Hunting the Gurtha Maten --The Hunt--

Vistalzidar watched the huntress leave without a word before turning back to Njord as he produced the parchment with his sketch. He handed it to the large man.
"They're ugly bastards," Vistalzidar quipped as Njord unfolded the parchment. "One can only see them clearly under the light of the moon. Which will be advantageous to our party, for I am in my element during the night."
Vistalzidar retireved his blade as Njord handed it back whilst still looking at the picture. "That sketch is highly detailed as you can see," Vistalzidar said. "Study it well, for it could come in handy to remember their structure. But study it at a later date, for I need your help with something this night."
Njord glanced up from the sketch with a quizzical brow raised. Vistalzidar smiled and held up a finger telling him to wait and turned to Istalindir.
"My young elven friend, why dont you go make yourself comfortable in the city, or do whatever it is you want to do...I need to discuss business with our new friend here.
Istalindir nodded silently, already guessing that they would speak about Vistalzidar's shadowy profession and kicked his mount into motion, heading for into the bustle on the city streets.
Vistalzidar turned back to Njord. "You have shed your blood for me, therefor I can entrust you with information that usuall never circulates beyond my sect. From this day forward, you can consider yourself an honoury member of a Drow assassins guild."
"Tonight, I have to make a hit, and it is the perfect time for your first hit. It will be challenging, for sure, but I'm sure a big boy like yourself can handle it. Tonight, my friend, we kill the Vice Regent, who happens to be here in Mardonin this very day and will be for the next week."
Vistalzidar stopped to judge Njord's reaction to his target, but the big man kept his face neutral, giving away nothing.
"I can't tell you why, for I don't even know myself, but it is essential to my master that this man dies. Keep in mind one thing, Njord...once you begin this game, there is no turning back. Understood?"

Veleanith made her way through a series of twists and turns throughout the shadier parts of the village, working her way towards the core of the city. In truth, she wasn't sure just exactly where she was going, but she figured she might as well try to find the place on her own before resorting to questioning.

'And it's doubtful I could just walk into a pub and ask for directions to the man's house that I was supposedly going to kill. Although...' She leaned out over a corner, looking down a sidewalk for civilians. '...If I'm obviously not the assassin after him, then who the hell is...?'

She stood in thought for two seconds before slapping her hand on her forehead, her eyes scrunched up. "Silver hair, who else? Not unless other dark assassin's are wandering the province, it has to be him, no? Interesting...possibly we may meet again..."

A smile shone across her face, her eyes glowing deviously. She shook away her thoughts, pounding her fist lightly against the dew covered dark brick like building. "Enough of that, focus, Vele..." She scanned the windows of the buildings nearby, looking for something of hers that might stand out.

"Wait a minute," She narrowed her eyes, cautiously stepping from the alleyway to get a good look at something that had caught her interest. Or to be more precise, someone. It was the little foxboy from earlier, switching off a candle in a poor shack of a home.

Veleanith tilted her head, her eyes narrowed and her expression unreadable. She made her way to the house, sneaking in through a window and leaned her head to the little boy, his eyes closed tightly.

"Good evening," she sang in a sweet tone, the smallest hint of threat to it. The boy opened up an eye groggily. At seeing who had woken him from his slumber, his eyes popped open as he fell off the bed in a tangle of sheets. He started to head to the door but Veleanith beat him, closing it before he could open it an inch. "Don't run...it's fun when they do but please, don't." she said, her eyes shining brightly with her smile.

The boy looked to her terrified. "Please...I...Miss...I didn't mean anything about ear-"

Veleanith scoffed. "Like hell you didn't." She looked to the boy strangely and at realizing what he was thinking let out a small laugh. She leaned down to him and gave a smile that hid her fangs. "Little boy...I did not come here to kill you. Merely to ask a question. Good will come out of it but only if you are honest. Is that clear?"

The boy nodded his head fervently. She shook her head, grasping his chin and tipping his face in her direction gently. "No nods. Clear answers. Understood?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes ma'am. Yes.' He said quickly, nodding his head as she held him.

