A wolf raised its voice in a song of mourning that its brothers soon joined in on. Ahead of her the prey shook and cried out in fear before tearing off recklessly through the woods. The woman who watched him from above smirked, her red eyes glinting in the moonlight, looking like the dying embers of a fire.
'They always run and in the wrong direction too. Foolish prey, it is not the wolf you should fear here.' The assassin rose slowly from her perch on the branch. Taking one peaceful moment to look up at the moon and smile, she was off like an arrow from the bow. She dropped to the soft moss-covered floor below and tread on swift but silent feet.
The leaves of autumn had already begun to fall. But, while her adversary made no effort to avoid them, Tiraris sprinted around them as if they were not even there. Her hood slid down freeing waist-length waves of crimson locks. The wind's cold fingers gently tugged and whipped it out behind her like a a spray of blood, a reminder of what was soon to come.
Her pace slowed as she boxed the man in between a thick copse of trees and an unclimbable stone wall. 'Well unclimbable for him at least. I could manage that. Such a pity, I was hoping for more of a challenge.' Even as she neared the man had begun to plead and beg, naming family, children, and good deeds done as his excuses for why his life should be prolonged. It was all for naught as Tiraris' ears were deaf to all but the singing of her blade as it was released from its home at her side.
She took one more moment to pause and observe this man. Standing in the shadows of the trees and out of sight, she waited. But, still the man continued to blubber until at last he collapsed on the ground in a sniveling mess. 'Pathetic! Men are weak. This one is not even worth the hunt. The client is going to have to give me double to pay for my wasted time. I am not pleased.' Her hand clenched cruelly around the hilt leaving a painful impression on her palm. 'I should leave him to the wolves. But, even they deserve better than his filth.'
A wolf, huh?
Unknown to both the assassin and her prey they were being watched; watched by an observer who was much closer than either of them could ever expect. Tische had had her eyes on the two ever since they had started their little chase, mainly on the man though his pursuer had also drawn her interest as well. It seemed that she wasn't the only one after his life, and for the contractor sake she hoped that he hadn't hired her as well.
That would not have sat well with the dark elf at all...
She hadn't shown herself quite yet choosing to remain in the shadows for the time being, though in an entirely different sense than the other assassin. Where the woman merely used the shade casted by the trees against the moonlight as a veil Tische literally stood within the darkness, traversing it through the use of her people's magic. It was simply the best method to approach her targets in her opinion, especially since she had never been fond of toying with her targets. It seemed that hadn't been the case with her would-be rival.
When the man began to beg for his life she finally decided to make her move, exiting the shadows atop one of the tree branches directly above the other assassin. She didn't make any sudden movements as to not reveal herself to either of them just yet. Instead she simply held her hand in front of her body and formed her magic into a small crystal, refining it until it took the shape of a throwing dagger. Once she was satisfied with the sharpness of its edge she smirked and intentionally adjusted her cloak to at the very least draw the attention of the woman below her.
"Sorry girl, but this one's life belongs to me," she called out lowly before tossing the dagger in the man's direction, striking him in the abdomen. It was a clean hit, not enough to outright kill him, but that hadn't been her intent in the first place. She only wanted to injure him enough to keep him from getting too far if he decided to run again. Her main focus was on the woman, watching her carefully to see what she would do next. There was no telling what she would do next, and the dark elf wanted to be ready if she tried to do something violent.
The leaves above her rustled in the wind, or so she thought. Tiraris' careless assumption nearly cost her her life. The definite rustle and movement of fabric from the tree limbs had the assassin diving to the side. When the sound of metal tearing through soft flesh did not precede blinding pain, Tiraris raised her gaze to find the target and not herself the unfortunate one.
'You are getting lazy! Whoever that is could have killed you before you knew something was wrong. He went for the target and not me. Either I am not deemed a threat, foolish, or I am sharing a mark, unacceptable.'
"You can have his worthless life! I lay claim on his death," she hissed, recklessly charging forward. She kept a side and her back to the woods, mahogany eyes darting between prey and predator. It would take three steps from the edge of the woods to get to the open where the dying man was. Another seven would carry Tiraris back into the relative shelter of the forest.
But, as she neared the beginning of those three crucial steps, Tiraris made a last ditch effort to defend herself. As her right hand latched onto the hilt of her sword her left snatched up a dagger and threw it blindly towards where she assumed the other assassin to be. The heavy thunk of it sinking into something brought her no thrill of pride. 'This is not over yet. Ten suns says that was the tree.' She was determined to make the kill herself, but moreso to not get herself killed.
There was something about the other assassin's retort that brought an amused smiled to Tische's lips. It seemed the girl had a sense of humor; she had to if she thought she would let her take her target from her. Issues with the contractor aside the dark elf had a reputation to protect, one she wouldn't allow to be tarnished so easily. Not to mention she had no intention of giving her mistress any room to criticize her.
The brat would never let her hear the end of it...
As she had expected the other assassin would react with violence, tossing a knife in her direction. In response she simply faded back into the shadows cast by the tree's leaves, the dagger's blade only finding the trunk to pierce. "And here I was hoping we could do this easy way," she sighed, her voice seemingly coming from all directions at once as it seeped out of the surrounding shadows. She also kept her eyes on the girl, watching her every move to see what she did next before.
When she made her move toward the target Tische took action, shifting her focus from the assassin herself to the shadow her body casted in the moonlight. With a simple flick of her wrist a thin black tendril rose from the shadow and whipped through the air in an attempt to wrap around the girl's left leg. The dark elf had no intention of letting the woman reach her target, at least not until she had personally taken his head. After that she really didn't care what the girl decided to do.
