Characters involved: Keys of May, Minus

 In Nexus

Minus is playing music for a gaggle of opium-scorched whores, trying to bring a bit of pleasantry in to their sorry lives. The music is surreal and lovely. "...And they'll bury me with my arrows - with my arrows in my back; neither remembered nor forgotten, neither on or off the tracks..."

Minus 's fingers strum the lute, but his voice carries the day.

 A large man enters the room. His black cloak has swirls of water designs on it and a grand daiklave is strapped to his back. The smell of the ocean is all around him. A veil from his straw hat covers his face and the cloak is long enough that his hands are unseen. He walks slowly, waiting for the man to finish his music.

Minus finishes the song, then looks you over, calm. "Are you here to kill me too?" He lifts up his shirt, revealing a faded scar in his side. "Seems to be a popular passtime. But that klave doesn't look like jade to me, so maybe you're a friend," he says, crossing his arms.

Keys of May looks at the man through his veil and asks in a harsh voice, "That depends. Is your name Minus, the traveling musician? Or are you just an average bard?" He towers over Minus, as he is almsot nine feet in height.

Minus narrows his eyes. "I'm Minus the Bear, pact-bearer, music-master, iron-bender - for what titles are worth. And you?"

Keys of May chuckles lightly and says, "There are some who call me The Hunger. For now, that is all the title you will need." He pulls the large sword from his back and smells the air, his shark sense trying to make sure that the man has no creatures with him.

Minus thinks for a moment, then opens his eyes, concerned and confused. "You're Keys of May, aren't you? I've heard of what you can do with that sword," he says. "If you just want to kill me, I can't stop you, but I doubt you've much to gain from that. What do you want from me?"

Keys of May takes off his hat, revealing his shark like features. "I see... You are well informed to know me by that name. I only seek to see if you were a powerful opponent in combat." He cracks his neck, "I was curious, as I have yet to fight a Solar."

Minus cringes. "Please," he says, "Not here. These people have suffered enough."

Minus says, "There's no point in fighting me! I have no strong powers in battle. I have devoted myself to my music."

Keys of May pulls his lips back in a cruel smile that reveals his sharp fangs, "Oh? Why is it that all the solar I meet are so weak in battle." He looks at Minus, "Either way, I will judge myself whether you are tough or not. If you wish to spare these people the sight of battle, then very well. I will grant you this."

Minus swallows, judging Keys' intentions - if this is really an attempt to kill him, he should run now. But if it's a simple beat-down, then running would only make things worse.

Minus swallows. "We'll do it in Five Bridges," he proposes. "A suitable venue for a warrior such as yourself, and far from danger to passersby - only miners and explorers there, now.

Keys of May nods, not caring where the battle will happen. "Very well. Should you try to flee though, i will make you regret it. I will take it as a challenge and hunt you."

Minus says, "I'm not foolish - I know better than to run from a shark. How long does the battle go on?"

"Please," begs one of the whores, a woman with dark black hair and olive-toned skin who looks both too young and too old all at once. "Don't go. He'll kill you with his sword, and then - then your music, we'll never hear it again..."

Keys of May smiles, "It will continue until one of us is no longer capable of fighting. Preferably, till unconsciousness. I do not want the Emissary after me." He looks at the woman with a grin, "I won't kill him. Not in Nexus, anyways."

Minus says, "...Am I permitted to wear armor?"

Keys of May nods to Minus, "Yes, you are permitted to use any weapon or armor you prefer. However..." He smiles, "Should your blood apes interfere, that would be unpermittable. I am not interested in their prowess, only your own."

Minus says, "Fine. I will meet you at FIve Bridges in one hour. Be there."

Keys of May nods and leaves.

Keys of May waits in the district patiently. His sword is unsheathed and his hat is no longer on. He waits, glancing at the full moon with a chuckle. The few people in the district avoid him at all costs.

Minus is wearing an extremely utilitarian reinforced breastplate of purple jade armor - some cheap blend of blue and red - and smashfists. He walks in, flexing his knuckles, his demons visible - along with a fretul looking neomah, wringing it's androngynous hands as it watches Minus stride out across the bridge. "They're not here to fight, just to take me home after all this," he says bluntly. "Don't involve them."

Keys of May laughs and says, "Very well. I look forward to seeing if you truly are a weak combatant, or if you can give me more of a challenge than the others I have faced." He looks down his blade at Minus, "Fudou told me to not kill you. You can thank him later."

Minus narrows his eyes, spreading his fists. "I'll be sure to pass on the proper appreciation..." He fares gold briefly, then all at once he sprints towards you with unexpected alacrity, swift as nightfall over the broad bridge!

Keys of May bolts towards his opponent with uncanny speed and swings his grand daiklave with extreme force behind it. You can see his eyes change into a rage as he focuses on the battle at hand. Luckily, the weapon is being swung with the flat of the blade.

Minus doesn't slow down for a second. He ducks under your broad-swiping sword and slams in to you with his shoulder, getting under the reach of that massive sword as fast as he can, seeking to shove you - both of you - off the edge!

Keys of May misses with his first swing, but pivots the blade down and pole vaults over the incoming Minus. He flips upside down and brings the weapon down in an attempt to blast his opponent on top of the head.

