A Former Life {Leon}{Open by invite}

At the east end of Windurst, down by the pier there is a shady joint by the name of The Darkmaw Dragon. Here all manner of thieves and scoundrels meet to do business. More than often a body with its throat slit can be found behind the bar in an empty alleyway, slowly rotting. The Darkmaw Dragon is owned by Leon Blackwell, a mercenary with an attitude and a short temper. It is with Leon that our story begins.


The rain fell more heavily as he rode into town, He sped through alleyways and came to the door of the bar. Leon dismounted and led his horse to the barn where he quietly fed him and laid new bedding for him. Before leaving the barn he retrieved a large bag that was dripping red liquid, and he stormed into the bar. "Where is that two timing, blackhearted cur!" Leon shouted and the bar grew quiet, many of the men reached for their weapons. A man yelped as he dropped his mug and tried to leave the exit, but a clone of Leon blocked the way.

The clone held a sword to the mans throat. As Leon tossed the contents of the bag on the floor. The lady patrons of the bar screamed, as three gruesome monster heads rolled out of the bag. "You failed to mention that what you meant by one target, you meant three of these bitches. My price just tripled 10,000 a head. Either you pay me my 30,000 gil or ill have your head. IS THAT CLEAR." Leon bellowed, as he grabbed the rum bottle from the bar.

The man winced, he had known he had played Leon for a fool and lost heavily. He glanced to the sword at his neck and reached slowly down to his purse of coins. His shaky hands had trouble removing the sack but when he finally got it he threw it at Leon. "Im sorry sir, I had no idea." " Yeah, no idea i would be back." Leon finished for him, as he inspected the coins in the bag for validity, then pocketed them.

"Release the man but his hand is mine." "No!" Screamed the man as the clone vanished and the big burly bouncer grabbed him by the back of the neck. "Come'n you, We've got a date out back." Said the bouncer as he grabbed a nasty looking knife from his belt.

Leon looked around at the people staring at him. "What'r you lot looking at! Get back to drinking and paying me wenches or get the hell out!" He bellowed over the faint screams as he hopped behind the bar. "Johnny clean that mess up,"

Leon grabbed a bar towel and walked over to a customer. "Now... whatll it be"

Jonathon sat at the end of the bar and had watched the whole ordeal. He twirled his glass and avoided eye contact. He wasn't a drinker, a glass of water was fine for him. He watched as the man was dragged from the bar. Moving to help would most likely result in a similar fate. He glanced up at the man standing over him. The bar tender and apparent mercenary. "Another water will be fine." Jonathon said, looking back down at the bar. "Toss a cherry in if you would." Jonathon looked at the bloody floor. "Well, that's quite the mess."

Leon got the boy a drink and smartly dropped a cherry into it. "So, what brings a boy your age into a pub like this?" Leon pulled up a stool and sat across from the from the bar but stood up sharply and yelled. " Oh Jimmy! I forgot to mention wear gloves when handling those heads, wouldn't want you're hands to melt off. Just put em in the sack I'll deal wit em later." then sat down and held out his hand.

" My names Leon Blackwell, these parts aren't safe anymore, hell the world isn't safe. Humans are all the same they all seek out to satisfy those thrills." he said as he poured himself a orange juice. The bar started to clear out, and there was only a few patrons left.

" So whats you're story? Looking for work, a drink, friendly company if you know what i mean, Or perhaps an adventure?" He asked with a sly smile.

Jonathon took a sip from his drink, savoring the dilute hint of cherry he enjoyed in drinks. "A bit of it all...Well...Except the company." He took another sip of the drink. "I've been looking, for something... It's hard to explain. It's...well...really hard to explain is the best way I could put it..." Jonathon said, feeling his hands begin to warm and sparks of fire began to jump from his hands across the counter. He tried to contain. "Doesn't matter. Do you have work for me as you implied?"

Leon sat there watching the kid, answer most of his questions. He thought he saw a brief flash of fire escape from the lads hands. "Interesting." Leon thought as he sipped from his glass, Normally he would add vodka to the juice but he had been on the road and didnt want to get scurvy.

" Aye I do have work for us. But right now I'm looking for a new cook. The last one almost gave everyone here dysentery." Then he leaned in close, "Also I should like to know more about your skills, and your name. Though we can discuss that later when we close up. What you say, want to be part o' me crew...err staff." Leon said as he downed his glass with a smile.

