Hunter or the Hunted: Chapter 15

Chapter 15




Yoshimo ran for nine days. He slept in the countryside, hiding under bushes, covering himself with sticks and leaves to keep warm, and eating what little he could scavange from the fields and forests. He stayed entirely out of towns, not wanting to risk being recognized or noticed. Only when he entered the capital again did he merge back into the populace, hiding himself in the throngs of people and slipping back to Hiruma's home.

As hard as he worked to get home without drawing attention he was surprised when Kaede was there to greet him at the door, but then again, she was a soceress, so he shouldn't have been shocked to discover that she had known he was coming. He took his muddy shoes off at the door and leaned heavily against one of the wall's wooden supports. "Is Hiruma-san in?" he asked. It was raining outside and water dripped off of his clothes onto the floor, echoing the noise of the raindrops on the roof.

"Yes, go on to his study," Kaede replied. "He said to send out in as soon as you arrived."

Muddy, cold and exhausted by his flight from the Miyazaki houshold, Yoshimo summoned up the energy to nod. He stepped up out of the entrance area and walked down the hallway toward Hiruma's study, which was located in the very back of the house. His eyes flicked to the door ro his bedroom on the way and he wished that he could just go to sleep, or at least be given a chance to change into dry clothes. No such luck though if Hiruma really wanted to see him right away.

"Y... Yoshimo-kun?"

Yoshimo turned and saw Kurenai peeking out of her bedroom. "Yes?" he asked.

"When did you get back?" She slid the door further aside and knelt in the doorway, looking up at him expectantly.

"Just a moment ago. I have to go see Hiruma-san now."

"Oh."

Yoshimo looked at her curiously. "I something bothering you?"

Kurenai nodded. "I'm worried."

"About what?"

"About you."

Yoshimo knelt down in front of her. "Why are you worried about me, eh?" He gave her a lopsided smile. "I can take pretty good care of myself, you know."

"I know, but Akane-chan says you're in trouble."

"Aka... your sister?"

Kurenai nodded.

"Your dead sister?"

Another nod. "She says you're going away again."

Yoshimo patted her on the shoulder. "Not if I can help it," he told her.

"Akane-chan is never wrong," Kurenai murmured. She clutched his hand suddenly, hold it tight between both of hers, and looked him directly in the eyes. "She won't tell me why you're going; she says I can't do anything or else bad things will happen."

Yoshimo started to yank his hand back, but then decided to let it be. "What do you mean? You're not making sense."

Kurenai squeezed his hand. "I know," she said in a soft, airy voice. "Be careful." She let him go and smiled mournfully. Then she slid her door closed again, leaving him to wonder just what exactly she had meant.

He stood up, shaking his head and thinking that perhaps Kurenai had finally gone completely insane, and continued on toward Hiruma's study. The poor girl had probably snapped while he was away, he decided. Hopefully the other girls and Kaede were enough to keep her from accidentally hurting herself or others, or from getting hurt by someone else.

Hiruma was waiting for him on a pillow at a low table that was set with a sake bottle and cup. He had another cup in his hand.

"You have the papers?" Hiruma asked. He took a sip from his cup and refilled it.

"I do," Yoshimo confirmed. He expected Hiruma to reply, but the older man only took another sip of his sake. His stomach rumbled, and he wished that Hiruma would say something more, either berate him for nearly bungling the mission or give out his ususal left-handed praise for completing it and just let him get something to eat and go to bed.

"Good," Hiruma growled at last, "give them to me."

Yoshimo handed over the bundle that held the papers, he only thing on his person that was clean and dry. He had been hard pressed to keep it that way when it had started to pour on his way back, but he'd been especially careful and succeeded. "May I be excused?" he asked.

"No."

"Eh..."

Hiruma sat up straight and gave Yoshimo a hard, piercing look. "I didn't expect you to make it back," he said.

"I almost didn't," Yoshimo told him flatly. He was slightly disturbed by the look in Hiruma's eyes. "Miyazaki's eldest son tried to duel me in the courtyard as I was leaving. I got lucky."

