood and fragments of brain explode onto the Orc and the surrounding area. Raising his arm he slams the rest of the corpse into the ground and it follow suit in a bloody, mangled mess. The Orc begins his third assault. He leads with another charge but this time has the intent of grabbing the half blood up and tossing her like a rag doll into the fountain before proceeding to pummel her into the ground.


Skylei :: This is situation is reaching the point where it is likely that nightmares about what has happened before her eyes will occur for weeks after. The half-elf's hands drop to down by her side and flames are extinguished as the image of her lifeless body appears in her hands. Perverse fascination takes control of her reflexes and she stands, rooted to the spot, eyes wide open as the orc desecrates the illusionary corpse and her head shatters into particles of bone and blood and brain. It is truly a disgusting sight. Retching, the half-elf takes the few steps to the nearest tree and climbs her way to a branch that would be well out of the orc's reach, unless he chose to follow her up the tree. With a ranger's sight, the half-elf pulls her, until this point, ignored blackwood bow from her back and strings a single arrow. Trembling with adrenaline, fear and confusion the half-elf would try to get a clear shot at the orc. She didn't want to take the shot. She wasn't sure how illusionary magic worked and if she did shoot the orc, how that would affect the man behind the mirage.


Tyler :: The Orc changed course for the tree and continued charging. Drool flinging from his maw as he shouted and banged his arms against his chest. His speed was fierce and he was hell bent on bringing the entire tree down with the half elf in it. Blood red eyes locked onto his target as he closed ever closer to the tree. It was now that Tyler's voice would softly ring into Skylei's ears once again; "Do it." The voice would fade and the all too loud Orc would once again become the primary focus of the scenario. Twenty feet, fifteen feet, ten feet... Skylei would need to react quickly or be sent plummeting to the earth.


Skylei hasn't realized quite how much physical danger she is in. Tyler's voice offers her comfort and indeed shocks her from her ambivalent state of fear for her own safety and for Tyler's to one where she is in one mind and focused. From her position in the tree she has an excellent viewpoint of the charging orc below. Readying her arrow, she would send it directly towards the orc. Her aim was to hit the brute in the eye, as it seemed to her unlikely that, with the monster having such thick skin and bone, her arrows would be able to cause any substantial damage to any other part of the orc's physique. She could only hope that it hit and that it shocked him enough to send him spinning off course and away from her sanctuary in the treetops


Tyler :: As the arrow is launched from the bow the Orc suddenly jerks to the left and raises his torso in an unnatural twist. "Oh Sh-" is muttered in a not so green-skin tongue as the arrow makes contact with the behemoths right shoulder. Upon contact the Orc launches backwards and slams into the dirt below, as he does the illusion shatters like a glass and the pieces fall about Tyler's much, much smaller frame. A slew of obscenities can be heard as the human writhes in pain, clinching the arrow that is now embedded in his shoulder with his left hand. Skylei had known the Orc was just an illusion, which in turn allowed the arrow to pierce through the mana and into Tyler.


Skylei emerges from her treetop hideout at the sound of obscenities in the common tongue. Seeing that the orc is no more and in his place is Tyler with an arrow embedded in his shoulder, a wave of guilt flows over the half-elf. The climb down the tree is much slower than the climb upwards, as the Halfling is no longer fueled with adrenaline and fear and thus the sharp ache in her shoulder is much more noticeable. Sky adds her own obscenities into the chorus, though hers are muttered in Elven or Dwarven. Reaching the ground, Sky would clasp her injured shoulder with the opposite hand and make her way as quickly as she could to Tyler. Her concern is genuine, "Oh my Sven. I'm so sorry. I didn't… I really didn't… Oh Arkhen!" Sky feels a sense of panic as she paces frantically before the human, "What can I do?"


