View Full Version : Hunting a Rat
((Closed to Lisean. Yay he came back!))
A young woman sat in a darkened corner of a small tavern. Normally, all corners would have been well lit in the tidy establishment, but she had blown out the oil lamps upon taking the table. Glowering grey eyes from beneath the deep hood of a floor-length cloak had been sufficient in quelling any opposition the serving wench might have offered. Small tendrils of silvery hair peeked out from under the edges of the hood, framing a face that men would die for just to hear the lovely voice that must accompany it. The grey eyes that had been glowering a moment before now only resembled ice as she pushed the hood back, allowing it to hang down between her shoulders. At each curved hip hung a sai made of titanium. These she pulled from their loops in her belt and set on the table in easy reach. She would not mind company tonight, but she wanted to be ready in case company she didn’t want came by.
The tavern itself was mostly quiet tonight. About a dozen men were scattered across the room. Some in small groups talking in low voices over beer or rum. Others sat by themselves, looking dejectedly into their mugs. The furnishings were simple. The tables were mostly of oak, as were the chairs. The floor, which was well-swept, was also wood, but she wasn’t sure what kind it was. A few pictures depicting Salvarian scenes and wild animals adorned the walls and a large stone hearth took up most of one wall. A fire burned merrily in its center. The young woman took great care to stay as far away from the flames as she could manage. She looked up as a young serving girl came up to her table wearing a tired smile.
“Anything I can get for you, Miss?”
“Red wine. Bring the whole bottle as well as a glass.”
The girl, little more than 16 or 17, left quickly to place the order. She returned in shortly and when there was nothing else to be gotten for the guest, she left to tend to the other patrons.
The young woman poured herself a glass of the rich, red liquid. Bringing the glass to her lips she inhaled deeply before taking a long sip. She frowned slightly. It just didn’t taste as good as it once had. She had not even truly desired the wine. The only thing she ever desired now was blood. She hated it. Hated that she had wanted to drink the girl’s blood where she stood instead of wine, beer, rum or anything else that this place offered. No, her entire life had changed with that fateful night nearly a year ago now. Silently she cursed at herself for having been so blind. Had she realized that the man on the shore was a vampire, she would have stayed right where she was in the pond, safe from the fangs that had drunken almost every drop of her blood before the vampire–Vorin his name had been–changed her into one like himself.
Nevertheless, she was in Knife’s Edge for a different purpose. Many years ago, she had loved man. She had also been part of a crime syndicate. Everything was perfect in life until their syndicate was betrayed and her lover died as a result. She had been keeping an eye and ear out for news of who the traitor was, but had only been able to discover his name, Aslar Bernir. She had never heard of the man before, neither did she know what he looked like. What she did know was that after leaving Radasanth he had come here. Or perhaps, his time in Radasanth had been on a trip away from home. She did not know, neither did she care. She knew that Aslar had labs beneath the city. Tomorrow she would enter them and find him, right now all she was interested in was a night of amusement. So far though, it looked like she’d come to the wrong place for amusement of the sort she preferred.
Two, maybe three hours later, the bottle of red wine was nearly empty and Poison was still bored. Sighing softly to herself, she shrugged off her cloak and unfastened a few buttons of her shirt, showing off a great deal of creamy cleavage. Looking around the room, she saw that one young man had seen her actions and was looking at her appreciatively. He looked quickly away when he realized she’d seen him, but she stood smoothly and crossed the floor to his side.
“Good evening.”
She draped her arms over his shoulders, speaking in a low, seductive voice. He had short brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked to be in his early 20s and wore a soft linen shirt with a leather vest over it. He shuddered a little as the lithe vampiress breathed on his ear.
“I saw you staring. It’s very naughty to stare.”
She pressed a finger against his lips as he started to apologize. A small grin adorned her lips. This was too easy.
“Shhh.. I like naughty. Naughty boys should be punished, but not where others can see. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll ‘remedy’ that...”
Her smile broadened as she ever so gently licked his ear. His buddies around them laughed and encouraged him until he eventually stood and followed the vixen. First to her table to fetch her cloak and sai, then on up to the room she had secured
earlier in the evening.
Once in her room, she turned and kissed him deeply, drawing him close to her as moved toward the bed. The young man, thinking he had gotten himself quite the pick, returned her kiss eagerly. His hands traveled artfully over Poison’s perfect curves, seeking the remaining buttons that held her clothing.
