A Particular Request

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Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

A Particular Request

Post by Aeshatan »

Why do you suppose they want the bodies unharmed?

Rasmus was talking about the contract they’d accepted and the conditions set forth. The two victims were not to be damaged physically in any way. No bruises, no cuts, nothing. It seemed that hiding the fact that it was an assassination wasn’t high on the priority list; merely that the meat remained whole.

Climbing up into the Map Room, Aeshatan shrugged. I don’t know. She scowled a bit, thinking over the implications. I’m worried, though, what all “not harming” them implies. Does poison, which destroys organs, count as harm to the body? What about an agent that causes all the blood vessels to rupture and the victim to bleed out?

Rasmus mused on the problem for a few moments, following her train of thought. Blackfox said the specific details were “without bruise or wound,” so internal damage doesn’t count in that. It honestly leaves us a fair few options, if we get creative.

Aeshatan nodded, stepping through the portal and slipping into the shadows as she did so. Truly, it does. We could poison them, drown them, or speak to a mage about a soul leech spell.

Rasmus laughed, the sound echoing around in her head with a warm yellow afterglow. That’s the spirit! Though, you do have some skill with spells yourself. Perhaps we could break the skin and then simply heal them before they died? Our claws are certainly strong enough to pierce most armor.

Aeshatan considered the draconic talons protruding from her feline paws. It would technically fullfill the requirements, though, that supposes we use a poison of some kind, which means it would have to be slow enough acting to not kill them immediately. Which means we’d have to abduct them first to prevent them from seeking an antidote to the poison.

True. That does complicate things.

Indeed.
The draconic-catline hybrid glanced up at the gates of Goldcroft as she strode under them. How are we going to find this bartender? I’ve never heard of the Syndicate, and neither has Blackfox.

The was a rumble of musing in the back of her mind. Head to the docks. I may know a place where we can get some information.

Aeshatan nodded, slipping through the shadows towards the Western section of the city. She had to admit, she was a bit nervous, having taken on her first contract, and a fairly particular one at that. Still, she had Rasmus in the back of her mind, helping to guide her. Together, she was sure they could handle it.
Last edited by Aeshatan on Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: A Particular Request

Post by Aeshatan »

Well that was a waste of time, Aeshatan muttered, letting the frustration flow over her mental voice as they left the bar.

Rasmus seemed to shrug. Perhaps, perhaps not. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that someone is always watching. They know we are looking for them now. If they really want to get us to meet with that Barman, they’ll find us.

She supposed that was probably true, but it did little to improve her mood. Still, there were other ways to get the information they needed. And, after scouring the streets for the last several weeks, she had a fair idea how to get it. She stopped at a merchant’s stall for a moment to buy a bouquet of flowers and a card.

You really think flowers will get their attention? Rasmus’s tone clearly echoed doubt.

Ae gave an absent shrug as she paid the merchant, taking a moment to scrawl a note on the card. It doesn’t really matter if it gets their attention or not. We just need to figure out which ones are Galen and Gered.

Hmmm. True. How do you plan to do that?


A sly smile crossed her face as she moved down the street, passing the square and headed towards the northwestern section. Watch.

Up ahead, a gaggle of children were darting between carts, trying to filch wares before the guards could catch them. She’d noticed that the kids seemed to be positively everywhere in this town and had frequent interactions with the guards. They would be absolutely perfect for what she had in mind. Slipping through the shadows, she watched the little brats for several moments, weighing them as they roamed the streets.

That one. “Hey, shorty,” she whispered, waving at a young boy probably no more than eight years old. He paused a moment and stared at her, trying to get a good look at her under the cowl of her cloak.

“Whatcha want?” the boy asked, careful not to get too close to her.

She smiled, crouching down to be more on eye level with the child. “I’d like to offer you a job. Nothing hard; you just need to deliver these flowers for me. What do you say?” She held out the bouquet as she spoke, the irises positively gorgeous in the golden light of the road.

He edged a little closer, but was clearly still suspicious. “How much ye payin’?”

She grinned, careful not to let her fangs show too much, and jangled her gold pouch. “How about twenty gold pieces?”

“Fifty.”

Rasmus laughed in the back of her mind. You sure picked a smart one!

She grunted mentally at him. That was the point, you know. “Twenty-five.”

“Forty.”

“Thirty. Final offer.”

The boy, tousled auburn hair falling in his eyes, glowered at her a moment. “Deal. Who do they go to?”

“One of the royal guards. His name is Gered. Think you can do that?”

“Aye course. The guards all look sore mean, but they doan mind us kids.” He smirked impishly, clearly aware that his youth allowed him a lot of freedom for trouble.

She chuckled and passed him the coins and flowers. “I’ll be watching you, so make sure you get them delivered. Fail, and I’ll be back to collect my cash.” She shifted a bit, letting the hilt of her Tri-bladed Black Sword fall into the light, the clearly identifiable weapon marking her as a part of one of the thieving guilds. He gulped a bit and nodded, suddenly understanding the danger this particular stranger represented. With barely a moment more, the boy darted off, headed for the castle.

