What a wonderful city this was, so different from the desolated desert island he was born. Ziven didn't think his fortune could have turned out better. For years he had struggled to survive and now finally, as he wandered the streets of Britain, it seemed that things would become much easier for him.
He was born an orphan, raised by a merchant who took mercy upon him. Years he learned the craft of alchemy from this merchant and more importantly, the mixing of ingredients to craft potent poisons. He had never come to consider this man his father, as he had been abusing Ziven from a young age and kept telling him that he was not his son, for such a worthless piece of shit could never have come from his loins.
Then one day, when young Ziven was still a child, a band of pirates sacked the village he was living in and abducted him, along with many other children. He became more or less a slave to the pirates, working on their ship to scrub the decks and serve the pirate captain on his every wish.
When he became older though, they started training him in the art of fencing. Every now and then, they would allow him to come along when they boarded a merchant ship. It became quickly obvious he had a talent for fighting and killing so they started giving him other assignments. How he had loved those assignments!
In those years they used him as an assasin to take out merchants who had escaped their raids and who were able to identify them. Then as the years passed, his assignments became harder and bolder until one day, he was assigned to kill a knight of the Order of Law. Ziven, though he was confident of his prowess as an assasin, did't like the idea of killing an enforcer of the law. They would gang together and not rest until they found the assasin who managed to accomplish such a feat.
So the moment they landed him on the shores near the capital city, he hid from his pirate masters. He would not return to them. No longer would he serve them. He would start to serve himself for a change. In this city, the riches were for the taking. Wealthy merchants wandered the streets, their pockets filled with valuables. They were easy targets for skilled Ziven. But why limit himself to only one city, while there was a whole new world ripe for the taking?
Ziven laughed out loud, almost hysterically, drawing the stares of the people nearby. They frowned at him and he knew they must consider him a loon. He decided to allow them their frowns and their thoughts, for they had no idea what plans he had for them. Oh how he would enjoy smelling their fear once he had his weapon resting on their necks. He laughed again in eager anticipation.
Riches for the taking
Moderator: RP Moderators
Re: Riches for the taking
He was lying on the treebranch as comfortably as possible, half sleeping and half alert. His hat lowered to cover his eyes from light of dawn. Several people had passed by his tree, but none of them had seemed very promising targets. He would wait there patiently, in his tree on the road to Britain.
About an hour later, he heard the sound of horsehooves clattering on the stones and he raised his hat to peek underneath it. A woman wearing a dress in earthly colors was approaching. Even from this distance, his trained eyes saw that she was a beauty. He pulled himself up using a higher branch and waited a bit longer.
Aye she was beautiful indeed. He decided to make an appearance and dropped himself, catching the branch he had been sleeping on, then released himself and dropped to a lower branch again. He caught it again and swung entirely around it, releasing at the right moment and landed flawlessly on his feet in the middle of the road.
The woman was startled, but she didn't seem overly concerned. She did lower one of her hands on her hip where she probably had a concealed weapon of some kind.
Ziven took off his hat and galantly bowed his head. He said, "fair lady, I beg you, what might a humble man do to gain the favor of a beautiful lady such as yourself?"
The woman didn't reply immediately but scanned the surroundings, probably to see if she was being ambushed. "Move aside, I have business in the city," she said.
"Oh but I will, but first I must insist you answer my question," he said.
"You might gain my favor by letting me pass," she said.
Ziven feigned dissappointment and said, "Your words are like arrows, stinging my heart, fair lady. I had my hopes set upon a quiet walk along the beach."
The woman laughed and said, "we have just met. What kind of a lady would I be if I went on a stroll with just any random man, jumping down from a tree as if he's some kind of monkey?"
Ziven laughed loudly and said, "wisely spoken, miss..."
"Lilo is my name," She said and she dismounted her steed slowly, never taking an eye off Ziven.
"Lilo," Ziven repeated, trying the sound of it. "What a sweet name, as sweet as the scent of the ocean on a warm summerday."
Ziven grabbed a handful of dirt from the floor and rubbed it on his hands while he said, "Please, indulge my rudeness for yet a moment longer." He drew two daggers then and slowly approached Lilo.
Lilo drew a sceptor from the belt on her hip and assumed a defensive stance. "What are you about?" She asked.
Ziven smiled and said, "Forgive me but I couldn't help but notice the beautiful necklace and earrings you are wearing and I was hoping to have a closer look."
"One more step and the only thing you'll be having a closer look at is the sharp end of my sceptor!"
Ziven stepped back, pretending to be hurt and said, "Ouch! Touchee, my lady. There be no need for senseless violence and bloodshed, I assure you. If you would just allow me a small donation for keeping this here road safe for travelling for beautiful women like yourself, I will be on my way."