For now though she would continue to observe the girl from the safety of the shadows, watching her careful just in case she had any other tricks up her sleeves. She already knew the girl was pretty handy with a throwing dagger, and would be ready for that if she tried to off her mark with another one. It was what she didn't know that was concerned about. Rarely did assassins only have one trick up their sleeves, especially the good ones.
At the second step, Tiraris was suddenly jerked down and backwards. The loss of her footing sent her crashing to the ground and landing on her shoulder as she tried to roll into the fall. The surprise and pain at the shock made her hiss and growl as she struggled to her feet.
The assassin knew she was a sitting duck and that this was far more dangerous than anything else. There was another predator out in these woods after her prey and now, possibly herself as well. Making a quick decision she choose to feint a retreat. 'The further I get from the target the more comfortable the other will be. If I can figure out where he is I can rethink a new plan of action.'
Grunting as she at last bounced to her feet, Tiraris grabbed her aching shoulder and ran to the other side of the woods, giving the dying man a large berth as she passed him. Her retreat was loud before she at last let herself be quiet and double back a bit. 'The voice was everywhere. Where could he be? In the trees but which one?' The assassin had to grit her teeth to keep from running back out there headfirst into a possible trap. 'One kill, that is all it would take to be done with all this. Then, this upstart has to get in my way.'
She was impatient to spill hot blood, but also in her right mind enough to choose her own life over the prey's death. 'Why commit the kill at all? You get the money either way. It is a matter of honor. You mean pride. I am not prideful. You are!' Furious with herself and with the situation, it took everything Tiraris had not to stamp her foot in irritation. 'If I wait and the assassin appears, I can do something then. And if he does not appear? Then I will go home and collect the payment.' She ignored how the last thought left a bitter taste on her tongue and focused instead on any movement in the treeline.
((OoC: Sorry about taking so long with this post.))
A pleased smirk crossed Tishe's lips as the other assassin decided to turn and run. She had always hated being forced to kill people she didn't have to, assassin or not. It was too messy for her taste. Her smirk would fade however when the girl turned around and began sneak her way back. Clearly she still didn't understand the situation they were both in, and her persistence was slowly beginning to irritate the dark elf.
Maybe it was time to try a different tactic.
With a sigh she cautiously stepped out of the shadows near her target, blatantly looking in the direction of the other assassin from underneath her hood. "Alright kiddo I know you're still out there, so don't do anything stupid," she called, ignoring the bleeding man in front of her for now. He was in no condition to pose a threat to her, and there were far more important matters to attend to at the moment.
"Look, I could have killed you already if I had wanted to and I'm sure you're aware of it by now," she continued, her hand resting on her weapon just in case the girl tried something. Hopefully she wasn't too unreasonable. If she was then things were about to get complicated. "But I haven't, and honestly I would prefer not to since it's neither of our faults that were in this position." It was the contractor's and she planned to make the man pay for it.
"Now come out so we can come to some kind of agreement."
(OOC: No worries ^.^ Glad you're back)
'Damn it!' Tiraris was kicking herself at being found out so easily. Yet, there was something about this other assassin that made her want to smile. It was not the first time she had been stuck in this position where more than one person had been sent to take out a target. But, she had thought that she was past that now since she had become a known terror in the circles she walked.
Cautious but not concerned of a trap, the assassin exited the shadows she had been residing in and leaned against a tree. "You caught me," she chuckled, raising her hands in apparent surrender. "What kind of agreement would you have me come to? We both have a job to do and are in each other's way. As you said, I too am not interested in killing you. But, that still does not change where we stand and I do not make deals with my competition. What can you offer that would change that now?"
Tiraris was watching the other figure closely. As relaxed as her posture suggested she was completely ready to spring if need be. While she knew she could have ended up dead earlier, she was not going to do so now. Fully aware of the other made her job at staying alive easier. However, it was her curiosity that kept her in place and playful. She was truly interested in hearing what the other would say for this one seemed different than all the rest. 'Perhaps this one will actually provide a bit of fun for once.'
Tische's eyes never left the girl's location as she came out into the open. She knew better than to take any chances when dealing with a fellow assassin. Giving them even an inch could be detrimental to your health. Fortunately this one didn't seem to be up to anything; at least not yet anyway. You never could be too sure in these sorts of situations though, and it was always better to be safe than sorry. So her left hand would remain on Shraret underneath her cloak just in case she needed it.
"You mean aside from leaving here in one piece?" she asked casually, pausing briefly to motion toward the girl before speaking again. "I've actually been watching the entire time you were toying with this guy, and to be honest you seem like you're quite competent. But like you said only one of us can claim this kill, and I don't know about you but I don't appreciate being put into these kinds of situations by my clients." The potential of other assassins being after her targets was information she expected all of her clients to give her, regardless of whether they hired them or not.
This one had clearly failed to do that. But that she would have to resolve later. For now there was this mess to resolve.
"So how about this. I don't know what exactly you were told, but the terms of my contract were to bring back this man's head. You can kill him if you want, but I want his head."
Tiraris considered the proposal but, could not find any reason why the agreement would not work. 'Provided of course this person does what they say they will do. Well if I get duped I can always hunt them both down. Nothing quite like a good game of cat and mouse.'
"Then it seems we may actually reach an accord. My contract was his death and the retrieval of something on his person. If it is only his head you are after then feel free to make the kill. I am only here to loot it." There was more to it than that of course, but Tiraris was no fool. There was no way she would share any more private information with her competition than she had to.
She had decided to wait in the safety of the shadows. 'Better alive and needing to catch up then close up and dead.' The assassin would much rather sit and observe the other than to experience a close encounter. "Do this work with you? Or must we lower ourselves to actually fight with each other?"
Tische continued to watch the other assassin carefully, unsure of what to think. She had been so persistent about killing her target earlier, and here she now was telling her she could do the honors. It was a both odd and suspicious to the dark elf, but whatever floated her boat. She would be prepared just in case the girl was up to something though. You never could be too safe when dealing with assassins.
