The Medallion of Asgar

6.

Rui

Rui kept a low profile, silently taking in the muted scent of her drink and the playfully dangerous atmosphere of her surroundings. If her elders knew she was here, they'd be harping about how 'now wasn't the time to be dawdling about'. And, they'd be right. But, there was no pushing her body's limitations for the sake of her mission; it would only hinder her abilities for more important purposes. Besides, Rui was confident that she could stay off the radar long enough to enjoy a quiet sit-down and a refreshing drink. Alcohol wasn't healthy by any means, but it was good for the soul, yah?

The beauty of the night took calm sips from her cup, oddly composed among the group of ruffians and partiers littered in the tavern. All the while, she was plotting, planning three steps ahead before the next move was made. However, the only real tactic she could consider at the moment was simply precautions to keep out of sight and otu of the crossfire of imperial knights. Other than that, she could make no real move until consulting with her elders. Instinct would tell her to simply return home with the prize in hand—however, a smarter Rui knew that being that naive in her tactic had the potential to jeopardize her family. Where else was she to go though? And what exactly was she supposed to do with the crest now that she had it? It was never quite explained why it had to be so desperately taken from the king, only that if left in the man's hand would bring about a great chaos.

Placing a hand on the pouch, her thoughts fell onto the medallion hidden within. It was an odd piece, to say the very least. Funny how such a small object could spur so much attention. Rui chuckled quietly, wondering if that was only because the King took so fondly to it. Royals could be so silly sometimes. As a Jycel, and a magic user, she also believed in the stories of its dangerous power. Still... Rui felt uneasy about keeping it close. Though she could not sense even an ounce of power in the crest, her sixth sense for danger was disturbed by the mere thought of the medallion, as though an aura of misfortune consumed its presence.

Frowning slightly, Rui just sighed slightly and took another swig of her drink. Such little things weren't her concern. That was for her superiors to decipher. Her duty was simply to bring it to them like a good little girl.

In her moment of personal silence, she heard the door open again. Like any curious person would do, she glanced over her shoulder to catch a glimpse at the new arrival. However, sounds of metal clinking reached her ears even before she had a chance to look back, and the sight she saw was more than enough to send her eased heart racing again. An armor-clad fellow, bearing a weapon at his side, was all the confirmation she needed to know that she was in deep trouble. And above all that anxiety and adrenaline, the man wasn't just an ordinary knight; he was the knight whom all the court spoke of. The rumors deceived many otherwise, but just from the gleam of the uniquely black armor he wore was enough to convince her that he was the sure thing, and no one else.

Turning back quickly, she tried not to acknowledge his presence openly. Rui quickly feared that she was tracked too quickly, and was now cornered in this close quarter area. But, as wound up as she was about the negative, she took the time to take in a deep breath and relax. With reason to imply, there was no target on her... for now. If she could just play it cool and remain collected, she still had the upper hand.

As she sat in her chair and worried behind a veil of secrecy, a man began to fumble his way up to the counter right next to where Rui sat. His steps, so menacingly sloppy, almost caused the stuporous male to practically fall headfirst into the wooden top; it was only fortunate his delayed reactions caught his body before it had a chance to fall. His body draped over the bar, he raised a wary hand, calling to the tavern keeper, " 'Ey, gimme another roun' over 'ere!" Just the sound of his voice alone was enough was nauseating, so crude it made even Rui cringe.

The very same male turned to her, a glazed expression over his face. Nudging her indiscreetly, his words slurred together a snarky comment. " 'Ey, lady. Yah look like th' type lookin' fer fun." She turned to look at him, and instantly, she was uncomfortable and disgusted. "Oh, I, uh..." Without even so much as asking for her permission, he put his heavy arm around her shoulders. Drawing himself closer, he added, "Yah know, yah should come over an' have a little fun with me an' mah pals." She couldn't exactly pull herself away from the man, caught in his hold and forced to smell the reek coming off his breath. Face cringing in disgust, she tried to tell him, "No, I'm perfectly sitting right here, thank you. I need to leave soon anyway, and—" Mid-sentence, the gruff male spoke up again, hardly regarding her comment. "Nah, come on! Don't be a stiff! We'll treat yah good!" As he tried to pull her off her chair, Rui refused, pushing back on his advance. "I said, no thank you. Now please...if you don't mind..."

Any other day, she would've gladly socked him a punch in the face. However, with a knight present, she didn't want to alert him any more than she had to. So, it was either deal with a drunk, or deal with a knight. What a drag...