Hours later, the young man lay on the bed, fast asleep with only the covers to cover him. Poison sat on the bed beside him and wiped her lips clean. Two tiny holes adorned his neck, but no longer bled. She glanced over at the sleeping man and smiled. He had been a far more adept partner than she had first thought he would be. His blood had also been most delicious. She had not drunk all his blood. She never did that unless she had to. He would wake up in a few hours with nothing to show for it but an extreme hangover. However, now she needed to get moving. The sun would be up soon and she needed to be in the sewers long before the sun began warming the ground.
((Matter has been dealt with, and thread is now longer solo. Open to Poison and myself.))
Silence. Such a sweet, beautiful thing.
After almost all hope had been lost for the sanity of humankind, a simple tavern played host to what a real joyous evening should've been more like. Quiet conversations. A time to relax with friends. Drinking till your heart reminded you of the wife at home with your children who need a father more than anything at their age. Yes, this was an enviroment that was much more suitable for the necromancer's liking. Had it not been for the footsteps making noise, Lisean could've fallen asleep. But the tavern remained busy, and would continue to be successful in delivering satisfaction to their customers.
There was only one thing missing from the picture. A drink. Yes, after all the nights he had spent in random inns that held nothing but degenerate swabs who could not find the knob to turn their volume down, Lisean had gone broke. His last few pieces of gold were spent on a room of high delicacy, as usual. It seemed the best rooms in every kingdom had the thickest walls, measuring up to peace. Alluring salmon pink eyes absent-mindedly glimpsed down at the opened Book of Lemot resting on the bar counter. The tables were all occupied. Even the one in the far, dark corner, where the necromancer had felt like sitting that night. A mysterious cloaked figured replaced him, and without much observation, even a man who couldn't dare drift off to the body of a woman could recognize those volumptuous curves resembling that of a very, very beautiful lady. One he knew he stood no chance in ever engaging with, so why bother? Why try when all the ones that turn out successful in their finds always wind up too drunk to even remember their great, heroic tale of when they guzzled down three Dragon's Breath Specials, and were stupid enough to find themselves under the sheets of a room they didn't pay for, with one of the village whores? It's moments like those that could make, or break people, depending on whether or not they had buddies that were.. well acquainted with the wives of the drinking circle of friends.
The circle that Lisean was moreso focused on.. was the one incribed on page eighty-six. A five pointed star. The symbol was otherwise known as the pentagram, but its true meaning was left up to the viewer to decide. It was a universal emblem of most religions people followed that were underground, or occult, as fake protaganists depicted. It wasn't until the young bar-maid got lost in the flowing violet hair of the necromancer, that her customer took his eyes off the page to propose the ever-so-provoking question. Lisean sometimes enjoyed getting in people's faces for intruding on his business.
"What are you looking at?"
The girl froze, legs beginning to shiver from the calves, and up her linen skirt to her thighs. The plate she carried in her hands to hold drinks that were stunted in their serving shook along with the rest of her body. Somehow, she still managed to keep a smile on her lips, insistent on trying to make a good impression for the young man clad in black leather.
"Ummmmm...." was the extent of her finest material to introduce herself with. "I-I-I was.. ummm.."
"I'm not in the mood to decode you," Lisean abruptly stated, as the maid continued to quiver. His voice was soft, and songlike, but rather out of tone when he took a more serious, stern approach. "Leave me alone."
"B-But sir..." she reasoned, lifting a glass of rum that another customer had ordered. Behind him, Lisean could hear that very man beckon the waitress. "I-I brought you a-"
"Not interested." Messages were hard to deliver to the desperate. The frown on his lips should've furthered his lack of interest in the girl. For now, it got the girl to shut up and carry on with her work, but eventually.. Lisean could foretell her return with another pointless conversation. Closing the book up, and taking the keys that rested beside it on the counter into one hand, the necromancer had plans to go upstairs to bed. However.. voices were raised. He did not admire mindless laughter and nagging.