Tyler takes a moment to collect himself as he grits his teeth tightly and winces at the pain. The cold breeze from the autumn night finally registering with him as a light shiver began. Finally opening his eyes, which had returned to their natural brown color, he looked up to Skylei and shook his head. "No apologies. You did what you were supposed too." Unable to use his arms Tyler leans up with his upper body and lets out a moan of pain as is finally upright. "Didn't expect you to go for the eye though... Could've been much worse." He managed to muster a chuckle as he gripped the base of the arrow tightly and gritted his teeth once more while looking directly at the moon. He offers one hefty yank and the arrow comes out a bit but the majority remains. A whine of pain is given that almost makes the grown man sound like a newborn puppy. He is embarrassed and lowers his head from the skies to the ground beside him and takes a very deep breath before releasing. Gripping as tightly as he can he jerks the arrow from it's hold and a shout is given followed by a few more colorful words as he fights back tears (although one manages to flow down his cheek). Still facing away from the half blood he reaches into his lower leg pocket and fiddles around until he finds some crumpled up bandages. He begins wrapping the wound, of which is now leaking rather badly of his... life essence. He rubs his cheek against his shirt to hide the tear that managed to escape before turning back to face Skylei. He forces a smile. "I'm proud of you, love. You managed to fight back." Casting a glance to her shoulder he couldn't help but frown. "You took the full blow... even though you knew it wasn't real. You've got to focus a bit more, next time." he addresses as he continues tending to his wound. His demeanor quickly changes back to a cheerful tone and he speaks once more. "But you did good. I, personally, would have hauled ass the other way." He leans over and bites the bandage and pulls back to break it off from the dressing. Letting out a few "Ah's" and "Ew's" he slowly begins rotating his arm to make sure the bandages were snug and fit. He then focuses fully on Skylei. "You OK?" He nods to her shoulder "It looks pretty banged up."


Skylei would try to shrug, before realizing that her injury would cause a sensation of pure agonizing torment to pass through her entire body. Slipping back into the Elven tongue, the half-elf continues to swear lyrically. Her first instinct is to attempt to shake the pain off, but realizing that that will leave her in an even more anguished state. Instead, she lets her knees sink and she falls down to the ground. Bloody hell, broken shoulders hurt. She would close her eyes as Tyler tends to his own wound. Whilst this is mainly because she is concentrating on not passing out from the pain, it also serves to prevent her from seeing the agony on his face. This would save him embarrassment and prevent her from being filled with a great deal more guilt. When she is able to muster enough control to speak properly she would whisper, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to. I didn't realize it would hit you. If I had… If…" The pain overcomes her again and she falls silent, rocking backwards and forth in the hope of providing herself some degree comfort. When Tyler has finished patching his injury and questions her own, the half-elf attempts to play the injury down, "No, it's nothing really." Healthy arm would gesture at the bruise on her head, and she would joke, weakly "This is much worse than the shoulder!"


Tyler shook his head to dismiss her apologies. "I said no apologies. You did what I told you to do." As she falls to her knees the human frowns and pushes himself to his feet. Her remark about the bruise is left unnoticed as Tyler moves to her side and twists his shoulder a few more times. "You can stop lying to me now, y'know." He bends down and places one arm beneath the bend of her knees and the other grips torso and with a deep breathe he lifts her up. He expected some sort of resistance and while it hurt him to carry her it was clear that she was in no condition to travel. "It's getting to cold to stay out here." Wincing slightly he adjusts Skylei in his arms to be close enough to where she can rest her head on his good shoulder. "I don't know where you tend to stay during the nights, but we're heading back to the tavern. I have a room there you can use for the night. I'll try to find someone to look at your shoulder. I'm sure as hell no healer." Tyler wouldn't allow the half blood any say in the matter as he expected her to argue. Before he began moving the familiar blue specs of mana began to rise from the dirt below them and a cloak would appear around the human and another around the elf. It would provide warmth while they traveled back to the drunkards inn. Turning on his heel he began to move through the night and he couldn't help but give Skylei glances with each step. Upset that he caused her harm, but happy that she was able to face such a gruesome beast.


Skylei :: The two really have mangled each other. Whilst Sky would normally object to being carried like a child through, the trauma of the past few days has truly taken its toll and all the half-elf wants to do is curl up in a ball and cry for a few hours. With that being impossible for now due to the falling darkness and increasingly cold air, Sky settles for being carried. Her head is gratefully rested upon his shoulder and, ashamed though she would be to admit it, a few tears stray from her closed eyes, down her cheek and fall onto her saviour. She doesn't even have the energy to object to his offer of a room though she sure as hell would rather fend for herself than take pity from strangers. Her silence prevails for a good while until she whispers, ever so softly "Thank you" It's a good job her mouth is so close to his ear, or her words would be easily missed.


