Zensuon: Crystal Age

They Call It White City For a Reason, Just Not That Reason

Where we catch our two mercenaries on a side stop in the shining jewel of the Scorpion Empire, and see them use whimsically violent methods to find another grand baetylus.

The goblin was thrust against the wall, yelping in his shrill voice.

"Woah woah woah there, we can - Uunnfhhh-'' The small green goblin's collar was grabbed. He was lifted off of the ground, and onto eye level with Adam.

-"talk... about this?" The child-sized goblin gave an awkward, fang-filled smile. Shrugging his shoulder suspended thus in the air, against the hard wall of the alleyway.

"I think you gave up on talking when you ran away from us." Ezra stepped down the stairs, away from the beautiful gleaming streets of White City and down into the dirtier side paths of the supposedly perfect paradise in the middle of the Empire where Adam and the goblin rumbled.

After all, nothing with a perfect visage was ever without its equal share of dirt.

"I saw a huge armoured man rushing at me shouting my name, what was I supposed to think?" The goblin chuckled, glancing between them with an awkward smile.

"I don't need your excuses." Adam stated in his deep voice, twisting the collar of the goblin until it "Eeeeep"ed in a progressively suffocating voice, "Tell us where the grand evershard is, or I snap your neck right here and now."

Adam was bluffing, it was hard finding even a scrap about the grand evershard in this town, and this goblin was the best bet the Three City Mercs information network got for them. He wouldn't break his neck.

He'd probably go for the legs before that.

"How about I shout for the guards instead, huh?" The goblin uttered in a strained, small voice.

"Like this? I'd like to see you try." Adam smirked.

The air warped, and waved. Adam snapped to attention.

"Look out!" Adam heard Ezra shout from behind him.

A moment before a ball of fire came hurtling toward Adam's face and nearly burning his hood clear off. Adam managed to dodge by yanking his head backwards.

The goblin winced at his miss.

Ezra laughed, and even louder when Adam's head came thrusting back forward with force, smashing into the goblin's nose, and breaking it with a loud and resounding ccRRRuunnCcccHHhh that caused a few of the alleyway rats to scamper away.

"What was that? That was just like your fire conjuring." Adam said, looking at the drooling goblin.

Adam shook his head and then looked back at Ezra.

"Oh, shit. I forgot to mention" Ezra laughed awkwardly, leaning back on the steps he sat on.

"Goblins have a natural affinity to fire magic. Not as good as mine, but good enough to burn someone's face off." Ezra cleared his throat, looking away.

Adam grunted. He was in the mood to punch the mage's face off, but on the other hand, he got a clue. Ezra seemed to have a natural affinity with fire, and possibly with ice as well. He'll have to assume that every creature he meets here might have some magic in them since he'll be in big trouble if his hood gets tossed or blown off.

"He's out of commission for now." Adam dropped the goblin.

The goblin gave out a soft grunt as he hit the floor and lay dazed.

"That's what you get for beating a creature a third your size in the head," Ezra said, deciding it might take a while until the goblin regained consciousness, and picked up his spellbook, starting to read.

Adam, instead, kneeled and started going through the goblin's stuff.

Ezra looked up from his book and glanced at the warrior as Adam emptied the goblin's pockets.

Adam stuffed some gold, some discarded food, and- a note. He opened the note, read it, and laughed.

"What?" Ezra perked up.

"I have a meeting place," Adam said with a grin.

"What if it's just about something else? Like drugs? Or a meeting with his wife?" The mage looked unimpressed.

"I guess we'll find out when he's awake," Adam said, starting to tie the goblin down with rope.

"Fantastic," Ezra said with a sigh, turning back to his book.