"If that is what you wish," she replied with a shrug before shifting her gaze back to the wounded man, ignoring his pleas. The contractor wanted his head and she wanted her payment, and if this man had to die in order for both to get what they wanted then so be it. That simply was the nature of her job. She didn't know why the contractor wanted him dead, only that he did and that was enough for her.
With a single swipe of her arm the deed was done, a thin blade made from the shadows in her sleeve separating his head from the rest of his body. Normally Tische would have used Shraret to do job, but with the girl watching her she decided against it. There was no reason to show her all of her secrets, especially since she didn't know what kind of game she was playing.
As she secured the decapitated head the dark elf turned to face the other assassin again to gauge her reaction. "There, now I have what I wanted and you have what you wanted," she continued, cautiously turning to leave. She did not however. There was something she needed to get out of the way first, if only to have an excuse in the event a certain someone asked about it
"Hm... tell me, do you always work alone?"
The woman smirked to herself and remained put. "Well I cannot say I work alone because I just worked with you now, did I not?" Tiraris shrugged. "Now shoo," she tiredly waved her hand in the other's direction. "You have what you want and I have yet to retrieve what I want. We can both now go about our business and no longer interfere in each other's lives."
Tiraris was growing impatient now. She was irritated that they had both been sent to do the same job and wanted to find out why. She also did not care for the other's probing questions. The former noble was no fool, she knew how to guard her words when she tried. "Surely you want to run along and find out why we were both sent for the same kill. It is rather unsporting to have competition on something so small and," she glared at the dead man, "pathetic"
"Alright, alright. I get the picture," Tische sighed at the girl's comments. Apparently she was in a bad mood, not that the dark elf could really blame her. She was pretty angry about their situation herself. But at least Ily couldn't complain. She had made an effort, and that was all she could ask of her. "I was going to offer you a job in our guild, but you clearly aren't in the mood for talking so I'll leave you be.
"It's a shame really," she continued, securing the sack containing the man's head to her waist before turning away from her. "You seem surprisingly competent and kind of cute; for a human at least." The girl probably would have made a fine Shadow Dancer. But if she wasn't in a talking mood Tische wasn't about to wait around until she was.
Tiraris' ears honed in on what the other was saying even as her eyes focused on the target instead. She almost snorted at the idea of being offered a job until she was pulled up short by being called cute. "What?" she sputtered, chuckling. "Cute? Hush your mouth. You go around saying that you will spoil my image. Nobody hires a cute assassin."
The assassin rolled her eyes and shook her head in an incredulous gesture of disbelief. 'Guild, should have known. Where is the fun in that? Put a bunch of backstabbers in the same room. Tell them they are "working" together. Chaos occurs, and it becomes a free for all. Bloody marvelous. Should have answered that I work alone. Reckless I may be, foolish even, but stupid I am not.'
When at last the other had left, Tiraris swooped down and claimed a parcel from the man's breast-pocket. It was small, wrapped in soft, worn leather and held in place with twine. Slipping it into a pouch at her side, the assassin took off once more, not caring for either the dead man or the contents of the package now that she had what she needed. 'The sooner I deliver, the sooner I can drink,' she thought, hurrying her paces to get back to town.
The dark elf's trip back to town had been quick and uneventful, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. To be honest she had half expected the other assassin to have tried something on the way back, but fortunately that hadn't been the case. She would have hated to have to kill the girl, even if she had refused her offer.
There was no real incentive for her to do it.
She had wasted very little time heading toward the tavern she had agreed to meet with her client. The sooner she got this over with the better. Then she would be able to get a few drinks into her system, and considering her current mood she needed them. Anything to take her mind off of this job and her bad luck.
From the moment she walked through the doors it was pretty clear to her that it wasn't exactly what anyone would call a reputable establishment. If there was one she was good at it was picking out a crook in a crowd, and judging from what she saw the place was full of them. The interior also had a particularly bad smell to it, as though no one had bothered to clean it in years. But that was nothing new to her. In fact she had seen worst. Some of the inns in Zantaric actually made the place look like it was fit for a king.
After taking a quick look around the room Tische managed to spot her client sitting at a table in the far corner, and after taking a deep breath she made her way toward him. As she neared the table she studied the scrawny man carefully. For the most part nothing stood out about his demeanor, at least not until he caught sight of her moving toward him. If her eyes hadn't deceived her he had flinched a bit, which to her meant he definitely had known about the other assassin. It was just the matter of whether he had actually hired her or not.
If he had it definitely wasn't going to end nicely for him.
Still she made a conscious effort not to show her anger to the man, at least not yet. Timing was everything after all. Instead she chose to remain neutral as she took a seat across from him, only nodding slightly as he looked her over before breaking the silence between them.
"Is the deed done?"
"Do you have the rest of my money?" she countered, leaning forward and placing her arms on the table. The man nodded before placing a brown change purse on the table in front of her, to which she did the same with the bag containing the man's head. She then reached for the purse examining its size, shape and weight careful. It seemed that he at least hadn't intended to stiff her on her payment. It wasn't enough for her to let him off of the hook though.
After securing the purse the dark elf gave the man a nod and he began to stand, assuming their transaction was done. But with a quick kick to the shin under the table the man was abruptly brought back into his chair against his will.
"Sorry but there is one more thing we need to discuss, and I think you know what..."
Much to her aggravation, the assassin was detoured along the way as men came seeking her out for a job. The clamoring of the hordes only served to drive her closer to the edge today. Where other days she would few it all with amusement and let them fight it out, today all she wanted was to be done with work and then drink until she forgot what day it was.