"Luckier than I imagined. I don't know why the fates smiled on you, boy, but they won't again." Hiruma leaned over the table, and Yoshimo could smell the alcohol on his breath. Obviously he was well into his cups. "You could have saved me a lot of trouble and just died like you were supposed to."

"Like I was supposed to...?"

"Don't play dumb, boy," Hiruma snarled dangerously. He grabbed Yoshimo by the front of his clothes and pulled him closer. "You didn't actually think you could threaten me like you did and get away with it, did you?"

Yoshimo turned his face aside and swallowed hard, trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Hiruma sober and in reasonable mood was bad enough, but drunk and angry he was unpredictable, which was far worse. "If you kill me Kaede-san will find out about what you did," he reminded Hiruma.

Hiruma let go of him, chuckling. He stood up and walked over to a chest that sat against the room's back wall. He opened the chest, reached in and one after another pulled out five heads and arranged them in a line on the floor. "My loyal associates destroyed the letters you gave them, and the one that didn't aren'y alive anymore to send them. Neither is that doctor or his apprentice. That was a nice touch by the way. It took me until last week to find them."

Yoshimo's mouth went dry and he struggled to keep the fear he felt from showing up on his face. "I see," he said, surreptitiously putting one hand on the hilt of his katana. "Why didn't you just kill me yourself then?"

Hiruma shrugged. "Because," he said. "Because I didn't really feel like it. Because I'd rather set you up to fail and die." He lurched back to the table and leaned over it again, shaking a finger at Yoshimo as if chastising him for some minor infraction. "You were supposed to die," he repeated. "It was all that idiot's fault. He was supposed to have the whole guard on you, not try and take you in duel." Hiruma laughed. "Even then he should've been able to kill you easily." His smile vanished. "S'pose I'll have to do it myself."

He lunged across the table, sending the sake bottle and cups flying. Yoshimo saw the glint of a dagger's blade and twisted to one side and drew his katana. He managed to entirely block the first strike, which, had he been a moment slower, would have slit his throat from one side to the other, but the he wasn't ready for the second. He leaned backward and Hiruma's blade sliced across the bridge of his nose and bit into his right cheek, barely missing his eyes. Yoshimo rolled to one side and scrambled to his feet while Hiruma fumbled for and drew his katana. When Hiruma came at him for a third attack Yoshimo stepped to the right, moving deftly out of the way. He knew that in better circumstances Hiruma would have cleaved him in two already, but the older man was too drunk to fight effectively. Hiruma swung again, and this time Yoshimo barely brought up his katana in time to block him. Drunk or not Hiruma was still immensely strong, and it took all of Yoshimo's own strength to thrust the blade aside.

By now they had maneuvered so that Hiruma's back was to the door way and the Yoshimo's was to the wall. Hiruma attacked him again, and Yoshimo tried to retreat, but he stumbled and fell across the low table. His sword flew out of his hand, and he felt his heart stop as he realized he was going to die soon if something miraculous didn't happen. Groping desperatly for something to defend himself with, Yoshimo's hand fell on the dagger that Hiruma had discarded after his two initial attacks had failed to kill his unworthy apprentice. When Hiruma came at him again he managed to deflect the blade enough so that it only nicked his left shoulder instead of plunging through his heart, and then hooked one leg around Hiruma's ankles, knocking him to the floor as well. Hiruma lunged at him, pinning his arms. In response Yoshimo bashed his forehead into Hiruma's face, and the older man let go of one of Yoshimo's arms almost reflexivly to cradle his broken nose. His arm free, Yoshimo stabbed wildly with the dagger. He didn't really expect to hit anything, he just wanted to get Hiruma to let go of his other arm, but he felt the blade meet resistance, and then overcome it.

Blood gushed and Hiruma shrieked in pain. He lurched backward, blood pouring from beneath his hands as he clutched at his left eye. Yoshimo froze for a heartbeat, barely able to understand what had just happened. Then his instincts caught up with him. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed up his katana and ran.


End Part One

To Be Continued in Part Two


_____________________________________________________________


Well, now that we won't be seeing anymore of them (at least not in *this* story), I can give you the vitals on the supporting cast ^^ Remember everybody, last name first.


