You enter the busy inn with a swift stride to your steps, as you are there with a purpose in mind.

You sweep your gaze across the merry and jolly drunkards, who dance and laugh to the bard crew’s invigorating melodies, until your eyes fall upon the one you were seeking.

Sitting alone with a grug of ale and wearing that fancy suit of theirs, sits the entertainer himself. Minding his own.

You only get half way, before they turn their head and greets you with a warm smile. Waving with one hand for you to come over and take a seat, before giving a laugh.

“Hahahah! My my, trying to sneak up on me now, ey? Hahaha, I gotta say, you ‘Almost’ got me. Heheh…” He chuckled, before taking a swig of his mug.

Once you take your seat on the opposite side of his table, does he speak again.

“... You know, the way you ‘slithered’ your way through the crowd and too here, reminded me of a rather… ‘Flamboyant’ I guess is the best word to describe them, lad. A young guy who’s got quite the fines when it comes to the finer kinds of blades, and who’s got quite the charming personality to…”

“So you know what? Make yourself comfortable and grab yourself some ale, as i tell you a little of a charming rogue called Terence, The Swiftful Blade…”

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Now then.

From what I could gather about this rascal, Terence was born and raised in a caravan of traveling performers by his only mother, who just so happened to be one of the tropes’ best performers.

He was an energetic little gremlin in his younger years, running and jumping around, performing small acrobatics here and there, and just enjoying life to the best he could.

But then, during one of their caravan's performances, a traveling swordsman decided to give the crew a bit of a spectacle in the form of their namesake’s art.

The crowd cheered, the performers likewise while also joining in to add upon the act with their unique talents. Causing the spectators, young and old alike, to cheer and whistle louder than ever before. Clapping their hands in unison while chanting the performers’ names!.

But the one who were truly awestruck by the swordsman's fancy blade work, were the young boy Terence.

He didn’t know why, only that something deep inside him ignited when he saw the swordsman’s moves, their fines, their foot work, and the glint of their steel blade reflecting the sun’s rays like a mirror.

From that moment he had to, no, NEEDED to know how he to could be just as fluent in the art of the blade.

Once the show was over, the young pup hurried to the swordsmen and begged them to teach him their ways. The swordsman, however, were reluctant to bless the boy’s request. Saying that the path of the sword was a hard and bloodied road, one that is not meant for kids his age.

But Terence did not relent, boasting that he was ‘man’ enough to handle that burden, and begged the swordsmen once more to take him under their wing.

The swordsman was about to refuse once more, until the pup’s mother stepped in. You would think that she would scold her son for such a ‘foolish’ and deadly path to chose, but you would be wrong. On the contrary, she SWAYED the swordsmen into taking her son with them. To her, Terence learning from a veteran sword would be 5 times better, then him wasting his days in a circus…

So, packing his bag, and hugging and waving his mother and crew goodbye, Terence and the swordsmen set off to begin his training…

However, one year later in his training of the sword arts, he and his teacher were assailed by a band of bandits who demanded all that they had in exchange for their lives.

The swordsmen made quick work of the bandits, dashing and slashing them to pieces like paper. But the tide swiftly shifted when the band’s own swordsman, or to be more precise, swords’women’ showed up to challenge the veteran sword.

But they were not a regular swordsmen, no, they were a fencer of the deadly sort. For each swing the veteran would make, the fencer would parry or dodge with the most fluent of movements. For each little laps in their defense, the fencer would strike with a merciless vigor.

And at the end, the bandits’ fencer would stand the victorious one. Their rapier piercing the swordsman's heart, as their blood soaked their armor and robes a crimson red.

Terence stood and watched as their teacher, the one that they have been with for the last year, fall to the ground lifeless and bloodied, and their killer standing over them while looking at Terence with cold eyes.

The young boy would have been turned to dog food, were it not for the fencer herself stepping in. Telling her companions to ‘leave the squire to her’. Once alone, the fencer apologizes for killing the boy’s master, nothing personal, just business.

But Terence was in ‘luck’, because the fencer was eagerly looking for a ‘young blood’ like himself to teach their ways to. Plus, she couldn't ‘bear’ seeing a kid suffer. Even tho her job involved killing mothers and fathers in the heat of battle.

Terence agreed to her offer, tho reluctantly at first. But over time, he grew more fond of her as they traveled about and trained. She even went as far as to keeping him out of the more ‘messier’ side of banditry. He never forgave her for killing his previous teacher, hell. She didn’t fault him for it. Promising him that, when the day comes, then he would be more than welcome to have a proper dual with her. With the winner taking the other’s head.

Fast forward a good amount of years later, Terence had at that point broken away from his semi-involuntary stay with the bandit group and was now going about doing his own thing.

His time with the bandits did leave him adopting a few of their ways, tho thankfully rather watered down variants of their vial acts. Like stealing from the rich and giving to the poor *Cough!*While also keeping a bit for himself*Cough!*. Dueling skilled fighters to better himself and his craft, or just to show off his fine blade work for the crowd to see and awe at. And charming any beautiful maiden with his dazzling looks and honey sweet words, yet never taking it any further than that, but to only steal their hearts with a charming smile and tip of his hat.

A bit of a charming vigilante if you will, which have earned him quite a fair amount of enemies. But they can curse his name and scheme all they want, none of them have yet to one-up the dashing rogue. Every time they’ve tried, have only led to them getting humiliated more and more by the young adult of a wolf.

Now then, to close off this little tale and gossip, i’m gonna tell you a little twist which had even me a little flabbergasted when i heard it.

You remember Brook right? The Balista Arberlist?. When you put these two individuals beside one another, they can look a bit similar when it comes to their colors of fur and hair. Heheh, well… Turns out that Brook and Terence are brothers from different mothers!.

Yeah, that surprised me too when I heard that ridiculous notion, but it’s very true.

But apparently, just a few weeks before Brook’s father’s unfortunate demise, Terence’s mother and her caravan had made a short stop in the village that Brook’s family lived in. And apparently, again, Teren’s mother and Brook’s father knew each other from a different life.

One thing let to a bit of small talk, then a few bottles of rum, and then a little ‘fun’ under the sheets while he’s son and wife was out of the house. And come the next day where the caravan takes off to the next town over, The father sent the prised dancer off with some freshly made bread baking in the oven, if you get what i mean~


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“And that’s the general summary of the swiftful blade i’m afraid… What? were you expecting a bit more action in the tale?. Believe me, i wouldn't cheat you of that sort of thing, but to be honest, the guy is a bit ‘lackluster’ in my ‘humble’ opinion” He said, while slightly twirling his mug around.

“And if you’re wondering if either of the mentioned individuals know that they are related, no they don’t… Atleast from what I can gather…” He added, mumbling the last bit as looked to the side for something you can’t see.

“But aside from all of that… You wanna hear about anything else?...”

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This fine piece of work was once again done by the ever grand  Reylogart00!

So hop over there and give them a look!