Hunters Gather

[Anonymous]

Seeing the first woman not hesitate, she did the same. One clawed finger was pressed into the blood, sealing the contract and making her a weapon. She was wary of being bound in such a way but if it meant killing, what did she care.

"So, what devious acts will we be performing first?" Ryosha’s face stretched into a slight matching smile, feeling her blood quicken at the woman’s words.

“Yes, where shall we start?”

[Camulous Smithson]

Camulous took the papers back and looked them over briefly, reassuring himself that everything had been done properly. Contracts were finicky things, especially when they were made to bite you in the ass when broken.

"Huh."

Devious acts indeed. He supposed he deserved that remark considering the way this operation was being run.

"We've discovered that there is to be a meeting of these underground magic users tonight, and it's time to take care of them. There have been plenty of warnings, they know the consequences of their actions, and it's time to make it clear to this latest bunch of criminals that we don't accept their kind of behaviour in this city.

We will wait for them to gather together and then we will arrest them. This is not an assassination and it is up to the judges what should be done with them. Your job is to deal with any tricks they may decide to pull."

[Anonymous]

"Well then, where is this meeting to take place? How many are expected to be in attendance? What time will the meeting occur? Do you have any other information besides "they will gather? Is there a plan for infiltrating the meeting and removing the magic users without incident, or were you just going to barge in and stomp around?"

She gives the Captain a steely look.

"I'd rather not be oblivious about such things, I like details.."

[Camulous Smithson]

Cam was glad to see one of his guests was asking questions. It meant that she was serious about her job, a trait that was often in low supply.

"In the northern part of town there are many large buildings that are unused. We have tracked many suspects to this area, so it's logical to assume it will take place there. Finding them will be easy enough. We have means of tracking people...

"As for what they'll be doing there, I don't know. They meet like this once every month or two, and although the judges know who at least one of them are, and have been following him around when possible, there is no way to know what they're doing. These are, after all, mages we're talking about. Hell, they could be summoning a demon."

He twirled the half-pencil in his hand and kept his blue eyes locked on Mozelle.

"And the plan is your job. That is what I'm paying you for, isn't it? You will have the backup of a dozen of my men, and at least one battlemage. They'll be reluctant to go in first. They don't trust magic. So I suggest you figure out a way to sneak in."

[Alalia Morrigan]

Alalia listened to the captain of guard speak, a bored expression on her face as she continued to drum her claws on the table top. She signed the contract, just as the other two had, but couldn't help wondering if the man before her really thought he could control his new 'recruits'. The dragoness alone would give even the bravest nightmares.

The cat girl couldn't hide the smirk that twisted her lips when the man mentioned sneaking in. An assassin's success relied almost entirely on coming and going unseen. She herself could seem to simply disappear into the shadows.

The assassin was not thrilled at the idea of being joined by guards or mages, nor being forbidden to kill. She considered trials and judges a waste of time.

[Dureena Lavella]

Dureena and her remaining henchman, Tanor, had been traveling for days when they reached the city of Marn. Her other servant had been killed by some sort of primitive beast what must have been nearly a month before. Now it was just the two of them traveling by foot. It was an odd place, this Marn, and she delighted in the feel of it. Lies and deception seemed to hover in the air like wisps of smoke...

Cloaked and hooded, she and her companion walked randomly through the business district, stopping at stalls and store windows occasionally to look at something that sparked her interest. It was when they rounded a corner that her eye caught sight of a posting on the stone wall. Spinning around rather abruptly she shoved Tanor out of the way and approached the flyer, reading the contents silently to herself.

"Hmmm... " she hummed. Her eyes glittering mischievously as she smiled. Reaching up she ripped the paper down and folded it neatly, tucking it into her inner breast pocket for later.

She turned around again, eyeing Tanor with a pleased expression. Her hood had fallen back to reveal her raven color hair. Her expression was quite visible in the half-light of the street. She drew really close to him and placing a hand on his chest spoke,

"It seems I have something to do..." Her face appeared to grow sad and Tanor looked at her with concern. "So ... I release you from my immediate services... for now at least.... Now," She backed away, crossing her arms and watched him for a moment in his dazed state. "I want you to lie low until I send for you. Understand?"

A note of pleasant warning rang in her voice. "Yes my Lady," Tanor answered dutifully, bowing slightly at the waist. Turning, he disappeared around the corner to do her bidding. Smiling to herself she turned and continued down the narrow lane pulling up her hood once more.