He turned around in his seat and watched as the woman in the corner had removed her cloak, and seduced a young man as if he were nothing but a toy. Something to soothe her heat. A puppet to do her bidding. Though Lisean was a young bachelor, and even his distaste for company hadn't gone unsatisfied. His eyes looked down at her cleavage for a moment or two. Something he had never gotten so far out of line to do since.. ever. Was it his loneliness giving in to temptation to just watch as he pictured himself as that lucky guy? He didn't want to admit to to himself. The woman walked upstairs with the man, and the night went on.
Lisean followed shortly after. He was stuck with the room next door to the couple. He knew it was them.. because even with the walls, he was left restless from the sounds that made cold sweat drop from his forehead. He stared at the ceiling all night, wide-eyed, and begging for either death to take him, or for his soul to possess the male, if not for a couple of hours. Another first.
***
It was almost time for the sun to rise, and at long last, the torture was over. Lisean, wide awake and unable to even take a nap with such portruding thoughts in his mind, sat up, keeping an ear on the west wall, which was shared with the one-night lovers. He heard little movement, but when a door opened in the hallway, Lisean darted to his. He didn't swing it all the way open, or rather fought the urge to well. Part of the desperate, human man inside him wanted to grab the cloaked woman who walked out, and pull her into his room. He could hide his inner thoughts like they were nothing on the outside. He kept subtle as he peeked outside into the corridor, watching the woman leave the room.
His plan: to follow the woman. Reasons?
One, this girl obviously wasn't normal. It's tradition for the male and female to rest after a long night of pleasure.
Two, something about her stuck out from the rest, and now Lisean has a splitting headache over a stranger he'd like to become acquainted with.
The young woman kept close to the shadows as best she could. Her cloak was good protection, but it was not perfect. She had no wish to be caught outside when the sun was finally fully risen. Her feet made no sound as she quickly made her way down the empty streets. Thankfully, no one was out yet, but in a short time, the streets would fill with people on their way to their jobs.
Five minutes found the silver-haired vampiress looking carefully about to be sure she was not being seen before splashing down into the sewers that ran beneath the city of Knife’s Edge. Wrapped up in her long cloak and with her sai sitting comfortably on each hip again, she began carefully making her way through the sewer. Her nose crinkled at the stench emanating from the mold that grew on the walls. One thing was certain, there was a distinct advantage to having your lair in the sewer: no one really wanted to trek through it to find you.
Minutes dragged by in the dark sewers. She could hear rats scurrying and every now and then the odd echo of water dripping in some unseen place. She put her foot down and quickly pulled it back, muttering curses as she shook excess water from it. Thankfully, the drop was not deep, only as far as her slim ankle, but she detested dirty water.
“Damn it all! I knew I should have gotten a light of some kind or another.”
Muttering darkly to herself, she stepped into the water, gingerly feeling her way along. She could now see a dim light about another 10 yards ahead of her and made her way toward it as quietly as she could.
“Hey, wait!”
A failed attempt to call the woman after she out of the tavern. And to think, at first he assumed she was just hoping to find another pastime downstairs. The necromancer stood in the doorway, watching as she quickly pulled her hood over her head, hiding those strands of white hair that flowed like a river down her shoulders and neckline. The very thought made Lisean want to smack himself across the cheek. What was he thinking? He should’ve been more-so wondering why she was trying to conceal herself and avoid the empty streets so bad. No turning back now, he thought. It was either follow the lady and relieve your stress by getting a name, at least.. or head back in and remain a stubborn, empty human being.
Lisean walked out of the tavern.
Hiding in the empty street was a difficult task, but simple at the same time when you think about it. No eyes were watching your every move. While keeping a good distance away, he managed to watch her sink into the streets to the sewer lines. Wasn’t that a little out there? For such a sultry woman to enter an area filled with nothing but.. junk? He got the impression that she was hiding now. Maybe a rogue. What did she take from that guy in the room that she slept with?
It was a crime that he had the power to stop, so he’d damn well try. Maybe he could get some answers to his personal questions in the process. Heh, like he had a chance. The necromancer jogged down the street to another entrance to the sewers. His mission was to stop her from getting too far ahead. At least he could get her from the front, and surprise her.
Now that he had dropped down into the under-level of the city, the faint violet aura around his body acted as a small light source. He heard splashing just ahead of him, down the narrow tubes. Upon looking down at his boots covered in sewage, he frowned, and rose a sleeve over his nose to try and block out some of the horrible smell that agitated his stomach. It took a couple seconds to get used to it, but he managed. He stood still, and waited patiently. He could see the cloaked figure in the distance already, rats passing on his left and right.
