@spiral origin

"Strange," the winged she-thing spoke strangely "I have...oh I have Twizzlers? Is that what its called?"

"What are you talking about!?" Fiddles turns to the stranger in robes, confused and annoyed.

@spiral origin

Black shrugged at walked down the corridor.

"Hey where are you going!?" Fiddles follows after the robed stranger.

@spiral origin

"You know I'm not quite sure" I say opening a set of large oak doors.

Fiddles flies through the doorway and looks around the huge room that looks like some sort of natural temple. "This definitely isn't the mall." She continues to look and float around, exploring the place. "Hey weren't there some others that went into the portal before us? I wonder where they went."

( this thread seems like it’s dead but I’m just gonna… )
Aiza pulled her cloak around her shoulders, trying her best to make her footsteps as silent as possible. The teenager paused when she saw the other two creatures. She seemed as if questioning whether she was hallucinating, as she basically was frozen in place.

@aia2022

*Hippity hoppity! This thread is now my property!~*

Lurking in the shadows behind Aiza, Ashana's crimson lips curled into the most pleasant smirk upon view of the girl, who she assumed by her simple choice of clothing would be an easy mark.

Silently, the woman clad in black leathers sauntered closer the young girl. ~"My my, what a cute face you have, my dear."~. She whispered in a smooth, sultry tone. Suddenly, a sharp, glinting dagger was brought to Aiza's frail neck, Ashana seizing her firmly from behind.

~"It's too bad I might have to carve it up."~ She snickered in the girl's ear. ~"Okay, sweetie. I think you know how this little game is played. I want your money, not your life, but if you try anything silly, I'll take both. It would be a shame to kill a charming young girl as you before getting to know you better."~. Ashana mused pleasantly, pushing the blade an inch closer into Aiza's flesh.

~"So what's it going to be?"~

Aiza was taken aback when she was grabbed from behind. Out of all the years she had spent stealing and hiding in the shadows just to survive, she could of never imagined being held at such a thin thread between life or death because of such a matter as money.

At least, she thought to herself, she had watched this sort of thing happen before.

With quick and agile movements, Aiza raised her hand to try to snap the mystery person’s wrist, dropping down on the floor and sweeping her leg to attempt and knock them off their feet.

(I’m sorry if this is a bit too op- aaaa)
@Kiragan_Natsuki

@aia2022 (Nah, you're cool.)

What a surprise it was to Ashana to see her prey move so quickly, first snatching her by the wrist in an attempt to break it then sweeping her leg into Ashana's to try and trip her. However, Ashana herself was swift to counter such. As the girl's leg swept into hers, the woman allowed herself to be taken by it, but in one fluid motion, she flipped over backwards using the momentum to twist her wrist free of the young girl's grasp, effortlessly landing on her feet with such poise.

~"Adorable and crafty, aren't you?"~ She smirked beneath the dark shadows of her hooded shawl, only revealed to her mark her crimson lips and a small glimpse of her petite nose. ~"I must say, girl. I had you pegged as some lowly peasant, but it seems there is more to you than meets the eye. That said..."~ Once more she raised the tip of her dagger towards the girl's face, catching a glint of the sun upon its silver sheen. Ashana resumed, a devilish grin parting her lips, ~"I still intend to rob you. So are we going to do this the easy way, sweetheart? Or will I have to kill you for it?"~

@Kiragan_Natsuki

She had to admit, this seemed a lot easier when she was the spectator. Then again, this stranger seemed stronger than most of thieves she had encountered.

As much as she wanted to win this fight she had somehow gotten herself into, Aiza took in a frustrated breath and put her hands up in the air. ”Look, lady, I don’t know who or what you even are, but I don’t have any money on me. You either find someone else to rob or we can fight.”

Whatever the capabilities of this person, atleast she could be able to come out alive one way or another.

And the necromancer just shrugged

@aia2022

Ashana frowned as the girl held up her hands in surrender, claiming to the woman she had nary a coin to her name. At least that's what she wanted Ashana to believe. Nevertheless, Ashana accepted her surrender with a disappointed sigh, flourishing her dagger before sheathing it in her belt. ~"A shame."~ She muttered. ~"Fortunately for you, my dear, I'm in no mood to fight. I was hoping you would be an easy target, but seeing how you don't have anything worth pilfering, I suppose I'll move on to the next unlucky soul."~

Her smile returned slightly however, a subtle curving of her lips as she resumed, ~"That said, you do have a charming face. Perhaps our paths shall cross again on more...peaceful terms."~ With that, Ashana gave a soft curtsey, not intending to mock the girl but out of respect. ~"I bid you ado, my adorable lady. Farewell."~ The Black Rose then sprung off her heels, leaping onto the nearby rooftop of the cobblestone house and taking off in a dead sprint across said roof. Perhaps she would see this young beauty again. Only time would tell.