First, Hiruma's household:

Hiruma Sabishii: NE human male bounty hunter level 11
Str: 16 Dex:18 Con:16 Int: 10 Wis:10 Cha: 8

Notes: An evil, evil man who is truly irredeemable. Hate him with me.


Hayashi Kaede: CN human female sorcerer level 10
Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 14 Cha: 18

Notes: You can hate her too, if you want.


Ayame and Hana: CN human female sorcerers level 2
Str: 10 Dex: 12 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16

Notes: Two girls who are slowly turning into Kaede. Neither of them are really *worth* hating. They have the same stats because they're twins.


Kurenai: CG human female sorcerer level 2
Str: 9 Dex: 14 Con: 10 Int: 17 Wis: 8 Cha:18

Notes: The only actually good person in the entire household. Her slight lack of touch with reality is represented in her below average wisdom score.

Akane: LG human female sorcerer level 1 (ghost)
Str: -- Dex: 13 Con: -- Int: 14 Wis: 16 Cha: 17

Notes: Kurenai's dead sister that sort of hangs around her and tells her stuff. Yes, she's actually real!


And now, the Miyazakis

Miyazaki Kiyama: LG male samurai 14
Str: 16 Dex: 12 Con: 12 Int: 13 Wis: 18 Cha: 14

Notes: Wise, patient, lovable, and there because I wanted someone like that to contrast with Hiruma. As much as you hate Hiruma, you should love this guy.


Miyazaki Touga: LN male kensai 10
Str: 15 Dex: 18 Con: 13 Int: 12 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Notes: Yeah, he's a real bastard. So I suppose that if I tell you he felt so ashamed at losing to a *child* that he left his home, empire and name behind you'll be happy. Granted. he left with the intention of tracking said boy down and dragging him back to Wa, but he got sort of sidetracked on the Sword Coast because there was this silly little half-elf girl at this big library called Candlekeep that wanted him to train her... but that's another story. ^^

Chapter 15

Yoshimo ran for nine days. He slept in the countryside, hiding under bushes, covering himself with sticks and leaves to keep warm, and eating what little he could scavange from the fields and forests. He stayed entirely out of towns, not wanting to risk being recognized or noticed. Only when he entered the capital again did he merge back into the populace, hiding himself in the throngs of people and slipping back to Hiruma's home.

Nice flyby.

As hard as he worked to get home without drawing attention he was surprised when Kaede was there to greet him at the door, but then again, she was a soceress, so he shouldn't have been shocked to discover that she had known he was coming. He took his muddy shoes off at the door and leaned heavily against one of the wall's wooden supports. "Is Hiruma-san in?" he asked. It was raining outside and water dripped off of his clothes onto the floor, echoing the noise of the raindrops on the roof.

You always give me vivid pictures of the goings-on, somehow.

"Yes, go on to his study," Kaede replied. "He said to send out in as soon as you arrived."

"Luckier than I imagined. I don't know why the fates smiled on you, boy, but they won't again." Hiruma leaned over the table, and Yoshimo could smell the alcohol on his breath. Obviously he was well into his cups. "You could have saved me a lot of trouble and just died like you were supposed to."

"Like I was supposed to...?"

"Don't play dumb, boy," Hiruma snarled dangerously. He grabbed Yoshimo by the front of his clothes and pulled him closer. "You didn't actually think you could threaten me like you did and get away with it, did you?"

Hiruma shrugged. "Because," he said. "Because I didn't really feel like it. Because I'd rather set you up to fail and die." He lurched back to the table and leaned over it again, shaking a finger at Yoshimo as if chastising him for some minor infraction. "You were supposed to die," he repeated. "It was all that idiot's fault. He was supposed to have the whole guard on you, not try and take you in duel." Hiruma laughed. "Even then he should've been able to kill you easily." His smile vanished. "S'pose I'll have to do it myself."

Man. I'm really impressed, if Yoshi pulled off a rigged mission, that woulda been hard anyway!