Then he realized that he was sticking out like a sore thumb with that dim light covering his slender body.
The sound of another person entering the sewers behind her caused Poison to freeze in her tracks. She could not afford to be seen and didn’t think anyone other than Aslar’s cronies would be down here. It was doubtful that they would take kindly to anyone sneaking through the sewers toward their lair.
Glancing behind her, she saw that whoever it was had a purple light around them. Perfect, they won’t be able to hide from me… Ducking around a corner, she drew her sai and waited in silence for the person to make their way toward her. If they had seen her, then she would not have long to wait.
It was silent except for the light footfalls of the person following her. Gradually, they became louder and she could see the walls getting a little lighter as the light from the aura reached them. Then, he was passing her. The mystery person was a man, but why he was glowing was still a mystery. That, however, was unimportant. What was important was that the man was indeed following her.
Darting out from her hiding spot, she wrapped her left arm around his torso and held her sai up to his throat with her right hand. The razor sharp blade was pressed just hard enough to indent his skin, but not make it bleed. She was not going to kill him unless she had to and wanted to avoid panicking him too early, if that was possible. Her voice was low and cold as she spoke in his ear. Her voice barely loud enough to be heard more than two paces away.
“Who are you and why are you following me? If you are here to find Aslar, give it up. Aslar is mine to kill. Answer quickly, man, unless of course you want me to kill you.”
The sounds coming from the sewer were not something he had been expecting. Just as quickly as he paced forward, he heard the light treading of the woman’s footsteps up ahead. Quick in rhythm. She must’ve either been in a hurry to find her place of sanctuary, or already heard him coming. It was a risk he was not willing to take. She could’ve been meeting up with others, for all he cared, and a warning was all it’d take before they could ambush him he in the middle of the tunnels. He was left vulnerable by his rational acts, and for that, he regretted it. It didn’t take long before the cloaked stranger had disappeared in the darkness that surrounded him at all ends. Rugged.. poorly lit caverns. He seemed to be the only source of faint illumination in the damp place.
He quickened his pace once he had realized she disappeared. Damnit! Maybe she did spot him after all, and was running off to call on her comrades. What was once power walking escalated into jogging, but before he could move any quicker, the necromancer was forced to stop when a hand reached around him and pushed down on his abdomen, not nearly as suspicious as the prick he felt at his throat. Lisean’s body stiffened, standing straight as he pulled his neck up to glance at the ceiling. His breathing was suddenly caught, and as expected, upon the mortal’s life being threatened, he was wrapped around the finger of the vixen.
His lips parted, attempting to speak, but he knew that if he used his vocal cords the wrong way he’d wind up with more than just an indent on his neck. Salmon coloured eyes blinked twice, moving to the corners to just spot the face of the woman behind him and at his bidding temporarily.
“I.. I don’t know who you’re talking about..” he answered in a whisper, speaking with his own breath. “My name is Lisean. I saw you at the tavern.. and I.. I’ve pryed into your personal business. I’m well aware of that, and I apologize.”
Just as he said this, the reasoning behind his actions finally came to mind. His lips were provoked to reveal a smirk of sorts, but he tried to keep it not so obvious by simply smiling. He had just grown comfortable in his position. A knife at his throat, yearning for a taste of the necromancer’s blood. Wonder if the hand that governed it felt the same.
“It’s not everyday.. you see women jump into the waste of a city,” he said, falling silent afterwards. He stayed still, letting his eyes look up ahead upon hearing further noises. He couldn’t quite make them out clearly, but his mind felt certain that they were made by mankind.
Poison remained silent and held him a moment longer then released him.
“You still didn’t answer why you’re following me,” she said in a low voice as she sheathed her weapon. “And speak softly, I don’t want any echoes betraying my presence.”
Beckoning to him to follow her, she began making her way through the sewers again. She really had no idea exactly where Aslar’s lair was, but she did know that it was supposed to be at this end of the sewers. The one good thing about Lisean’s arrival was that she could now see. She had not been a vampire long enough to develop a keen sense of night-vision and still needed some aid to see when it was pitch black as the sewers were.
