Prelude - That Fateful Night / Meeting Sakiran

Cigarette smoke and alcohol fills the atmosphere as patrons laugh and chatter away. A tall man with brown medium length hair sets down his beer on a nearby stool . 'Ping! Ping! Ping!' Followed by the long gasps and laughter from the crowd as the man nailed three bullseyes bringing the score down from 150 to zero; picking up his beer and smirking at a rather frustrated man. I sit from the bar with the rest of the crew as we all watch on as Sawyer hussles your average white collar into losing his paycheck on a bet. The atmosphere raising in volume as the corpo fella decides to put 'em up. Sawyer turns to the guy and hell I can only assume he gives 'im the stink-eye. The lad goes crawling off and out the door before Sawyer takes a swig of his beer.
 
Sawyer approaches the gang with the smile of a good con. We all break glass and cheer for his success, Franky a tall slender man who runs with us piped up saying to Sawyer. "Hey Sawyer, how'd you do it? Y'know the thing where you hustle them into thinking you're just some dumb punk who doesn't know the pointy end from the board!"
Sawyer immidietly waved Franky down "Pipe down idiot!"
The three of us burst out laughing before the door to the back swung open and Roni, an average height woman with a brown medium pony-tail, armed with her signature pistols walks out along side a tall bald man with a dark beard, Coln's the guy who runs our crew. The three of us at the bar turn to watch as they both step out and turn around. Coln taking the hand of a well-known criminal leader in the area shaking it before looking at our direction and nodding his head to the door.
 
Things were looking real swell, boss got the deal and he even had plans to pay a bonus to the owner of this establishment for always letting us use the back room.
 
But that's not how things were supposed to be, bullets splattered the windows shattering glass into the direction of the patrons and suddenly the drunk atmosphere turned to one of iron and death. Everyone had shifted, kicking tables down and finding any cover to hold down. Everyone returning fire to the general direction of the incoming.
Shouting and screaming soon followed as patrons started rushing out through the front door, falling over each other and the owner had hid in the backroom with the crime boss. Sawyer took his initiative and tried to head round the back of the side street to get the jump on 'em while we blow smoke in their direction.
 
It was moments later before a familiar voice spoke on a speaker. "We have him, your man Sawyer. Come on out now, no one else need be dying.
Myself, Roni, Coln and Frank stepped toward the open window. A wall of Gratus enforcers were staring back, armed with riot shield and pointing their guns towards us.
 
Yeah, I knew I recognised that voice. It's the sleezy chief of the auxillary forces. a large Wylder man with receeding hair and a terrible moustache who just couldn't wait to suck from the nether of his Gratus Overlords. His name is Gus.
 
He pulled the cigar from his fat mouth "You see lads the Gratus aren't very pleased at all! With your little gang of mercs, always feeding off those who work hard for honest pay." He slurs almost ironically at the mention of honest and breaks out into a mischievous smile.
Below him Sawyer is knelt "Fucking bastard.."
"What was that you little snot!?" Gus snapped back before directing his gaze at a nearby enforcer who pummels his gun stock into Sawyer's abdomen, causing Sawyer to spit and gasp for air.
"You see our enforcement unit would have absolutely nothing to do with any criminal activity in the area, as per usual a Gratus senior member who had come to visit was made fully aware of such a thing.."
A bike pulled up and the figure removed their helmet revealing long flowing blonde hair, it was a woman I recognised to be on the receiving end of my drunken mutterings. It's my fault they caught wind of it.
"Hurry up whelp, you're lucky your entire unit isn't replaced. Too much trouble for this disgusting town. Take care of them quickly" her loud barking orders could be heard throughout the compound before she strapped on her helmet and rode off on the town exit.
 
Gus' face said it all as he was pissed, pulling out his snubnosed .44 and aiming it at Sawyer.
"You little shits have caused me too much trouble, I'll lock you up and take care of you myself!" Sneering at Coln.
 
"Don't do it..." Sawyer coughed as he managed to squeeze out a few words.
"Five!" Gus yelled
 
Coln glanced at the three of us, shaking his head as I could look on back toward Sawyer
"Four!~" Gus stretched
 
I was shaking with anticipation, what do I do.
"Three..."
His slimely voice was humiliating.
"Two."
In a beat Sawyer snapped punching Gus in the groin before yelling "Run!" at us all.
 
In that last moment, Coln, Roni and Franky turned and I could only look on at Sawyer's defeated smile. Time moving slowly...
 
*Bang*
I watched Sawyer drop to the floor, a pool of blood leading from his head as Gus held his smoking gun. Gritting his teeth he yelled "Get them, in the name of the Gratus Empire!"
 
