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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a great story from Lord Blake Blackstone, entitled
A Not so Random Encounter
Music by Smartsound

Chapter 1
A single tear wept out of his eye, different than the ones he felt when the funeral pyre was lit for his father. This one was thicker and stuck to his face as it dried. Haunching on all fours, Thoren struggled to focus with the eye that was ripped from the blunt strike that had sent him reeling to the floor.

They probably could have killed him quickly since they got the initiative with an attack from behind. But this unsavory bunch enjoyed watching the pain of a struggle, especially when they had the upper hand.

Thoren laughed to himself and wondered why these were the occasions he lived for, and possibly, would also end up dying for. It was in these moments that he could grasp the truth of life, that there is no past and the future is just a dream. For some reason, he knew he wasn’t lucky enough to have his life force drained at the hands of petty thieves, in a dirty tavern, where no one would ever take notice.

~~They were warned not to come to the gambling den that lay on the outskirts of Kobold territory, by more than one of the travelers and traders along the Dust Road. But the party was in need of food, supplies, and rest, in a warm bed, alongside a good whore. The journey from the east had proven to be a rough task and none of the wandering traders wanted the various hides, skins, and venom sacks they had collected along the way. So the one moon cycle detour was more of a necessity than a want.
Before they came to the first “toll bridge”, which marked the outskirts of the hamlet, Sugesh decided to hang back so it would appear they weren’t together. It meant two tolls, and they really didn’t have the coin to spare, but it also meant that the bandits couldn’t devise a plan for two. Even if the bandits weren’t planning anything, Sugesh knew that Thoren would more than likely drag himself into some sort of trouble. The two were brothers, not by birth, but by adventure.~~

A swift kick to the jaw, followed by a strike of a mace in the ribs, made Thoren spit out his teeth and breath. As he wheezed in, two teeth danced across the floor like dice cast for lots. Never in his life had he lost consciousness in a battle, but he revelled at the fact that there was a first time for everything.

The man that had falsely accused him of cheating in kabut(a card and dice game loved by the lower class) stood over him cursing and laughing and then cursing again. The pure joy of doing evil shown in his eyes.

“Outlander, you think you can come to Corosen and outwit me”, he yelled, “ I built this damned place”.

As the ring leader drew his gold-hilted dagger, he bent over to Thoren’s ear, “ I love drawing red lines on Outlander’s necks. When I’m done, we will prop you back up in that chair at the kabut table so we all can see your crimson smile without having to hear your sarcastic mouth.”

Thuddddd. The makeshift tavern door slammed against the wall and came off one of its hinges. The smile maker instantly was lying on top of Thoren with an arrow through his neck, dagger clanking to the floor. Eye to eye, Thoren gave him a wink as he gurgled for air. Two more short, almost simultaneous, whistles pierced the stagnant air of the bar. And two more fell from the precise shots. The bandit wielding the mace bolted for the back door as Sugesh drew his katanas, discarding his bow for the moment. The remaining thugs engaged in some melee, but were heavily unmatched, leaving one partially decapitated and the other skewered through his gut.

Thoren mustered up the strength to roll the corpse off of him and struggled to his feet. With a grin he looked over at Sugesh, “What do you think that dagger will bring once we get to the city?”.

Sugesh didn’t laugh.