The steady drips of water leaking from pipes filled the vampiress’ ears as she lead the way through the sewers. She could still hear the faint scuffle of ordinary sewer rats fleeing from the footsteps of the people that dared to trespass in this domain. She had long since given up keeping a hand on the wall to guide herself along. Lisean’s glow eliminated that need, for which Poison was deeply grateful. She hated the feel of the slime that still remained from before meeting the necromancer.
Suddenly, as they turned a corner, her eyes saw the glow of torch-light. The glow emanated from around the next corner, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Dropping back, she motioned to Lisean to stop and be silent. With her voice barely above a whisper, she watched the glow for any dark shapes emerging from it, while she addressed her new companion.
“Looks like this is the place I was looking for. Unless you think you want to barge in there, I suggest we go back now. They haven’t seen us yet and I think I can remember the way. Now, I need to know, are you going to be staying with me for this, or going on your own way? I’m sure I could probably use your help in some way or another.”
“It would be kind of.. embarrassing to explain,” he answered after the woman had finally taken her weapon off of his neck. Seemed like she thought otherwise aside from her relentless sai. The masochistic part of Lisean missed it already as she spared him. To be a jerk, or not to be a jerk? The necromancer smiled a little brighter at the fact she decided to keep him alive. Maybe for doing so, he should tell her. So, he did, as they continued down the tunnel.
“I saw you at the tavern last night.. sitting by yourself, like I. Let’s just say.. I’m much like a lot of men out there. Only I’m not ashamed to admit when I find a lady such as yourself attractive.” He smirked, rolling his eyes and casting them to the wall to his right. “It’s not like fools like me get noticed round these parts, anyway. I pretty much have to throw myself into danger to dare reach for what I want.”
As he followed after her, the light coming from his aura only revealed to them the area up to about fifteen feet ahead. It wasn’t much, but it was still much more than ordinary human sight. The sound of rats made him smile, in hopes that one day they’d infest to the point of spreading across town to disturb those on the surface with their ways. People had that charm as well, but to see how something so small could frighten someone fascinated him.
Then, he was forced to a halt upon the woman’s command. He did so without question. With her travelling down her on her own, it was no doubt she had known was lurked beneath, and was well aware of what could dwell in the sewers. Her words touched his ears like blessings, so soft and sultry, even when she didn’t try to persuade him. Maybe it was just his interest still decoding her language as such in his mind. He nodded, and kept his voice below a whisper.
“I think that is a wise choice, milady.. and I suppose I could stay a little longer. I brought myself into this mess. I may as well see to it that your mission is accomplished.” Lisean offered a smirk to her. “I do owe you after all, for barging into your business.” The necromancer took a small step back, turning to head back the way they came. Of course, before he progressed too far, he waited for her.
“You never did tell me your name..”
“Poison,” she answered simply as she passed by him, moving quickly. She hid a small smile that had adorned her lips since hearing his explanation of his actions. He was not the first to think her attractive, but it still amused her to hear such things openly admitted.
Having been through the sewers once already, finding a way out was not nearly as tasking as finding a way through them had been. In the space of about five minutes, she was pushing aside the covering of the hole she had entered through early that morning. Keeping her hood pulled as low over her face as was possible, she headed straight for the nearest shadow and waited for Lisean to join her.
“I can walk in sunlight so long as I keep my hood up, but I’d rather not prolong the time I am in the light. Let’s keep moving.”
Barely waiting for him to pull himself out of the sewer hole, she strode off quickly heading straight for the tavern she had inhabited the previous night. She kept to the shadows as much as possible, heedless of what other people might think of her suspicious behavior. At the moment she had nothing to hide, so she was not worried about anyone calling the local authorities on her.
Once inside the tavern, she let the hood fall away from her face and shook her hair free of its confines. “There, that’s much better. If you are hungry, I would suggest ordering something. I ate this morning and should be fine for awhile. You are welcome to join me in my room for the afternoon. I will not be returning to the sewers until full dark.”
Leaving him to his own devices, the young vampiress climbed the stairs and entered her room, leaving the door unlocked for Lisean to enter if he so desired. She pulled her cloak off and draped it over the chair that stood beside a small a table, then stretched out on the bed, fully clothed. The young man she had left here early in the morning was long gone and hopefully would not notice her tonight when she was getting ready to leave.