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Dureena spent most of the remaining day pondering over the parchment in her pocket. She wandered the streets thinking about her lucky fortune. Near sunrise she and her companion had come across an old farmer on the outskirts of Thar Shaddin, at least, that is what the man had called it. She had, in fact, decided to avoid the town as it seemed to hold little promise. However, the old man had proven to be most useful...

Thinking about the parchment again she puzzled over the rewards. Money? I have little use for that as I still have plenty stored from my last conquest she smiled to herself as she picked up an apple from a nearby cart and examined it. Nor do I care the slightest for the welfare of this town she thought on, giving the cart owner a smile. No. She tossed the owner a coin. It's Belatucadrus who holds the keys! she finished, taking a healthy bite out of her apple. Belatucadrus.... the vampire lord of this tiny little trading post of a town. Hmmmm, and to think I would have passed this up had that farmer not indulged me with a tale or two. She was meandering once again down one of the lanes lost in thought and a smile playing about her face. I think I shall look in on this little escapade. Besides, she finished looking up briefly as she passed beneath a swinging sign, what better way to get his attention than to show just how useful I can be. Smiling slyly to herself, she continued on her way, the tavern sign still swinging behind her.

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A poorly kempt wooden sign sporting the name Drunken Rat Tavern swung rustily in the breeze as Dureena approached. Night had fallen a few hours ago signaling the lighting of many lamps about the city. Lamplight created sharp shadows, hers being no exception. It glided along with her as she stepped toward the door. Pausing to make sure her face was well hidden by her hood she pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside. The smells and sounds hit her at once and her nose crinkled in dissatisfaction. She hated taverns. So dirty and unkempt, they reminded her of a garbage dump.

I think this is one of the most rancid taverns I have ever been in, she thought as she stepped aside allowing two battling brutes to pass her by. Looking swiftly around she noticed a rather formidable man standing 'at ease' in front of a door at the back of the little shack of a tavern. Smiling secretly to herself she made her way to him. When she reached him, the guard moved to block her path. At which point she reached into her breast pocket to collect the paper she had hidden there. Drawing it out enough for him to see he nodded to her. Slipping the bit of parchment back into her pocket she slipped quietly through the door. Hearing voices below she slowed and quieted her footsteps to listen in on the conversation. I seem to be a bit late ... she mused as she drew herself up to the edge of the darkened stair. No one seemed to notice her presence so she relaxed, leaning against the wall, arms and legs crossed comfortably as she listened. She watched the proceedings with growing interest, taking careful note of each of the room's occupants. However, it was the last contraption that sparked her greatest curiosity. In fact, she wanted it. She had heard of contracts signed in blood but this method topped them all. So neat and orderly it appealed to her sense of control.

However, the man's actions now caught her attention as he stared intently at one of the females in the room. His words intruded upon her thoughts, giving her an idea.

"And the plan is your job. That is what I'm paying you for, isn't it? You will have the backup of a dozen of my men, and at least one battlemage. They'll be reluctant to go in first. They don't trust magic. So I suggest you figure out a way to sneak in."

"Sounds to me like you could use my help..." Dureena stood a moment, allowing for a bit of suspense and mystery, before she stepped out from the shadows on the stairs, her hands in her pockets and a sly smile upon her face. Her eyes flashed green-gray as they swept the room surveying all the others.

[Anonymous]

"A plan? Well then that shouldn't be difficult at all."

She grinned at the captain, looking much like a cat who just had a fat canary for lunch. She loved her job. She loved trapping and sneaking and watching people as they realized all to late that they were in serious trouble when she was around. She had a plan alright, something under handed and dirty and far more entertaining than the standard siege, stomp, and conquer games that the guard was so privy too.

But she would bide her time before sharing her ideas, as her other mates were rather quiet about this. If they were at all enthusiastic about this, they did not show it.

She turned her head only slight to regard the newest member of this little guild. Another woman. Damn. Her smile never wavered a bit as she internally groaned. Another woman in the works would mean trouble later on down the road, this was certain. For now though she decided to keep herself in check and welcome this one.

Wordlessly, she slid over a bit, offering room for the woman to sit.

"And what services do you have to offer...Miss?"

[Anonymous]

As the two bantered back and forth, Ryosha didn’t care.

In fact, she wasn’t even listen to them.

She was bored. All this talk was wasted time and she wanted to get a move on. Her wings began to twitch as the talks wore on, grating on her nerves. Then the mention that there would be no killing, only capture made her want to scream.

Foul contract. No killing. No bloodshed. Waste of time, waste of energy to capture. Easier to hunt., easier to kill. A rumble bubbled in her gullet but was kept silent for a time. She would have to learn to put up with humans and their laws if she wanted to do more than just survive.

