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Grinning toothily as he counted his newly obtained coin, Jiko rounded a corner, making his way to the front of the farmstead. A loud rapping at the building's door roused him from his preoccupation and sent him diving for the meagre cover of a nearby trestle.
"Eh?" the armed man who had been knocking on the door turned and looked straight at the crouching (and poorly-hidden) Jiko. "Whaddaya playin' at?"
Standing, Jiko dusted off his heavily stained garments and leaned on his sturdy walking staff. He summoned what he hoped was his most disarming smile as the man took a step away from the door and toward him.
"Yer the farmer?" the man asked.
"Yeah," Jiko went along with the misconception. "Yer 'ere fer the pigs?"
The man paused briefly, confused. "Pay up, or yer'll be bleedin' like a stuck pig." The man took another step toward Jiko.
Jiko's mind raced as the man took another step closer. "Yer see, I need ta sell me pigs ta get money fer the protekshun..." Jiko feigned dim-wittedness. "Oh. Yer 'ere fer it?"
The ruffian nodded.
Slowly, to not spook the man, Jiko eased his staff onto the trestle top and, taking slow steps toward the ruffian, reached a hand toward the money pouch at his belt. "Got yer coin right 'ere.." Jiko began.
And finished with a right uppercut to the side of the distracted man's jaw that left him sprawled, unconscious, by the trestle.
Looking around the farmyard, a crooked grin slid across Jiko's face before he dashed the short distance to the barn and disappeared inside. A moment later, the bailing hook slowly lowered to the ground and he soon reappeared outside the barn, making his way back to the stunned ruffian.
Grabbing the man by the ankles, he dragged him across to the barn's entrance, where he secured the bailing hook under the ruffian's belt. He slipped back inside the barn and, a moment later, the would-be extortionist slowly rose into the air, dangling and swinging like the sack of shit he was. He reemerged from the barn and came face-to-face with the actual farmer, who was looking up at Jiko's handywork, a look of surprise across his broad face.
"Yer gonna leave 'im up there?" the farmer asked.
"His fate is in Fortune's hand, now. He might be lucky and his belt hold, keeping him stuck up there. Or he might.... not."
"Maybe I should git me pitchfork..." the farmer mused, watching the dazed ruffian twisting slowly in the wind.
"I'm going to let the Legion know to come by and pick this one up." Jiko nodded and winked to the farmer, making for the road.
"What if he wakes up?" the farmer asked, brow creased with worry.
Jiko paused and turned to look over his shoulder at the man, a crooked grin on his face, "Set up under him with your pitchfork. Convince him it's better to stay where he is."
And with that Jiko set off for Sundren, to alert the Legion about the hooked ruffian and the gravity of the farmer's situation.
*Thanks to DM_Punch for dropping in with this little unexpected interaction*
"Eh?" the armed man who had been knocking on the door turned and looked straight at the crouching (and poorly-hidden) Jiko. "Whaddaya playin' at?"
Standing, Jiko dusted off his heavily stained garments and leaned on his sturdy walking staff. He summoned what he hoped was his most disarming smile as the man took a step away from the door and toward him.
"Yer the farmer?" the man asked.
"Yeah," Jiko went along with the misconception. "Yer 'ere fer the pigs?"
The man paused briefly, confused. "Pay up, or yer'll be bleedin' like a stuck pig." The man took another step toward Jiko.
Jiko's mind raced as the man took another step closer. "Yer see, I need ta sell me pigs ta get money fer the protekshun..." Jiko feigned dim-wittedness. "Oh. Yer 'ere fer it?"
The ruffian nodded.
Slowly, to not spook the man, Jiko eased his staff onto the trestle top and, taking slow steps toward the ruffian, reached a hand toward the money pouch at his belt. "Got yer coin right 'ere.." Jiko began.
And finished with a right uppercut to the side of the distracted man's jaw that left him sprawled, unconscious, by the trestle.
Looking around the farmyard, a crooked grin slid across Jiko's face before he dashed the short distance to the barn and disappeared inside. A moment later, the bailing hook slowly lowered to the ground and he soon reappeared outside the barn, making his way back to the stunned ruffian.
Grabbing the man by the ankles, he dragged him across to the barn's entrance, where he secured the bailing hook under the ruffian's belt. He slipped back inside the barn and, a moment later, the would-be extortionist slowly rose into the air, dangling and swinging like the sack of shit he was. He reemerged from the barn and came face-to-face with the actual farmer, who was looking up at Jiko's handywork, a look of surprise across his broad face.
"Yer gonna leave 'im up there?" the farmer asked.
"His fate is in Fortune's hand, now. He might be lucky and his belt hold, keeping him stuck up there. Or he might.... not."
"Maybe I should git me pitchfork..." the farmer mused, watching the dazed ruffian twisting slowly in the wind.
"I'm going to let the Legion know to come by and pick this one up." Jiko nodded and winked to the farmer, making for the road.
"What if he wakes up?" the farmer asked, brow creased with worry.
Jiko paused and turned to look over his shoulder at the man, a crooked grin on his face, "Set up under him with your pitchfork. Convince him it's better to stay where he is."
And with that Jiko set off for Sundren, to alert the Legion about the hooked ruffian and the gravity of the farmer's situation.
*Thanks to DM_Punch for dropping in with this little unexpected interaction*