Poison. Such a suiting name for the temptress that continued to plague his mind. Even with the fumes rising from the stench of the sewers, above that the intoxicating aroma radiating off of her made him save his breath. She pressed on, and he followed after. There wasn’t any other options, considering he did not have the idea of spending the whole day in the rank place in mind. Once the sewer lid had opened up, Lisean followed Poison up and into the light of high noon.
Her words were spoken quickly before she discarded herself from the sun, which struck him quite odd. She wasn’t a vampire.. was she? Lisean’s first thought was that upon hearing such an unorthadox statement. The necromancer shut the lid behind him, and walked in a straight path towards the tavern, one eye consistently on his companion hidden in the shadows.
It didn’t take much to order Lisean around, especially in Poison’s case. He listened intently, thinking on the offer to order something at first as she treaded upstairs where she felt secure in her own walls. Lisean turned to greet the tender with a nod. Thoughts continued to fill him with questions. Wait.. he was to enter the room he heard her become.. involved.. in last night. A sigh escaped his lips out of irritation. Boy, the memory got to him. Without so much an hour’s rest was what he wound up getting after that encounter. But was the man still there?
The idea provoked a more curious trait in Lisean to come out and investigate. Food could wait. Not like he ate much anyway. His feet carried him upstairs to the corridor, and a few more steps took him to the room he knew was Poison’s. He stood infront of it for minute or two, debating on what to expect. Yet.. he heard nothing. He figured there would be at least idle chit-chat.
The necromancer slowly pushed the door open, poking his head in at first before decide to step inside. Alas, the man was not there. Least is wasn’t going to be as awkward as he had once thought. Closing the door behind him, Lisean stood at the opposite end of the room, leaning up against the wall. He crossed his arms over his chest, entering a state of thought. Poison’s previous words had provoked his curious side once again.
“So..” he began, trailing off when his eyes had fallen upon her form, laying on the bed. His lips quirked a smile, before quickly fading, in case Poison took disappointment in the way he acted. “Who is this.. Aslar, you spoke of in the sewers? And what do you want him for?”
On hearing his questions, she sat up and looked at him for a moment before pulling her gaze away.
“I knew him, a long time ago. He wasn’t always known as Aslar as he is here. When I knew him he went by a different name, Rodan. He was supposed to be someone I could trust, but he turned out to be a rat. He betrayed us all, and some of us only escaped because we got lucky. Suffice it to say he owes a great debt, and I’m here to make him pay it in full.”
She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Just talking about the man was bringing up images of the day everything had fallen apart in her world.
“You see, when I was young and naive, I ran away from home. I went to Radasanth and there I was taken by a band of thieves and assassins. They taught me everything I know. When I’d been there about three years or so, an opportunity for a big heist came up. It was a trap. Aslar had tipped off the authorities that a few of our men would be taking their precious bait. Those four men weren’t the only ones to hang because of Rodan’s treachery, but one of them was very dear to me.”
She glanced up at him then shook her head, “I don’t even know why I’m bothering to tell you all that. It’s useless information that will do no one any good whatsoever and is probably boring to anyone that wasn’t involved. I’m sorry if I bored you or anything. I’ve never told anyone what happened.”
Lisean’s body very slowly relinquished itself of all support, letting his body slide down against the wall to allow him to eventually fall on his backside, his knees pulled up against his chest, much like the way Poison had seated herself as she explained everything to him. He wasn’t expecting such a turn of events. He could easily recall the beginning of their.. friendship, sprouting from the tip of a sai. Now this. This was totally uncalled for, and not foreseen by the likes of the wise necromancer.
His eyes overtime came to a brief close, making it easier to focus on her explanation. Not only did she answer his question, but she took it to heart to share with him a bit of her past. She astounded him. Nobody ever really opened up to him before. While nodding in understanding of her story, a small smile arose on his lips. There was only much more now that he could see in Poison. She seemed to know exactly what she wanted, and she didn’t let anything get in her way from that. His eyes slowly opened once she had finished, salmon hues falling upon her once again. He didn’t know how to respond to her story, and thank her enough for opening up to him. Nobody did. Most he could do was return the favor.
“I ran away from home awhile ago, as well,” he answered at first, wrapping his arms around his slender body as he let his knees finally fall from his chest, his legs straightening up against the floor. “I have yet to experience much of anything yet. Since I left, I’ve been trying to earn my keep as a slave, completing small house chores for pay. Nothing really beneficial or ‘exciting’ has found its way to me, yet.” Lisean’s head tilted off to one side, allowing violet bang to cover only one half of his pale, yet somewhat attractive facial features.
