Where the strands of darkness meet (Bris)

[Anadwen]

A great fire danced on logs of wood, stuffed in an expensive-looking fireplace. Long shades slowly moved along the walls as a man walked before him. The hall was wide, almost entirely covered in shadows, except for the space before the fireplace, which had a warm, auburn tone.

The light glinted on the razor-sharp blade of a curved dagger. Nothing but a shadow moved on the dark surface, slowly slipping closer to the fire on the wooden planks, supporting the ceiling. It was dark, as silent as whispering breeze, and even the sharp eyes of a hawk would have difficulties noticing the pair of azure eyes, shining in the dark like flames.

It could have been just a breeze, flowing through one of the open windows. It could have been just a spark of fire, jumping off the logs. It could have been anything, if something - the noble lord before the fireplace didn't hear a thing, anyway.

Athran, entirely covered in soft black clothes, landed right in one of the shadows. Not a bit of him could be seen, except for his eyes and a small part of face around them. His steps on the stone tiles were soft and silent. This was going to be another perfectly performed task... And a lot of heavy, tingling coins in his wallet. There was only one thing needed.

The head.

If he gets the head, he will be paid in gold. Real gold. And he was going to make sure it will rain.

[Brisinger987]

"Sir, this is not a place you can openly visit, ple-AGGGGHHH!" The flash of purple light was blinding, and for a second, the smell of singed guard filled the air. Another sickening crunch later, and Corey was storming through the gates of the nobleman's house on a personal vendetta, murdering guard after guard who dared confront him.

He got to the top floor of the house, where Athran entered. Corey would have been visible entering the master study just as Athran landed.

"Ah! Sir, this is private property, please leave!" The nobleman exclaimed rather fearfully.

"No." Corey grabbed the man by the throat, snarling.

"You. Die." Corey pinned the man correctly, and forcefully kicked his legs, hearing the satisfying crunch of bone breaking. Then he proceeded to break the man's arms, letting him scream in agony.

Propping him up on the windowsill, Corey prepared a ball of energy, which crackled and hummed with dark energy.

"Nazgbak." The ball unleashed a powerful beam of energy, which blew most of the wall out, and vaporised the man Corey had been abusing.

[Anadwen]

Athran's jaw under the black scarf dropped. Someone just stormed in and turned his victim to ash... HE NEEDED THE HEAD!

The fire in his eyes appeared bloodthirsty and fierce as he slowly walked to the mage. He was but a tall shadow in the night, but the dagger in his hand was dangerously sharp, as sharp as a razor. The other one of his hands arose to the mage's throat from the back, and grabbed it with an iron grip.

"Who do you think you are and what do you think you are doing?" he hissed. This man - scrawny child - just spoiled a whole big business for him. Simply ran in and disintegrated the man... Well, if he couldn't get the noble's head, he could at least get this one's.

The blade of the dagger slipped to the mage's throat, right under his chin.

[Brisinger987]

"Great. Another person here to kill. Let me go, and I will let you live, my business is not with you." Corey began speaking a spell in his mind, the concentration significantly more difficult than saying it out loud.

Between Corey's hands, another ball of energy formed, growing in size, brightness and volume as it built up power, preparing to unleash the beam through both men, and vaporise them both instantly.

"I'm here dealing with some business that needed taking care of. It needn't concern you."

[Anadwen]

"It was my business just as well." Athran whispered, slowly raising the pressure at the dagger's poisoned blade. "And there's a simple rule about my business: you mess with it, you die."

"If you can, by any means, restore the body - dead, off course - I'll take the head and leave you alone. However, if you have no such possibility, I will take your head instead. After all, there's a same skull inside..." His lips twisted into a smirk as he spoke.

All empty words had no other purpose than to give him enough time to concentrate. It would now only take him a single moment to let everything in this room go up in flames... It will burn like a torch if he doesn't get that head.

[Brisinger987]

"And there's a simple rule about me. I'd rather not fight you. I'm not interested. You had all day to kill him. I didn't. I needed closure on this matter. And I got it. Now let me go." The ball reached full capacity, and Corey shifted his arms so that his hands left a space facing the two of them that meant they would be vaporised by the beam being stored in there.

"Now, I've just charged the most destructive spell I have, and have it aimed at the both of us. Release me, and I will dissipate it. Do not, and I blast us both to oblivion. You're not of his guards, that's clear, so I will let you live." Corey reasoned perfectly soundly with Athran. His logic was sound, his reasoning was valid.

"And do not. Get in. My way. Again. I have a personal problem to resolve with every living noble in Connlaoth, not one lone assassin." Corey snarled, making a point that it was very personal.

[Anadwen]

"You are right... There's no point in fighting me. Try to move, and you are poisoned - and will die in the next twelve hours. I don't usually kill without reason, but I do make exceptions... Now, if you can in no means restore the man's head, pay me in gold. Or with your head. It is only your decision..." He didn't care what were the man's reasons. All he wanted was his dirty money.

Besides, if this was the way he made business with nobles, he'd be soon without any work, and any income. It would be better to set this brat on fire and cut his head off...

He's done nothing.
Yet.
Nothing to me.
Except for causing me to lose an important business. What am I supposed to live off, thin air?
It's still a child, though...
Child, not child, it doesn't matter. He did it. And I don't like it.

While holding a personal argument with himself, he carefully watched over Corey. His bright eyes were blazing with hungry flames, and he felt his blood boiling in his veins. He was prepared to set the whole room - but mainly himself and the mage - on fire, and let it all burn in flames, while he walks out. There was no flame that could burn him...