After sending the rabble away with some concussions and broken appendages, Tiraris continued on her way to the inn her employer had specified he meet her in. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the dimly lit establishment that made her sneer in disgust. Tiraris' mood only darkened further as she caught sight of the man hiding in the shadows. 'Craven wimp,' her mind shouted as she made her way over to him.
It was only as she drew closer that she caught sight of the other person and nearly lost control of her inferno roiling inside. The assassin slowed her pace slightly to match her even breathing as she listened and waited. She recognized the other as the assassin from before and was interested in what the other would do.
"I could not agree more," she joined in, coming up behind the man and tossing the package down on the table in front of him so that he jumped. "Care to explain what you are up to?" Tiraris leaned forward so that she pressed up behind him and smiled sinisterly. One arm came across his chest as if to embrace him while the other wielded a dagger who's tip danced delicately across the skin of his throat. "You know a woman does not take kindly to being taken for a ride. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, dead men do not fool anyone. I am sure my new friend there would agree," she added gesturing her head to the other, as the knife danced lower and lower.
"I do indeed, and I would like to know myself," Tische replied with a small nod. The appearance of the other assassin had done little to improve her mood. It was blatantly obvious to her what had transpired, and she didn't like it one bit. Clearly the man had hired her as well and judging from his reactions he hadn't expected to run into both of them at the same time, if at all. It was enough to make her want to kill him there and then, but that wouldn't accomplish much now would it?
She wanted answers, and she intended to get them.
The man had made no moves since the girl had placed her arms around, an she knew that he knew what kind of situation he was in. "For the record didn't exactly hire you to do the same job, and I intended to pay you both," he said, feigning his composure. Tische saw through it though. She also found what he had said a little odd. Had he not hired the other assassin to kill her mark? The girl's actions seemed to contradict that, although she had found it strange that she had given up the kill so willingly.
"Is that so?" she asked, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. There had been more than a bit of irritation in her voice as she spoke, and her eyes wondered back and forth between the two humans trying to get a good read on either of them. "Care to explain?"
Tiraris growled and dug the knife into tender flesh. "Cur! How can you say that when we were both sent to kill?"
"That's not true! The terms of our agreement was a retrieval for a payment-"
"By any means necessary, your exact words. Do not tell me you already forgot. Why hire two to do the job of one?"
The man tried to sneer but the sweat beading down his face ruined the image. "What can I say? I lost faith in you. I was told that you were discreet, efficient, and effective in your line of work. I must say I'm highly disappointed."
The assassin had to bite back her amusement as she stared down at the false bravado being displayed before her. "And pray tell how long exactly did you wait before you lost faith in me? An hour? Two? Not even a full day I bet. You could not even that could you?"
He paled and turned bulging eyes to the assassin sitting across from him. "You are not seriously going to let her do this are you? I paid you good money! Think of the money you could be earning working on other jobs for me. She's crazy! Don't just sit there, do something!"
When the man asked for help Tische simply brought her hand to her chin and pretended to consider his words for a bit. There was no way in hell she was going to save him. He had screwed her over just as much as he had screwed over the girl. Besides what was this about retrieval? He had mentioned no such thing to her before.
"Sorry but my contract with you ended the moment you paid me," she chuckled, lowering her hand once more before leaning forward to give him a menacing glare. "Besides, I try not to make a habit of working for people like you. The whole lack of job security isn't exactly appealing.
"Just be glad I didn't kill you myself..."
Her attention then turned toward other assassin, her shoulders lowering casually. "Do what you wish with him," she sighed. Now that she knew what she wanted to know the man's life meant nothing to her, and while she would have preferred to take it herself she did kind of owe it to the girl. She had given her their target's life after all. "Consider this a service for earlier."
"Please!" the man sniveled. "I swear I never thought you too would run into each other. Silverd'art I swear when I hired the other I figured she would take the kill and you would claim the package as promised. I don't see what the big deal is. It all worked out didn't it? I mean I'm the only one ending up on the short end of the stick; I'm the one twice as deep in the hole while the both of you are all the richer. Have some mercy."
"Mercy? I am sorry. I am afraid I do not know what that word means. Perhaps it is something like honor? Oh wait, you do not understand that concept. For if you did, you would not have crossed me. You would not have insulted me and you most certainly would not have sent two of us to do the same job. There are rules for this kind of thing and you have managed to break most of them. Congratulations worm, you just pissed off someone you really should not have."
The man whimpered which only fueled Tiraris' ego. She sneered down at him, nodding her head when the other assassin offered him up to her. "Bye-bye worm," she chuckled before smashing his head down hard onto the table top. He groaned before passing out and rolling out of his seat.
"Not worth the energy." Tiraris shrugged and turned guarded eyes to her new "friend." "Care to share a drink? I would not be opposed to changing establishments," she offered. The woman did not know what she was hoping to gain by doing so. It could have been the want for company, the camaraderie of being fooled as well, or the need to judge and watch the other, to determine whether there was a real threat in town or not.
Tische cocked her eyebrow at the girl's actions, amused that she had chosen to spare him. Back home the man would have actually been lucky if he had been killed but she knew human societies were usually soft in comparison, even the so called 'rough' ones. It was something that had taken her quite a while to get use to. Still she had promised his fate to the other assassin and she would keep her word.
When the red haired woman asked if she wanted to share a drink with her she sighed. "I could definitely use one." Maybe some alcohol would be able to wash the bitter taste out of her mouth. Human's generally had poor taste when it came to the drinks, but at this point Tische didn't care. Anything to get her mind off of what had occurred would have done the trick.
"Lead the way. My treat," she grinned, lightly tapping the purse tied to her waist as she rose to her feet. It was only fair considering she had actually been paid. The dark elf also recalled the client calling the woman by her name. "Silverd'art was it? That's a cute name," she added with a wink. Unless the woman came from a long line of assassins, which she somehow doubted, it had to be an alias of sorts. "Come to think of it I think I've heard that name before here and there. Mine is Tische."
