Double Double, Toil and Trouble

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

Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

Why do you think they want her dead?

Rasmus seemed to shrug. Does it matter? A contract was put out. We're here to fulfill it.

Aeshetan supposed that was true, but it seemed strange. Marik was just another run of the mill potion maker, selling her wares in the the corner of Tranos Square. Asides from possibly selling someone a bad potion, what could she have possibly done to warrant the exorbitant fees involved in commissioning a contract? Could the rival potion seller on the north end of the square be that desperate? The draconic catline frowned a bit, lounging idly against the wall as her owl got a good grooming by the stable boy. She was feigning boredom so as to be ignored, but in truth was keeping an eye on the potion maker. Marik was just another human; a fairly attractive one, but a human nonetheless. With a smile she sold another potion to a townsperson, charming them with a laugh and a wink.

I suppose it doesn't, she responded finally. Still, it nagged at her consciousness a bit. She enjoyed killing, for sure; enjoyed the hunt, the thrill, the power and the skill. Her chosen lifestyle paid homage to the wild, hungry beast inside her, soothed the violent streak. It calmed the predator, but mostly because the kills seemed justified. Those she hunted deserved to die... didn't they?

Rasmus snorted in the back of her mind. Death comes for all, Ae. It's the one great equalizer. Whether you are the agent of death or not is irrelevant; it will always come one way or another. Whether the death is deserved or not is irrelevant, for no one ever thinks they deserve to die.

She couldn't deny he had a point. Still, the questions at the back of her mind continued to lurk.

The dragonkin that shared thoughts with her laughed. Get a load of this fool. That kid somehow thinks he can steal that locket in broad daylight and not get caught.

Distracted from her moral dilemma, Ae focused back on the task at hand. Indeed, a young halfling, barely an adult, was skulking around the potions stand, his eyes clearly focused on the twisting silver of the locket reflecting in the afternoon sun. The feline snorted at the sheer ineptitude clearly displayed by the youngling. No way he doesn't get caught.

Another customer approached the potions stand, engaging Marik in a discussion about how she sourced her ingredients. The human woman was all too happy to oblige, going into extended detail about how she made sure she got the very best of the best, resulting in the astounding potency of her potions.

The halfling took his chance while Marik was distracted, darting around the far end of the counter with the clumsy anxiety of the untrained and uninitiated. Getting under the shelf, he quickly realized he was just too short to readily reach the dangling chain of the bauble. Sneaking another glance at Marik, who seemed completely preoccupied, he jumped, snatching the chain with his fingers... and sending the locket clattering to the cobblestones.

The halfling froze, gaze darting to Marik and her customer, certain he'd be discovered. Somehow, the potion maker remained completely oblivious, not even flinching at the sound. Realizing he still had a chance, the kid snatched the locket off the ground and darted out into the crowd, tripping over a raised cobble at the entrance to a side street.

The draconic catline just stared in shock. Marik's customer left and the potion maker returned to her counter, humming merrily to herself as she tidied up bottles and polished the counter. Did... did that seriously just happen?

Rasmus seemed equally taken aback. I guess so. How, I have no idea... but she doesn't even seem to have noticed the locket is gone.

Marik chose that moment to turn around and organize the shelf of potions, completely glossing over the fact that the necklace no longer resided in its place.

Seems so. Something about the whole situation bothered Aesh, and she could feel Rasmus agreeing in the back of her mind. The halfling had been ridiculously obvious, yet somehow succeeded. Marik was somehow equally oblivious, not even noticing what was in front of her. It was all just too easy; a little too serendipitous for comfort.

"Yer owl, Ma'am." Aesh huffed and took the reigns to the beast, passing the stable boy a few coins for his trouble. Let's come back at closing time and see what we can find, Ae said, turning to lead the bird away so as to not draw suspicion.

Agreed. Something fishy is going on here.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

The sun had long since melted into the horizon, coating Tranos in deepening shadows. Marik the Oblivious had long since closed up shop, retiring to her home south of the docks. Moving easily from shadow to shadow, Aeshatan had followed the target home, hoping to learn more. So here she idled, courting the shadows as her eyes chased Marik’s figure through the windows.

Where do you think she keeps her laboratory?

She felt Rasmus considering the question, his eyes looking through hers as he studied the simple outlines of the small home. There’s no chimney, which for most potion makers, is a necessity. They need a way to vent the fumes. Rasmus gave her a bit of a nudge, asking for access to the controls, as it were. Ae obliged, stepping aside and letting the dragonkin pilot their shared body. A few hops and they were up on the roof, prowling the peaks and studying the yard. There’s no root cellar for keeping organics fresh. I see no instruments of the trade laying around. No butcher blocks, no hooks, no knives.