The woman looked at Ziven angrilly, but her expression slowly changed and she seemed to calm down. "You are new in these parts, aren't you?"
"Why yes! I arrived in these parts only recently. I escaped horrors you cannot imagine with only the clothes on my back and these here two little daggers to call my own."
Lilo smiled then and replaced her sceptor in her belt. She removed her necklace and earrings and gave them to Ziven. "Here. It will buy you food and warmth for a month. Take it and be off, but heed my warning. The Order of Law doesn't take kindly to highwaymen."
"Highwaymen? Oh now you offend me, dear lady. I am but a honorable man working to make ends meet. I mean no harm to anybody."
"I know your kind. You can pretend all you want but I see you for what you are. It doesn't matter, I am doing this out of kindness and in the hope you will find an honest job. If we meet again on this road, in the same circumstances, it will not end the same way," she promised.
Ziven smiled and bowed his head again and said, "My thanks, fair lady. Until next time then."
The woman shook her head and mounted her steed again, riding off to the city, not looking back.
Ziven decided he liked this Lilo and he was hoping they would indeed meet again and indeed it would not end in the same way. He laughed out loud again, but there was nobody nearby to hear it.
http://www.knoechel.dk/pangaea/viewtopi ... 579#p51579
About an hour later, he heard the sound of horsehooves clattering on the stones and he raised his hat to peek underneath it. A woman wearing a dress in earthly colors was approaching. Even from this distance, his trained eyes saw that she was a beauty. He pulled himself up using a higher branch and waited a bit longer.
Aye she was beautiful indeed. He decided to make an appearance and dropped himself, catching the branch he had been sleeping on, then released himself and dropped to a lower branch again. He caught it again and swung entirely around it, releasing at the right moment and landed flawlessly on his feet in the middle of the road.
The woman was startled, but she didn't seem overly concerned. She did lower one of her hands on her hip where she probably had a concealed weapon of some kind.
Ziven took off his hat and galantly bowed his head. He said, "fair lady, I beg you, what might a humble man do to gain the favor of a beautiful lady such as yourself?"
The woman didn't reply immediately but scanned the surroundings, probably to see if she was being ambushed. "Move aside, I have business in the city," she said.
"Oh but I will, but first I must insist you answer my question," he said.
"You might gain my favor by letting me pass," she said.
Ziven feigned dissappointment and said, "Your words are like arrows, stinging my heart, fair lady. I had my hopes set upon a quiet walk along the beach."
The woman laughed and said, "we have just met. What kind of a lady would I be if I went on a stroll with just any random man, jumping down from a tree as if he's some kind of monkey?"
Ziven laughed loudly and said, "wisely spoken, miss..."
"Lilo is my name," She said and she dismounted her steed slowly, never taking an eye off Ziven.
"Lilo," Ziven repeated, trying the sound of it. "What a sweet name, as sweet as the scent of the ocean on a warm summerday."
Ziven grabbed a handful of dirt from the floor and rubbed it on his hands while he said, "Please, indulge my rudeness for yet a moment longer." He drew two daggers then and slowly approached Lilo.
Lilo drew a sceptor from the belt on her hip and assumed a defensive stance. "What are you about?" She asked.
Ziven smiled and said, "Forgive me but I couldn't help but notice the beautiful necklace and earrings you are wearing and I was hoping to have a closer look."
"One more step and the only thing you'll be having a closer look at is the sharp end of my sceptor!"
Ziven stepped back, pretending to be hurt and said, "Ouch! Touchee, my lady. There be no need for senseless violence and bloodshed, I assure you. If you would just allow me a small donation for keeping this here road safe for travelling for beautiful women like yourself, I will be on my way."
The woman looked at Ziven angrilly, but her expression slowly changed and she seemed to calm down. "You are new in these parts, aren't you?"
"Why yes! I arrived in these parts only recently. I escaped horrors you cannot imagine with only the clothes on my back and these here two little daggers to call my own."
Lilo smiled then and replaced her sceptor in her belt. She removed her necklace and earrings and gave them to Ziven. "Here. It will buy you food and warmth for a month. Take it and be off, but heed my warning. The Order of Law doesn't take kindly to highwaymen."
"Highwaymen? Oh now you offend me, dear lady. I am but a honorable man working to make ends meet. I mean no harm to anybody."
"I know your kind. You can pretend all you want but I see you for what you are. It doesn't matter, I am doing this out of kindness and in the hope you will find an honest job. If we meet again on this road, in the same circumstances, it will not end the same way," she promised.
