A Perilous Task [Open]

[Cana]

Cana strode indefinitely through the the busy marketplace, inching her way towards the tavern. She had just received a job from a mysterious hooded client that would involve hours of tireless planning and tactics. She shook her head at the whole idea. Apparently, the man had lost countless livestock to the jaws of a nameless beast. He had asked Cana specifically to track it down and kill it. At first, she had believed it was merely some paranoid farmer with a wolf problem, but when he showed her the evidence... Cana shuddered just thinking about the grotesque remains. She went into the tavern, ordering a single ale and sitting in the farthest corner of the room. Right now, the only thing she could do was clear her head and concentrate. It seemed nearly impossible, not to mention stupid, to slay this beast alone...

[Brisinger987]

Torak had been sat in the tavern corner all day. And this woman, an elf, had not noticed him? How dare she! He was about to draw a sword when he noticed a few weapons on her being. He may be a young assassin, but he could analyse a potential target if needs be. And this elf seemed to be armed to kill. Maybe she was not a good target. Perhaps they shared a profession. But he was willing to bet he was better at it. So he decided to challenge her. "You, elf-maid. You are an assassin, are you not?" He spoke coolly, so as not to spook her. Bless, she was probably in her so called 'blind assassin' years. Where, legend was, you couldn't kill a target while looking at it, because you still had a conscience. But he had no conscience. Children, elderly. Nothing Torak wouldn't, or couldn't kill. He bet this elf-maid was competitive. She looked like good sport.

[Cana]

Cana heard the man. She briefly looked over at him, a calm look on her face. She had dealt with his kind before. Arrogant fools who thought that they were the strongest warriors to walk the Earth. She took a sip of ale, and looked away from him. She went back to thinking about how to bring down the beast she was to hunt. Already, she could tell that merely ignoring the man would not be possible. He must possess some sort of temper. That much was clear. Nevertheless, Cana wasn't threatened by his presence in the slightest. Her job was much more important to her right now, especially with the challenge that she was soon to face.

[Brisinger987]

Torak would not be brushed off so easily. He slammed his mug of ale on the table three times. The bartender looked and him, and then fearfully shouted. "You all need to leave the bar, right now. Take your ale and food with you if you must." The bartender said, ushering the very confused mass of people out.

"M'lady, sit. Do not leave." Torak commanded her. The bar was empty.

Torak knew the bartender. Torak had threatened to fulfil his contract. Torak still had the man's daughter in custody. Even now, the man's daughter waited for her father to be released from his commitments, to come and save her. "I wish to know you better, and you seem unwilling to talk. I am trying to place a wager on your target. I have met your employer, and discussed the target with him. He will pay which ever one of us brings the beast's head to him. He told me that you are an assassin, so there is no need to lie. But the farmer's pay is petty, and trivial. I want a challenge. Some motivation. And that is why I have isolated you here tonight. Are you willing to discuss now that possibly unfriendly ears are gone?" Torak grimaced at the girl. She was pretty, but he doubted she would appreciate the man under the helmet.

[Cana]

Cana continued to look at him, a placid expression across her face. She drank a little bit more of her ale, her luminous topaz eyes staring directly into his helmet. "Are you suggesting that we become rivals merely for your entertainment?" She set down her mug. Cana was a little surprised that this stranger would clear the entire bar merely to satisfy his thirst for rivalry. Obviously he had this tavern, and possibly this whole village, wrapped around his finger. She had seen situations such as this too many times before. Her job was always short and to the point, so she tended to avoid things like this because of how long they tended to last. The way Cana saw it, this man would waste her time and money. Cana stood up. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I must decline. I've wasted enough time already." She placed a few gold coins on the table and walked to the door.

[Brisinger987]

Torak was beginning to get annoyed. She had no spirit, no competitive drive. She was simply scared she would lose. Or rather, that was his card to play. "Are you simply scared then? The little baby elf maid with a sharp knife, scared she'll cut herself? Waiting for your wood nymph servant to come and do it for you?" Torak spoke, his voice cutting the distance. "Best stop though, no doubt you will try and set a stinging nettle on me." He smiled grimly. He wanted to see how good a sport she was. He wanted a challenge for once.

The man saw the coin on the table for the ale, and looked to Torak. Torak nodded to the man, who crept over to collect the coin, then hurried back to his seat. Why the man was still around, Torak would never know, but he had instilled fear enough into the man to keep him quiet. If she would not challenge him, he would simply take the kill for his own, and hand the reward in. He doubted she was very good if she chose not to take a challenge.

[Cana]

Cana stopped at the door. She knew that this man would swipe her kill if she did not accept his challenge. She could've cared less what he thought of her. But she could sense future bloodshed, needless bloodshed, should she refuse. She turned, her face still calm. "Name your terms. But be wary. Looks can be deceiving," Her eyes flashed a bright and intense Topaz, "Very deceiving, indeed."

[Brisinger987]

No need for silly games in Torak's opinion. "You may choose one weapon. You must bring the beast's head, using only that. We have 48 hours. The person who wins claims the other's weapon, the reward, and the bets. So choose your weapon, and place your bet now. Choose wisely. Looks can be deceiving."

Torak had a weapon lined up. A wrist mounted crossbow with a three bolt capacity, a spring operated reload for a single magazine, and a compact build. Perfect for him to conceal, perfect for him to use. Enchantable bolts and poison end darts made it versatile and multipurpose. It could launch a normal crossbow bolt, or the specially crafted mini ones.

[Cana]

Cana could almost smell the deceitfulness coming from his words. She knew that he would find some way to cheat, and win her kill along with whatever she used for a weapon. She never placed bets, however. "I do not gamble," she stated simply, "I have no bets to place." Cana focused her penetrating gaze directly into the eye cover on his helmet. She could feel his eyes on hers. She would not use a weapon. The swords she carried were not valuable, but she did not want to go blade-hunting again should she lose. Instead, she would use all of her skills. Cana was confident that her skills would be enough for this task. Her eyes flashed, still looking at the man. She was ready.