The echo of hooves on the cobblestones of the street made the draconic catline drop down, slinking quickly into the shadows of the valley of the roof. A single horse pulled a carriage ambled down the road, clopping merrily, a tarp covering the contents of the wagon. Ae scowled in annoyance when the wagon stopped in front of the house, the driver leaping lithely from the seat to practically dance up to the front door.

The door opened down below. “Jumi!” Marik’s voice floated up from below. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

The man chuckled. “Had my hands full keeping an eye on the youngling. You know how it goes.”

Her snigger was full of mirth. “You are definitely going to have your work cut out for you with him. Kid is all thumbs!”

She did notice…

Apparently. Which means, she let him steal it.
Rasmus frowned, passed the controls back to Ae.

“Yeah, well, you know Jaimie. He’ll give anyone a chance. And goodness knows we all start out clumsy. It’s just the nature of the beast.”

“Well, maybe you did. I was a natural.”

The eyeroll from “Jumi” was almost audible. “Sure you were, Marik. Just like you never got caught lifting gold from that guard?” An indignant huff emanated from Marik, but Jumi cut her off. “Where am I unloading this shipment? Much as you’re fun to flirt with, I’ve got responsibilities back at the guild.”

“Oh bah. Spoilsport. Bring the horse around back. We’ll put it in the back room for now.”

The door closed and Jumi trotted back out to the wagon, leading the horse around the side of the building. Ae used the moment to slink away from the shadows of the roof and hop down to the ground, darting off into the darkness of the surrounding buildings.

So. She gets her potions delivered. Seems she’s not a “potion maker” after all.

Rasmus hrmphed. Indeed. I’m not entirely sure if this is a good, or a bad thing.

Either way, we’re going into that house tomorrow to look around while she’s busy at the stand.

My thoughts exactly.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

The shadows were getting thin as the morning climbed towards noon. Marik hadn't left her house until mid-morning, so Aesh had been forced to wait until later than she would have liked to be sure the woman wouldn't be back anytime soon. Slinking into the backyard, the assassin went to work on the locks at the rear of the house, softly cursing their level of complexity. A few attempts and colorful language later, the door was open and the draconic catline slipped inside.

A low growl echoed through the room as Ae eased the door shut, scales and fur standing up on end. Aw crap...

The draconic catline bolted to one side as the beast lunged, snapping at where she'd been just moments ago. It missed her flesh, but sunk teeth into the hem of her cloak, snarling and giving a powerful tug. Ae glecked as she got yanked back a bit, the cloak digging into her neck. She managed to keep her balance only by slapping her thick tail against the ground, using it as a pivot to swing her around to face the beast. Yellow eyes stared out from a black face at her, ears pinned back against its skull.

A jackal.

Well, I guess that answers that question, Rasmus snarked in the back of her mind.

Oh, do shut up. I am a bit busy here, you know, Ae quipped back, launching a flurry of bare handed strikes against the beast's face. For once, she was thankful for her early training amongst the Pride; they'd always insisted every warrior be proficient in multiple forms of combat, one of which was bare handed. The jackal yelped as she connected with its sensitive nose, releasing her cloak from its jaws. Ae quickly backpeddaled, trying to get some distance between herself and the mount.

Stop waisting time. Just kill it.

Are you dumb? She'll know we were here! Plus, it's just protecting its territory...
Ae trailed off as the jackal lunged again, determined to take down the intruder in its home.

Are you going soft on me, Ae?

Of course not!
she snarled back at him, using a combination of side stepping and head strikes to keep her distance from the jackal.

Then just kill it already. It's not match for us, and you know it. We're wasting time.

She pointedly ignored the dragonkin in her head, instead keeping her eyes on the giant canine. She'd been analyzing the mount as she continued to fend it off, watching its attack patterns and looking for weaknesses. This time, when it lunged, she held out her left arm, letting the beast sink its teeth into the hardened vambrace guarding her skin. The thought that it had caught her finally made the jackal hold still just long enough for the draconic catline to line up her strike, bringing the edge of her hand down right at the base of the creature's skull. Stunned, the jackal immediately loosened its grip, crumpling to the floor. Taking a moment to shake the slobber off her arm, Ae pulled a bit of rope out of her pack, immediately setting to securing the mount.

See? No need to kill it.

Rasmus just snorted in disgust in the back of her mind, clearly annoyed, but having no rebuttal.