"I am waiting. You got in my way first. What gets in the way of Him Who Brings the Night, dies in terrible pain, you know?" His voice was silent and deathly cold, but had a hint of amusement in it... As if it was fun for him to play this game of a cat and mouse.

[Brisinger987]

"You think I have gold? I don't need gold. Revenge is it's own reward. And before you say, I've dug the second grave. Just waiting for the right time to fill it." Corey snarled, his true motives coming through.

"Let me go. I have some very personal business to deal with. If they killed someone you loved, wouldn't you kill them for free?" Corey hadn't actually mentioned he was just here for blood. He had just dropped adequate amounts of hints. Corey pointed the beam at the floor, and unleashed the full blast.

"Nazgbak." The beam erupted into full width, tearing through the floor, with Corey falling straight down.

[Anadwen]

It was burning. It was burning hotter than the biggest fire he ever got to... The black robes that covered his actual clothes simply burned to ash, leaving but a few singed scraps. The leather beneath, along with his hair and skin, was heated, but not actually burned as much as he felt it.

The explosion threw Athran away and tossed him into one of the walls in a blinding flash. His back hit the stone and he rolled onto the ground, confused, but still conscious. He slowly raised himself to his elbows and shook the ash off his head. His eyes were burning with bright, hungry flames, outlined by dark kohl that made them seem even more vicious.

"You made... A huge mistake..." he whispered.

Flames of unnatural azure arose from the broken remains of what was once an exquisite hall. They reached after Corey, and Athran's lips twisted into a maddened grin. "And you'll regret it. I'll make you regret it."

[Brisinger987]

Corey had landed roughly, breaking a table, and getting shards of wood in his arm. He winced as they all came out, and shadows wrapped around his arm, forming a bandage. He stood, and saw the flames beginning to rise.

"Fine. Let's see who's the better magician." Corey launched a load of dark orbs at the flames, launching a second wave at Athran, the orbs scattered like ball bearings from a shotgun,

Then straight after, Corey began the three second charge to achieve the beam.

[Anadwen]

Athran unsheathed the couple of scimitars on his back, but before he reached Corey, he was thrown against the wall in a blinding flash once again. This explosion seemed even bigger than the previous...

Several cracks, running like a spider's web, appeared on the stone behind him. He felt something cracking, and let out a silent groan as he came to realize it was one of his bones. His hand let go of one of the scimitars, unable to clench around the hilt in pain, and shortly after, he collapsed onto the ground.

Still awake... Still perceiving everything around. That was the only good thing he could think of.

He felt something warm on his face... Blood.

So it came to blood already. He was ready to stand up, when he got a better idea. All he needed was to get Corey to come closer... Play dead.

[Brisinger987]

Corey huffed, and turned to walk away, unimpressed with how easy it had been. He kept the shadow beam ready, before turning again, and approaching Athran.

He walked to stand over Athran.

"Pathetic. I suppose you know what comes next." Corey smiled psychotically, the beam humming louder and louder.

"Nazg..."

[Anadwen]

Athran collected all his strength to leap into the air as Corey approached him. He jumped onto him and pinned him onto the ground, showing him the same mad grin, just this time outlined with blood.

"Yes, I do know. A dead mage and blood upon these walls, am I not right?" he asked. His hand with the remaining scimitar arose...

...and sunk towards Corey's throat.

[Brisinger987]

The sound of metal upon metal rung through the air, and within seconds Athran had ten swords to his throat, while Corey had two mordecai restraining him.

The guards were responding to the first explosion, and obviously felt brave enough to face the two men.

As more guards poured in, Corey gave up resisting them, and instead let them bind and gag him.

They moved to bind and gag Athran as well, the ruins of the house surrounded by a huge guard force of around 30-40 guards.

[Anadwen]

Athran, too confused to resist, just stared. He didn't know what happened. All was going so well... He was winning...

They handled his body roughly as they tied his hands and feet together, but he simply dropped down, and didn't do anything to stop it.

What just happened? The Mordecai... How did they even find them? How did they get into here? And what will they do with him? If they find out about everything he's been doing in Connlaoth, he is in his grave by the next sunrise.

He closed his eyes. If he'll play it right, he will live.

[Brisinger987]

The two men were thrown into the back of a wagon, with a mordecai sat at the front of the cart, steering the horses. They were cancelling Corey's magic, but the gag was removed, on both men, leaving them free to talk.

"Well, that was rather short lived. They must have reacted to me blowing that wall of the house out."

[Anadwen]

"Just don't tell anything about any of us, alright? I'll be silent about everything, but if you screw it up, we... We'll be dead." Athran muttered. He coiled up on the ground, pressing his arms and knees onto his chest.

"And I believe you don't want that..."

[Brisinger987]

"I won't make any promises. I have a suspicion we're both going to the mage camps. As in, right now." Corey sighed, relaxing along the seating structure.

"The nearest one is a six hour horse ride. Get some sleep."

[Anadwen]

"Do I look like a person who sleeps often?" Athran growled. He couldn't sleep, no matter how much he would try. "If I get to sleep for an hour at night, I consider myself lucky."

He carefully checked the interior of the carriage with his eyes, and sighed. They were surely going towards the mage camps.

[Brisinger987]

"Well bloody try, cause once you get there, you won't sleep at all." Corey rolled over onto his side, and closed his eyes.

"Wake me up when we're nearly there..."