He lunged across the table, sending the sake bottle and cups flying. Yoshimo saw the glint of a dagger's blade and twisted to one side and drew his katana. He managed to entirely block the first strike, which, had he been a moment slower, would have slit his throat from one side to the other, but the he wasn't ready for the second. He leaned backward and Hiruma's blade sliced across the bridge of his nose and bit into his right cheek, barely missing his eyes. Yoshimo rolled to one side and scrambled to his feet while Hiruma fumbled for and drew his katana. When Hiruma came at him for a third attack Yoshimo stepped to the right, moving deftly out of the way. He knew that in better circumstances Hiruma would have cleaved him in two already, but the older man was too drunk to fight effectively. Hiruma swung again, and this time Yoshimo barely brought up his katana in time to block him. Drunk or not Hiruma was still immensely strong, and it took all of Yoshimo's own strength to thrust the blade aside.

Ah...another scar...

By now they had maneuvered so that Hiruma's back was to the door way and the Yoshimo's was to the wall. Hiruma attacked him again, and Yoshimo tried to retreat, but he stumbled and fell across the low table. His sword flew out of his hand, and he felt his heart stop as he realized he was going to die soon if something miraculous didn't happen. Groping desperatly for something to defend himself with, Yoshimo's hand fell on the dagger that Hiruma had discarded after his two initial attacks had failed to kill his unworthy apprentice. When Hiruma came at him again he managed to deflect the blade enough so that it only nicked his left shoulder instead of plunging through his heart, and then hooked one leg around Hiruma's ankles, knocking him to the floor as well. Hiruma lunged at him, pinning his arms. In response Yoshimo bashed his forehead into Hiruma's face, and the older man let go of one of Yoshimo's arms almost reflexivly to cradle his broken nose. His arm free, Yoshimo stabbed wildly with the dagger. He didn't really expect to hit anything, he just wanted to get Hiruma to let go of his other arm, but he felt the blade meet resistance, and then overcome it.

Blood gushed and Hiruma shrieked in pain. He lurched backward, blood pouring from beneath his hands as he clutched at his left eye. Yoshimo froze for a heartbeat, barely able to understand what had just happened. Then his instincts caught up with him. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed up his katana and ran.

Ran!?!? FINISH HIM!!! Well, probably some tactical or cultural (or ethical) thing I'm not getting....nice fight scene though.

End Part One

To Be Continued in Part Two

Will be eagerly awaiting!

_____________________________________________________________

Well, now that we won't be seeing anymore of them (at least not in *this* story), I can give you the vitals on the supporting cast ^^ Remember everybody, last name first.

First, Hiruma's household:

Hiruma Sabishii: NE human male bounty hunter level 11
Str: 16 Dex:18 Con:16 Int: 10 Wis:10 Cha: 8

Notes: An evil, evil man who is truly irredeemable. Hate him with me.

hating...

Hayashi Kaede: CN human female sorcerer level 10
Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 14 Cha: 18

Notes: You can hate her too, if you want.

Ok.

Ayame and Hana: CN human female sorcerers level 2
Str: 10 Dex: 12 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16

Notes: Two girls who are slowly turning into Kaede. Neither of them are really *worth* hating. They have the same stats because they're twins.

Nice touch.

Kurenai: CG human female sorcerer level 2
Str: 9 Dex: 14 Con: 10 Int: 17 Wis: 8 Cha:18

Notes: The only actually good person in the entire household. Her slight lack of touch with reality is represented in her below average wisdom score.

Again, nice touch.

Akane: LG human female sorcerer level 1 (ghost)
Str: -- Dex: 13 Con: -- Int: 14 Wis: 16 Cha: 17

Notes: Kurenai's dead sister that sort of hangs around her and tells her stuff. Yes, she's actually real!

whoa!

And now, the Miyazakis

Miyazaki Kiyama: LG male samurai 14
Str: 16 Dex: 12 Con: 12 Int: 13 Wis: 18 Cha: 14

Notes: Wise, patient, lovable, and there because I wanted someone like that to contrast with Hiruma. As much as you hate Hiruma, you should love this guy.

loving...

Ooh, I wanted to ask you, what (is your take on) a samurai, RPG-wise?