Muzzled, bound, and incapacitated, Ae left the jackal on the floor, finally setting about inspecting the room. It was mostly empty. A few shelves lined the walls, but otherwise the room was mostly just used for storing deliveries, judging by the skid marks on the tile. A pallet of potions was even sitting against the wall, somehow missed by them in the struggle. Ae wandered over, inspecting the bottles. They looked pretty standard, the same basic ones found in many shops throughout the lands. Shrugging, she left the pallet and wandered into the next room.

Apparently, the kitchen was where the magic happened. Several extra tables had been set up, covered in a variety of potions, pastes, cutting boards, knives, and a few herbs. Over in the corner, a still quietly bubbled, bottles set out for catching the liquid as it dripped out.

Well, this is fascinating.

Indeed.
Ae wandered over to a table, considering the contents. A cursory inspection revealed that most of the pastes were the same; a quick sniff confirmed they were mar'larane. Analysis of the bottles revealed that most were strength potions, with a few restore potions set to one side. The herbs were mostly of the poisonous variety, used in prepping weapon coatings. What do you think she's doing?

Honestly? It looks like she's adding the mar'larane to the potions. I think she just also preps her weapons poison here.


Ae frowned. Why?

Rasmus shrugged in the back of her mind. No idea? What else is there?

Amber eyes roamed the room, finally settling on a corner of the kitchen counter. Well, she seems to have a coffee habit. She walked over, looking at the bags of various coffee beans. Many were exotic, some coming from places the assassin didn't recognize. Another strength potion was tucked in next to the bags, half drunk. Nearby, a forgotten coffee mug had been left, the chocolate liquid still filling a quarter of the cup. What is the obsession with coffee about anyway?

He chuckled with amusement. Most people just like it. Otherwise, it helps wake you up in the morning. I got a bit of a habit myself trying to keep up with the vampires and their sleepless nights. She probably puts cream in it, judging by the color. Go ahead. Try it.

Curious, the draconic catline picked up the mug, giving it a sip. The liquid was entirely tepid, but surprisingly sweet. Shrugging, she continued to wander the house with the mug in hand, occasionally sipping the coffee.

The bedroom only confirmed what the jackal already told them: Marik was really a Thief. Clothing and weapons only belonging to members of the guild were found in the closet and hung on the walls, some showing that Marik was probably an older member. She certainly seemed to have earned her stripes, as it were. By the time she was done scouring the house though, Ae’s hands were shaking, blood rushing through her ears as her heart pounded in her chest. Panting a bit, she asked, Is this normal?

Rasmus grumbled. She brews it strong, apparently. It certainly didn’t taste that strong. He seemed to frown in the back of her mind. Come on. We need to get some water.

Ae nodded, blinking rapidly as her thoughts positively buzzed. Goodness knows she felt strong, invincible almost, but man was her heart pounding! Feet moving faster than normal, she darted from the house, making sure to take a brief moment to stun the jackal again before releasing it from its bonds. Once outside, she bolted for the nearby shadows, heading to the closest bar to get some water.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

Ae groaned as she dragged herself from her bed, every part of her body feeling like she’d run the hardest marathon of her life. Granted, after that bit of coffee, she’d been awake for almost a day and a half straight. A quick query of a fellow guildmate revealed she’d slept for an entire day afterwards. She muttered and stumbled to the baths, grabbing a large glass of water on the way.

So. No more drinking out of unknown mugs.

It was your gods-be-cursed idea, you know, she grumbled. Try the coffee, you said. It’ll be fun, you said.

He snorted. I never said it’d be fun.

She scowled at him mentally, tossing clothes aside in preparation to sink into one of the hot baths. It’s a turn of phrase, you out of touch old fart.

A century is hardly old for a dragonkin, youngling.

Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever.

Warm water soaked fur and scales, easing the ache of a body that had been going full throttle for too many hours. Absently, she reached over and rubbed the old scar on her shoulder, working some of the tension out of the joint. She had to admit, she’d been running around like she could tackle the world after that bit of coffee, but this aftermath… ugh. The memory of the whole thing was a bit fuzzy, but she’d been busy, that’s for sure.

You said the coffee wasn’t normally that strong?

He nodded. I’ve never had that level of caffeine boost, or crash, in response to coffee, and I was known to drink the hard stuff. He considered a moment. Do you think she’s doping her coffee with mar’larane and strength potion?

Maybe? I also felt the tingle of magic when I picked that mug up, so it’s also clearly enchanted. With what, I didn’t bother to check, but yeah. There has to be more to that drink if our response to it wasn’t normal.