"You sure you can afford me," she jested back with a wink of her own as she exited the establishment. A smile crossed the assassin's face as she threw her head back and breathed deeply. The cool air was nothing like that of free open spaces but it was far better than the filth of before. Not even the events of before could truly dampen the feeling of freedom that leaped within her very blood.
'Tische.' The name had an interesting sound to it. Tiraris liked it; it reminded her of home in a way. "Thank you, although I would not repeat that any louder if I were you. Bad business if people start thinking I am just a woman with a cute name, like killing of one's client once the job is done. Fear can only be a useful tool up to a certain point. Push the line too far and you lose everything in the gamble."
Tiraris stopped in her paces as she looked from one building to the next. "Tell my Tische, what is your poison? Upscale and pricey or dirty but hearty? Since it is your penny, you should decide." The woman was practically giddy. She knew to be more cautious but the quick turn of emotional magic within her blood left her feeling intoxicated almost. It was not often that she was able to stop the flow, but to completely turn it on its ear was nearly impossible. 'Mm, definitely need a drink. Thank the gods someone else is paying!'
Tische couldn't help but laugh at the girl's comments as she followed. Humans worried about some of the strangest things, but that was what made them interesting to her. This one in particular seemed to have caught her eye a bit more than most. There was something about the girl that reminded her of her youth.
The good days before she ended up in the service of her queen and her bratty daughter.
When the girl asked her how she like her drinks the dark elf took but second to think before replying. "It doesn't really matter to me. As long as they have something strong and earthy I'm fine." There was a lot of emphasis on the word strong, and intentionally so. She had never been a fan of the way human's flavored their alcohol, but if she couldn't enjoy the taste she could at least ensure that she didn't go to bed sober.
"Besides when I treat people I treat them," she continued with a grin across her lips. "So I'll leave the choice to you."
Tiraris nodded her head appreciatively before bowing slightly and motioning Tische down another alley. "Excellent choice, filthy but hearty it is then." The establishment was only a few steps away and the assassin could not be happier. The fact that the other shared her tastes only served to lighten her mood even more.
"I have to say I am beginning to like you. You have good tastes. Personally I cannot stand those," she waved her hand dismissively to the side, "wimpy, fruity drinks. I am sure you know the kind, the ones those pompous hoity-toity nobles all drink."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "No, give me a good drink that burns your insides like fire and yet still keeps you wanting more. Mm, now that is the stuff." Tiraris chuckled as she opened the pub door and motioned her head towards the entrance. "After you, friend."
"Indeed."
Tische couldn't help but laugh at the girl's comments. It seemed they had a lot more in common than she originally thought, though she imagined Silverd'art didn't have to deal with a spoiled brat on a daily basis. At least she could enjoy a drink and the company for tonight.
The dark elf's eyes wandered about the room as she walked into the pub, taking in the people and the scenery. It was pretty nice place, definitely a step above the one where she had met up with the client. She still didn't expect to find any snooty noblemen and women visiting it though, which was perfectly fine with her.
"Come here often?" she asked with genuine curiosity as she made her way over toward the bar. If she did it would mean she knew what the strongest drink they had was.
The assassin made a noncommittal sound as she sidled up to the bar. "I have better haunts in other towns. But, in a pinch this will do." Catching the bartender's one and only eye, she held up to fingers and then pointed to a quieter corner of the room. She did not wait for his confirmatory nod as she turned to her companion. Tiraris knew her wishes would be headed. There was no questioning the drink she desired
"If you do not. I prefer not to be sought out for work right this moment. But, enough about me. What about you? Have a favorite place of your own? Are you even from around here? No need to be shy. I have no interest in hunting you down. I make it a rule not to go after the competition, just the prey. Loses all the fun if there is no challenge. Or at least in my not-so-important opinion."
Her eyes danced as if drunk already, but they took in all that they saw with keen awareness. Relief flooded her as every shadow and every corner of the room proved empty. Vampires were always such a fickle sort and Tiraris had managed to tangle with one her last visit to Adela. She did not fancy a meeting again. Although, with the other assassin around it might prove interesting to watch his advances on another for a change. 'Well better gone then here anyway. I am not looking for anymore trouble tonight.'
Tische nodded in agreement as they moved toward the corner of the room. The last she needed right now was someone approaching her about work. She just wanted to enjoy a few drinks and the rest of the night, and that was it. She also couldn't wait to see what the bartender brought them. Silverd'art had said she liked her alcohol strong, and she was a bit anxious to see exactly if their definitions of strong were similar.
"Nah, when I'm not travelling for work I usually stay in Zantaric," she replied casually to the question. "It's usually a bit more convenient for my kind since the people are less stringent about what kind of magic is allowed there." In her experience most of the human nations didn't understand that magic was simply an art form and nothing more. There was nothing inherently 'good' or 'evil' about any specific type, and it ultimately came down to how the person decided to use it.
"There is a pub there called 'The Scorpion's Tail' that I'm particularly partial to, though I suppose I'm biased since my guild finances it," she continued, stretching lightly before taking a seat. The girl already seemed to have loosened up a bit so she figured she might as well so as well.
"Still it's one of the few places that I've found that caters to my people's tastes in food and drink."
"I see, The Scorpion's Tale, cannot say I have been there. Yet, I do not really spend much time in Zantaric so I guess that comes as no surprise." She shrugged before widening her eyes in surprise as the bartender brought over two acid-green, flaming, glow-in-the-dark drinks.
"Larraby's trying something new. Thought you might be in the mood for something new for a change." Tiraris tilted her head sideways to stare confusedly at the drink as the man practically danced in place in anticipation.
"This is not what I asked for," she finally replied, still trying to figure out what to do with it. "What is in it?"
