The Bloody Blade Inn And Tavern

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

the Bloody Blade Inn and Tavern was once a completely different place. In it's previous incarnations, The Spindle Inn and the Nobleman's Crest, it was an elegant place. It has since changed hands fourteen times and fallen into disrepair. And yet, many stories both wonderful and terrible have started here...

The Common Room – A place alluding to false grandeur, neat and tidy in the sense that it has been swept recently. Though the owner of the inn pressures his waitresses to clean this area of the inn, he cares not if they do any other part. It's his philosophy that the customer can 'do his own damn work,' alluding to the fact that he's lazy and inconsiderate.

The Guest Rooms – The Bloody Blade isn't the type of place you actually SLEEP in, though there are rooms available. Mostly used by very VERY drunk patrons of the bar downstairs, The last estimate on how long since a room has been cleaned is going on two years. Most beds are flea infested pallets of hay.

The Basement – Perhaps the only useful place in the Bloody Blade Inn and Tavern. Rumors among the loyalists using the basement as a meeting hall persist that the owner, Broderick Doheim, has no idea such a thing exists! Not that he really cares...

The basement is deeper than it should be, some forty feet, ceiling to floor. Smaller in all other dimensions than the actual inn itself (Which it has to be to support the weight). It consist of two rooms, split down the middle by a two-foot thick brick wall. The farthest from the ladder that leads into the kitchens of the inn serves as both a source of warmth (A small fire can be built, seeing as a chimney has been built to layer behind the upstairs pit.) and the meeting hall proper. The side closest is best served as a guard's room – If any were to get caught they would be executed the following day, no questions asked.

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

Endry Blade stood in the door of the Bloody Blade. Here, he knew, was a place full of riff-raff and trash. It reeked of ale and urine, with a splash of blood. It appeared to be clean, but his knowledge of the city and it's inhabitance forced him to see the light. Well, that and some of his men got drunk here every week, and at one point or another were forced to sleep in the flee-infested poor excuses for beds upstairs.

the Bloody Blade was indeed the laughing stock of the tavern network, until you got down to the nitty-gritty, beneath the inn was a secret hideout for Loyalists to the Empress Drizaea.

This, he knew, was where he would recruit his Operation Poisoned Thorn.

Iron-bound boots clanking against themselves, he entered and took a seat. It was only sundown, and the meetings didn't start until midnight.

Scratching his beard, he wondered: What kind of people will I find down there? I mean, the looks of this tavern says alot about the people who come here, and the men in my command that came weren't the best of men...

[Fluffy]

Moments have passed since Endry had seated. The door creaked open and Alexandria stepped in, bright green eyes hidden beneath her dark hood. As she closed the door, she brought it up, grunting in annoyance at the article of clothing. While observing, her nose wrinkled, a hand setting over it.

"Agh, this is foul!"

After hissing the obvious, she tore her hand from her face and let out a heavy breath, promising herself she'd adapt to this quickly enough. She spotted Endry and walked towards him, her boots making rather heavy steps while she took her time walking towards him.

"So.. Anyone else coming?" she asked him in wonder, pulling up a chair and sitting across from him.

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

Endry watched the green eyed woman enter the tavern. He couldn't help but utter a small laugh when Alex wrinkled her nose to the stench. You'll get used to it... We all do, even if it takes a bit. He watched as she uttered something under her breath, 'This smell is disgusting' or something to the like.

"So..." She said. "Anyone else coming?" Alex said as she sat down across from Endry.

Before replying, he looked about the bar, noticing only rugged people who couldn't give a whit who was in power. "I can't be sure... These people don't look the type to be patriots, it looks as though they could care less who was in power, as long as they got their day's pay..."

He waved a tavern wench, as they were called here, and ordered a pint of their 'best ale,' code for 'I'm here for the meeting at midnight.' "Will you be having anything, dear Alex?"

[Fluffy]

"I will have the same." she said with a nod.

While sitting, she observed the unattractive people contently sipping their beverages and talking amongst themselves. Alex hadn't visited a lot of places like this, but as her friend had told her, she'd get used to it.

'Suppose I have to...'

"It's about more than the pay. I wish they realized that."

Her arms folded across the table and she looked down at them, one of her nails tapping at the wood while she gave their upcoming mission some thought.

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

"Aye, that would be nice," Endry replied. He watched as she quickly tapped the table. "Nervous much?"

The sentence had barely gotten out of his mouth when the door opened a third time.

============================

I do realize that I'm early, Jonah thought to himself. He was standing outside a disreputable inn on the outskirts of the city. The Bloody Blade, it was called, and much to his guild's ire, he was a regular patron. They thought him a lowly drunkard, but he had a quite different reason. He was the leader of a group simply called the Loyalists. And today they had a date with destiny.

Breathing deeply, he opened the door. Looking around, he saw two people that didn't quite fit. One he knew quite well. Jonah entered as he noticed his old friend, Endry Blade. Ah. So this is why I'm early.

