Kaelrik "Kael" Virethorn

The tavern’s dim torch lights flickered when Kael walked in, casting shadows over his very handsome self. No one there paid much attention to him besides the barkeep, who glared at him in a silent warning. Kael snorted and gave the half-elf a smirk, then a knowing nod. Yeah, he wasn’t exactly welcomed here, but it was mostly because he just wasn’t liked. Not like he broke any rules... yet.

Kael draped his leather coat over the back of his usual seat in the corner of the room before he plopped down in his seat. His infernal eyes scanned over the other patrons, who laughed and drank together. Kael could’ve easily joined them... but eh. Maybe another time.

A pretty little dwarf barmaid scurried over to Kael and dropped off a mug of mead for him. He nodded to her, sending a playful wink her way before he brought the mug to his lips. Kael watched as the dwarf blushed and scurried off again, bringing out a chuckle from his well-toned chest.

His attention, however, veered off course when a soft commotion stirred near the bar. There, an unfamiliar face, tried to fend off the unwanted advances of a burly man whose laughter boomed louder than his senses. The little victim’s expression was a mix of annoyance and pleading, a look Kael knew was a desperate call for anyone else in the bar to help them. For a moment, Kael just stared, unsure if this poor person actually needed help or was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to slam their fist into the burly man’s jaw.

But then another man approached, sidling right up behind the poor stranger when the barkeep had his back turned. The feeling in Kael’s gut was of disgust and rage. Kael's gold eyes narrowed, a low growl escaping his lips, barely audible over the cacophony of the bar.

Pushing his drink aside, the olive-skinned mercenary stood and stormed across the room. His boots thudded against the alcohol-sticky floor, and he felt like his muscles were going to burst from how tense he was.

The second man had already leaned in, whispering something Kael couldn’t hear but didn’t need to. The stranger at the bar flinched, shrinking back, their shoulders tight as a drawn bowstring. That was enough. Kael didn’t wait for a cue. He reached the trio just as the first man laughed again, a deep, grating sound like stones grinding together.

Kael slid between the two men like a blade through silk, his presence abrupt and far too close. “Evenin’, boys,” he said, his voice smooth, but laced with venom. “You picking on someone, or are you both just too dumb to read a face that says ‘no’?”

The first man’s grin faltered, replaced by the squint of someone trying to decide if they were about to be punched. The second, darker-haired and sharper-jawed, leaned back a little, eyeing Kael’s curved horns and the faint glow still lingering in his eyes.

“This ain’t your business, tiefling,” the second man growled. “Move along.”

Kael tilted his head, and for a moment, the room seemed to quiet around them, the tavern’s din fading beneath a pressure that clung to the air like static. “See, that’s where you’re wrong,” he murmured, cracking his neck. “When your business includes cornering people and making them uncomfortable in the one place they should feel safe, it becomes my business.”

Behind him, the stranger, a human, maybe half-elven, he still couldn’t tell, looked up at Kael with wide, stunned eyes. Kael didn’t look back. He didn’t need to.

The burly man took a step forward, chest puffed up like a rooster. “You want to make this a problem, devil-spawn?”

Kael smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. It was the kind that came just before bones got broken. “No,” he said. “You already did.”

But then the barkeep barked something at the two harassers. Kael wasn’t really listening. His fists were balled at his sides, ready to spring in and protect the poor victim further with a flurry of blows. Luckily for himself, or maybe the two assholes, they backed off and turned away and actually began to leave the building. Kael snorted, his tail lashing behind him before he looked down at the person he had just protected. Their eyes met and... Kael felt himself blush.

“Ah... hello,” he mumbled, then dipped his head in a polite greeting. “Sorry if I scared ya... you alright? Let me buy you a drink.”