Millicent
*The treehouse is an old house, made of deep rich dark oak planks with a thatch roof, that seems recently repaired. A rope ladder hangs down from the top of it, theres a large pile of cut wood next to the tree.*

*All around the tree are plots growing many kinds of plants, herbs, and flowers mostly, as well as a plot of carrot plants. Sitting on the windowcill is a teapot, made of jade. Its carved to look like a giant mythogical fish. Whoever owns all of this dosent seem to be here right now. Butterflys dance around the flowers and herbs drinking the sweet nectar*



*Meanwhile Meztu is returning to her little home in the middle of nowere, two buckets of water being carried to cure and drink, as well as to feed to her thirsty plants.*
Antoinette
*Kadmus eyed the place warily. He took in the various scents of flowers, the butterflies darting here and there across a field of flowers, yet still felt a tinge of unease. There was a contradictory tension in the air despite the natural beauty he was presented with, almost as if he were being lured into a trap.*

*Suddenly, he began picking up the sound of footsteps coming up from behind him, accompanied by the occasional sloshing of water in buckets. As it stood, he wanted to avoid a conflict as much as possible; it was unwise for someone in a condition like his to go out seeking fights immediately, since that was an invitation for seizure and arrest. He had to be deceitful and cunning if he wanted to make it out of the plot unscathed. Perhaps he could pose as pitiable, revealing his true nature when he was restored to his full strength... Yes, that could work.*

*As Meztu approached, she would be able to see Kadmus in full form. The two would lock eyes for a second before Kadmus bowed low. He hoped this gesture would not go unnoticed despite his fearsome appearance.*

"Greetings. You must be the owner of this land." *He said, coming out of the bow.* "I am but... A humble, lowly stranger, seeking sanctuary from my foes. Would you be so kind enough to lend me some time to heal, some time to recover, before I may take my leave once more?"
Joseph
*Meztu would walk forward. Lost in her own inner thoughts. Despite her calm lifeless vibe her mind is always busy always moving. Always thinking and planning as she approaches the stranger she would just stare at her. She would bow to her but the water buckets make that inpractable. She just walks by after that saying nothing*

*The person looks like a young 16 maybe 18 year old girl. With soft glazed purple eyes, dark hair with purple tips, a bun on the back of her head pinned with a butterfly. Her face is however dirty having traces of dirt and grime from her dutys of maintaining the land her pants and the tips of her kimono are tracked with mud and damp from the riverbed she got the water from. Her kimono is a base purple color that is otherwise we'll kempt and dignified under that is a one peice pure black outfit. Now meztu may live off grid that dosent mean she lives completly isolated. She goes to the guild to check on the jobs and goes to the farmers market. So at first she completly blows off the stranger filling a watering can with water and sprinkles the plants she has yet to even speak. Then she sets the watering can down and walks to you studying your face. It looks familiar*


*She would then give you a cup of water and points to a log to sit on. As she heads into her treehouse. Inside theres a wall of people with bountys. She then let's out a sigh and takes off the butterfly mask from her hip and puts it on. Now if you dont know this mask is a symbol of death to those who see it. As she only puts it on when shes on duty aka when she kills people. The mask is made of wood and covers her eyes and cheeks its hand painted with green wings and purple spots in swirls. Red tips the wings the butterfly insignia of the guild that took her in.*

*She then descends the rope ladder and walks toward you calmly a slip of paper in her hands its yellow and has a rip were the nail was pounded into it. She then shows it to you, its your wanted poster*
Antoinette
Be back in like 3 hours or so

*Kadmus took Meztu's gesture as an invitation to sit. It was odd that she decided not to speak any words, nor invite him inside, so it was possible that he wasn't seen as cordial as he wished. His hairs pricked with caution as he took the water, but it didn't seem to contain any poison within it. He sipped carefully, and with apprehension.*

*His demeanor only intensified as Meztu came back with a paper, and with an odd looking mask. He found it a certain degree illogical that she put it on after he'd seen her face in the first place, and at once knew of what was to come as he saw his face staring back at him on the paper. He sighed, getting up from his seat, as if he were faced with something trivial.*

"Am I really that *Deplorable* That words aren't even fit to communicate with me?" *He said.* "Fine; I suppose we shall begin the matter at hand."