Veleanith shrugged, taking what she could get. "Good. Now," She let go of him and rose her eyebrow. "Would you happen to know how to get to the manor where they're holding my stuff?"

"The Vice Regent's house? Yeah sure, but he's paranoid. Guards are all over the place and awfully upset about having to guard him considering the threats passed. But wait-" The boy's eyes widened. He clamped a hand over his mouth, realizing he had just warned the supposed one after his life.

Veleanith waved her hand. "I am not going to kill the man. That's not my job. I just need to get my stuff back. Dispatching the guards should be easy enough, I've done it-"

"Not those kind of guards," interrupted the boy in a muffled voice. He shook his head, unsure why he believed her, but continued on despite his misgivings. "Most of them have shadow affinity's, archers waiting in the dark. Though, they're really average in skill, cloaking is about all they can do, only revealing themselves when they're about to fire. One has light, illuminating the darkest places. He's the head of 'em all."

Veleanith grew annoyed at the news and started to examine her nails underneath the moonlight to calm her temper. "And how exactly did you hear of all this? I'm sure it's not information they willingly spread out throughout the town." She looked to the boy inquisitively.

The boy walked over to his broken down bed, sliding his feet across the floor. "Well...for starter's, I have really good hearing. And two, I'm a pickpocket," He beamed proudly, his ears perking up. "Finding out stuff along with takin 'em is all part of the trade!"

"Well, we all have to get by somehow," she shrugged. "Now as for the directions..."

The boy nodded, telling her where to go. He then looked around beneath his bed, taking out his cap from earlier and handing it to her. She looked to him with confusion. "For your hair...it's really conspicuous."

Veleanith rolled her hair up into the ratty paper-boy hat and gave a smile in surprise. "Thanks...thank you a lot," She walked over to the window. "Don't worry, I will pay you back but as for now," She whispered, holding out her left hand and sending a string of ivy towards the boy. It wrapped around his neck, a thorn pricking him. His eyes flittered and he collapsed onto the bed in a deep sleep.

She shook her head and turned back to the window. "It's best you think this all a dream." She jumped from the window, carefully back onto the sidewalk and with an expression of amusement made her way to the home of the Vice Regent.

((Dwarfdude, I hope you don't mind the little things I do wih your character, like the raising of the eyebrows and the few word answers, its just that its needed to advance my posts...you can do the same with Vistalzidar if you need to))

Vistalzidar and Njord crouched in the shadow of a building across the street from the Vice Regent's manor, watching the patrolling guards carefully.
"Some of them have an affinity to Shadow," Vistalzidar informed his companion. "They seem pretty poor though," he scoffed. "In fact, they are the lowest of lows as far as power is concerned...only one with no affinity to Shadow would have less."
"Damn!" he sword suddenly and Njord glanced at him with a quizzicle brow raised. "Light," Vistalzidar explained. "I can feel one with an affinity for light...powerful, very powerful. At least as proficient as I am with Shadow."
"You can sense all this?"
Vistalzidar nodded. "Shadow and it's opposite, Light...both are easy for me to detect." He knocked a silver arrow to his bow. "let's get this over with quickly. I don't fancy facing this Light weilder for too long, if at all."

Veleanith walked up to the side of the estate, looking up into the shadow filled rooftop of the corner's of the manor. She narrowed her eyes in close watch, leaning against a tree as the moon was revealed from behind a cloak of clouds. "Somebody's watching me..." she sang under her breath, crooning low into the tree.

She squatted down and placed her fingertips into the grass, whispering passionately before turning her gaze upwards. "Find them..." she whispered, her eyes closed in concentration. Beneath the ground, a slight shiver could be seen as a small path made it's way to the side of the house. At reaching the wall, the strand grew up against the wall, moving eerily in it's life as it reached the roof, wrapping itself around a shadow.

She let out her breath in a whisper, motioning the plant towards her. "Come to me," From the shadows, it pulled quickly, faster than most could see, dragging to her a fox-like being in adult form. He looked to her enchanted and with horror as she began to smile. "You weren't going to try and snipe me, now, were you?"