"You bastard!"
Tear filled eyes, I pulled out my trusty pair and started blindly shooting in a rage
A bullet hit shattered glass on the window launching a shard into my right eye.. All I could do was wretch in pain and crawl away in the side street. Tumbling around until I get to my feet and run.
The bar erupted in smoke and fire as a high calibre round detonated inside from the Gratus Patrol APC. I turned at the sound grasping my right eye with blood trickling down. before running away.
I didn't have time to think about the others, I had to hope they made it out alive.
 
 
 
The clouds opened up into heavy rain, forming puddles in the side streets very quickly. I was running with half my vision, gasping for air. Pushing against walls as I cut corners leaving a trail of blood. the Gratus Enforcers were in hot pursuit firing in my direction. I found myself exiting the side street into an open area outside a dull establishment The rain deafens as it hits the ground and my pursuers arrive quickly pointing their guns toward me.
"Don't worry, you'll be ending up with that body in the ditch outside city limits soon enough vermin."
I could only lash out with words of frustration as I raised my pistol
"We paid you the full amount, and this is how you go about business, you bastards!"
I was filled with emotion, at the loss of one of my closest friends and not knowing whether or not the rest of the gang made it out.
One of the soldiers raised his baton, it was coated in blood.
"They cried like dogs" Spoken with a sly tone
With rage consuming me I fired my gun, missing as they laugh and readied their weapons. When all of a sudden.
"Hey! What're you.. This aint no place for the likes of you, go back to the whorehouse!"
A woman, stepping out as if the shadow followed her on her dark skin.
All I heard was a feminine chuckle as she swifty cut down the Enforcer, cleaving him into two parts. entrails coating her as I couldn't believe my own sight but her sword had lit up as if out of nowhere.
 
In the last moment, I blew that squad leader's brains out the back of his skull, scattering it across the cobblestone.
I collapsed, covering my right eye and gasping for air. As blood trickles down my fingers dripping into the puddles of rainwater below. The other enforcers rush me before being swifty taken care of.
 
She extended her hand, helping me to my feet. and guided me inside the nearby tavern, not speaking a single word during the fight nor on the way inside.
 
Inside the tavern the atmosphere was weak but warm, with the barmaid laughing away at the patrons and the boss of the joint watching as we step in.
My vision is heavily blurred as the woman pulls me to the nearest table and sits me down.
 
"Your eye." she rummaged through her things and started to treat it.
I could only think of the worst and I was right to, I'd been through hell and I'm still kicking thanks to her.
 
The pain is nothing, the shock still courses through my veins. What happens next I didn't know.
The woman retreated as she stares at her work, putting away her supplies, I notice a cut out from her coat and slowly touch at the area around my right eye.
What reason does she have to help me, she doesn't even know me? She must be an angel.
 
My vision finally steadied as I was able to make out my rescuer's features.
 
Horns, tail and a pale gray skin with dark long hair, and.. is her hair getting lighter?
A devil..?
The atmosphere between us was quiet and awkward. I tried to ask who she was but her mind focused on other things and offered to buy a round.
 
She returned with the drinks, and I took a long satisfying drink, it was agonising as it burnt my throat I could only wince while she used her tail to hold hers and drink from it.
Further making me question what she was and where she stood.
 
She laughed at the idea of being called a good samaritan, placing her hands close to the fire.
She didn't seem satisfied at the heat at all, ever reaching out toward the flames roaring from the bark of the cut wood.
 
She commented on cold objects, but I didn't make any sense of it. Until she pressed her hand on my arm. It was if someone pressed ice against my skin. How could anyone be this cold to the touch I wondered?
 
We exchanged questions and answers, mainly her questions and mainly my answers albeit. I tried my best to wave them off but I eventually told her about the crew and what happened. It's that kind of talk that got me leaking information of our meeting and ultimately...
No no, not now. Not yet.
 
It was a moment after I finally commented on her tail and features and asked what is she.
 
I remember my pops speaking about Tieflings but I never thought I'd see one in person. I gave her my name and she told me hers.
 
Sakiran, not a local name that's for sure. But It's nice to know who I'm talkin' to at least.
She lashed out at my remarks and I cut back. I wonder how she is often treated around these parts?
 
I asked about her work and commented on the similarities with her employment and a cult.
Seems I got a crack as she showed even more emotion eventually I stopped pressing for it.
She offered me a choice standing and looking toward the door. To catch a ride together to a nearby town for work or to walk alone.
I stood up, pulling out a picture of the crew and a ring, staring before putting it away.
I agreed and joined her on the journey.