“Couldn’t this wait…till…you were done?” Dagi said exasperatedly to the ceiling. She was doing her best to avert her eyes from Taice.
This was 5 or 6 years ago. Dagi had a few less scars. Her hair was much longer and in a thick braid that hung just below the small of her back.
Taice meanwhile was propped up on his elbows looking rather calm and collected while his body bobbed back and forth with the motion of the services he was receiving. “No no, it couldn’t wait. It’s very time sensitive,” he said with a smirk. Dagi’s discomfort amused him to no end. He stopped speaking. Whether it was to concentrate on the enjoyment of his current activity or to watch Dagi shift uncomfortably between impatience and politely ignoring him was up for debate.
“J-just find me when you’re done,” Dagi said after the pause had gone on far too long. The silence in the conversation making the moment all the more uncomfortable. She turned on her heel to quickly go back to her post.
“Wait wait, Fine. When I’m done I’m supposed to take you up to put on a show for Devargo,” Taice said coyly. “Obviously a different show than what goes on here. A little blood sport.” His unnerving smile cracking widely across his face. “I’ll even make you a wager outside of the actual game.”
Dagi stopped in her tracks, but didn’t turn back around. She really wasn’t here to watch the spectacle. “I thought that’d catch your attention.” Taice was grinning like the cat who caught the canary. “I know you nicked that cat’s eye emerald from the haul the other night. If I win, you hand it over.”
Several things happened in that moment. Taice’s body stopped bobbing as the courtesan attending to him stopped, their jaw dropped in surprise at the accusation. Dagi’s body stiffened and her hair stood on end. She had indeed stole that emerald from the Twin Tigers take a few days ago. She was hoping to fence it in a few days and strike out on her own. She spun around and grabbed Taice’s face. It took all of her control to not grow her claws into his creepy smug face.
“How about you keep your mouth shut,” She growled at him. His grin never waivered.
“Lover, I didn’t say stop,” Taice snapped his fingers. Slowly, the bobbing resumed.
Dagi pulled her hand back in disgust. “You both keep your mouth shut. If I win you give me that ring of yours and you don’t come back in here,” she retorted, placing a hand on the dagger at her side.
“i won’t come back for a month, and deal.” Taice retorted.
“Deal,” Dagi agreed. “You, you didn’t hear anything if you want me to keep the next drunk from gutting you,” she said pointing behind Taice to the individual behind him. They made a motion showing their lips were sealed and professionally went back to work.
Dagi stormed off, flustered, pissed, and on edge.
——————————-
The deck of Eel’s end was crowded as patrons and workers gathered and jostled shoulder to shoulder. Illaria was wrapped in a silken robe, with a couple others from the House of Clouds in front row on one end of the table. The table in question was covered in nicks and old blood stains. Definitely well used for Knivesies. Dagi stood next to her trying to puff her chest and put on a brave grin for Illy. Inside she was nervous as hell. She’d gone up against Taice a couple times before for Devargo’s entertainment. They were actually a pretty even match. It often came down to how dirty they decided to fight. Dagi anticipated tonight being a game that would be lousy with it. And she couldn’t afford to lose.
Taice sauntered onto the deck, straightening his shirt and began pulling his hair back as he approached the table. “You’re late,” Dagi called at him.
“Well I was occupied and we nearly had to start over after your interruption….” He said with a grin, placing one foot on the table, ready to take the full step up.
“On time or late, just put on a good show for these fine folks,” Devargo called from the side. He was standing with his arms folded, flanked by a few of his favorite cronies.
“Time ta place yer bets!” called a dirty little gnome that stood on a stool at one side of the table. He was acting as referee and bookie for the fight. “On this side we’ve got Dagi, the fiercest bitch in the Clouds. On this side we’ve got the Mister who’s probably fucked your Sister, and anything else that moves, Taice”
Quickly the bets started to pile onto the table. Several coppers here, a few silver coins there, even a few gold pieces. It was definitely more wagers than a typical game would gather.
While the bets piled up Illaria and a couple other girls from the house of clouds fussed over Dagi. It was no secret Dagi was the favorite when it came to the security that worked the brothel. That seemed to piss off the rest of Devargo’s muscle.
It wasn’t long before Dagi and Taice were ready to take their places on n the table top. Each with one arm tied behind their back, dagger stuck in the table between them, surrounded by a heap of coins.
The crowd split, standing behind which ever contestant they bet on. It was pretty evenly split. Dagi might have had a couple more on her side.
“Alright! We want ah good bloody fight, alright?” the gnome ref. “You know the rules. Ya fight till the gold’s gone, one of ya’s knocked out, dead, or hits tha ground.”
Both of the contestants nodded. Taice had his shitty air of confidence about him. Dagi’s look of concentration would turn milk.
“Ready!? Aaaaanddddd GO!”
Both of them were quick and reaching for the dagger. Dagi was faster but Taice had the reach and grabbed the dagger first. Before resetting from her mad grab at it she instead grabbed a hand full of coins and crammed them in the bag on her belt as she stood up, leaning back away from the slash Taice took on his way standing back up.
“Well shit,” Dagi said under her breath. She would have to knock him off the table now unarmed…or get as many coins as she could. He’d cut her up in the process though.
“What’s that? Cat got your tongue?” Taice asked making a wide swing for Dagi.
“Just don’t have a lot to say to you,” Dagi answered as she ducked low and kicked at his knee.
The game went on for a bit. Dagi landed a couple punched to Taice’s face and managed to rake her boot down his shin. He got a few cuts in on her arms and blood was splattered around. She knew she had to end this quick.
Dagi dove low at his legs and hooked her arm behind his knee and started to pull and lift. “Let go you bitch!”
Dagi’s vision went red before she could register the pain from the dagger slicing through her brow and into her hairline. It was not enough b to dissuade her from pulling his leg out from under him and shoving him off the table.
Cheering and squeals of excitement sounded off behind her as she stared down at Taice, her chest heaving to catch her breath and blood pouring down her face and into her tunic.
“Beat you this time, spider fucker,” Dagi said spitting blood from her mouth before grinning triumphantly.
“With a face like that, you won’t be fucking anything,”Taice had a petulant pout and threw the dagger into the deck of the ship before getting up and storming off.
The gnome bookie began to divvy out the prize money. Devargo looked pleased. The show had been bloody and fast with an upset at the end.
Dagi hopped off the table and turned to Illaria and the other girls from the House. Illy gasped and immediately began tending to Dagi. “How bad is it?”