Immediately he crossed the floor, his soft boots padding noiselessly across the floor. "Endry," he said in an undertone. "What are you doing away from the Empress?"

[Fluffy]

Alex smiled wryly at Endry. Her finger ceased into her head, where all her other fingers were curled into as well.

'Of course I'm nervous. I haven't been to something like this with mainly humans.' she thought.

Then, the door opened. She gave no quick response like most might. Instead, she remained leaning over the table, staring down at the spot that her nail was hitting against so gently out of an observed act of being nervous. To her, it was a result from boredom, but Endry could've been right...

"Endry," he said in an undertone. "What are you doing away from the Empress?"

Green eyes closed as she felt slightly irritated by the noise his soft padded boots. Her hearing was a bit more sensitive than most, but she needed to keep that confidential. This stranger wanted nothing to do with her, which she respected by simply not acknowledging him.

[Titan]

Alec Hunt was walking down the lantern lit street toward the Bloody Blade Inn and Tavern. His trench coat billowed behind him as he walked, the night breeze gently brushing across his face. He enjoyed the night, the way a person would enjoy the day. He kept his goggles on to keep people from seeing his eyes. They seemed give off this eerie glow in the darkness and would attract more attention.

"I wonder what Endry wants." he thought. It have been a while since he had seen his old friend. Since that incident with the Empress, he had been left wandering as a mercenary for hire. It would be nice to be back with proper fighters for once.

He walked into the tavern and looked around the tavern from behind his goggles. He saw the familiar face of his old friend Endry. As he cross the room make very little noise, he felt like people were staring at him.

"It has been a while, hasn't it my friend?" he asked, he then noticed the green eyed woman standing next to him. He smiled and asked, "And, who is this lovely young lady?"

[Fluffy]

"It has been a while, hasn't it my friend?"

The words of a man followed light footsteps her powerful hearing managed to pick up. It wasn't surprising - A lot of people knew Endry Blade.

"And, who is this lovely young lady?"

Alexandria smirked to herself, failing to fully see him through the rim of her hood. Lovely? Young? It was tempting to make a laugh and correct him, but she was no longer with the elves, she had to remember... So she went along with it anyhow.

She sat back a little, pulling up the rim so he could see her face for a moment, her eye casting a wink before she dropped the hood over her again so her face could barely be seen. Alex's face was a rare sight to see because it annoyed her when she confronted males with dropped jaws. Aside from that, she wanted to keep her ears safe if her hair couldn't do so.

"Alexandria Reneal, sir. Also a friend of Endry's. And, who might you be?"

Gloved hand reached out for him to accept and shake. This introduction helped relieve her nervous feelings and insecurity of the other newcomer who wasn't as friendly as this one.

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

"Ah. Alec! I was just about to explain to my friend Jonas here my mission. I do wish that he hadn't been so loud about it though." Endry looked between the trio. Alex... Someone I hardly know, and yet I put my trust in her. Alec, my old friend... How long has it been? Three months? A year? Too long, at any rate... And Jonas, You'll know why I'm away from your cousin in due time. "Although, I'm sure it can wait... If you catch my meaning."

Jonas could hardly contain a laugh. "Wait? While my family is in danger? It would be far safer for you to tell me now."

Now it was Endry's turn to stifle a laugh. "You will wait, my friend. And the introductions may do as well to wait too. The meeting is the right place for this."

[Titan]

"All in due time Jonas. We have loads of time till 'it' starts." He said discreetly. He turned his attention back to Alex, "As you may have heard, my name is Alec, Alec Hunt."
He took her hand and gave a good hard shake. "What brings such a lovely lady like you to place like this?" He said playfully.

(OOC: Fixed.)

[Fluffy]

The firmness of his hand made her smile. It made it evident that he had a good amount of strength. She liked that.
She made a slight chuckle, only a little amused by his use of words.

"I'm asking myself that same question. But, my presence has significance, I assure."

One of her hands gestured to an empty chair and she nodded to Jonas as well. For the time being, she was keeping to herself unless interrogated. It felt like it'd be best to keep quiet if not socialize in friendly manners until the meeting.

[Titan]

Alec sat in the empty chair that Alex had gestured to. "Tell me about yourself my hooded friend. Why do you conceal such a pretty face with your hood?"

[Fluffy]

"Charming." she said flatly, though a voice in her head did remind her that his comments were amusing.

"That's just for me to know, and for you to find out."

Alex's muscles tensed after she answered him, realizing that his mention of her pretty face and hood might attract the attention of others. Males, especially... Within the hood's darkness, her eyes narrowed and resisted their flash of frustration as she mentally warned people to not touch her. They couldn't hear her, of course. She supposed she could ask a question since they weren't going to let her be silent,

"How about you? Why do you use those goggles?"

Alex was having difficulty understanding. Her vision was slightly better than an average human's in distance and darkness, so she could see the faint glow beneath the tinting over his eyes. That should be an ability kept secret, though...