Minus doesn't dodge. He just seems to blur, and then he's past that great cleaving sword, lunging inside the guard. As Keys raises that sword again, Minus shifts his weight on top of it - a negligible addition - and lets it vault him in to the air to bring both fists crashing down upon Key's crest!

The large lunar catches Minus' gauntlets in his teeth, and pulls the solar past him. As he does so, he whips his weapon to his side and attempts to blast the poor guy hard in the back. He follows up with a second attack aimed at Minus' shoulder.

Minus is slapped about like a doll, and goes limb, breathing laboriously, Minus struggles to lift himself up, fails.

Keys of May looks down and tries to control his inner rage, having promised to not attack anyone else. He struggles to push away the fury.

Keys of May picks up the injured Solar and gives a slight chuckle at him. He looks at the demons he brought with him and scowls at them. "Be off with you, or I will send you to the hells from which you came. I will take him back."

"The fight is over," says one of the blood apes, bluntly. "Release him, or there will be trouble."

Thoebi, the neomah, rushes to restrain them. "No! You mustn't provoke him - he holds Minus helpless!"

Keys of May gives the blood apes a smirk. "If you think you can take him, come try. I am more than tough enough for you."

The apes do not move to seize him back, but they do not seem inclined to leave. They follow at a distance.

Keys of May shrugs, and begins to walk through Nexus, heading to the western docks.

Thoebi grows more and more tense as Minus lolls. "What... the fight... you won..."

Minus gasps, "Let me go...!"

Keys of May nods to Thoedbi and says, "Correct, I will not kill him as I promised." He continues and gives her a harsh look. "If you wish to follow, I will not stop you. I am taking him to my home for now. Someone there wishes to see him."

Keys of May arrives at a wide part of the river. He now has three large rings of strange, solid water around Minus to prevent him from moving while he holds him, incase he awakens. For a moment, the water belches forth as a large manse raises from the water. Keys walks inside, shutting the doors behind him so the water doesn't leek inside. Inside, the dematerialized demons note that there are MANY spirit sharks, The Children of Siakal. By the time they reach the main room, they have counted well over a hundred of them, possibly as many as two hundred of the creatures. It is nicely furnished and he releases the water bindings on Minus after they arrive there.

Keys of May says, "Welcome to my home, Minus the Bear."

Minus coughs violently, thrashing as he awakens, beginning to heal. "What - what is the meaning of this?!?" he protests violently, lurching to his feet. "You have violated the spirit of our agreement, by abducting me," he protests. "I insist you tell me what this is about immediately."

Keys of May gives him a harsh look and barks at him, "Stop thrashing you fool! You are too hurt and exhausted to put up any real fight! Calm yourself or I will calm you!" He watches as a shark creature brings in some food and nods to Keys and Minus before exiting again. "Now, I am not here to harm you. Assuming, you cooperate."

Minus snarls, "I lived with Prince of Revels. You'll have to be damn silver tongued if you expect to talk me in to anything. Tell me what you want, and what's in it for me," he protests. The full weight of his charisma bores in to Keys of May. For a moment, one can forget that he doesn't own this manse.

Keys of May is slightly taken back by Minus for a moment. However, he is short tempered and snarls right back at Minus, "You aren't in a condition to really turn down ANY offer I make! You spoony bard!"

Minus says, "You'd be surprised exactly what I can and can't turn down, Keys. Enough banter. Tell me your intentions."

Keys of May looks extremely aggravated at Minus and growls as he says, "I want you to tell me everything you know about Prince of Revels and Grandmother Spider. I want EVERYTHING. Every single detail from their mannerisms to their habits. From their prefered foods right down to the way they walk. If you tell me this truthfully, I will have no reason to keep you."

Minus jabs a finger in Keys face. "You don't think you have the power to defeat them without an edge, is that it? You call yourself a Full Moon? If you want victory over them, beard them in their dens! You're a shark, not a wolf - get in there and /bite/!"

Minus 's voice drips with venom and scorn, as if /he/ were the superior here, instead of bleeding from his lip.

Keys of May is nearly overcome with rage at the accusations, "How dare you question my valor! I am not hunting them! If I was, I wouldn't capture some whiny fool like YOU!"

Minus bristles. "/Whiny/?" He grabs Keys of May by the surcoat. "I have yielded to your ridiculous threats for long enough! Kill me if you must - know that by pacts I have bound great forces to avenge me, and by Friendship if nothing else I can count on Prince of Revels to bring you to justice for your outrages! Release me and I will do you the blessing of speaking no further of this - kill me and seal your fate!

Keys of May gives Minus a look of twisted emotions for a moment. He grabs Minus under the collar like he is going to hit him in the face, but instead embraces him. He changes to his human form and seems to quiver for a moment. He doesn't say anything yet.

Minus pauses, brow furrowed in Fudou-esque perplexion, before his eyes go wide. Visions flash before his eyes, dreams of other days, earlier times, milennia past- "I know you," he whispers.

Quietly, weeping, invisible and unseen, Thoebi turns away that she will not witness Minus betray her with his passions.

"....Huh," says the blood ape.