Veleanith took from him his bow and arrow as the plants held him in place, several strands wrapped tightly around his mouth. She took away his arrows and placed them onto her back before placing her chin in her hand and tilting her head. "Now what shall I do with you...? Strangle..." She held out the ivy on her right wrist, writhing about quickly in the dark. She turned to her left, the ivy moving slowly in a dance. "...or sleep?"

He widened his eyes horrified as she balanced her hands in decision. She finally sighed and whispered to her left bracelet, the ivy wrapping around his neck, pricking him, and sending him into a hallucinary dream. "Lucky you, I was in a good mood." She stripped him of his soldier's outfit, throwing it over hers, then placed the arrows over her back, the bow tightly in hand.

Veleanith stepped from the trees out onto the estate and smiled. "This will do quite nicely." She started to walk calmly along the side of the building when she noticed an archer appear from nowhere. She knew she was starting to strain herself and with reluctance, whispered into her bracelets and slid him down onto the ground into an unconscious heap.

It wasn't until she had knocked him out when she realized that it wasn't her he had been aiming for. She looked out into a shadow of a building across the street and briefly saw a hint of silver before it completely left her sight. A smile formed across her lips. "Stranger..."

[-Coughs- Got a bit ahead of me, he first part of my post is from a whiles back, the parchment post, just pretend you did anything I have you do already]

Njord took one glance at the paper, his heart leaping. He closed the parachment up immeadiatly, muttering.

"Trust me freind, I have no need to see a picture....I know that beast well enough..."

He listen to the Drow, how he spoke of the the assassins guild, ect. An honorary member? Quite. Njord did not approve of assassins, though he had done some in his lifetime. Using the dark as an ally, and killing through trickery, that was not the way of the Celtica. His people believed that only through facing your enemy, stabbing him down, seeing the blood gushing forth onto your legs, that was the only way to kill with honor. Assassins, who used the dark and killed from a distance, they had no honor. But also, Celtica believed that no matter what, one must keep his oath of honor, even if it meant doing something dispicable. So Njord nodded, agreeing.

"Indeed, lets get this done with, but let us do it through cunning, not slaughter. That is the assassins way, isnt it?"

He grinned. Njord beckoned to the dog who had barked at them earlier. It came trotting up beside his horse, and he lent down, speaking to it in a strange, rough, Nordic tongue. The dog wagged, showing understanding, and ran forth.

"Now watch and prepare..."

The dog went sniffing about, and suddenly barked, at seemingly nothing. A sudden hissing sound came fro the shawdows, and the glint of an arrowhead. A guard stepped out, shooing the dog, and Vistal let fly, piercing him right through the neck.He fell and was dragged back into shadow by the doog, to dispose of the body. [That was a rather large movement, but I didnt really feel like waiting....Sorry.] Njord dismounted, taking his spear and horse behind a nearby building. He walked towards the gate, and a few others stepped out of the shadows to meet him. He looked behind him, at Vistal, and winked. But he also noticed a female, not like the others, staring at Vistalzidar. He was slightly puzzled, but showed nothing.

Melcanin stepped beyond the gates to witness the magic used by the Nordic warrior within the animal. She raised an eyebrow as she continued to watch, the small stones entied around her neck and wrists glowed slightly, a small shimmer picked up only by her own eyes and no other. She nodded and walked slightly to the Drow, "You have made a wise choice, this Nordic man has a hidden magic that I am sure that he knows of, he will be more than usefull to the plight and the alliegence you hold with him." She turned then to look up at the man she spoke of, "I am Melcanin Rueinde'eel leader huntress of the Forrest fortresses, I am pleased to see that your mind did not cloud your souls judgement to join in our quest master of the Nords." She spoke formally to him, respecting what she had just seen and the fact that she did not know him well as yet.

OOC: I'm way far away in front of the gate...

OOC: I approached the Drow, he's with you...so yeah...you're turn 😛

She turned then to look up at the man she spoke of, "I am Melcanin Rueinde'eel leader huntress of the Forrest fortresses, I am pleased to see that your mind did not cloud your souls judgement to join in our quest master of the Nords." She spoke formally to him, respecting what she had just seen and the fact that she did not know him well as yet.