"Oh, well just all your favorites of course. Only the best for Silverd'art. On the house for you and your friend tonight. Come on, just try it. Please? I'll bring your real stuff in a moment. I just want to see the look on your face."
Tiraris shook her head, knowing this was a decision she was going to regret. "And what pray tell is this delightful concoction called?" she asked picking up the still flaming glass and eying it suspiciously.
"Dragon's venom. You'll be the first to try it. Come on I'll make it so you get free drinks all night long."
"Oh, quit begging. It is quite pathetic." The assassin raised her glass as a toast to Tische before downing it all one gulp. Her head tilted back as she coughed from the burn and a cloud of fire escaped her mouth before being extinguished. "Dragon's venom is right. That stuff burns," she said between coughs. Tiraris groaned, holding her head for a moment as she felt the liquor burn its way into her stomach. There had been a bitter taste to the drink that made her sick to her stomach. But, a peasant warmth soon filled her, lighting her from the inside and settling the discomfort.
"Well what do you think?"
"I think it need a sugar cube and that you better bring me my regular drink or I am going to breathe fire on you next. That was such a dumb idea," she groaned as the young man bolted off. "But, it was good. Are you going to try your luck with it Tische? Or is breathing fire too above you?"
"Above me, huh?"
That sounded awfully like a challenge, one Tische wasn't about to back down from. She had her pride after all. Not to mention she refused to accept the notion of a drink concocted by a human being too much for her to handle. She also had no intention of letting the other assassin outdo her, especially since it hadn't exactly killed her.
So after giving it one last look she down the liquid quickly, gasping slightly at the burning sensation in throat as it went down followed by coughing the green flame that came shortly after. "Not bad," she laughed, placing the glass back on the table with some emphasis. "And I disagree about the sugar cube. A little bitterness is never a bad thing." 'Dragon's Venom' wasn't a bad name for it at all. Even without the flaming breathe the sensation it produced going down and the warmth it left in her stomach afterwards mad it worthy of such a name.
"I imagine that fire breathing thing would probably get a little annoying after a while though," she continued, rubbing her throat lightly at the thought. She then rested her arms on the table and leaned forward with a tinge of curiosity reflected in her eyes.
"So tell me about the drink you normally order when you come here."
Tiraris leaned back to watch, a smirk curling the corner of her mouth. She liked this other woman. Not only was Tische a woman in her same line of work but she also took to a challenge with spirit. The assassin nodded her head agreement as the other made comments on the fiery brew they had both just downed.
"To each their own I suppose. But, it does have its own uniqueness that is for sure," she chuckled before sitting forward again and resting her elbows on the table. Her eyes lit up not from alcohol but mirth. "Well, it contains a lot of rum." She had to pause for a moment as she laughed quietly. The establishment may not have been her favorite place but the drink was still one of her most sought-after concoctions. She had seem brawny soldiers down it and whine like pups with their tails between their legs. She on the other hand enjoyed the burn and the flavor.
She was briefly interrupted and forced to sit back slightly as the boy dropped off the pair of drinks and a whole lime. He hovered as if to find out what the other woman thought but one glance from Tiraris and he was scuttling on his way again, dirty glasses in hand.
"Now where was I? Oh yes! Rum, rum, and more rum, all different of course. Brandy, a pinch of this, a pinch of that, and the best of all is the lime." Snatching up the fruit, she sliced it in half and proceeded to squeeze half of it into her drink. "It has a nice kick to it and leaves you warm all night long. But, then after that," she gesticulated back to the bar, "who can even tell now.
"So," Tiraris picked up her glass, eying its orange and clouded contents. "Have anything to toast to?"
"Rum huh?"
The other assassin seemed to have put a real emphasis on that particular component of the drink, leaving Tische to wonder exactly what types of rums and how much of it was really in it. The only one she'd actually mentioned was brandy. In the end she decided that it probably didn't matter though. As long as it did what she wanted it to do she would be more than satisfied.
Once the barkeeper had left she reached for the glass and had a good look at it and the orange liquid inside. She couldn't help but notice that Silverd'art had squeezed half a lemon in her own, and after some thought she decided to do the same. No doubt it was meant to add another dimension to the flavor to it. From what she'd seen humans did that quite often, and it wasn't all that different from a practice her own people had.
Just as she was about to taste it Silverd'art would ask if there was anything she wanted to toast to. "Let's see..." she replied, taking a moment to consider the question. It was an interesting one indeed, and after a few seconds had passed her lips curled into an almost wicked smile. "To spoiled brats and nights away from them." She doubted her companion would understand the meaning behind it, but any night away from Il was one worth celebrating in her eyes.
"How about you?"
Her eyebrows rose close to her hairline at the toast but the smirk she was wearing never left her face. "An interesting choice but nonetheless, a good one. A hard one to top Tische," she said, furrowing her brows in thought as she turned the glass in a circular motion, deep in thought over what to make her own toast.
"How about, to slimy employers and good company? Cheers!" Tiraris raised her glass a little higher and bowed her head in a respectful manner before taking a sip of her drink. For a brief moment she just let it sit there on her tongue and begin to burn her taste-buds. She knew that once she fully imbibed the concoction it would begin to warm her and appeal to her other sense that needed drowning. But for now she just wanted to savor the sting.
"So Tische, are you here on other business or was that your last job in town?" the assassin queried as she crossed one arm across her chest and rested the elbow of the other on top of her wrist, her perspiring glass resting against her cheek.
Tische nodded at the other assassin before raising her own glass to her lips and took a sip of the drink. For a moment she held it in her mouth scrutinizing the taste for a while before swallowing, savoring the sensation it gave as it went down. It had an interesting flavor to it, though it wasn't quite what she looked for in her alcoholic beverages. A bit too sweet for her tastes, but it was definitely strong enough to get the job done.