Well, that should do the trick.

She chuckled, moving back into the shadows before climbing up to the rooftops. Oh, it should do more than the trick. I have a sneaking suspicion our targets are brothers, given the similarity in names. The note said for Gered to give my apologies to Galen; I just can’t see him any more. If nothing else, it’ll drive the two to talk to each other, and we’ll locate our targets.

Rasmus laughed in her mind. Yup! That ought to do it. Now we wait, I guess.

Ae nodded, settling into a comfortable perch over the entrance to the castle, watching the boy approach along the road. Soon, the prey would reveal itself.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: A Particular Request

Post by Aeshatan »

Galen and Gered were positively the most boring people Aeshatan had ever had the pleasure of stalking. They literally reported for duty at the castle every morning, went out for a couple drinks every evening, and then went home. Every so often they went to the market to get items for food, but in truth, they did so little that Ae had to wonder if they were simple.

Well, she’d wondered if they were simple until she’d observed them training. There was a brilliance in the way they handled their dual blades that spoke of years of training and practice. Add that exceptionalism in with their towering height, and the last thing she wanted to do was face them head on. Without their obsidian armor, they were handsome enough, she supposed, though judging by their size and strong features, she guessed there might be some orc or ogre in their bloodline somewhere.

She still wasn’t sure if they were related, but they lived together, at least, so that made things a bit more simple. Of course, the fact that they lived in the barracks with all the other royal guard made life much more difficult. With their lack of social life, separating them from their fellows in order to kill them was going to be quite difficult.

So, what do you think? Rasmus asked, his antsiness at the continued waiting skittering around in her mind.

She could feel the restlessness thrumming, but ignored it, same as she had in her years of stalking prey on the Savannah. Patience… patience always won out. She pondered for several moments, considering their options. They didn’t entertain girls, so she couldn’t get to them that way. Whenever they went out, everyone avoided them; apparently the fact that they were Royal Guard was common knowledge, and people stayed away. That made approaching them in the open more difficult, as she would be seen as having an agenda quickly. Infiltrating the barracks under the cover of night would also be difficult, as there was at least a half dozen guards there at any one time.

She drummed her talons on the rooftop, considering as she watched the targets head to work for yet another shift. She let them go today, letting her eyes roam around the castle before settling on the barracks, watching the smoke drift out of the chimney.

A sly smile crossed her face. Remember those trees around the light house?

A sense of intrigued ears perking towards her. Yes. They were quite potent, as I recall. What are you thinking?

She hopped to a nearby roof, headed towards the docks. I wonder if they are just as potent when burned?

Rasmus rumbled in the back of her head, delighting at the thought. They had some experimenting to do.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: A Particular Request

Post by Aeshatan »

The driftwood crackled merrily in the old firepit, lending a comfortable warmth to the cool seaside air. Aeshatan relaxed back in the sand a bit, letting the fire warm her feet as she gazed up to the sky, letting her mind wander for a minute to a million other stars and dozens of other fires. Distant memories, almost a lifetime ago, floated forth, reminding her of nights on the Savannah, getting into trouble with her twin. Their mother would have been yelling in the background, of course, scolding them for managing to find that corn cakes stash yet again.

Rasmus’ voice trickled into the memory, almost hesitant to intrude. Ae. We have a job to do.

She heaved a heavy sigh, letting her gaze fall away from the beautiful sky to the pile of branches nearby and a very irritated looking pelican. I know, Ras. Sometimes it’s nice to remember, you know?

He rumbled in the back of her mind. Yes, I know, but we’ve dallied long enough. It’s a surprise we haven’t gotten a nudge from Blackfox asking if the job is done yet.

I suppose you’re right.
She pulled a scarf up over her face before reaching over to grab a branch of the Bohun Upas tree. Harvesting the wood had been interesting, to be sure, as she hadn’t dared get too close. In the end, she’d settled for tying a rope to the end of a hatchet, and throwing it at the desired branches until they fell free. Then it had simply been a matter of being fast enough to grab the branches before falling prey to the poison of the trees. She’d grabbed her captive pelican while she was at it, the creature slow with the sleeping spell the tree gave off.

She tossed a couple branches onto the fire, watching the smoke turn heavy and black in the moonlight. The wood was green, but smoked quite readily, which was precisely the point. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the pelican and moved to stand in the way of the smoke, the bird squawking indignantly at being handled.

The smoke had a strangely pleasant smell; almost light and airy despite being so dark. Like vanilla, maybe? In her arms, the bird quickly stopped squirming, dropping into a limp-noodle snooze. Then again, even she was getting a bit woozy, memories of home drifting past her vision.