Ziven smiled and bowed his head again and said, "My thanks, fair lady. Until next time then."
The woman shook her head and mounted her steed again, riding off to the city, not looking back.
Ziven decided he liked this Lilo and he was hoping they would indeed meet again and indeed it would not end in the same way. He laughed out loud again, but there was nobody nearby to hear it.
http://www.knoechel.dk/pangaea/viewtopi ... 579#p51579
Re: Riches for the taking
On the deck of a filthy ship, a man wearing a tricorne hat was shouting commands to his crew. Each one of them were at least as filthy as the deck they walked on. Most of them were missing something, either an eye, some teeth or a limb or two. The men went to work hastilly, fearing the wrath of their captain. Satisfied that they would at least pretend to be working for the next hour or so, the captain went back into his cabin, which was also the only cabin on the ship. He always enjoyed the contrast of his luxurious cabin, filled with riches and kept clean by his personall servant Grizzol.
He took a seat behind his desk and slammed his fist on it. "That blasted, ugly, backstabbin son of a landlubber Ziven! He should have been back by now," he said.
"Calm down cap'n, no need ta be shoutin. He be back as always," Grizzol said.
Grizzol was a short man. He had long, gray dirty hair but on the top of his head he had none at all. One of his eyes was always partly shut while the other was wide open. His teeth resembled a chessboard with brownish and yellow chesspieces instead of white ones. He had a limp walk, the result of a fight in his younger days. At least he was dressed nicely all the time, curtosy of his captain who wouldn't allow his personal servant to be dressed as a beggar.
"No, this time it be different, mate," the captain said. "He won't be comin back this time, I can just feel it in me bones."
Grizzol went to fetch a bottle of rum, opened it and took a sip from it. "Aaah, this 'ere be ta good stuff, cap'n," he said, and he placed the bottle on the desk gesturing for his captain to drink.
The captain slapped the bottle away and eyed Grizzol dangerously. He said, "This be no time fer drinkin! It be time for huntin down a traitor! Go tell the men. Tell em ta find Ziven and bring 'im back alive ta me feet 'ere."
"Aye cap'n!" Grizzol said while he made a poor attempt to salute.
"And warn 'em, if they be scratchin 'im, I be hanging whoever did it!"
Jeremiah Mavey, scourge of the seas, wiped his forehead. He had spent too much time training Ziven to just let him go his own way now. Ziven still had years of service ahead of him, if it was up to him.
The captain of the Bloody Rose decided it was time to call a favor from an old friend of his. He took his quill and started writing.
Dear S,
There be some business we need ta be discussin.
Meet me at our usual spot tomorro' midnight.
Regards,
J.
With that he took a pigeon from it's cage and attached the note to it's paw. He opened a porthole and shoved the animal through it. "Off with ye! Find me good old friend Skrin, will ya?"
http://www.knoechel.dk/pangaea/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6499
He took a seat behind his desk and slammed his fist on it. "That blasted, ugly, backstabbin son of a landlubber Ziven! He should have been back by now," he said.
"Calm down cap'n, no need ta be shoutin. He be back as always," Grizzol said.
Grizzol was a short man. He had long, gray dirty hair but on the top of his head he had none at all. One of his eyes was always partly shut while the other was wide open. His teeth resembled a chessboard with brownish and yellow chesspieces instead of white ones. He had a limp walk, the result of a fight in his younger days. At least he was dressed nicely all the time, curtosy of his captain who wouldn't allow his personal servant to be dressed as a beggar.
"No, this time it be different, mate," the captain said. "He won't be comin back this time, I can just feel it in me bones."
Grizzol went to fetch a bottle of rum, opened it and took a sip from it. "Aaah, this 'ere be ta good stuff, cap'n," he said, and he placed the bottle on the desk gesturing for his captain to drink.
The captain slapped the bottle away and eyed Grizzol dangerously. He said, "This be no time fer drinkin! It be time for huntin down a traitor! Go tell the men. Tell em ta find Ziven and bring 'im back alive ta me feet 'ere."
"Aye cap'n!" Grizzol said while he made a poor attempt to salute.
"And warn 'em, if they be scratchin 'im, I be hanging whoever did it!"
Jeremiah Mavey, scourge of the seas, wiped his forehead. He had spent too much time training Ziven to just let him go his own way now. Ziven still had years of service ahead of him, if it was up to him.
The captain of the Bloody Rose decided it was time to call a favor from an old friend of his. He took his quill and started writing.
Dear S,
There be some business we need ta be discussin.
Meet me at our usual spot tomorro' midnight.
Regards,
J.