"Name's Jonathon Montoya." He said, keeping his hands on the glass. "However, I don't think you'd want me for a cook. I'm not much good in a kitchen." The water in the glass began to bubble and evaporate. He tried to control his hands, but was having serious problems doing so. He glanced around the bar. "What exactly do you mean by...skills. I mean, I'm decent with a sword and a pretty good shot, but that's about it." Jonathon could feel the warmth begin to tingle up is arms. If he didn't put his fire under control soon, he could burn down the bar. He didn't want that, not again. He'd unintentionally destroyed enough so far. "Unless you're implying something else about me."

Atnem sat at the bar a few empty seats away from Jonathon and Leon. He had watched the earlier confrontation with masked interest. The conversation between the two strangers down the bar was what he really found interesting. He decided to keep listening to see how it developed, as he finished his drink.

Leon saw the water boil. " He cant control whatever magic he's got into, maybe i can help him." thought Leon as he began wiping down the bar. "Aye, skills and I have a job but we can speak more of this soon. I should do me own job." He laughed then yelled "Alright you smelly bilge rats get the hell out, closing." then he walked down the bar and grabbed a bottle of gin. "Mackey I assume you want more." the man nodded and Leon poured a refill.


Soon the bar had emptied and Jimmy bolted the door and went about dimming the lights. Leon motioned for the men to follow him, He grabbed a bottle of rum and three glasses and sat them atop the large round table at the back of the bar. "Ye may speak freely here, I'm sure I can trust you two. After all ye've seen how I treat double-crosser's." He laughed and the bouncer filled his mug then went up stairs leaving the three of them alone.

" Now, How do ye boys feel about dragons." Leon said with a grin. A grin that could charm even the devil.

Jonathon sat down and took a sip of the vodka. He coughed and felt a few wisps of flame puff out of his nostrils. "Gah...That burned." He said, wiping some of the vodka from his lips. "Why do people drink that stuff?" He said, but then he began to think about the bartenders question. "Dragons?" Jonathon said, the word made something stir inside him. As if the mere mention of the word made the fire inside of him become livelier. It was scary, yet interesting at the same time. Maybe dragons had some connection to him. "What about dragons?"

Atnem nodded "Thanks Leon," and took a drink as the conversation continued.
"Dragons, eh? I haven't seen one of those in ages. You know I rode one once? It didn't go so well." He took another drink, thinking about dragons and the trinkets of power they often guarded, and shrugged. "But, hey, if it's worth my time, I'll kill anything. Or, I assume you plan to kill 'em, anyway."

"Aye dragons... and that," He laughed heartily. " That wasn't my fault, If you and Cap'n Reddat hadn't came in swords blaring you wouldn't of woke the damn thing up and I could'a quietly slipped a sword into its spine." He sipped his rum savoring the flavor. "Sure was fun though, hell of a way to travel, ya know once you get past it trying to kill you."

He sat down his glass and reached into his pack, and removed a large map from it, and rolled it out on the table.

"Time to get to business, I be lookin for a crew, a crew of sky pirates." he looked at Johnathon. "Ye, get one thing straight, all the dark rumors of us sky pirates, plundering and burning villages and such. They all be lies every one o' em. We are hunters of things that lie in shadows. True we do take any and all treasure that the damn things have on em."

He laughed again, "That's prolly where all the pillaging rumors come from, some poor sap lost a family heirloom to some dragon, we go in kill it, and we collect the plunder as a fee."

"The Harbinger has been repaired and is nearly ready to return to the sky's, I don't need a full crew like we did in the past. Five or six of us is plenty, and just the three of us is even better. You see I've improved things." He smiled at Atnem. " With the help of your lass, Maggie. You know once she stops blowing up most the damn thing she makes one hell of a repair crew."

He pointed at a mountain next to the coast far west of Rhulain. "I've gotten word that a dragon has awoken from it slumber and is now tormenting the western coast of Eternia. A large red. I love Reds as they collect the most wondrous assortment of jewels. Last time we slew one he had 4 crowns dating back hundreds of years. Bought me a mansion with that money." He smiled at the two of them.

