Opportune Heist

[Casey]

Behind her, the mountain range protecting the southern end of Adela loomed overhead. Their peaks touched the clouds and beyond, rising like brilliant spikes piercings the heavens. They were the mountain range she'd called home only a few days ago. Now, after surveying the surrounding flat lands, her senses were put on high alert. Tall grass that brushed against her shoulders became her constant companion, her rapier more often than not at the ready. It was a land not to be taken lightly.

Donned in simple, gauzy clothes and minimal leather armor, she stalked the slavers that had exited the mountains unfortunately around the same time as she. It was the leader of the group she followed. He was plump, donned in gaudy jewelry, and smelled of stale sweat. His hair was greased back with animal fat, and probably hadn't been washed in over a week.

The elf managed to stay on his tail without notice until he entered a large, tacky premises that she assumed was his home. Creeping through shadows and hallways, she waited until the slaver was busy with some poor, unfortunate girl that he abused for pleasure. It would have pleased Atrice to see him dead, but confrontation was not her favorite course of action. Instead, she'd rather steal him blind of everything he ever cared about. Scanning for items of value, she snatched anything she carry out in her small satchel while remaining silent.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris had sneaked in earlier in the evening, passing herself off as a serving girl for the better part of the afternoon in order to become accustomed to her surroundings. Her current employer was some activist who was protesting slavery. He had had her chasing this particular trader all across Adela just to find his home.

Originally she had been hired to kill the man and free all of his slaves, terms that she refused to meet. She had chosen to take not save life. The slaves would have to fend for themselves. So, after much haggling she had won and been left with the task of acquiring all the information she could about the hideout as well as killing the trader.

Carrying a bowel of fruits to serve the master of the house, the assassin quietly entered the darkened room, ignoring the nakedness of the two bodies entwined on the large bed. She demurely placed the food on the table before unsheathing a knife from her sleeve and cleaning slitting the man's throat with it.

Dispassionately she watched as he gurgled and struggled some before bleeding to death. A faint reflection of light caught her attention. The girl, for she could not have been even close to Tiraris in age and the assassin was not very old herself, had awakened or maybe never had been asleep to begin with and was now staring fearfully up at the fire-haired demon that had killed her master.

With a jerk of her head to the door, Tiraris signaled the girl to flee but a finger to her lips also warned to keep silent. The pitter-patter of bare feet on cool stone told the assassin of her departure. Unknowing and uncaring as to whether or not the girl would sound the alarm, Tiraris moved quickly to exit the house. She did not wish to be nearby when the alarms did end up sounding.

[Casey]

Atrice was right in the middle of picking a particularly stubborn lock when a loud alarm sounded throughout the house. Swearing to herself under her breath, she jammed the lock open messily instead of opening and closing it like she normally would have. She grabbed a number of coins, gems, and scrolls out of the chest, and took off like a bat outta hell. A dark red trickle of liquid caught her eye and she slowed her pace just enough to glance into the bedroom of the slaver. That glance was enough for her to throw up her hood and high-tail it out of that house as fast as possible.

She ducked into some shadows just outside the kitchen by the back door and waited for various slave to rush past before slipping out back. A guard was on her in an instant. After grappling briefly she was able to pinch a nerve in his neck to make him black out. Atrice struggled to choke down her adrenaline that caused her hands to quiver. Her foot steps never slowed as she moved from one shadow to another on her way to the nearest tavern. A shot of bourbon would calm her nerves and stop her shaking.

Who had killed the slaver? They could have gotten her killed. And how did they do it without her notice? It was in the midst of those thought that her eyes landed on Tiraris. She wasn't dressed like any of the locals she'd seen so far. Atrice had almost missed her, the way she moved gracefully and stealthily, much like that way she herself walked. It was a walk that brought as little attention to a person as possible. If it wasn't for the way Atrice was trained, she may never have noticed Tiraris at all. It was only a hunch, but it was enough to follow Tiraris, at least briefly, to see where she was headed.

[GoblinFae]

With the job done, the assassin moved on silent feet back to her assigned meeting place. There was no reason to linger unless she wanted her head to roll as well. Today was not the time for such things in her opinion, she was far too busy to clean up the mess.

From time to time along the way she paused to listen, believing that there was a slight echo to her own footsteps as if someone was following her. A careful flick of her hair and a glance behind her shoulder revealed only shadows, but in her experience that did not necessarily mean a thing.

Striding with confidence, she entered the inn, letting the door swing shut behind her with a loud crack. For a moment the establishment went quiet before a severe glare from the demon-eyed woman sent them all back to their private conversations.

"Welcome back sweetheart. Have a good time?" a silky voice beckoned from across the bar. Tiraris clenched her jaw in disgust and sneered while wordlessly ordering a drink from the bartender. Drink in hand she at last approached her current employer.

"My dues?"
"All in good time sweetheart. Proof of completion."
"Can you not hear the bells ringing? It is done as promised. Now if you would be so kind as to pay me, I can be on my merry little way."

"Not so face sugar," he growled, gripping her forearm and tugging her into his lap. "There is still the matter of my payment." His hands moved to grapple at private parts of her until a rapid maneuver on the assassin's part had him pinned under her boot on the floor.

Tiraris reached down and snatched the coin purse away from the pain before giving him a parting kick on her way to the back where her room was. "Consider yourself paid," she hissed angrily. "Bastard."