With that he took a pigeon from it's cage and attached the note to it's paw. He opened a porthole and shoved the animal through it. "Off with ye! Find me good old friend Skrin, will ya?"
http://www.knoechel.dk/pangaea/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6499
Re: Riches for the taking
Grizzol learned at a very young age that he would never be a strong man. He had always been a lowlife and a thief, always siding with the winners. He was the kind of man that would have sold his own sister if she had been worth anything. So much for blood relatives. He didn't care for his sister and he never knew his parents. His sister had raised him, or well, she had tried to raise him. She failed. On the Bloody Rose, he considered the sea dogs his true family, but he would trust them as far as he could throw them. But he would always do exactly as the captain ordered.
One time he had seen a man disobey Captain Jeremiah. What happened to that man wasn't a pleasant sight. Not a pleasant sight at all, no sir. Grizzol was a coward but he was a smart coward and he would serve his captain till the day he died or until he found a stronger master that would keep him safe.
The captain had left the ship to meet with one of his contacts on the mainland. He hadn't told Grizzol who it was. He never did. It was time to relay the orders the captain had given him. He rubbed his hands in eager anticipation to what the captain would do to Ziven once they had caught him. Grizzol had never liked Ziven. Ziven who would always make Grizzol look dumb to others. Ziven who had a way with words.
The moment Grizzol stepped on the deck, he realised something was wrong. The deck guards weren't anywhere to be seen, and the newly captured children should have still been scrubbing the deck. He looked around and was about to head back below decks to warn the rest of the crew, when he was grabbed from behind. A hand pulled his left arm behind his back and kept it there, while a dagger was pointed at his neck.
"Where is the boy?" a voice behind him said.
Sweat of fear poured down his forehead when Grizzol said, "Wh...What boy are ye speakin of?"
The voice said, "the young assasin! You know who I mean!" The voice sounded angry.
"I don't know what yer babblin 'bout!" He was in trouble and decided to try and bluff his way out. He said, "Do ye know who I am? I be Grizzol, first mate of ta Bloody Rose! Right hand of Captain Jeremiah Mavey, Scourge of the seas!"
The dagger was removed from his throat, and Grizzol started to smile, thinking his bluff had succeeded. But before poor Grizzol could make a move, he felt a horribly painful sting in the hand that was still being held behind his back. He was cut in his hand! The agony! "Ziven! Ziven is ta one yer lookin fer! But 'e ran away!" Grizzol shouted. It was at that moment that he noticed the corpses of the crew, scattered around the deck. So many of them, dead!
The voice said, "Where?"
Grizzol was fighting the tears to no avail. He said, "I don't know! He went ta Britain on an assignment but 'e never returned. The Cap'n ordered us ta find 'im ourselves. Nobody betrays the Cap'n!"
"Alright alright, mister Grizzol. Just in time someone told me what I wanted to hear. Now, I heard you have been a naughty man on the sea, considering you are ruining the young fishermen. For that, I cannot afford you being around anymore."
Grizzol's eyes opened wide in horror, realizing what was to come. A moment later he felt something sting in his back. It felt like a harmless little sting, but shortly after it, he started feeling a coldness of the likes he had never felt before and it was spreading for the origin of the sting through his entire body. He was barely conscious when suddenly the deck seemed to be approaching his face. Somehow the lights went off then and shortly after that he saw his entire life flash before him in a matter of seconds. Then there was nothing but eternal darkness clouding his vision. His eyes would never open again to witness the one who had killed him so effectively and totally.
One time he had seen a man disobey Captain Jeremiah. What happened to that man wasn't a pleasant sight. Not a pleasant sight at all, no sir. Grizzol was a coward but he was a smart coward and he would serve his captain till the day he died or until he found a stronger master that would keep him safe.
The captain had left the ship to meet with one of his contacts on the mainland. He hadn't told Grizzol who it was. He never did. It was time to relay the orders the captain had given him. He rubbed his hands in eager anticipation to what the captain would do to Ziven once they had caught him. Grizzol had never liked Ziven. Ziven who would always make Grizzol look dumb to others. Ziven who had a way with words.
The moment Grizzol stepped on the deck, he realised something was wrong. The deck guards weren't anywhere to be seen, and the newly captured children should have still been scrubbing the deck. He looked around and was about to head back below decks to warn the rest of the crew, when he was grabbed from behind. A hand pulled his left arm behind his back and kept it there, while a dagger was pointed at his neck.
"Where is the boy?" a voice behind him said.
Sweat of fear poured down his forehead when Grizzol said, "Wh...What boy are ye speakin of?"
The voice said, "the young assasin! You know who I mean!" The voice sounded angry.