“Some information without relevance can still mean something to somebody, Poison.” His words of encouragement were support with a nod. His smile faded, just as the necromancer had pushed himself off the wall’s support, and brought himself back up onto his feet. “As a matter of fact.. I rejoice in hearing you share a little of yourself with me.” Lisean’s eyes moved up to the window above the bed, rays of sunlight just missing Poison. It brought back her remark about keeping out of the dreaded illumination. He, himself, fancied the dark.. but never to the point of an allergic reaction.
“I.. I want to know more..” he whispered, letting his eyes fall back to the floor. Some things surrounding the woman confused him. A soft sigh escaped from slightly parted lips. The necromancer carried himself forward two steps, now lifting a hand only a little to grasp the small wooden corner-post of the bed. Eyes watched his fingers try to scratch into it and leave marks, but to no avail. He dropped what he had thought about Poison, and decided it was best to not assume. Better to let her grow closer to him, just as he to her, than to presume he knew everything.
“Is Poison your real name?” The question was asked only because of her mention of crime experience. It could’ve just been an alias she was called by her past allies. “Or did someone really see in you as a child that you were going to be a face men would never forget, to the point of your absence being lethal?”
She smirked, “Flattery will only get you so far, Lisean. No, Poison is not my real name, but my real name is something that I don’t often share. I am an assassin, but when I first started I was soft-hearted and couldn't stomach the idea of cold-hearted killing someone. I wanted them to have at least a glimmer of a chance to survive, so I learned poisons. There isn’t much else to tell really. My reasons for running away are deeply personal and the only person I’ve ever shared them with is now dead.”
Glancing at the window and the trajectory of the sun’s rays, she rose smooothly from the bed and shut the drapes. Light still glowed through them, but it was muted and protected her from the sunlight. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I am a vampiress. The sun won’t kill me, it’s just very painful. I ate this morning though, so you have nothing to worry about. I’m usually good for two or three days at a time.”
She resumed her seat on the bed, but did not pull her knees back up to her chest. She let them her feet rest on the floor as she gazed down at them. “I was in Radasanth only for about three years or so. If it had not been for Aslar’s treachery, I would probably still be there and maybe, just maybe, my Thomas would still be alive.”
She fell silent then, her eyes distant as her mind’s eye went back to that terrible day so long ago.
Far beneath them, a small, wiry man gave his report to a much taller, broadshouldered man. The wiry man wore little more than rags, while the other was dressed in fine, linen, black pants and ivory shirt. Both had dark hair, though the taller man’s hair was obviously well cared for. He stood before a fireplace, idly poking at the embers as he listened to his spy ramble on. That was until he heard something new.
“Say that again, Kinley. What was that about the girl?”
“Oh, umm, oh yes! She has the most beautiful, long silver hair I’ve ever seen. A temptress to be sure. I saw her last night in a tavern.”
Anita? Surely not. Why would she be here?” the tall man thought to himself. She was the only woman he could think of with long silver hair that was not an old woman. He shook his head gently as he realized that Kinley was still talking.
“Word on the street is that she’s looking for someone important. Maybe she’s looking for you, Boss. I think I saw her enter the sewers earlier today, but she didn’t know I saw her.”
Kinley was silent then, awaiting orders from his boss. The man was also silent a moment, deciding on what his option were and which one to take. Finally, he turned and looked at his spy.
“I think I know this girl you speak of. Let her come to me when next she enters the sewers. Guide her here if need be, but be sure she doesn’t realize she’s being guided. We will be ready for this intruder, but no one is to harm her unless I give the word. Make sure everyone understands that, no one. If she comes to me and even one hair on her head has been harmed, that person will have to deal with me personally and I will be very angry.”
Kinley nodded respectfully, “It will be as you say, Boss. May I go now?” At the taller man’s nod and wave, Kinley very nearly ran from his boss’s presence. Aslar was not someone you wanted to mess with and you certainly didn’t want to make him angry. Everyone would obey the crime lord’s orders to the letter, there were no worries about that. What puzzled the spy was that the Boss wanted the girl to actually make it to their headquarters instead of letting one of his bully boys deal with the situation.
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