OOC: This is the part when your speaking to me, right? Well you can't be, since I'm way over yonder with the gaurds.

OOC: Ugh, you like to make my life difficult dont you? Fine then, ignore it and keep going, pretend that I only spoke to the Drow.

OOC: Just asking: How do I make your life difficult, when I've only complained, with legitimate reason, about one thing you've posted? Its not like I'm spreading rumor about you giving head to the ugliest kid in your class or anything. If you had given me a reason for the statement, I would have understood, but instead you simply said "Check again", and when you either simply were pushed to the breaking point, by god knows what, or you realized my argument was right and couldnt take it, you complain that I've made your life difficult? In what aspect, praytell? Are you so obsessive compulsive that you cant admit that you made a mistake? Or perhaps you've just had a bad day, and dont feel like talking? Either way, I'm rambling.

So, why am I making your life difficult?

😐.....I feel like a ****ing shink.....😐

OOC: Oh lol, I've just had a bad beginning to what should be a good/cheery month, despite the fact I've given up all faith in christmas and in my own luck. Ah well, no need to bring that here, just continue I really dont mind and sorry if I offended you.

OOC: Ah I see. I'm gunna stop filling the topic with junk now though.

((OOC: Hey guys soz i aint been on in a while been pretty busy but i back now but this post will only be short coz i gotta go to school, oh and dwarf boy if ya wanna chat you can go to the OOC thread, Oh and np midnite netime.))

After wiping his head Lanilor sat and thought for a while about the dream he had just had, it confuzed him. He stood up at the end of his bed then there was a knock at the door. Lailor walked over to the door.

((OOC: Soz guys gotta go now ill finsh this one up l8r.))

Vistalzidar frowned at Melcanin. "What the hell are you doing here!?" he snapped heatedly, angry that his hit had been intruded upon. He cloaked himself in shadow and left the huntress immediately, slipping over the wall of the estate, moving swiftly in case any guards heard his outburst.
"Njord!?" he whispered as he creeped along the gargantuous front lawn. Then he noticed the large warrior, dispatching several guards at once near the main guard house at the gates. Vistalzidar smiled. That should provide quite the distaction, he thought.
A flicker of movement in the corner of his eyes caught his attention, but the source of the movement was moving away from him, not towards to intercept. A flash of golden eyes in the darkness brought a broad smile to his lips.
"So, you escaped after all, stranger," he whispered into the night.
"And you shall not," rumbled a masculine voice from his left.
Vistalzidar lashed out with his Shadows instantly, clouding the guard's aim and causing the mans arrow to miss his head by the barest of margines.
Twang
Vistalzidar's silver arrow took the guard through the neck and he fell face first to the ground, gurgling in his death throws. Vistalzidar approached the dead man, rolling him over with one booted foot. Whilst human like in size and shape, the man seemed to have fox like features.
"Foxes," Vistalzidar spat, "I hate foxes."
Suddenly, a blearing ball of white light shattered the shadows around him and Vistalzidar staggered back, sheilding his eyes from the glare.
"Well, well, well...What have we here?"
A tall, dark skinned figure stepped into veiw and Vistalzidar's eyes widened as he gazed at it's lizard like facial features. "You!" Vistalzidar hissed. "You are supposed to be-
"Dead?" The lizard-man offered a lop sided grin. "Oh, the man I was is dead, make no mistake about that, Vistalzidar. But now...now I am a new man..with new powers...impressive, no?"
Two fox featured guards seized Vistalzidar from behind and held him firm as the lizard-man strode casually towards him, removing black leather gloves from slender, scaled fingers.
"I shoul have died in Garvondeir, I'll admit...I'll be damned if that silver arrow of yours didn't hurt like hell when it took me in the throat." The lizard-man exposed his neck, revealing the puncture scar. "A grand shot, even by the standard of a seven prong rank, Vistalzidar. Ah, but I see you are an eight pronged rank now," the creature commented as he counted the eight points on the star hanging from Vistalzidars necklace.
"Tulthar, your compliments are as hollow as ever, I see, you sceming bastard."
Vistalzidar eyed Tulthar's uniform and the lizard-man chuckled turning in a circle to show it off. "That's General Tulthar, Master Drow." A wicked smile split Tulthar's face. "Oh, how I have waited for this moment, Vistalzidar. Oh, how I have fantasized of putting you through the pain I went through at your expense. I shall kill you slowly, Drow, very, very slowly. I will make you pay for your mistake in not finishing me off in Garvondeir."