Then she entered, all raven hair and air of superiority. The crazed one actually unbent enough to let out a low growl of warning. She did not like this woman. Something about her tugged at a fragmented memory in the back of her mind, setting the creature on alert. She couldn’t place it, not at all but did not ignore that warning in her head.

[Camulous Smithson]

Camulous, being who he was, had a knack for sensing the internal emotions and intentions of others, and he had a good idea of what was going on here. If they weren't all women, things would be much easier for him. But, alas, they were, and so he would have to try to deal with them on the fly... And he was sure something terrible was going to come of it all later. Females didn't exactly lack testosterone. He was getting particularly bad signals from the lizard woman.

He looked at the newcomer when she made her presence known. She was cocky, but that wasn't exactly a bad thing in his eyes. It meant he could probably use it to better control her, and it also meant that she would more than likely be brave, if only to protect her self image.

"Lets get one thing straight here. I'm in charge, I'm the one with the gold, the contracts, and the authority to decide whether or not you're performing up to par."

He pulled another contract from the pile beside him and pushed it across his desk in Dureena's direction, along with an ink pen.

"Read this, sign it, and then we'll talk."

Occasionally he would glance at Ebony, perhaps once every 30 seconds or so, as if he was keeping a mental eye on her and logging her reactions. She wasn't talking, didn't look interested in what the intricacies of the operation or the politics were. A warrior, plane and simple. Something he could relate to much better than some enigmatic female assassin.

"You all don't have to work together. I get the impression some of you want to take a more direct approach, maybe stick with the guardsmen and wait until things get dirty. That's up to you. I have enough money to pay you each 100 Bishani now, and an additional 200 when the job is done."

100 Bishani, the official currency used throughout the continent, was enough to survive on for a month or two. 300 was just above the average monthly wage. While not exactly a king's ransom, it was a good price.

(( I'll write up a brief explanation of the monetary system in the everything forum, and why they use Bishani, rather than gold or printed money. ))

[Dureena Lavella]

Once fully in the room, the various moods involved caused a subtle shift in Dureena's tactics. She felt the hostility and suspicion she expected at first but the disappointment was something new. Perhaps the lack of male representation has something to do with it, she thought, inwardly amused.

Smiling much more pleasantly now and less slyly she took the proffered seat. She heard an unmistakable growl emanating from the lizard woman she had noticed when she arrived. Her eyes darted over to survey her briefly before she sat, giving the creature a puzzled look. She didn't hide her puzzlement as she knew some responded best to openness versus secrecy. She felt a rather odd sensation when she looked at her, almost as if something was a bit off. All these thoughts, however, merely took a flash of a moment in her mind as she had been in the process of sitting down. Now, rather, Dureena commented matter-of-factly in answer to the dark skinned woman,

"Oh I think you'll find my services most useful ..." Dureena knew her answer was rather vague and she thrilled at the thought. She would have added more mystery to it but the man was now speaking to her.

"Read this, sign it, and then we'll talk."

He was rather stern and abrupt. A man who has his priorities... Impressive, Dureena thought to herself. She gave the apparent man-in-charge another winning, friendly smile.

"If you say so. I must say though, that contraption is rather ingenious," she commented, eyeing it with a curious look. She pulled the paper toward her reading through it quickly and making note of any possible loopholes. Then she signed, her calligraphic handwriting flowing smoothly and elegantly across the paper. When she was finished she regarded the signature astutely before sliding both pen and paper back toward the man. She gave him an appraising look as she did so. Hmmm, must be a military man she noted to herself, conscious of the way he moved and spoke. He is most definitely not a politician and judging by the guard I saw outside ... A general or captain perhaps? She smiled again as she listened to the remainder of his monetary offer he had started on while she was signing the contract. Money? she thought, mentally laughing. She had little use for money but it was clear to her that the others seem to think it important. All the more reason to get this started, she thought. Drawing attention to herself again she asked eagerly,

"So where's that little contract keeper of yours?" She looked expectantly at him. "I'm sure everyone here would like to get underway as soon as possible. Don't you agree?"

[Anonymous]

"Very soon in fact, I'd like to relocate my belongings before anything should happen. Being on the fringes of town will not be a good idea in the long run. I also need to stock up on a few select items should time permit."

She wanted her tools close at hand. She'd have enough money now to find decent lodgings within the city as well as enough left over to go out and purchase some items she would need down the road, items that the guard and her new found co-workers may need as well, such as masks and ointments for any "accidents" that may occur. She did not want to be held responsible for anything that happened to one of the others should they slip up and get in her way.