Miyazaki Touga: LN male kensai 10
Str: 15 Dex: 18 Con: 13 Int: 12 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Notes: Yeah, he's a real bastard. So I suppose that if I tell you he felt so ashamed at losing to a *child* that he left his home, empire and name behind you'll be happy. Granted. he left with the intention of tracking said boy down and dragging him back to Wa, but he got sort of sidetracked on the Sword Coast because there was this silly little half-elf girl at this big library called Candlekeep that wanted him to train her... but that's another story. ^^

Ah yes.....so it is, and another very entertaining and epic one!

Yoshimo ran for nine days. He slept in the countryside, hiding under bushes, covering himself with sticks and leaves to keep warm, and eating what little he could scavange from the fields and forests. He stayed entirely out of towns, not wanting to risk being recognized or noticed. Only when he entered the capital again did he merge back into the populace, hiding himself in the throngs of people and slipping back to Hiruma's home.

Nice flyby.

Thank you

As hard as he worked to get home without drawing attention he was surprised when Kaede was there to greet him at the door, but then again, she was a soceress, so he shouldn't have been shocked to discover that she had known he was coming. He took his muddy shoes off at the door and leaned heavily against one of the wall's wooden supports. "Is Hiruma-san in?" he asked. It was raining outside and water dripped off of his clothes onto the floor, echoing the noise of the raindrops on the roof.

You always give me vivid pictures of the goings-on, somehow.

Thank you again Sometimes I try to be sparser with details and leave more to the imagination, other times I go into more precise descriptions, but the idea in both cases is to get the reader to feel like they can see what's going on almost as if there was a movie playing in their head.

"Don't play dumb, boy," Hiruma snarled dangerously. He grabbed Yoshimo by the front of his clothes and pulled him closer. "You didn't actually think you could threaten me like you did and get away with it, did you?"

Oh, there was no way that anyone can cross Hiruma like Yoshimo did and not end up with some serious consequences. The man had connections and he's a vindictive bastard if there ever was one.

Hiruma shrugged. "Because," he said. "Because I didn't really feel like it. Because I'd rather set you up to fail and die." He lurched back to the table and leaned over it again, shaking a finger at Yoshimo as if chastising him for some minor infraction. "You were supposed to die," he repeated. "It was all that idiot's fault. He was supposed to have the whole guard on you, not try and take you in duel." Hiruma laughed. "Even then he should've been able to kill you easily." His smile vanished. "S'pose I'll have to do it myself."

Man. I'm really impressed, if Yoshi pulled off a rigged mission, that woulda been hard anyway!

Well, admittedly, Touga screwed up because he was a self-important, egotistical jerk and wanted to take care of Yoshimo all by himself and didn't think to plan for something going wrong. Still, there was a great deal of dumb luck involved, and he really *shouldn't* have be able to get out of that situation alive.

He lunged across the table, sending the sake bottle and cups flying. Yoshimo saw the glint of a dagger's blade and twisted to one side and drew his katana. He managed to entirely block the first strike, which, had he been a moment slower, would have slit his throat from one side to the other, but the he wasn't ready for the second. He leaned backward and Hiruma's blade sliced across the bridge of his nose and bit into his right cheek, barely missing his eyes.

Ah...another scar...

Yup, there's the second one.

Blood gushed and Hiruma shrieked in pain. He lurched backward, blood pouring from beneath his hands as he clutched at his left eye. Yoshimo froze for a heartbeat, barely able to understand what had just happened. Then his instincts caught up with him. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed up his katana and ran.

Ran!?!? FINISH HIM!!! Well, probably some tactical or cultural (or ethical) thing I'm not getting....nice fight scene though.

He really should finish him, but there's one thing holding him back. Kaede. She kinda likes Hiruma, for various reasons which you and I will never truly understand (mostly it's just because she does) and she'd be rather put out if someone were to kill him. Yoshimo can safely put out an eye and skedaddle, mostly because Kaede takes my love of roguish men with scars and amplifies it tenfold to include even the very, very scarred, but if he were to kill Hiruma, well, he'd have the wrath of a pretty powerful sorceress on his head. That, I guarantee, he would *not* survive, and he knows it.