Veleanith watched with a hint of amusement as the 'Stranger' shot a guard through the neck and walked over to the dying man. She smirked as she turned, jumping up towards onto the rooftop. "He doesn't need my help...not now anyway,' She landed by a window and quickly opened it. With a cautious air, she stepped into the dwelling, looking around at shapes and silhouttes in the darkness.

She glanced around but to her relief and slight disappointment found noone to be in the room. She walked over to a candle and lit it to get a better view of her surroundings. The light flickered on, casting a dim orange glow on several glass showcases, each holding a weapon or a rarity of some sort.

She briskly walked around, looking through each before finally setting her eyes on a glasscase filled with a deep black cloak as a center piece, resting on it a dark bow, a crimson red rose within the center. By the side of the case stood a quiver of bows, each just waiting to be used.

Veleanith broke open the glass case with a smirk, throwing glass shards from her cloak and placing it on. She held onto her rose in her right hand, her bow in her left and started to walk away when a bright beam of light caught her eyesight from outside. She tilted her head, placing her arrows behind her back. "Curious..."

She walked over to the window and felt herself grow slightly enfuriated at the sight below her. The Drow from earlier was being tightly held behind from the back while some lizard creature, a light dying down from him, had started to approach. She shook her head to the lizard being. "Cold blooded coward."

Veleanith took an arrow from her back and swiftly took aim with her bow, managing to make a shot into the back of one guard's neck. The guard loosened his grip, falling down to the grass. The other guard started to turn, but a thick green stem had already made it's way around his neck and a sick cracking sound erupted from around the combatants. He collapsed to the ground, his head at an awkard angle.

She pulled her rose from the man's neck and smiled to the stranger. She started to speak but the lizard man, enraged at her interference, sent a bright beam of light in her direction. She raised her bow up, turning her head, and a beam of light was parried into the sky.

She let out her breath, turning her attention to the lizard man. "I don't know why you chose to aim at me..." She looked to the Drow, who had already started to take out his sword. She smiled broadly, fangs and all, her golden eyes lit up deviously. "...Though...if you had taken the time to notice your surroundings, you'd realize I'm no longer your biggest problem..."

"Indeed she is not..."

After dispatching the guards, Njord had waited behind the wall for Vistal, but had heard the scream of the guards as they went dont with arrows in their necks. He had drawn one of his swords and turned the corner, and now saw Vistalzidar drawing his sword to cut the neck of a repitilian type creature, who was speaking to a golden fanged vampire.

He had also noticed the reptile grabbing for his own sword, and didnt want to take the chance of him spining around to lop off his new-found freind's head. So, in a flash, he clicked, and the dog agauin came, launching itself upon the lizard. The thing fell to the ground, and then through the dog off him. But the drow's sword, vampire's bow, and Njord own sword were already aimed at the neck of the thing.

"...I suppose since he is your enemy, Vistalzidar, you would like the honor of slaying him? Mayhap I would have the honor of gouging out his yellow eyes before he breathes last? Or maybe this vampire shall shot the lizard through the gizzard?"

He chuckled a little at the last statement, though he had not intended it to rhyme.

((OOC: Back now peeps))

CONTINUED:

Lanilor stood up and walked to the door, He opened it "Lanilor" the maid women burst into the room. "I know what you are" She said looking at him. (she was dressed in black leather with silver blades on her legs and a silver dagger in her boot but this was all covered by a cape like Lanilors) "Ok then what am I" he said with a look of confuztion.
"A vampire like me and i know what you seek, ...... Lycans" She said.
"Im not just seeking Lycans, I am looking for my sister aswell" Lanilor said with a slight sigh. "Oh im sorry about your sister but i want to go with you werever you go" she said with a pleading look in her eye.
"No it is too dangerous" Lanilor said and went for the door.
"Please the Lycans ruined my life aswell which is why i came here" she said with a tear in her eye as she fell to her knees. Lanilor stopped and turned his head "in that case then you can come" and he walked out of the door and out of the Inn and into the street.

