How To Hire A Villain

[Stare]

Somewhere, over in a grand mansion in Beinost's beating heart, in the governmental heart of the city, a man stood by the window. He had long, flowing platinum blonde hair, great blue eyes and a handsome physique. Dressed in the finest silk shirt and breeches, complete with brocade patterning, he waited, seemingly watching the bullseye straight driveway to the gates of the small estate. But what he was actually doing was something else entirely. His eyes were unfocused, after all, and seemed to be watching a part of the horizon that belonged to a another dimension.

Which was not far from the truth.

Because this man was Vitrutvion, also known as Sir Ellsmith of Farrier Heights: noble, master of thirteen less-than-legal projects, and physical-form trapped god. Invested in his mind he was focused, reaching through the metal of a small ring on his third finger of his left hand towards another piece of metal, bound around a wrist. The wrist of a focused kenku who was right now striding into the fifth pub.

Stare marched straight to the bar this time, ignoring all of the odd looks and raised brows. Most of the people here had never seen an animalistic humanoid, let alone a kenku. If they knew anything of Beinost city also they might realise that this kenku was the steward of one of the grandest noble houses in it.

So far the pubs she had been to had been no use. Even though she had sought out the grimiest, most notorious places possible, Stare had seen not been able to find the best of the villains. Thieves, lockpicks and slavers were there aplenty, but no fixers, no artists. All of them so far seem the part-time sort, those who spoke big but achieved little. They were clumsy, foolish, more interested in her than anything.

That, or Vitruvion, inside her head, dismissed them.

No, no, no, he kept saying, watching through her eyes as he stood there at the window.

Hopefully this public house, finally, would have something worth the massive amounts of money that would be on offer.

Straight to the bar she went and slammed a clawed hand on the scarred wooden bar. Her black eyes focused through the dim light, the dusk and the muttering other customers. She tried her best to ignore the current glares and stares, not willing to attract more attention than using the magic her own eyes offered. Instead she waited for the wirey-haired barman to finish dealing with another, and when he finally came she blinked twice. She did not smile - for she could not, and waited for initial shock of the sight of her beaked and feathered form to die down. Then she focused on him and asked:

"Beer, please."

The barman looked at her a while and shrugged, reaching over with a greasy hand to a greasier tap. Grabbing a glass that was clearly dirty he did nothing to clean it, and filled it up with some sickening, frothy liquid. Slamming it down on the wooden bar top he glared at her for a while and then turned away. She gave him a sly, malicious look and then turned away to survey the people in the bar.

Old and young. Gristled and fine. Ugly and beautiful. They were all there. Possibly also heroes and villains. She sucked in her breath through the narrow slits of her nostrils, set high on her beak and leant back, letting time pass by. Grey hair. Brown hair. Slim body. Fat body. She let others through, taking a seat in a distant corner.

Eventually all eyes fell off her, leaving her to her own devices. Rolling back her shoulders beneath that thin waste of a tunic she finished off the last of her beer as her sight evalutated every last one of them, studying their auras that lay beyond normal being preception, and what their personalities told her. Whether their hearts were in the right places or not. Whether they were capable of what she desired. What Vitruvion desired.

Shit.

As she stood to leave she saw a man stride in. A man of dark aura and grim physique. Immediately he caught her eye. As she set her empty glass down and considered him she saw a woman stride up and talk, and she knew that if she could, she would smile. Him, she thought, and Vitrivuion's voice in her head agreed.

Him.