Jacob Goodnight: Dead or Alive

The status of Aiyana's room was one of total disrepair. If she went another day without cleaning it up it would surely be put on the list of rooms for for the dirtiest rooms of Fiore weekly magazine. Clothing was everywhere, as were a list of other items that could go on forever. It would have to wait, however, as the young woman was quickly getting dressed so as to head out for the job she had taken the paper for before bed last night. The job was about a string of murders that had been going down in the lower docks of Hargeon Town, which was where Lamia Scale resided. Luckily for the bandaged mage, she was a member of that very guild. Leaving her room, and closing the door slowly to make sure she woke no one this early in the morning, the young woman walked to the central room of the guild. Her eyes wondered at the tree in the direct center as she passed it and made her way out of the exit. One day the Kihia would find him being questioned about how the tree had come to be there, surely it hadn't just been planted there when the guild was created.

The job was a dead or alive posting for a man named Jacob Goodnight, the one who had been committing the murders on the other side of town. A local miner with some mental issues, he had apparently gone off the deep end. The town guard had already done their attempt at him, but after losing one of their own had backed off and left it to the mages to handle. At six and a half feet tall, and three hundred and fifty pounds, the man was a monster compared to the short girl heading to the docks to take him into custody. Reports said he had used a meat cleaver, carving knife, and a meat hook as his weapons; items from his father's trade as a butcher. 'Even with all that brawn he must have brains too, to be able to not get caught and fight off the town guard.'

The town was quite loud, even during the early morning, and lots of people were roaming about as she made her way through. People opening stalls, fisherman going to their boats, and large men loading crates onto ships to send them off to other places. There was constant conversation to be had, the friendlier of the people going about saying their hellos or people trying to sell her foods and merchandise as she walked past their stalls. Aiyana did everything in her power to be polite back. Giving friendly waves, saying hello and good day in return, and finding nice ways to decline all but a single one of the merchants; a cinnamon and pecan twist. The doughy breakfast food smelled too good to pass up, plus she hadn't eaten anything since about midday the day before. The poor food item did not last long once it entered her hands and payment was made, disappearing within minutes of her walking away from the stall that sold them.

It was about an hour later that she reached the lower docks that most people were currently avoiding, the wanted posted all over the place in the area warning people of the danger that was to be had if they stayed too long. ”Memory, mind giving me company for a bit? Summon something up for us too, the more the merrier.” Her shadow shifted a bit, the faeries coming out of it to fly at shoulder's height, as her pet summoned up a random creature to help them with the job. Greki was the one chosen, the girl and fairy being given the honor of the lone wolf at their side. Petting the tame creature's head, a tongue trying to reach for her hand as she did so, the young woman smiled as she began to search the docks for the man whom had killed enough to be wanted dead.

”There's no way I'm killing this guy, not if it can be helped.” The short girl had yet to deal the finishing blow on another human, and never intended to let that happen so long as she was given the choice. It it came to a life or death situation, she wouldn't know what to do. If she had to kill someone, she wouldn't know how to react afterward. Surely there would be a long time of counseling from others over it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the scream of a woman, the Lamia Scale mage almost hopping out of her skin as she jumped and turned midair. Aiyana was almost surprised to see her weapon in her hand, the move being automatic the moment the woman in question had screamed out in terror.

”Help! Anybody! He's after me!”

Her free hand fingered the limiter necklace that hung at chest level, the item keeping her magic in check and allowing her to keep a simpler job a challenge. Keeping in mind she would be limited to only the basics of her magic, Aiyana ran in the direction of where the woman had come from. The decision almost parted the young girl of her head, a man in the shadows of the alley suddenly swinging a massive meat cleaver at her. He dive brought her at eye height with her knees, one of which began to come at her, causing her to have to roll to her side before it broke her nose. Aiyana used the roll to stand herself up before she swung her sword to collide with the large cleaver coming at her again. The two metal objects collided with a clang, the young woman almost falling backwards with the strength put behind the other's swing. Knowing she wasn't going to beat Jacob in a battle of strength, she flicked out a bandage that would wrap around the man's left leg and pulled as hard as she could.

Not expecting a reverse in the way his leg was sitting, the man went down. He didn't land hard, instead putting out a hand as he turned to face the ground, and was up pretty quickly. Using the small amount of time she was given, Aiyana allowed her bandages to wrap around her completely. The glow of them would allow her to take an impact from the weapons without harm, giving her the option to move aggressively and take care of him before she was tired out. The bald man lashed out with a different weapon this time, a carving knife. The weapon was repelled with much more ease with the khopesh she held, the hook of her weapon being used to pull the item out of his hand before bringing the blunt side down in between wrist and elbow.

The sound of a bone breaking was heard, though Jacob Goodnight seemed to ignore it as he swung a fist towards her stomach. The bandages shielded her from the impact, allowing her to keep coming at him with another swing of the weapon. ”Greki, now!” As the man dodged her swing, grasping her weapon in his hand where the arm wasn't broken, the lone wolf came charging out of no where to leap onto the unwary man. The bandaged mage's sword was yanked out of her grasp, unable to free it from Jacob's, as the murderer was taken to the ground in surprise. His head hit the curb, hard, and knocked him out.

Greki, knowing Aiyana wanted to keep the man alive through Memory's command of it, leaped back and off of him before making a bark-sounding noise as his tail wagged. ”Good job Greki, don't think I could have done this alone.” As she gave the praise, bandages were slowly wrapping around the man's body until they got to his neck. 'And now the fun part of dragging this lug around until someone with a cart or some other way of carrying him to the authorities happens to pass by.' With that thought on her mind Aiyana began the trek back to where he was to be taken, followed by a large wolf and a shadow faerie.