When Silverd'art asked if she had any other jobs she swirled her glass a bit before resting it down and propped her arms up on the table. "Nah that was my last one in Adela," she replied, lowering her head to rest her chin her palms. Normally she wouldn't have answered such a question, especially from another assassin. But there was something about the girl that convinced her that it wouldn't be too much of a risk.
The alcohol probably wasn't hurting either.
"So I'm probably going head home in the morning." A light sigh left her lips as she finished. As much as she hated to admit it she was actually looking forward to returning to Zantaric, even if it meant having to put up with Il. While it was no Nehadi the village had been her home for long enough for her to miss it.
" What about you? Have any other 'slimy employers to satisfy?"
Tiraris peered over the edge of her glass at the other assassin, judging her and the response she should give her. She licked her lips of any remaining traces of alcohol before finally deciding on an appropriate answer for Tische.
"I am indeed done here, for now. There is of course no knowing whether I shall be returning at a later point in time. Of course you know how it is though, you leave a moment's notice and without ever really knowing what destination is next.
"So," she paused to take another sip, "home to Zantaric then? That must be nice, having a place to return to at then end of a string of jobs." Her eyes clouded for a brief moment as she recalled her own former home, before a shake of her head dispelled the unwanted images. It would not due to dwell on those thoughts. She had indulged herself in them far too much in the past.
(OoC: Sorry about the delayed reply. Been so busy with school work lately. I'll try to reply quicker since my load seems to have lightened a bit.)
Tische cocked an eyebrow at the last thing the woman's choice of words. She simply hadn't expected it, though she supposed what it suggested about the other assassin wasn't all that surprising. It wasn't that uncommon for those in their profession to move from city to city without a true home to speak of. Still she hadn't pegged Silverd'art as one of them, but she supposed the human had her reasons.
"It has its upsides and downsides of course," she replied with a sigh before lifting her glass to her lips to take another drink. "But I can't say that I haven't grown a bit attached.
"It is what it is I suppose."
For a moment she stared at the glass in her hand, swirling the alcohol inside lightly. She could almost hear Il's haughty voice in her head all but demanding that she offer the woman another opportunity to join the guild. Even she had to admit it seemed like a good time to so, but ultimately she decided against it. She had never been the type to continually pester someone when they had already given her an answer.
"Have you ever been there?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "Zantaric I mean."
Distractedly, Tiraris looked at Tische over her glass as she downed more of it and tried to think of the repercussions of answering the question. Finally, when the last drops had been consumed and she had no other excuse to keep her from answering, she lowered her glass and shook her head slightly.
"Not as of yet. I am traditionally more sought out in settings with higher ranking officials, something about me being a noble killer." She chuckled tiredly at the play on words, the idea of being both a noble who kills and a killer of nobles seemed to tickle her weary mind.
"Perhaps one day I will though," she continued after a moment. "You never know where the wind will take you next. One moment Hyoite's frozen tundra and the next the Moraki's blistering desert. It all rolls into one, in the end. Job after job, you begin to forget where you have been and where you are going. One day," the assassin repeated wistfully, waving the busboy into getting her another glass.
"Forgive me, I have apparently been on the job a bit too long recently. Best be careful, before too long I will be recounting old war-tales like some drunken fool." Tiraris chuckled softly and shook her head. "So tell me, are you staying somewhere tonight?"
Tische smirked, amused at the thought of Silverd'art as an aging veteran recounting stories of her youth. While she couldn't be completely sure we was fairly certain that the woman was relatively young for her species. Humans did age much faster than her own species after all, at least in most situations anyway. If she had to guess she was probably several times the woman's age, and she herself could hardly be called old by people's standards.
"I haven't quite found a place to stay yet and it probably isn't a good idea to get drunk before I do, but eh," she replied with a shrug before emptying her glass and resting it down on the table. After what the client had tried to pull she hadn't really given much thought to the matter. Drinking away her aggravation had taken priority over everything else at that point. But she wasn't too worried about it. Sometimes it was better to just see where life takes you.
"Worst come to worst I can always find a nice little back alley to sleep in," she continued, offering her drinking companion a wink. "How about you? We could always split a room if you haven't."
The assassin snorted and shook her head. "Sleep in a back alley like a common rat? I would have thought someone of your caliber could do much better than that even with all taverns full. People like us are usually feared. I bet if you tried you could get a room for free even."
Tiraris went to take another sip of her drink before remembering that it was empty and setting it back down again with a slight frown of irritation. "I actually do happen to have a room for the night but if you are hard pressed for one I would not mind sharing it. I mean it would not be a great room, but it would be a room. Cannot expect much around here anyway, but we have already shared a client, a kill, and a drink; why not share a room too?"
A chuckle bubbled up from her throat but, despite the humor she seemed to feel at the suggestion, Tiraris was still trying to gauge the consequences of sending out such an invitation. It would be a horrible inconvenience to wake up the next morning without a head on her shoulders. A good night's sleep would be necessary for heading out early in the morning but if the two of them were tense, no one would get sleep for fear of the other doing the first in.
'Probably snores too,' a small voice in the back of her head thought critically.
"I was kidding," Tische replied with a chuckle. "Though between the rats, drunks, and thieves I'd imagine it would be quite the charming experience." She knew that most humans feared those in her profession, and the fact that she was what she was only gave them even more to fear her. She simply preferred not to use her occupation to intimidate people if she didn't have to. It made it easier to keep a low profile. If she had to she normally just slept inside the shadows, cut off from the rest of the world.
It was both safer and cleaner...
"But yes, I think I'll take you up on that offer," she continued, eying the empty glass in front of her for a moment. Sharing a room with another assassin was potentially risky, especially if said assassin was in it for the killing. Silverd'art didn't strike her as the type though. She doubted the human had a client who wanted her dead so she had no reason to make attempt on her life. Or maybe it was just the alcohol talking... A risk every now and then couldn't hurt, could it?