"So what say ye, I imagine you'll have a tale or two to tell when you return." Asked Leon

"I'll join!" Jonathon said before even thinking. The thought of dragons pulled him towards this. If he found dragons, he'd find answers. He didn't know how, but he just knew there'd be something there. "Uh...yeah..." Jonathon said as his mind caught up with him. He had no idea what he'd just signed up for. Of course, sky piracy could be fun. Hopefully. "So...where's your ship...Captain."

Atnem rolled his eyes, "Crazy bastard," he thought, "Can't even understand half the shit he says."
"Maggie and I will join... ye. The shop's not very busy right now, anyway. Maybe the dragon will have something she can play with to draw in new customers."
He slammed the rest of his drink, stood up, squinted one eye and said, "Arr, I'll be fetchin' the lass, if ye've nothin' more ta say fer now," in his most piratey voice. "We'll be meetin' ye back here in a wee bit," and headed for the door.

"Just where the hell are you goin." Leon said forcefully. "We still got this bottle to finish. Ye, know the rules. One for the ship and one for the crew. We'll give her, her's properly tomorrow. Ye can stay in the rooms tonight. Aint much rabble tonight." And with that Leon quaffed a deep drink and passed the bottle on to Jonathon. "Drink up lad, Tomorrow we set sail." He grinned.

Jonathon looked at his captain and chuckled weakly. "Yes...Yes sir." He said, taking a cautious sip. He glanced at the man again and sighed. He tipped the bottle back and chugged most of the bottle, coughing as he tried to breath. He then regretted his choice. As the alcohol burned through him, it literally began to burn. "Captain...Run!" He said, clutching his stomach and curling over. "Just...Get...Away." He said, weakly. Then fire exploded out of him.

Atnem, upon hearing the invitation to drink up and spend the night, spun quickly around and made his way back to the bar.
"Well, alright. I suppose I'll drink all of your booze, if you insist." He sat and watched Jonathon down most of the bottle. "Dang, kid. I hope you can keep that down."
He snatched the bottle as Jonathon finished, and emptied the rest. "I think we're gonna need a couple more... huh?" Atnem felt the heat building rapidly inside Jonathon. By the time Jonathon gave the command to run, Atnem was already flying over the bar to duck-and-cover.
Flames engulfed the bar.

"Get out Captain," yelled Jonathon, Before flames erupted from him and engulfed the table. Leon jumped up quick and un-sheathed his sword, shouting arcane words. "Quench!" Leon finished forcefully and pushed outward with his hands at the flaming inferno, water sprayed forcefully out of his hands and put out the fire and soaking Jonathon. Steam filled the air as the fires were quenched.

Leon finally satisfied that Jonathon was put out. He stepped behind the bar, And removed a chest from behind it. "I think you failed to mention a small detail about your character, Jonathon. Something like the being a ticking fire bomb of doom?" He said as he dug around in the chest looking for an item. " Here. Put this on," he said as he threw a small red ring at Jonathon.

"Idiot.. could of killed us all." he mumbled under his breath. "That is a Null-Blaze ring. Very powerful and very expensive. Do not lose it, It absorbs any and all forms of fire related magic. Nullifying it immediately, that should help you control whatever the hell that just was." Leon said angrily.

"Why would you keep a dangerous ability like that from us." Leon asked., "You are my crew now, we must be tight as thieves," He smirked at the saying. "No more secrets."

Jonathon had collapsed to his knees once the blaze was put out. Smoke trailed off of him. He looked down at the ring in front of him and slipped it on. The trails of smoke began to fade. "I'm usually able to control it. Sometimes I just burst." He said, staggering to his feet. "I have no idea what makes me able to do it. However, when I can control it, I can control it well." He said. As if to prove his point he lit the hand without the ring on fire and quickly put it out. "See?" He told the captain. "As for why I just exploded, I think it has something to do with your mention of dragons. The word seemed to make whatever fire is inside me get antsy."

Atnem stood up, staggered a bit, and stabilized himself against the bar. "Right then," he slurred, "That strenuous activity was awfully sobering. We'd better have myself another drink. Maybe I'll get my unstable magic back, too. We can wreck this bar, then run off and terrorize some dragons."
He took a drink of whatever was in the bottle nearest him, then looked around, "Speaking of terrorize, where the hell is Maggie?"
He pulled his Scouter out of his bag and mounted it crookedly on his face. "Maggie! If you hear this, get over to Jack's bar. You're missing the explosions!"
He took it off and put it back in his bag.
"Forgot I could do that..." he took another swig.