*He took multiple steps away from Meztu, eyeing her every move analytically.* 

"Your move."
Joseph
*She stands there without word. Simply standing as she puts down the wanted poster. Theres a soft blowing of the wind as she draws from her purple sheath a rapier, long thin and sharp its well kept, but not brand new obvious by the remaining stains of red stained into the metal. She holds it professionally standing with her hip facing you. Putting one arm behind her back and and standing into a third position. She says no words, makes no noise and her expression is emotionless.*

"*When Im inside the mask. I am untouchable... I am like my master, I am a member of the butterfly assassins wing.*" 

*She thinks to herself, sealing her nerves and doubts about this and takes a step back in respect. She waits for you to draw your own weapon before starting. Seems she has her own honor, Meztu takes a deep calm breath as the wind blows and a butterfly gently floats past the two combatants and then... She jumps forward starting the fight*
Antoinette
*Perhaps Kadmus was a bit too overconfident. He was jolted to alertness by Meztu's speed, in which he had no time to react before the rapier pierced his skin completely. He was stuck in place, skewered by the blade. Fortunately for him, however, the second strike Meztu aimed towards him missed. He grimaced, as he couldn't move momentarily, before striking back with a counterattack because Meztu was in range; going in straight for the kill versus a fighter like him was asking for a beatdown.*

*Kadmus goes in for a punch, with the intent of crippling Meztu. Regardless of whether or not it hit, he would go for another.*

*The first punch landed, but not the second. However, Meztu would be crippled with the first punch. It was quite the spectacle that they were both locked in the same place - one skewered and one crippled.*
``` Kadmus goes in for two punches. He lands one with the cripple Play, but not the other. 
Meztu takes 5 damage, and is now crippled for one turn. 
Kadmus gains one Tempo, but loses one Focus. ```
Joseph
*She would grit her teeth, thankfully she saw the attack coming as she braces with her other arm. She has been hurt worst before. This pain is a lot however. She normally lands the fatal blow but this time she misjudged. Dammit*

*She still dosent let out a yelp of pain even when you hit her to far, your hits dont even come close to the pain she has suffered before. She looks up at you into your eyes. Shes smiling a warm smile a soft smile.*

*She would grip her rapier and attempt to stab it deeper, then unsheath it but finds it impossibly stuck, snagged on something. Her arms not strong enough to get it loose shes open for attack.*
Millicent
``HP: 29/34
Focus: 3/4
[Any class resources where needed]

Movement: 0
Attack 1: 17, attack attempt with rapier, No affect
Attack 2: Didint even try.``
Antoinette
*With the momentum of the first strike urging him on, the strike from Meztu was only subtle compared to the fury ringing in his ears. He went on another offensive, sending another punch her direction, and also quickly moving behind her as well. Once behind Meztu, he attempted to send another punch behind her as he called upon the knowledge of his martial technique to guide his strike.*

*The first strike does not land, though he ends up behind Meztu either way. The second strike, however, hits; it landed square on Meztu's back.*
``` Kadmus goes in for another punch. He uses the Right Behind You play, and activates the Eighteen Palms Pugilist ability once behind Meztu, consuming one Tempo and one Focus. 
Meztu takes 7 damage.
Kadmus loses one Focus, but gains one Tempo. ```
Millicent
``HP: 22/34
Focus: 3/4
[Any class resources where needed]

Movement: 0

Attack 2: second attack with Rapier, miss``
Joseph
The assassin after getting punched and you being behind her would let out a gasp as the air is punched out of her. But she uses your closeness and new angle to grab the rapier and uses her own body weight to forcibly yank it out. To instantly snap back around and stabs back at you.*

*She then withdraws and attempts to stab you again, but your able to doge seeing the attack coming, she looks at you with a blank expression, she cant loose here*
Antoinette
*Kadmus feels the rapier graze his forearm, piercing through the flesh painfully. He only barely managed to parry it away from skewering his right eyeball; if that had happened, he would've been done. This girl was clearly comparable to himself in terms of power; only fate could decide who would come out on top. 

