William was dressed in his finest clothes—His coat complemented by a hint of gold, on top of a fine layered suit and a pair of tailored trousers, all under his fine furred cape. His shoes were made of fire lizard skin. His dark brown hair combed back neatly. The man looked as if he were to his wedding, though he won't dress so grandly even for such an occasion.
"Maybe not the cape." he muttered. Looking to the clock, 8:45. There was still some time left. "Should we leave now?" He contemplated, but decided against it, for he already planned on leaving a few hours earlier than scheduled. So he folds his cape, and rests it on his bed, sitting down besides it. Anxiously watching the time 8:46… , 8:47…, 8:48…, 8:49….
"Ah" he cries in frustration. He leaps up from his bed and storms towards Oxin 's room. Quietly knocking on the door, Knock* Knock* Knock* there was no reply, again he knocks on the door, a little louder now, Knock* Knock* Knock* . The shallow ruffing of cloth and the sound of his walking reverberates through the door, but no words from Oxin .
William, now frustrated bangs on the door Bang*Bang*, "Oxin , we will leave soon" he bangs again, "Are you ready?". Finally the door creaked open. And there he was, Oxin . His face red, his blond hair messy and shirt only buttoned half way. It was clear as day to him. Oxin had only just woken up.
William sighed, pinching his nose bridge, his anger turned to disappointment. Oxin was always a 'Heavy Snoozer' as dad called him, no matter how much he slept, sleep always clung to him after a nap. So he holds him by the hair before giving him a few good jerks and lightly whacking him on the cheeks a few times.
"Morning. You hear me now? We have to go to Pandey's coronation remember." He said emphasizing each and every word. His eyes narrowing, anticipating a reply.
Oxin being sleepy, yawns in response, finally mustering up a few words "Huh? Yeah, I remember that"
William taps him in the forehead "Go wash your face". Oxin limps his way to the sink.
"These are important times for us, and Oxin can't hurry his droopy ass".He sighed, worried for his brother, "He is going to come of age soon. But his mind in akin to an infant. I won't be there to pampering his sick fuck forever."
.
Knock* Knock*
Sharp knocking echos through the quite house. Someone was at the door. William hurries downstairs, knowing Oxin would be too sleepy to even hear a gunshot. He checks through the peep hole, discovering a man dressed in an odd outfit, he had a mysterious air to him that did not sit well with William. Something clicks. Recognition, but from where?
Something in his gut told him to stay put. So William walks back up into his room, looking out of the balcony, his sharp eyes circled around the property, but couldn't find anything. Knock* Knock*, the man knocked again. Once again Will's eyes swept across the vicinity. Then, in the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of movement. A small round man hiding behind the foliage, barely visible at the forest's edge, Appareled/Garbed in a similar odd, yet familiar attire. The man saw him too, and scrambled back into the woods. Knock* Knock* Knock* the man knocked again harder this time.
William now knew his guts hadn't failed him, he up turns the mattress. Hasty. A concealed gun lay dormant, carved into the side of the wooden frame. William rushed to the front door, concealing the revolver behind his back, ever so cautious. The stranger, turned around. His cover was blown. But opened the door and William stepped out onto the front porch. Will now faced the stranger faced with the face he was looking for, gave him a menacing grin, and reached for his pocket, a action William did not miss. Sure enough, the man pulled out a gun. A familiar European model. William not sparing a moment, caught the man's gun hand before he could turn the muzzle towards him.
Bang* ,Will fired a shot at his forearm without a moment of hesitation. Blood sprayed out everywhere.
Bang* Bang* Another two shots at his oblique, both bullets exiting his body the other way. The man cried in agony, before being pushed down the fleet of stairs. The gun slipped right out of his hand onto William's. Just then the man William saw from his balcony, bursts onto the scene, spell ready. However instead of meeting his friend, he was met with a pleasant surprise.
Bang* William fired. The bullet graced the man's left check, and buried itself into the ground. Bang* The second, buried itself deep into the man's forehead. Lodged somewhere in his brain matter.
