1 Tavern Brawl*

What a great place to die. At least it wasn't blistering hot.

Wincing in pain, Adren pressed his hands against a wound that was slowly killing him and stepped inside some backstreet tavern where the worst vermin of the Realm had sought, to seek refuge from the blistering suns of Yawen.

His breath was labored, but he hid the pain behind a mask of boredom as he made his way to a table in the back before sitting down. He made sure that his wound was concealed the whole time. The vermin that crawled in the tavern would attack like rabid animals if he showed even the slightest hint of being incapable of defending himself.

Plus the massive bounty on his head wasn't making it any better…

If he had half a brain, he would turn himself in for that amount of gold crowns. At least he would be able to afford a decent meal for the first time in five years

"It's twenty copper to occupy that booth. You got twenty copper, peasant?"

He sneered at the smug waitress. She had no clue that he was the former prince to the largest Kingdom across the land.

But that was a story of the past.

All that was left was a piece of shit that was on the brink of death. If not for the fact that he was bleeding out, he wouldn't have twenty copper to spend on the pisswater they probably served here. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out a couple copper crowns and tossed them on the table, "Hell's Flame."

Sweeping the coins off the table into her palms, the waitress examined them to make sure they weren't counterfeit. Then without a word, went to fetch his drink.

Adren adjust his shades which were meant to conceal his betraying blue eyes, a key character trait of royalty.

He expelled an exhausted breath, hoping that he would live long enough to taste the pisswater shit they served.

He sat there reliving the events that occurred beforehand.

He had made his way to another harbor where he would look for work that would pay someone without any paperwork. Usually those places were desperate enough to hire anyone who was capable enough.

As he had made his way back from the harbor after a day's worth of work, a grim had snuck up on him. Bastards they are, the whole lot of them.

Grim assassins were heavily trained assassins who were paid to take on kill contracts. He would know because he had been train by a former grim assassin.

There defining character trait was the poison they laced on their blades, each assassin having a unique poison. You would think that they would carry around an antidote just encase they stabbed them self.

The grim has been stalking him for days and had decided to make his move attempting delivering a a fatal gut strike. Adren had noticed as he approached him, but even with all his combat training he wasn't able to fully deflect the strike and was still stabbed, though not fatal… yet.

He quickly dispatched the grim, who of course had been a private, the lowest rank in their hierarchy. The grim had probably gotten lucky and spotted him on the ship he had been on.

A searing pain rage though his body.

Sigh

Would it be the poison that killed him of the fact that he was sitting there bleeding out. Well, it didn't matter , either way he would die here alone.

He only wished that he had someone to say his final goodbye to. No one would give two shits that he would be dead in half an hour, except for these scum that would raid his corpse for the meager amount of crown, weapons, and ring, before dumping my remains into the sea like some forgotten trash.

A scuffle to his left drew his attention.

Adren's brain immediately went on high alert, he reached with his right hand for his sword, expecting it to be some enforcer or assassin out to get him.

He relaxed after seeing nothing but two filthy men hauling a skinny girl in chains. Probably some prisoner being sold to be a sex slave by the looks of it.

The girl looked no older than seven or eight, but what made her stand out was the golden hair she had. The girl jerked away from the larger man and spat at him. A fighting spirit.

Golden hair?

Golden hair was generally a sign of royalty. Was she some fallen princess or a princess that was captured? These were all possibilities, but it didn't matter to me.

The larger man slugged the girl.

"Don't damage the merchandise!" the buyer hissed, "I will only pay half if she is damaged."

Tsk

Slavers that were out to make a profit off the girl's beauty and innocence.

Like all other occupants in the tavern who didn't seem to care at all, I decided to stay out of it. I would be too much of a hassle…

Maybe due to blood loss or because of the poison, his life flashed before his eyes. A live full of selfishness. In the end what had it brought him?

An early death in some backwater tavern, bleeding out alone.

No friends.

No family.

No home.

He was as good as dead that was a given.

But he still have a choice as to whether he would die quietly… or die fighting for someone else for the first time. Doing something good for a child who might have a future. A girl who deserves to be with her family. Not in the hands of some perverted old man.

Five years ago, when he had been hiding in the sewer system, he had finally faced the truth in the reflection of the muddy sewer water. From his reflection he had finally seen how much of a piece of shit he had been. He immediately buried the selfish and cowardly prince he once was. That night he had become a survivor.

Someone who wasn't a total piece of shit.

Adren rose to his feet, slid his coat back on, and made his way over to where they were. There was a clock on their life and the only way out was to make the right decision.

"Let the kid go."

The slaver who was there to buy the girl sneered, "Who the bloody hell are you?"

"I said, let the kid go."

"This one thinks he's a knight?" the man laughed, "Ryall, kill him and dump him in the harbor."

Wrong choice. The clock had struck midnight and it was time for them to draw their last breath.

When Ryall pulled out a dagger to comply with his accomplice, Adren swiftly drew one of his throwing knifes and lodged the blade right between his eyes with unerring aim.

While he may not had fought in any wars, Adren was still trained by a renowned grim assassin and numerous enforcers in swordsmanship and assassination. There would be very few people who would hold a candle to him… well except for the assassin that caught him by surprise.

Chaos erupted as the patrons screamed and ran, all the while the owner and bouncers moved in to control the situation by capturing him.

Like hell he'll let that happen.

Ducking, Adren pulled out three more throwing knives and dispatched three more in quick succession.

The other man that was selling the girl attack. Adren caught him by his neck as he charged, and flung him at the slaver who had tried tackling him from behind.

Knocking him away, he quickly unshackled the girl.

He took a second to make sure that the girl wasn't hurt before handing her his wallet that held the measly amount of crown in his possession, and the only thing of value he had left. The insignia ring that represented my past life.

Lastly, He reached from my energy hand cannon. An energy weapon was something only wealthy were capable of maintaining, given their high maintenance costs.

The girl scowled as he wrapped her small hands around the hand cannon. he released the safety so the girl would be able to shoot when needed.

Adren lowered to his knees, "There should be enough crowns to get you back home to your parents. Point the gun and shot at anyone who tries to hurt you or stop you. Make sure you get home. Whatever t takes. Don't stop for anything. Don't let anyone hurt you."

For the corner of his eyes he spotted more armed people entering the tavern. "Run!" he snapped at the kid before pulling out one of his trusty long swords. Typically he would wield two, but given the circumstances of his wound, he wouldn't be able to wield both properly.

He quickly dispatched another two with two swift slashes before spotting the kid again. The girl seemed to never have left.

"You better follow me or they will have your head."

"What do you mean?"

The girl leaned in to whisper, "I know who you are… your grace."

He took a step back out of habit, but caught himself. Why had he bothered, he had no clue. There was nothing the boy could do to him. It was a miracle that he was still standing given how hard his heart was pumping the poison through his body, and how profusely he was bleeding.

As they neared the door, another group of outlaws rushed in, armed and ready for war.

By their gear, they would be Kylmia pirates.

Also what the hell is that massive armored lion beside them?