Besides, she didn't quite catch the girl's name...

---

@Dark Cloud

Elsewhere, a female figure garbed in white robes eyed the necromancer from far away. Her sapphire eyes gleamed with disdain, her petite nose curling upwards in a show of disgust. The wretched soul, she could practically smell the corruption seeping from his every pore, the rotting stench of carrion flesh and graveyard soil. How dare he defile the corpses of the resting dead. She had to fight all intentions of drawing the silver and gold hilted sword resting against her bare, unarmored thigh and ending the cretin's life in one fell swoop. "Defiler." She hissed under her breath, the words she spoke as sharp as her blade. "Debaser and defiler. Gods have pity on your wretched soul, for I shall have none."

Ever closely and ever vigilantly she continued to watch him, just waiting for the opportune moment to strike and rain down the judgment of the divines upon him.

He was by no means what one might expect a wizard of his caliber would look like, the necromancer was a young boyishly handsome lad. Just of the age of adulthood and at the top of his practice as taboo as it was, yet he never was one to follow the norm. Yet he rarely animated corpses lest he could find a willing subject thus he wandered unawares of the holy sisterhood had assigned their inquisitor to watch him.

Aiza found this a bit unexpected. Whether that lady meant with her curtsy, she found it a bit unnerving.

Nevertheless, she had survived and she merely made a bit of a shrugging motion, turning to leave with her cloak swishing behind her. A small jingling of gold coins could be heard as she walked off, a grin forming on her face. She had survived, and she hadn't even lost a single penny in doing so.

"Way to go, me."

@Dark Cloud@aia2022

Mirielle resumed tailing the necromancer, making sure to keep a good distance between them so as not to arouse suspicion. All the while, she was waiting for him to slip up, one little showing of his vile power to justify her plunging her purified blade through his blackened heart. Her gauntleted hand remained at rest upon the hilt, her firm, condescending glare like an arrow towards the back of his head. The Holy Order despised many who delved into the depths of darkness, witches, summoners, even just simple mages, but high in disdain did they hold necromancers, for their perverse magicks sullied the natural order of life and death.

Nary a necromancer had ever survived an altercation with the Order's inquisitors.

---

Meanwhile, Ashana had reached her destination, a small perching roof overlooking the cobblestone street where earlier she had her acquaintance with the young girl, the one who practically tricked the veteran thief out of an easy score. While disappointed she didn't make off with her coins, Ashana had to admit she was impressed. So was the man who eventually joined her on the rooftop.

~"You're late."~ She simply said to him as she resumed eyeing the young beauty from afar.

The hooded figure chuckled in reply, a dashing smirk forming across his pale lips, "Punctuality has never been part of our profession, lass." From beneath the dark of his hood, his shimmering, almost wolfen yellow eyes peered down on the street, intently following their mark as she blissfully wandered unaware of the pair stalking her from afar. "I still find it amusing she persuaded you not to steal her coin." He tittered. "You always fall for the pretty ones, don't you Ashana?"

~"Oh shut your gob, Cassius."~ Ashana muttered rolling her eyes, her pale cheeks glowing a warmer shade of red beneath her own dark cowl. ~"She is pretty, but that's beside the point. I think she would make a fine addition to our little family."~

"Aye, I agree." Nodded Cassius. "But she still has to prove her worth before I welcome her in. I'll make the introduction. In the meantime, I have a job for you."

~"The usual breaking and entering?"~ Ashana purred with an eager smile to her face.

Cassius shook his head, his tone grave as he answered, "I'm afraid not today, lass. I need your other talents unfortunately. It's those damn Blackhorns again. One of ours got their throat slit. I want you to send them a message loud and clear."

Ashana sighed disappointed, her lips curling downward into a more grim expression, ~"You know I hate getting my blade dirty, Cassius, but so be it. Who is the target?"~

"Sheamus. Holgeir Blackhorn's bastard son." Cassius replied, a sharp hint of anger to his voice. "Kill him. Send a message to Holgeir this is our city."

~"Fine."~ Said Ashana. ~"But you owe me one."~

(ooooh, I can smell the plots forming oh my god)

Aiza continued walking within the shadows, keeping herself concealed in it's safety it offered her. With much difficultly, she made her way towards a village where she assumed her next wealthy target lived. The teenager glared at the sun still in the sky, before she reached her destination and pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders once again, blending into the crowd to go search for an opening for an easy pickpocket.