I agree,he rumbled. I wonder if she’s doping the potions too? It might explain why she crows about how effective they are.

It might indeed. Water sloshed as the draconic catline lifted herself out of the tub. Let’s go watch her again and see what we can find.

Rasmus agreed. Ae dried herself off and got dressed before heading to the kitchen and grabbing a bite to eat. Washed, fed, and hydrated, the draconic catline headed back to Tranos, melting into the day time shadows to stalk her prey.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

The next several days of surveillance revealed what they had guessed. Not only did Marik add a touch of mar’larane to many of her potions to give them a bit of extra oomph, but she also sold “super potions” to a variety of clientele in the know. She turned out to be a major coffee drinker, suffering from none of the jitters that Aeshatan had gotten from her illicit exposure.

Marik, though, seemed to be more alert than normal. Ae had been keeping to the shadows of the town square, avoiding sharp eyed guards and the nosy. The woman had been keeping a closer eye on the shadows and had started carrying her sword to the stand every day. She'd almost caught the assassin lurking a time or two, forcing Ae to have greater respect for her skills, as well as resort to being far more cautious.

We were careless when we left.

Ae chuckled softly at the understatement, shifting to fall into the deeper shadows between stalls on the far side of the square. Well, you might say we were high. Almost like that time you encouraged me to try femfendar.

Hey! You needed to loosen up!
He huffed in indignation. Besides. It was completely hilarious watching you try to manage our wings while dealing with femfendar induced ones. His snicker echoed clearly in her mind.

Part of her did have to admit that it was a funny memory… and it had been fun. Still. You really should have warned me.

Ha. Like you would have tried it if I’d told you what would happen.

Eh. Fair, I suppose.
Her eyes flicked back to Marik. We’re solid on the plan?

She felt him shift focus and join her in studying the human thief. Yeah. Once she dies, they’ll probably search her place, and realize she’s been adding stuff to her potions and coffee. They will all just assume she messed up, and since she basically takes her own potions…

She dies by her own potions.
It was a neat way to handle things. Still… We never did find out why whoever wanted her dead, did we?

No. And it doesn’t matter. He snorted. Come. We need to go make up that poison.

She sighed internally. You’re right.
Aeshatan
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 7:08 am
Guild: Assassins

Re: Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Post by Aeshatan »

The poison was an interesting one. The taste had to be subtle, so that the flavor of the coffee could cover it. It also couldn’t be neutralized by heat, or by the cream that Marik added to her favorite beverage. Lastly, it had to mimic the natural side effects of Marik’s own specialized concoction.

Ae chuckled when she finally found the recipe. It was listed as an old favorite of wives frustrated by their husbands, specifically older ones who were likely to die of afflictions of the heart, most often combined with a late night beer or wine habit. Perfect. She scanned the list of ingredients. Surprisingly, they were all ridiculously common; some would just take a little distilling. Least, that’s what it took in the old days. The assassin chuckled to herself. Nowadays, much of these distillates were available at apothecaries. Alone, and in moderation, they were harmless; beneficial even. However, the combination was distinctly deadly. A few scribbled notes, and the draconic catline was off.

It took the better part of a day to gather the ingredients, but it was only a few hours after that to mix everything together. The resulting gob of goo was sticky, but malleable; perfect for sliming things with. Securing the poison in a glass bottle, she pocketed a few extra waxy leaves for application, and was off.

Ae re-entered the thief’s home during the day, this time taking out the jackal with a sleep enchanted dart. No way was she messing with that beast twice. Then, it was a simple matter of coating the inside of the coffee pot with the poison. They’d confirmed that, like most coffee drinkers, the most Marik ever did was give the pot a light rinse; the thicker nature of this version of the poison would keep it from simply being washed away, and the heat of the pot would release the poison into the bubbling concoction. This time, Ae made sure to leave everything as it was, even retrieving the dart from the jackal’s hide before darting off into the shadows.
~ * * * ~
Marik didn’t brew a fresh pot of coffee until the next morning. Running a bit late due to an anxious jackal demanding attention and reassurance, the thief simply filled a large thermos full of coffee, making sure to add liberal amounts of cream and her personal energy concoction. It took a couple hours, but eventually, in the middle of talking to a customer, Marik collapsed, clutching at her pounding chest. She expired before a healer could reach her.

The assassin nodded as the target was pronounced dead once a healer had arrived. Her job was done. Melting into the shadows, she returned to the guild to report a job completed.

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