"If you wear a sword at night it means you can be challenged. Did you want to fight them?" -Ayra Stark on Bravos and Duels
It took Conan some time to find lodging in the city. It seemed that with something called a Dothraki Khalasar in nearby Pentos, many of the farmers in the countryside felt it best to come to the City for the protection offered by its walls and armies, armies which Conan had found out, were mostly comprised of sellswords in order to augment the relatively small Sealord's Guard and City Militia. He had finally found lodging in the aptly named Outcast Inn, where it seemed that the drink at least was relatively free-flowing. As dusk was now settling over the city, Conan planned to visit the Barracks of the Sealord's Guard in the morning to see if he could not find a position there, and failing that, he would head to the Inn of the Green Eel, where the Second Sons are Barracked in the City, on contract until this Khalasar leaves the region.
Conan was currently sat at a table in the common room of the Outcast Inn, enjoying a Flagon of Ale and some type of Chowder. He was still dressed in his mail and still had his sword belted to his side. As he ate, he noted how different the food was here. While he had eaten seafood chowder before in his time as a Corsair Captain of the Barachen Isles, he had never had Seafood Chowder with spices before. It seemed that due to Braavos' Position as a major trade hub, spices were relatively common in the city, if more expensive than plain food. Fortunately, as Conan had learned earlier, his gold would indeed stretch very far here, 210 silver pieces to one gold, as opposed to the ten he was used to from most places back home. He had sprung for spiced chowder and was surprised to find it very good.
As he sat at his table, eating Conan noted glares being sent his way by a group of young men in garishly colored outfits and wearing strange slender swords at their belts. These peacocks seemed to be muttering to themselves and glaring at him in alternating shifts. One of them, a young man who couldn't have been much older than 17 winters and wearing a ridiculous hat with a bright purple plume in it sauntered over to the Cimmerian's Table and said, "Outlander, we don't like your look. You look a little too Dothraki for our taste. We don't want you in our city." Conan grinned at the young lad, showing no mirth but only teeth and said, "I am in your city. Live with it, or die trying to evict me, I care not which." Hopefully that would cow the young fool, and it did, for all of two seconds before the little peacock's two friends arrived. They conferred and it seemed that they would insist on dying as fools then, as the young peacock said, "On behalf of myself, my associates, and the Honor of the Free City of Braavos, I, Marvolio the Vermillion, challenge you to a duel." Conan grunted, standing up to all his considerable height and said, "Shall we take this outside? I would kill you here, but I am lodging here and would hate to be turned out by the good innkeeper for damage to his premises. I fear I would find no other lodgings tonight should that happen." To his credit, the young peacock concealed his flinch well as he took in the sheer size of the man who he had just challenged to the death, but Conan did not become a Chief of the Afghuli and a Captain of Corsairs by not learning to read people. "This way, there is a place where we hold duels that is sanctioned for the purpose by the Sealord." Replied the Young Peacock.
Conan followed the group out of the Inn and across several canals until they reached a large Plaza with a Fountain in the Background inscribed with blades of varying types. The Young Peacock turned as his two friends gathered a crowd of spectators to come witness the latest duel of Marvolio the Vermillion against the foul Outlander. They were clearly playing up their man's skill and reputation, it seemed there was a hierarchy to these armed Bravos, some rules that needed to be obeyed. Conan withdrew his blade from it's sheath, the mystic Atlantean Metal ringing with the sound of being pulled from the leather of his scabbard. Conan settled into a ready stance, waiting for his opponent to finish his damned pleasantries. Conan had been all over Hyboria, from realms as savage as his Homeland of Cimmeria, to lands as Civilized and Urban as Turan and Aquilonia, but never had he seen so much talking in what was supposed to be a formal duel, his patience was wearing thin. Fortunately, it seemed the Young Peacock's friends had judged the crowd they had gathered sufficiently large to spread the rumor of their man's skill. It took them forever because it seemed like half the quarter had turned out to watch the show. Conan shook his head, people seemed to be the same no matter where he went, everyone loved a free show. Conan noticed several people keeping a book and giving odds on the combatants, it seemed like his foe was heavily favored to win. Perhaps he was some sort of prodigy?
No matter his opponent had finally entered the platform in front of the fountain, going through several complicated and overblown flourishes with his blade that made Conan Snort derisively, perhaps he had given this pompous fool too much credit when he saw the odds. This was more showmanship than fighting style. "Whenever you are ready." Said his foe, extending his slender stabbing sword out in front of him and taking a sideways stance. "I have been ready since we got here." Grinned Conan Ferally. That seemed to throw the boy off for a second, which Conan took advantage of to advance into his foes guard quickly before he could recover from the shock and stick him with that pigsticker of his. He had reached his foe before the boy backed up suddenly and thrust a quick jab at Conan to keep him at bay. Conan sidestepped the jab and brought his blade around for a whirling chop at the boy's swordhand, aiming to take the hand off by the wrist, but the lad gracefully pirouetted out of the way of the sword strike as the crowd started to cheer. . .only to stop abruptly when Conan slammed his offhand elbow into the dancing fool's face, crushing the boy's nose and causing his left eye to swell. "You spend too much time dancing about when you should be fighting." Grinned Conan Savagely advancing into the boy's now blind left side. To his credit, the boy managed to keep up with the Cimmerian's advance with fast footwork, keeping Conan just in the periphery of his vision, albeit just barely. The boy thrust out with his blade in a furious series of stabs and thrusts, but found each one parried expertly by the Veteran Cimmerian. A Final Lunge, clearly aimed at impaling Conan all the way through was sidestepped as Conan brought his blade up from it's position in the low guard and neatly severed the Boy's extended swordarm at the elbow. The Boy dropped to the ground screaming in pain as Conan stepped up to his foe's prone form. At this point the other two Bravos jumped up onto the stage, advancing on Conan. The Cimmerian Grinned Ferally and just said, "Come on, who dies first?" The other two Bravos looked at Conan, who wasn't even breathing hard and who had a look of feral glee on his face, then looked at each other, and ran, both running off in separate directions in case the Cimmerian tried to follow.
Conan advanced again on the prone, whimpering form of the dismembered Bravo and said, "You fought well. . .for a young fool. I will grant you a warriors death, it will stop the pain you are feeling now." The Young Fool nodded and managed a whimpered, "Valar Morghulis" Conan did not know what to make of that and said, "When you go to your gods, tell them Conan of Cimmeria sent you to them." Before neatly beheading the Bravo.
The Crowd's reaction was mixed, some booed him for besting a local, some grumbled, for they had lost money on the duel, but Many Cheered. They would spread the story of Conan the Outlander who had bested the Quarter's most accomplished Bravo in a Duel. That would only help him in seeking employment. For now, Conan was content to head back to the Outcast Inn, Finish his Dinner, and retire for the night.