To Be Continued in Part Two

Will be eagerly awaiting!

In which the Kara-Turan leaves his homeland and adventures in the west. I'm going to enjoy writing various scenes where there is much culture shock.

Hiruma Sabishii: NE human male bounty hunter level 11
Str: 16 Dex:18 Con:16 Int: 10 Wis:10 Cha: 8

Notes: An evil, evil man who is truly irredeemable. Hate him with me.

hating...

I've so far created two villains for two stories that I absolutely despise with all my heart, Hiruma and the main villain from the novel from which I draw my pen name. I think I actually hate Hiruma more of the two of them, which is saying quite a bit.

Hayashi Kaede: CN human female sorcerer level 10
Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 14 Cha: 18

Notes: You can hate her too, if you want.

Ok.

She's really not that bad herself, she just sort of chooses to spend time rotten people. Guilt by association, I suppose.

Ayame and Hana: CN human female sorcerers level 2
Str: 10 Dex: 12 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16

Notes: Two girls who are slowly turning into Kaede. Neither of them are really *worth* hating. They have the same stats because they're twins.

Nice touch.

They're the next generation of little manipulators. *shudder*

Kurenai: CG human female sorcerer level 2
Str: 9 Dex: 14 Con: 10 Int: 17 Wis: 8 Cha:18

Notes: The only actually good person in the entire household. Her slight lack of touch with reality is represented in her below average wisdom score.

Again, nice touch.

Poor K-chan, smart, pretty, but not really all there.

Akane: LG human female sorcerer level 1 (ghost)
Str: -- Dex: 13 Con: -- Int: 14 Wis: 16 Cha: 17

Notes: Kurenai's dead sister that sort of hangs around her and tells her stuff. Yes, she's actually real!

whoa!

Yup. Yoshimo (and you I guess) just thought that was her crazy showing. No, her dead sister really hangs out and gives her little glimpses of the future.

Miyazaki Kiyama: LG male samurai 14
Str: 16 Dex: 12 Con: 12 Int: 13 Wis: 18 Cha: 14

Notes: Wise, patient, lovable, and there because I wanted someone like that to contrast with Hiruma. As much as you hate Hiruma, you should love this guy.

loving...

He really is a sweet man.

Ooh, I wanted to ask you, what (is your take on) a samurai, RPG-wise?

As far as roleplaying, or offical game statistics? For RP, I'd suggest reading things on Bushido, (litterally "The Way of the Warrior") which basically will tell you everything that a good little samurai should and should not do (some of which isn't excatly tasteful to westerners.) As far as game stats, I used to have the old 2E Oriental Adventures book on a disc with some other 2E books (which is where I got the PnP kensai and the slight differences between them and the one in BG) but alas, I have lost the disc, and I dare not go back to my friend dave and beg for more. I can give you the 3E stuff, if you like, but then it may not be entirely right for whatever you have planned.

Miyazaki Touga: LN male kensai 10
Str: 15 Dex: 18 Con: 13 Int: 12 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Notes: Yeah, he's a real bastard. So I suppose that if I tell you he felt so ashamed at losing to a *child* that he left his home, empire and name behind you'll be happy. Granted. he left with the intention of tracking said boy down and dragging him back to Wa, but he got sort of sidetracked on the Sword Coast because there was this silly little half-elf girl at this big library called Candlekeep that wanted him to train her... but that's another story. ^^

Ah yes.....so it is, and another very entertaining and epic one!

Thank you! Muahahahahahahahahahaha!

-Blue

"Luckier than I imagined. I don't know why the fates smiled on you, boy, but they won't again." Hiruma leaned over the table, and Yoshimo could smell the alcohol on his breath. Obviously he was well into his cups. "You could have saved me a lot of trouble and just died like you were supposed to."

The feeling is mutual.

Hiruma Sabishii: NE human male bounty hunter level 11
Str: 16 Dex:18 Con:16 Int: 10 Wis:10 Cha: 8

And neutral evil is the worst kind, right?

Notes: An evil, evil man who is truly irredeemable. Hate him with me.

no problem.