"Like you've said. We've already shared so much recently. Might as well add a bed to that list."
Tiraris was not quite sure how she felt about the other assassin agreeing to spend the night with her. On the one hand things could go swimmingly and the night would end uneventfully, on the other all hell could break lose and Tiraris could end up with a sword at her throat or through it. Understandably she favored the idea of one hand over the other.
With a slight grimace at the knowledge that she could not imbibe anymore alcohol tonight despite the other footing the bill if she wanted a clear head, the assassin nodded in the affirmative. "Perhaps if you are done with your drink then we can begin meandering our way back there," she suggested. "I do not fancy having to fight off the drunkards as well as anyone else who gets it in their heads there a free room for the taking."
Raising her arms over her head, Tiraris stretched, relishing the loud pops of her shoulders rotating in their sockets. "I do not know about you, but it certainly has been a long day. I was almost sure our mark was never going to stop his skulking about the jailhouse."
A jaw-cracking yawn stopped her from continuing but served to remind her of another thing. Pointing her finger warningly at the other woman and raising her brow in challenge the red-haired huntress deadpanned. "You steal my blanket tonight and I swear I will throttle you." While her lips made no movement, her eyes twinkled slightly in the firelight, hinting at her amusement.
@GoblinFae Let's get this going again. :)
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Tische paused for a second when Silverd'art commented about the consequences for stealing her blanket. She had no real reason to do so of course, and the woman did appear to have been joking. But still the idea of her waking up in the middle of the night just to snatch the covers off of the human was an amusing one. It was a shame that she didn't know the assassin a little better or she might actually have been tempted to do it just to see what kind of reaction she would have had.
"Oh? Usually losing their blanket is the least of someone's concerns when spending the night with someone in our trade. But I think I can keep my hands off of it... at least for the night anyway." She replied with a wide grin, winking as she said the last part. "And yes, I wouldn't mind turning in for the night. Could really use the rest after all that's happened."
With that said the dark elf downed the rest of her drink and waved the bartender over to pay him. She'd even given him an extra few coins as a tip for that interesting drink he had given them to try. Then with a light yawn she returned her attention to her drinking companion, rising from her chair a motioning towards her.
"Lead the way."
The assassin quirked a brow in clear amusement. "Oh do you believe there will be more than night then?" She chuckled darkly before making her way to the other woman and back into the cool night air.
She easily wound her way up and down darkened streets keeping as much out of sight as she could. Tiraris was not a fan of having too much attention drawn to herself and so kept to the alleyways as much as she could along the way to the out of the way inn she had paid for a night in.
"This should be interesting," Tiraris commented dryly as she glanced back at her companion before entering the inn. She could already imagine the rumors and such that would circulate should anyone realize she was bringing someone to her room for the night that would live to see another dawn. "It is straight upstairs, the door with the moon," she added quietly, feeling she had to say something even as her mind had drifted elsewhere.
Tische chuckled to herself as they left the bar and Silverd'art led the way to the inn, amused at the route she had chosen. Clearly the woman had wanted to be seen by a few people as possible and the dark elf couldn't blame her. After all the fewer people who saw you, both on a job or in your daily life, the lower the chances of someone recognizing you were.
However as they drew closer to the inn she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, like someone had been watching them. She wasn't entirely sure though, and it was possible that she was just being a bit paranoid because they'd been drinking. Still she decided to keep her eyes and ears open just in case. It was always better to be safe than sorry.
Once they entered the inn and Silverd'art told her where her room was Tische flashed a grin and nodded in response. "A moon on the door? How appropriate," she mused as she followed behind the redhead, her eyes casually taking in the interior. "You never did say what kind of room you had. Standard one bedder?"
Tiraris nodded her head faintly. "Should have a bath too if they provided what I paid for," she added with a growl that spoke of her displeasure should they have not made good on their word. The assassin paused though at the top of the steps as she turned to look back at her companion. "Will that be a problem? The standard one bed that is? I am sure we can make you a little nest on the floor if that would suit you better." Her lips curled in a gleeful smirk even as her own eyes darted to look over the banister at the lingering patrons down below. She too felt the prickles of danger along her spine but chalked it up to sharing a night and possibly a bed with a fellow competitor. There was always the risk of course that Tische would turn on her. It was only a matter of time in a world such as theirs.
A bath?
Tische's grin had widened at the thought. She really could have used one of those at the moment. Hot or cold, long or short, it really didn't matter to her at this point. She just wanted to wash the sweat off of her body and relax a bit. Hopefully the innkeeper had come through with his promise to Silverd'art, or he might have had more problems on his hand than he realized.
When the other assassin asked if she had problem with the fact that there was only one bed she laughed, though her eyes did follow the humans as they looked over the banister. Tische didn't know if Silverd'art had noticed something out of place or not, but it seemed that she was a bit on edge as well. It could've been nothing of course, or the woman could have been up to something. She couldn't say for sure. She did make a mental note of it however and would keep her guard up just in case.
"Oh no, I don't mind. I've shared a bed on more than one occasion. Of course if that's ok with you?"
She hummed in affirmation yet her thoughts were still elsewhere. "You can go ahead first if you desire. It is the least I can do for such an esteemed guest," Tiraris jested with a small smile. "I think I may go and have another drink. "Your modesty may remain intact, well for now at least. Is there anything you need? I could bring it up for you when I return I suppose."
Tiraris easily went through the motions of a generous hostess. Years of training at her mother's knee had ensured nothing less from her yet the woman had ulterior motives. She wanted to get a better look at the other patrons down below. Something was off enough to be screaming in her mind to be cautious. She had not lived as long as she had in their business to ignore such warnings.