William looked back at man before him,"Oxin? Come here quick!"He cried calling out to his brother.
Oxin did not come, neither did he say something. Truth be told he did not even hear Will's voice or the 5 gunshots he fired. William knew full well for the first few minutes after waking up, Oxin, effectively becomes a zombie. It is uncommon for him to wake up late, though not rare.
Sighing, Will walks up to the living man before mounting his chest and raining fists at the man pleading in agony, till he is completely unconscious. William rises up from the unconscious man and looks at his ruined coat. "Good thing, I did not wear the cape... OXIN!" William turns around to try and look for Oxin; it did not take long before he finds him standing by the stream not too deep in the forest, "there he is" He thinks worried sick.
Upon closing in, he finds him in a trans like state, trying to brush his teeth with the handle of the tooth brush. Not willing to tolerate any more of his antics, Will grabs him by the back of his neck and forces his face in the ice chill water.
"I AM AWAKE! I AM AWAKE, STOP PLEASE" he screams. William however was not satisfied. So he plunged his face into the water again, and again, and again. Finally a few more dips and Oxin was no longer an undead. This time he might be really dead.
Oxin took some time to collect himself and become aware of his surroundings."Its so cold. Lets go home." he says shivering. "Lead the way. And quick." There might have been others.
"Are you forgetting something?" William questions on the doorstep
"What no, are we running late to the coronation?" Oxin replies, hurrying into the cabin.
"No, not about that, something that you did, that'll get us in trouble with the… let's say adventurer's guild maybe." he proposes "or maybe pissed someone off so bad that they put a hit on the two of us" he says walking into the hall.
Oxin looks at Will visibly confused by his statements "What are you talking about. No, I don't think so I haven't even met anyone who'd do that—or afford it. And why do you ask this so… out of the blue," William calmly gestured at the blood smeared all over his arm.
Oxin's eyes widen "Is that blood you have all over you?". "Yup, you saw that just now?"William with a dry reply descended into the basement, gesturing Oxin to follow. Entering into the cobweb filled room, his sight falls upon the two men ground, one was tied up his face covered, and a bandage wrapped around his abdomen, the other, had half his face missing.
"Guys, I forgot what your names were " William says casually, not expecting an answer. "Are they dead? Did you kill them?"
"No." William replies calmly," 'They', are not dead. Only one is"
"The urniform… Aren't these two the guys from-"
"The company." William finishes Oxin 's sentence.
Oxin goes closer to inspect the two men, "So they tried killing us… but why? For a bounty?"
"That's my thought, but why us?" William said looking at the odd gun in his hand, he noticed something off about the gun, "Just be careful from now on and keep an eye out for anything suspicious," he studied the gun briefly.
"Okay I will, I think we-"
"Let me go," the man muttered in a muffled voice, struggling to sit up before collapsing again. Oxin , caught off guard, let out a heart wrenching death screech, sharp and piercing like a siren. William, unfazed by either the scream or the man's unyielding resistance, calmly stepped forward. He removed the cloth covering the man's face and leaned in close. "Now," he said, his voice steady and cold, "who sent you after us?"
"It was an open bounty, on you and Oxin. Anonymous", the man says sweating profusely. William's crooked lips were quiet intimidating up close.
"And you were wiling to do it. Killing your friend for a few gold coins" said William.
Oxin seemed to recognize the voice, he stepped closer to inspect the man's face,"Sylus?", Oxin's face tensed
"I am sorry Oxin . I know it was a douche bag move, but the reward money was too much to—" he sighs "Nevermind, I was blinded by greed"
"How could you do something like this?" Oxin said restraining his disgust.
For a while there was a awkward silence in the room. Finally Sylus mustered up the courage to respond,"Yeah how could I? But It doesn't matter now, do as you please with me, but just let my brother go."
William and Oxin exchanged looks for a moment. Before turning to Sylus "Sure, he is sleeping right besides you" said William.