[Titan]

He had expected her to ask about his eye wear. "It's my own personal secret, but I can tell you mine if you tell me yours." he smirked. It was rare for him to tell anyone about his secret, but he felt she could be trusted. He leaned in closer, "These goggles conceal my unique ability."

[Fluffy]

Alex's eyebrows furrowed when he whispered to her. She should have expected he'd ask for something in turn of his secret. Endry and a few others of the town already knew her own secret. Even so, she was uncomfortable with revealing who and what she was. At least to most, there were only suspicions like her hair length and color as well as the brightness of her eyes.

"Is that right?"

A hand reached into her hood, pushing back some of her bangs while she imitated the process of thought.

"I'd rather not bring it to so much attention. Some people may be offended by my 'secret'." she said quietly, resting her arms behind her head.

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

"Guys, you do realize that you're in public. I wouldn't be giving away our little secrets around here. It may not be pretty." He looked around at the people in the bar, most of them quite shady characters. Then finally he looked meaningfully at the door, where there were 'enforcers,' the elite police of the new regime, standing by. "They may not let you stick around."

[Fluffy]

"That's what I was implying." she hissed in response to Endry, feeling slightly offended that she was included in his address of guys.

It was in Alex's nature, really - To take offense and get angry about it. Her temper was something people defined as 'electrifying'. Did these two think she was stupid?
Both of her arms unclasped from around her head and thud against the table, her chin resting in the space created between the two limbs.

From where she sat, she observed from the darkness of her hood, noting the authorities that were nearby. Honestly, they didn't frighten her. Hardly anything did. Even so, she was respecting herself and others by remaining silent. After all, she had the right.

'I'd just like to get this over with. I hate it here...'

[Titan]

"Maybe we can continue this late, in a more....comfortable, and private setting." he smirked. He couldn't help himself, she was indeed a beautiful person. A beautiful person with a secret, which intrigued him. He glanced over at the two enforcers, and looked them over. He turned back, and whispered, "I can take them."

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

"Settle, friends." Endry said. "Let us not get riled up, bickering among ourselves. I must expressly repeat that it would not be wise."

He turned to his old friend, Jonas. "I must ask, though, what brings a well known magi such as yourself here, to a disreputable bar that may or may not conceal Loyalists-Or they could be called traitorous scum, depending on what side you are on.

"Could it be said that you're on that fool man's side?"

"Endry, you're trying to bring a topic out that is better suited for... tighter quarters." the older man replied, "And I wouldn't dare insinuate that I'm against my cousin, the rightful empress. He was careful not to raise his voice.

"Now," He continued. I suggest we wait in relative silence for... the time."

Endry Blade smiled. "I agree, old friend." He took a sip at the decidedly flat ale before him. Grimacing, he started some small talk to pass the time. Had the Mages guild come up with anything new in the last days? Not that it effects us, but I hear there's a drought down south, in the rolling lands.

Finally, the sky outside began darkening. "I suggest we descend early. Set up shop, as it were. We'll have to go two at a time, and at irregular intervals so as not to rouse suspicion."

[Fluffy]

"Maybe we can continue this late, in a more....comfortable, and private setting."

Such a statement made her roll her eyes. This Alec character was certainly in over his head. That, or his personality was just strange. Both points of view applied in Alex's eyes.

She participated in the small talk whenever she felt it necessary. For the most part, she sat there silently, twirling a utensil around in her beverage. Bright, green eyes stared blankly at the swirling liquid in the cup. She made images in her mind while watching the little hurricane, her lips making a smirk afterward.

"I suggest we descend early. Set up shop, as it were. We'll have to go two at a time, and at irregular intervals so as not to rouse suspicion."

Alex looked up from her drink, resting her face in a palm while her elbow sat on the table.

"Aye." she said simply, waiting for the right time to descend.

[Titan]

He engaged in the small talk, catching up with his old friend. He had ordered something to drink as they conversed. Although he looked like he was carelessly enjoying himself, he was also scoping out the tavern, making note of the possible exits. He hated to be unprepared, and experience taught him he should be ready for anything.

"I suggest we descend early. Set up shop, as it were. We'll have to go two at a time, and at irregular intervals so as not to rouse suspicion."

"Aye."

He stood up and made a gentleman like gesture, "After you my dear."

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

A great laugh rumbled from Endry's belly. "I'd not think that was smart. Alex has... as soft spot. Though I should probably do not to call it that."

Endry rose as Alec made his gesture. "Perhaps I should take the girl down with me... might ask fewer questions."

[Fluffy]

She grunted and merely rolled her eyes around, her chair pushing back as she stood. The gesture was gentlemanly, but she wasn't used to such a thing. She also wasn't used to the term my dear anymore, as that was a label loved ones addressed each other by. Surely, this man did not think of her that way?

"I will follow with you, then."

They weren't to raise suspicions, after all. Her chair was pushed in before she went to do anything else.

[Titan]

"So that leaves me with you, archmage." He sat back down and waited.

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