Lanilor waited in the street for a momment or 2 and had his hood up all the stores and shops were closing and people were going indoors and the streets were emptying. The women came out and put up her hood "thank you this really means alot to me" she said with a glare in her eye. "No problem just keep up" Lanilor said with a smile and they both walked down the main road/ dirt track and out of the town/village.

Vistalzidar unhooked a special black pouch from his belt and untied the draw string. "I have a better idea," he said and motioned to Tulthar with his free hand. "Cut off his head," Vistalzidar ordered, "and then be ready to act quickly."
Njord nodded and, ignoring Tulthar's scream, brought his blade down hard through the lizard-man's neck. The head plopped to the ground and Vistalzidar set quickly to work.
He poured a silver powder-like substance from his pouch, onto the severed neck region. "Quickly, the head!" Vistalzidar snapped hastily, not intending to sound angry, though it seemed to come out that way.
Veleanith tossed him the head and he pressed it into place on the neck, mumbling in an ancient Drow tongue as he ran his fingers lightly across the ancient script on his leather tunic.
Shadows swirled aroung the severed neck, weaving in and out of the slit fusing, mending, rebuilding and eradicating the light from within. Within a few moments, the head was completely healed back onto the body and Tulthar's eyes snapped open.
The lizard-general sat bolt upright gasping for breath and staring around in shock. Vistalzidar clicked his fingers in front of Tulthar's face to get his attention, and when the lizard-man looked him in the eyes, he gave him his orders.
"Creature of Shadow, kill the Vice Regent!"
Tulthar stood, trance like and retreived his sword. "Yes master," he drawled and trudged off towards the manor.
Vistalzidar turned to the others as they stared after Tulthar. "I had hoped to save that dust, for it is extremely rare. " He shrugged, "But I think that will save our problems. Come, let us leave before more guards come."

Veleanith raised an eyebrow, hiding an expression of awe with one of amusement as the trio made their way away from the scene. They strut into the shadows of a building not too far away and looked back out onto the scene cautiously before relaxing. It seemed the Lizard man, puppet to the shadows, was slaughtering anyone or anything in his way to the Vice Regent.

She placed her bow inside her cloak, taking the oppurtunity to throw her hood from her head and smile, sliding a strand of dark green behind her hair to blend in with the raven. She looked to Vistalzidar with her eyes lit up. "I must admit, that was quite impressive back there with the shadow magics. I've never seen it used in such a way," She scoffed, pulling the thorns of her rose from her palm and holding it out to the moonlight.

"And here I was hoping to pay you back for what you did back in Astradom and look now, you've gone and cleared my name. You and your comrade." She said with a smile, motioning towards the giant of a man that was Njord. She stretched her hands upwards as she started to talk in a whisper. "And now I wonder what my next course of action should be? Go back to the dungeon..." She held her hands behind her head, invisible chains holding her. "Pretend to have been there the whole time? No...I don't like being in chains much unless it's of my consent..." She lowered her gaze to Vistalzidar with a near suggestive glance as she moved her hands back to her side.

At seeing his expression, she shook her head with a smirk. "I kid, I kid. I don't know of what your agenda consists of in this town..." She turned to Njord. "Or you. But I do know I have something to acquire before I make my way from this place. Hopefully this won't be our last meeting." She chuckled, turning her head as she started to walk away.

"We'll all probably end up meeting up during some battle-royale in a nearby town. Trouble loves company," She turned around halfway and gave a small wave of her hand. "See you, Giant." She hesitated, then placed two fingers to her lips before blowing a kiss in Vistalzidar's direction. "See you, Stranger..." she said in barely a whisper as she swiftly made her way from the scene.