She shifted uneasily in her seat, obviously growing more and more anxious as time passed. When was this group meeting? Time must be on their side. No surprises. Who here would be with her on this particular assignment? She hated having to be the one to speak up.

Shifting forward slightly, she let her eyes dance from each person in the room before she spoke. Her patience was beginning to wear thin.

"Well, are we all working together on this particular group of mages or not?"

[Alalia Morrigan]

Alalia knew from the moment the new woman emerged that there was something strange about her. She supposed it was her animal instinct, and it had never let her down before. The growl of the dragoness told her she was not the only one with such an opinion, and she met her like-minded "companion's" gaze without moving her head, signaling that she agreed with merely a look. However, her only noticeable reaction was the involuntary curling of the corner of her upper lip, exposing a fanged eyetooth.

When the man started talking again, the cat-girl resumed tapping her fingers, which had frozen when the woman entered. She was careful not to stare at her, but the pleasant smile made her skin crawl. If she had been completely cat, her back would have been arched and her fur would have been standing on end.

Alalia had been in the business long enough to know that no one truly pleasant did this sort of dirty work. The smile was a facade, it had to be, and she wished she could guess at what thoughts were hidden behind it.

At the comment about wishing to get underway, the cat-girl slowly emerged from her thoughts, careful not to jump or looked startled. She merely nodded her agreement. However, at the mention of working together, she frowned. She normally worked alone, but she also realized that by signing the contract, she was a tool. The idea was not strange to her; as an assassin, she was basically a murderer for hire. If her employer wished for her to work with others, she would. But she wouldn't like it.

[Camulous Smithson]

Camulous placed a drop of blood beside Durrena's name as he'd done with the others', and slide the paper back to her for the fingerprint. Had he been any other man, he might have reacted to her her smiles as if they were some sort of come-on. She was, after all, an attractive woman, and he was a relatively young man, but that was not his way. He was married to his job, and no woman would ever toy with that.

He withdrew some small pouches full of coins and tossed one at each of the ladies. The first part of the payment, as promised. He didn't answer the question about the contract keeper, it was something for him to know and them never to find out.

"You do not have long to prepare. The meeting is tomorrow evening, so get your personal business done tonight and meet back here, in this room, when you're ready. Do not go to my office in the guard headquarters. I don't know what kind of spies these mages have, which is why I'm hiring you instead of tackling this with my whole guard. The men I'll be giving you can be trusted, but trust noone else. Tell nobody. If you need to contact me, the man upstairs at the door can get me the message, but I'll be with you when the time comes."

He pulled the paper back from Dureena when she was done with it, and set it beside the others for the blood to dry. She may have liked the contraption, but he hated. Hated everything that involved magic, especially when there was blood involved.

"That's all the information I have. Work with what you know, and meet me here tomorrow. You're dismissed..."

Then, looking at Ebony, he added. "Except for you. I want to talk to you."

[Anonymous]

Blah, blah, blah. More words and wasted time. What a mess. She caught the pouch without thinking, sniffing at the contents to determine the value without even opening it. She knew what money was and what it was for, that much was clear to even her deranged mind. He continued speaking in some vein for filled with unimportant instructions, instructions that she promptly ignored, before sealing the last contract.

"That's all the information I have. Work with what you know, and meet me here tomorrow. You're dismissed..." Then the human turned to look at her, steel in his eyes. "Except for you. I want to talk to you."

She murred, rolling her tongue in her maw for a time as the others filed out. It was an inquisitive sound, filled with her own growing curiosity of the already curious situation. For once her boredom was alleviated and for that she was grateful. But what business could he have with her that required privacy? For this question, along with dozens of others that swarmed in her head, she stayed in her corner, claws ready to tear him apart if need be.

[Anonymous]

Exactly the words she had been waiting to her. She reached out and retrieved the pouch. The weight seemed right, however she would recount it later when time permitted. She stood and while slipping the pouch into a hidden pocket of her coat, she spoke softly.

"Ladies..."

Excusing herself from the table without much fanfare, she nodded to the captain as she took her leave. Tomorrow then. Plenty of time to prepare. She wondered what the deal was with the lizard woman, and even more so, she wondered what kind of business the captain had for her that the others would not be allowed to be a part of. Her mind was racing as she left, she ignored the stone faced guard at the entrance and headed upward to the dank tavern above. She will go to the Inn and find a room there before venturing out to gather her things under cover of darkness.