Hayashi Kaede: CN human female sorcerer level 10
Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 14 Cha: 18

Notes: You can hate her too, if you want.

We haven't heard that much about her yet. So far, no real reason to hate her.

Ayame and Hana: CN human female sorcerers level 2
Str: 10 Dex: 12 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16

Notes: Two girls who are slowly turning into Kaede. Neither of them are really *worth* hating. They have the same stats because they're twins.

But they sure as hell are intolerable. I shoul know, i have two gemini sisters

Notes: Wise, patient, lovable, and there because I wanted someone like that to contrast with Hiruma. As much as you hate Hiruma, you should love this guy.

Ok.

Miyazaki Touga: LN male kensai 10
Str: 15 Dex: 18 Con: 13 Int: 12 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Notes: Yeah, he's a real bastard. So I suppose that if I tell you he felt so ashamed at losing to a *child* that he left his home, empire and name behind you'll be happy. Granted. he left with the intention of tracking said boy down and dragging him back to Wa, but he got sort of sidetracked on the Sword Coast because there was this silly little half-elf girl at this big library called Candlekeep that wanted him to train her... but that's another story. ^^

oh he's a bastard alright, but that's just founded in a deep (and logic) suspicsion of yoshimo.

Hunter

"You could have saved me a lot of trouble and just died like you were supposed to."

The feeling is mutual.

Yoshimo (with a touch of biting sarcasm): Your words wound me to the heart. Perhaps I'll go throw myself off a cliff now, yes?

Hiruma Sabishii: NE human male bounty hunter level 11
Str: 16 Dex:18 Con:16 Int: 10 Wis:10 Cha: 8

And neutral evil is the worst kind, right?

Eh... maybe. Just as neutral good isn't necessarily good for good's sake, neutral evil isn't necessarily evil for evil's sake (in which case it would be the worst, I think.) I think Hiruma's brand of evil is selfishness mixed with a good dose of sociopathic apathy towards the feelings of others. He does everything to please himself with no thoughts towards how it might affect others.

Hayashi Kaede: CN human female sorcerer level 10
Str: 11 Dex: 13 Con: 12 Int: 16 Wis: 14 Cha: 18

Notes: You can hate her too, if you want.

We haven't heard that much about her yet. So far, no real reason to hate her.

She's sort of an enabler for Hiruma. So long as he doesn't cross her directly she won't do any of the many, many things she could to make his life a living hell. As much as there really isn't all that much reason to hate her, there's no good reason to like her either.

Ayame and Hana: CN human female sorcerers level 2
Str: 10 Dex: 12 Con: 10 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16

Notes: Two girls who are slowly turning into Kaede. Neither of them are really *worth* hating. They have the same stats because they're twins.

But they sure as hell are intolerable. I shoul know, i have two gemini sisters

*shudder* I feel for you, I really do.

Miyazaki Touga: LN male kensai 10
Str: 15 Dex: 18 Con: 13 Int: 12 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Notes: Yeah, he's a real bastard. So I suppose that if I tell you he felt so ashamed at losing to a *child* that he left his home, empire and name behind you'll be happy. Granted. he left with the intention of tracking said boy down and dragging him back to Wa, but he got sort of sidetracked on the Sword Coast because there was this silly little half-elf girl at this big library called Candlekeep that wanted him to train her... but that's another story. ^^

oh he's a bastard alright, but that's just founded in a deep (and logic) suspicsion of yoshimo.

Good point. Most Touga's personality issues come from the fact that he believes in following the letter of the law, as opposed to the spirit of it. Mercy is sort of beyond him.

Thanks for commenting,
-Blue

Yoshimo (with a touch of biting sarcasm): Your words wound me to the heart. Perhaps I'll go throw myself off a cliff now, yes?

I meant that the feeling is mutual with regards to hiruma.

Yoshimo (with a touch of biting sarcasm): Your words wound me to the heart. Perhaps I'll go throw myself off a cliff now, yes?

I meant that the feeling is mutual with regards to hiruma.

Yoshimo (apologetic): Pardon me, I misunderstood.

I'll keep him away from the keyboard from now on. His grasp of the english language is something I've found... wanting. ^^

-Blue