Again, he tries to make another strike towards her. No other fancy maneuvers would be put into place; just two punches aimed at her. The first one was charged with the power of the Eighteen Palms, but the second one was not. The gambit, for the most part, worked; the strike with the Eighteen Palms was the one that connected - and was the one that dealt damage.*
``` Kadmus goes in for another two punches. One misses, yet another connects. 
Kadmus consumes one Tempo and gaines one Tempo. 
Meztu takes 7 damage. ```
Joseph
*She got struck by the special hit but she sees a perfect opportunity, like trying to punch a leaf shes floaty after hopping right back forward after the punch she is just barely out of reach before she retaliates brutally. Her blade slicing into your body easily plunging very deep.*

*But she dosent let up, the silent assassin stares at you with the same unlingering smile turning on the grass sharply stabbing again at your side, striking directly into your guts a crippling strike. Then she would step to the right and slice across your chest, as she swivels her hips and thrust the rapier at your neck stopping at the very edge. She will get more money bringing you in alive*

HP: 15/34
Focus: 6/8
[Any class resources where needed]

Movement: 0
Attack 1: (Rapier) Crippling strike with Rapier, hits, does 8 damage
Attack 2: second attack with Rapier, hits, does 9 damage

*This... This cant be happening, this girl... Shes, she looks like shes 16?! Yet she moves so fluidly? So strategically? She knows the exact locations to stab to hurt and impair you but not kill you? Is this some sort of trick? Who is this person anyway?*
Antoinette
*Kadmus was hit with a quick flurry of attacks even he didn't anticipate coming. Even he was on his last legs; he could feel his life fading out from his muscles, even when he made the slightest shift in stance. Yet his adrenaline kept going. His honor would not allow him to fall here, and his discipline wouldn't stop his techniques from being recalled from memory into his hands. Even he could feel that with one final push, one final attack, he would fall; and then he would be killed, or shamed further by returning to that loathsome prison. Though, that's not where his life was; his life was on the battlefield. And he would either live to walk victorious off of it...

Or die as he lived upon the bloodstained grass.

His final attack let him burst forth a great outcry of rage, filling him completely. He aimed one punch at Metzu, following up with a flurry of blows, and let loose one more final punch.*
``` Kadmus launches two final punches, and consumes one Tempo to launch a flurry of blows. 
First punch: Hits. 12 damage.
Flurry of blows: 4 damage.
Second punch: Does not hit. ```
Joseph
*As you dont accept to come in conscious she would focus, and take a deep breath as she uses all of her focus and in a very silent voice that in the moment nobody but her could hear*

"*Evasion technique flight of the butterfly*" *She would jump backwards floating gently using the hilt of her rapier to glance your punches then jumps high into the air, the billowing kimono creates a butterfly-esc wing pattern shadow under you as the last thing you can cautiously see is the assassin falling at you rapier drawn. Imagine that being killed by a butterfly, she would plunge into your chest and use your muscly body as a landing pad and causes you to slide through the dirt.* 

*She then dramatically sheaths her weapon*

"Tshkk... A..Aaa... Aaah..." *She cries out in pain silently, like a whimper as she feels her body, bruised and internally bleeding, that was so close. That was way to close, she would know how to treat this however she drags herself up the tree house and immideatly starts tending to her wounds, and downs herbs to promote clotting as she gently takes off the butterfly mask and puts it on her desk*
Antoinette
*Kadmus would fall, filled with holes, on the grass. He would later be taken up by the local militia, who would also reward you with a hefty sum of silver: 3000 pieces, to be exact. The day would end with the unconscious Kadmus loaded into a much more secure caravan, with Meztu adding 3000 more silver to her wallet, and - aside from the stains of blood on the grass - an air of peace, as if the conflict never had happened.*
``` Quest End
40 EXP Rewarded to Meztu
3000 Silver Rewarded to Meztu ```
Millicent
Is that a good mount of exp?