It was the hard thump into the sand that woke her back up; her legs had given out from under her. She coughed and released the bird, slowly crawling to get a bit of distance away from the fire even as Rasmus darted around like a mad thing in her mind, buffeting her about with worry.

It’s alright. Calm down, she muttered at him, pulling the scarf off her face to get several lungfuls of clean air.

It’s not alright! You almost passed out, and I couldn’t even get your attention! Goodness, it was even getting to me, just more slowly. This can’t happen when we’re on the offense, Ae. It just can’t!

She managed a chuckle as her head cleared. Aye, and it won’t. The bird passed out much faster than I did, so covering my face has some benefit. She glanced over. Sure enough, the bird was only starting to climb towards consciousness, so she clearly had an advantage. We just need to find the right way to block the smoke.

Rasmus grumbled irritably and fell silent. She could feel her scales hackling in response to his irritation, but she couldn’t help but grin. This was going to work. Reaching over to her pack, she grabbed several more layers of different styles of cloth, ready to start testing them out.

In the end, it turned out that if she layered a couple of wet layers of coarse cloth over a couple layers of extremely fine cloth, she could stand in the path of the smoke with almost no effect. The experimentation, however, took almost all night. Both she and Rasmus were exhausted, and the pelican was extremely miffed. Releasing the bird, she headed down the coast to the lighthouse to get some rest for the day. Once she gathered some more wood at dusk and a few other supplies, they would be ready to strike.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: A Particular Request

Post by Aeshatan »

Fog had rolled in from the ocean, blanketing the city in the eerie glow of fire glinting off gold encrusted walls. The fog was thick and heavy, muffling sound and obscuring vision, isolating the few individuals who roamed at this hour from each other. The hour of the morning was small, when the sleep of most was the deepest.

Silent as the shadows she called home, Aeshatan roamed the rooftops, slipping unseen into the fog cradling the roof of the castle. So many times she’d roamed these roofs of late that she knew the creak of each tile, the coarse feel of each stone. Tonight though, the hunt was afoot.

It wasn’t long before she was on the roof of the barracks, standing next to the chimney steadily belching smoke. Kneeling down, she pulled a bundle of leaves and branches of the Bohan Upas tree from her pack, tying them to an overlong piece of trip wire. She then lowered the bundle down the open flue carefully, making sure it landed softly in the gently crackling fire below. An experimental sniff assured her that the branches were in the fire and she covered the chimney with a board, weighted down with a couple old bricks. In moments she was down off the roof, peering in through the drapes of a closed window.

Barely visible in the glow of the fire, smoke was filling the barracks, the makeshift plug on the chimney forcing it into the room. As predicted, the couple guards on watch weren’t paying attention, their senses lulled by the calm of the early morning. Smoke flowed through the room unchecked, rolling over the sleepers until it reached those on watch, sending them chasing dreams with their companions.

Ready? Rasmus whispered in her mind, the fire of the hunt running hot within him.

Aeshatan smiled as she pulled the cloths over her face, feeling the matching thrill rushing through her veins. Oh, quite. A quick flick of her dagger and the lock on the window was opened, the assassin sliding into the smoke filled room. In moments she was at the beside of Galen, feline eyes piercing the smoke to appreciate the fine contours of him. Really, he was a fairly fine specimen.

He’ll be just as pretty dead, Rasmus chuckled in her mind, his eagerness thrumming against her. She smiled and nodded, pulling an odd, curved tube from her belt. She’d taken the liberty of relieving one of the local doctors of it a few days before. She gripped the sleeping man’s jaw with her left hand, squeezing to force his mouth open. Then, with positively no skill, she rammed the tube down his throat, uncaring if the curved end found lungs or esophagus. The victim coughed and spasmed, but remained caught in the grip of the potent smoke, unable to lay claim to consciousness. It was then a simple matter of pouring the vial of poison down the tube, knowing it would find its way into the bloodstream one way or another.

Yanking the tube free, it was a simple matter of moving towards Gered’s bed and repeating the process. Sensitive ears heard the death gasps of the first victim even as the second received his dose of poison.

A wave of wooziness passed over her as she poured the poison, the smoke slowly seeping through the protective layer of cloth over her face.

Hurry Ae, Rasmus rumbled, anxiety creeping forth as he recognized the effects of the smoke. She nodded, taking a moment to steady herself before finishing pouring the poison. Another moment to be assured the liquid cleared the tube and she yanked her instrument free, slinking back out through the window. Closing the window, she took a moment to pull the cloths down off her face, gulping grateful lungfuls of clean air to quell the swimming in her head. We did it, she whispered to Rasmus, stifling an excited giggle.

We’re not done yet, Ae. We still need to get out of here, he warned.

She nodded her agreement and turned, climbing easily back up to the roof. Once there, she retrieved the bricks and boards, letting the smoke flow from the chimney freely once more. A moment more and she retrieved the trip wire from the edge of the chimney, removing the traces of her presence. Then it was off into the night, embracing the glory of victorious shadows once more.

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