@aia2022

While Ashana hurried off to do that little job for him, Cassius followed their soon to be initiate out past the city gates and towards the much smaller hamlet. As per usual of the master thief, he blended seamlessly into the shadows cast by houses, trees and shrubs with nary a sound given. It wasn't long he made it to the village, just mere moments before the young girl graced him with her presence.

Casually, with his hood drawn over his head, he leaned against the wooden gate with his arms crossed, tilting his head upwards slightly as the young girl tarried through, unaware of the man eyeing her intently until he spoke in a charming manner, "Quite a bit of coin you're carrying on you, eh lass?"

A grin crossing his face, he softly nudged himself off the wall into a standing position, a glint of his yellow eyes the only thing appearing from the darkness of his shadowed cowl. "And the best part is you tricked our little rose out of it." Rather pleased the man chuckled, once more an image of Ashana's disappointed face flashing in his mind. She would get over it...at least Cassius hoped. After a brief bout of laughter, he resumed his more serious composure, "I think you have what it takes, lass. However, you'll need to do more than just trick one of our master thieves out of a purse full of gold. Another test if you will." A slight bow towards her, he held out his hand. "Care to oblige me, lass?"

@Kiragan_Natsuki

Aiza was startled when the man suddenly and appeared out of the fence as if he was a part of the wood itself. She scowled at him, pulling her cloak somehow ever tighter around her shoulders while fumbling with the fastener and connecting the fabric. Despite the face she was making, she listened to the mysterious stranger’s words as he spoke.

Aiza seemed to absorb what he had just said for a bit, seemingly lost in thought as she stared at the dirt weighing out the pros and cons of joining somebody who practically just appeared out of the gate. She took another step back and stared him straight in the eyes. “First of all, what the fuck?” she asked rather rudely, not even trying to sound atleast one bit polite and eyeing his outstretched hand as if it was something absolutely disgusting. Her own hand shifted to her other pocket, which concealed a particularly small and blunt dagger which had seen better days. If she needed a distraction to make a run for it, a stab anywhere in the chest would give her enough time despite how ridiculously unable it was to even poke through an apple’s skin.

(i have no idea what's going on but seems dead so just posting for fun...)

The gesture of Fanon's hand indicated to his son, Felian, what he needed from him. Fanon had a signal for nearly everything — one signifying the importance of silence, one representing the imperativeness of haste, and another for initiating a kill. Ever since the death of his wife, words were a scarcity for the elder dark elf, but he expressed himself and maintained a relationship with his son through gesticulation. And right now he needed for Felian to be very quiet.

Felian instantly crouched. Another step of wading through the foliage would have alerted their prey. One hand gripped his bow tightly while the other hovered over his quiver, his fingers brushing against the nock of an arrow. A fletching tickled the side of his hand, but he stilled his breath and ignored the itch. The twitch of Fanon's fingers implied that Felian needed to advance—cautiously.

A dry layer of leaves coated the ground, making each step a dangerous risk and the difference between a hearty dinner or another night of cabbage stew. Felian silently pressed through, reaching the edge of the treeline where he could see the target. It was a large elk eating the lengthy grass it stood upon, unaware and alone.

Felian looked to his father one last time, his hand gesture indicated that it was his call from here on out. He aimed and then loosed the arrow, striking the animal directly where intended, its' heart. The elk fell and died before the birds in the area would even notice, as they all swarmed out of the trees and off through the valley. A clean kill.

By mid day they had returned to town. Carting the carcass of the elk, Fanon pointed toward the butcher shop. "Your kill, sell the meat and skins," Fanon told his son.

"What will you do, father?" Felian asked.

"I need a drink," Fanon said. He tapped his son on the shoulder and walked toward the town's tavern. It was a lively town, settlers and gatherers roaming the streets, thriving from hard working folk of all areas. Fanon noticed there were no guardsmen of any king as he walked down the wide, dirt path. It was a neutral place, a place of new beginnings and forgotten stories.

The half elven hunter walked into the tavern, and it was just as busy as the outside. People singing and dancing near a bard, others playing card games in a corner, and just people moving from here to there. The bar was lined to each end with customers, all loud and seemingly having a good time. Fanon edged his way between some men and ordered a drink. The busy bartender poured a hard whiskey and took his coin, giving Fanon a nod while moving on to the next patron.

Drink in hand, Fanon turned and just stood near a wooden beam that helped hold this establishment together. He had a successful hunt with his son and now could enjoy the rest of the day. Nothing could go wrong, nothing at all. He sipped his whiskey and leaned against the beam, just simply watching all that was going on around him.