NightMoving out onto the roofs, Petty saw that day had slipped away to night. Out around the city, bobbing torchlight betrayed the locations of the city's Night Watch, and shadows scuttled down below avoiding the lights. It seemed like a game of cat and mouse to Petty as he dismissed it all and dropped silently down to the street below. Moving quickly and quietly, more out of habit than necessity, Petty crossed streets unseen and ducked down back alley. Moorgate by night was not the most pleasant, but then again Moorgate could never be described as pleasant, at any hour. Passing down another back street Petty noticed a young lady leading a male guard down the ally. This wasn’t an unusual sight, people had to live somehow and Petty didn’t care how as long as it didn’t affect him and this didn’t. However Petty couldn’t help but speculate as to possible outcomes of this encounter. Would the guard be over zealous like some and get violent or would the young lady lead the guard to friends who would rob him and leave him for dead in the shadows?. Or maybe the lady was more able at protecting herself then her weak frame shows, vampires had to feed somehow, and if it is by luring guards into the dark back streets by exploiting weakness for a pretty young lady, so be it!..Petty mentally shook himself.. He had no time for musing, he had something to do, and he would get it done. Passing by the alleyway, Petty heard the heavy thud of a burly guard's body hitting the cobbles. Petty shock his head, he had no pity for the guard. Idiocy deserved death… specially to weak susceptibility to the smiles and curves of what he'd probably thought was an easy mark, death always did have a nice sense of irony. Petty continued on to his destination, a modest door. Petty could smell a heady and sour mix of ale, smoke, sweat, and blood. Gently opening the door, Petty entered the darkness… The usual wall of heat and clamor assailed Petty's senses as he entered the Merchant's Purse Moving swiftly to a dark corner of the bar, Petty placed a piece of paper on the bar table and sat down in his usual place and waited, his eyes scanning the bar for anything interesting, but as usual nothing came… ”Bars are so dull” thought Petty as a ale mug came sliding in from the other end of the table which Petty stopped and looked at it suspiciously. Partly satisfied with what he saw, Petty sniffed and then drank a small bit, involuntarily shuddering. Petty sighed, The drink was a special concoction for keeping one awake and alert. Frowning, Petty placed the mug back down. “Why so much?” groaned Petty in his corner The small dose he had consumed would keep him awake till morning. The whole over sized mug would keep Petty awake for weeks, if not put him in a deep coma for Kali knows how long.…This caused Petty to chuckle, a drink to keep one awake putting one asleep was absurd….And he had no pressing business which required him to take THAT much risk. In a fight he could rely on himself but on a drink….NO! Wolf whistles and catcalls stirred Petty from his thoughts, and a delicate young maiden entered the tavern. Petty knew of this sort of event, as it was not an uncommon occurrence. This young maiden, dressed up in expensive garments and a demeanour to suit, suggest she was from a wealthy family, very much the pretty picture of innocents, it seemed. “The young lady who wished to ‘live’ and ‘have some fun’ rebels against parents best interest by visiting a seedy tavern like this one by night..” thought to himself as he wondered what would happen to this one and how long she would last with the brutish clientele of this tavern. “Come here sweet cakes” was heard above the din of the tavern as Petty saw a rather drunk, pork bellied, half ogre stagger, almost drooling, over to the girl. Excited by being this close to such a pretty young girl and her considerable charms, he stumbled and swayed and placed a large hand on the girl’s shoulder for balance. Grinning foolishly, he slid his free hand around her backside. An indigent squeal rang out across the tavern. At this point, Petty went back to mulling over his drink, but was startled by the absent of a hand slap which followed such an event. Then he shivered, as the heat of the crowed tavern suddenly ceased to be, replaced by a sinister chill. Looking up towards the oaf and maiden, Petty was astonished to see, not the maiden struggling against the half-ogre but just a huge block of ice, angst half-ogre encased within. Raising his eyebrow, Petty turned his head to one side to admire the newly-formed ice cube. Stepping out meekly from behind the ice block, the maiden spat on the block of ice, gave it a few feeble kicks and directed a string of highly unladylike remarks at the former half-ogre. Then glided to the bar and elegantly sat herself down, in mild contrast to her recent display.
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