Tyler noticed the tears and felt torn inside. He however offered no mention nor emotionally expression geared towards them. However, upon hearing her words he would offer a smile before allowing her to rest while he made the trip back.

Kelay Tavern

Tyler :: A cloaked figure enters the tavern with another held close in his arms. No words, glances or any hint of acknowledgement are offered to the patrons of the Kelay Tavern as the figure pushes through the crowd and begins to make his way up stairs to the few rooms that are for rent. Entering the third door on the left, the duo disappear into the room as the door shuts behind them. Once Tyler is in the dark room, lit only by a single candle he allows his illusion of the cloaks to fall to the ground from himself and Skylei. He approaches the bed and slowly lowers the half blood onto the cushioned surface before making his way to door and fastening the lock to ensure they aren't bothered by any drunks. The noise from the crowd below is faint but definitely audible from the small space. The human pulls up the only chair in the room beside the bed and takes a seat before fiddling with the bandage that covered his fresh wound for a moment. He looked to Skylei and decided it best to let her rest, so he didn't speak. Instead he decided he would try to find a healer after he finished resting for a moment. He looked to her shoulder and released a sigh. He should've been more cautious. He didn't consider her inability to think straight when faced with such an intimidating foe. The human ran his tongue across his dry lips as his skin burned from slowly warming up from the cooled fall night. After the moments passed he finally got up from the chair and grabbed the cover that was folded at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over the half elf and began to ensure she wouldn't get chilled through the night.


Skylei isn't in a state to do very much at the moment, in spite of the fact that her injury is likely much less life threatening than Tyler's. Her entire body feels as though it is laden with lead and every movement of her limbs takes double the normal effort. As she is lowered onto the bed in the rented room, the half-elf takes her uninjured arms and clasps it tight to her broken shoulder in order to minimize the impact of the movement on her pain receptors. She needn't have bothered as Tyler lowers her gently, and although it is not without pain, the feelings are minimal and only a few tears stray from her eyes as a result of the transaction. The din from downstairs is naught but a hazy blur to her and she cannot be sure, but it feels as though the room is spinning. She is so very tired and sleep's soft embrace flickers around her, attempting to draw her in. She stays awake though, still wracked with concern for her companion. Coughing several times, to clear the lump from her throat she would mutter, "You need to get that looked at. Don't need you to die on my behalf."


Tyler chuckles as he finishes covering Skylei with the blanket. "Oh, shut up. It's not like I've never been shot before." Raising up he takes another deep breath and offers Skylei one last look before deciding she'd be alright alone for a bit. "I'm going to try and find a healer to take a look at your shoulder. There used to be a feline that lived in the woods east of here but she's been M.I.A. for a while now..." He began moving toward the door. "I might not be back until the morning, but I'll leave a note on the board downstairs. If I can't find someone to patch you up with the glowy, magic crap then I'll... acquire some herbs from the shop out west and do what I can to help." Grabbing his key from the table he tucked it in his hole filled pocket and went to undo the locks on the door. "Just do me a favor and stay here for the night." As he places his hand on the door knob he turns to face her once more and offers a smile. "I'll be back as soon as I find help." He twists the knob and begins to step out as the sound from downstairs amplifies. He pauses for a moment and looks as if he is going to speak but instead continues moving out the door, shutting and locking it behind him.


Skylei would attempt to mutter something clever about 'magic crap' being the thing that had got them into all this trouble in the first place, but the syntax is terrible, it is strangely punctuated and the volume of certain words is much greater than the volume of others, leading to it sounding like nothing but gibberish. Sky is grateful for the blanket though, as she lies in her newly formed envelope of warmth whilst Tyler prepares to leave. She almost asks him not to go and stay with her, before the unconscious rational part of her brain tells her not to. "You just go. I'll be fine. It's nothing I can't sleep off. You're the one who needs the healer, not me." In spite of the fact that the half-elf had to be carried back to the tavern and put to bed, she remains adamant that she is not the person who requires medical attention. She says little more, instead choosing to cocoon herself in the blanket and wait for his return.


Tyler conjures himself the cloak he had entered the tavern with and makes his way back downstairs with the hood down. He takes a quick look around the crowd and doesn't figure any of them for a healer. So instead, he quickly moves to the board and begins scribbling down a note to pin to the board before making his way back out into the chilled night. Bleeding shoulder and all.