"I don't know what yer babblin 'bout!" He was in trouble and decided to try and bluff his way out. He said, "Do ye know who I am? I be Grizzol, first mate of ta Bloody Rose! Right hand of Captain Jeremiah Mavey, Scourge of the seas!"
The dagger was removed from his throat, and Grizzol started to smile, thinking his bluff had succeeded. But before poor Grizzol could make a move, he felt a horribly painful sting in the hand that was still being held behind his back. He was cut in his hand! The agony! "Ziven! Ziven is ta one yer lookin fer! But 'e ran away!" Grizzol shouted. It was at that moment that he noticed the corpses of the crew, scattered around the deck. So many of them, dead!
The voice said, "Where?"
Grizzol was fighting the tears to no avail. He said, "I don't know! He went ta Britain on an assignment but 'e never returned. The Cap'n ordered us ta find 'im ourselves. Nobody betrays the Cap'n!"
"Alright alright, mister Grizzol. Just in time someone told me what I wanted to hear. Now, I heard you have been a naughty man on the sea, considering you are ruining the young fishermen. For that, I cannot afford you being around anymore."
Grizzol's eyes opened wide in horror, realizing what was to come. A moment later he felt something sting in his back. It felt like a harmless little sting, but shortly after it, he started feeling a coldness of the likes he had never felt before and it was spreading for the origin of the sting through his entire body. He was barely conscious when suddenly the deck seemed to be approaching his face. Somehow the lights went off then and shortly after that he saw his entire life flash before him in a matter of seconds. Then there was nothing but eternal darkness clouding his vision. His eyes would never open again to witness the one who had killed him so effectively and totally.
Re: Riches for the taking
It was quiet. At this time, it always was. They were all sleeping. Discipline, such a lovely concept. Jeremiah loved the discipline of the Order of Law. He could bet a fortune that he wouldn't find any of the officers in the halls at this time. They were so confident of their safety, they hadn't even posted any guards. Still he used the opurtunity to hone his skills and moved from one portal to the other with unmatched stealth, using the shadows caused by the dimly lit candles to cover his movements. If anyone was watching him, they would assume him to be nothing but a ghost, or a fragment of their imagination.
He was at the doors that would lead to their meeting spot then. They weren't locked. They never were. Such a pitty. He would have enjoyed picking the locks on those doors as they were said to be the best locks ever made. At least those would have proved somewhat of a challenge. With a sigh of dissappointment, he opened the doors without making a sound and quickly scanned the room. It was empty, of course, so he moved towards the altar. Even though he should have expected it, he was startled to find Skrin sitting there, on the throne. Of course, it was the throne room of the castle in Britain, where else would he be sitting?
"Jeremiah, my friend!" Skrin said, and he didn't bother to lower his voice.
"Skrin! Good ta be seein ya, matey."
"Sit with me," Skrin said.
Jeremiah looked around, seeing no chairs to sit on. Then he chuckled and so did Skrin, for they both knew there was only one place to sit down. So Jeremiah took his seat on the holy altar of Winchester. It wasn't very comfortable, but it would do. Too bad he didn't have to fart. He chuckled again thinking about that inner joke.
"So, why did you decide to meet with me after all these years?" Skrin asked.
Jeremiah's smile disappeared then as he said, "I lost one of me assasins."
Skrin nodded and smiled then and said, "Would that assasin happen to be a boy named Ziven?"
Jeremiah's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he quickly gathered his wits and said, "I should have known ye would be findin out 'bout 'im sooner or later. Was hopin it ta be later."
"You should know me better than that by now, old friend. There is not much going on in this world that escapes my attention," Skrin said, as he winked to Jeremiah mischievously.
Jeremiah nodded and said, "Then ye must be knowin his whereabouts?"
Skrin shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I was assuming the boy would have returned to the Bloody Rose by now, after assasinating that lawman."
Jeremiah was truly surprised now and said, "How did ya find out 'bout that? Do I have a rat amongst me crew?"
Skrin was silent for a while then slowly started to smile as he said, "Not anymore."
Jeremiah stared at Skrin for a bit, realizing the old crook had probably used one of his trademark legendary methods of 'gaining' information on one of the crewmen to gain the information. This action alone would have been a death warrant to anyone else but Skrin.
"The lawman is dead though, yet it wasn't Ziven who can claim the kill," Skrin continued.
Jeremiah frowned. Ziven's betrayal went deep, so it seemed. "I have ta be findin that boy, Skrin. He is the best assasin I've had in years. He might even be the better of yerself!"
Skrin frowned then and said, "the boy is good, I'll admit that, but he still has much to learn."
Jeremiah carefully regarded Skrin's face then and he saw something he hadn't noticed before. "Ye want ta boy ta be workin fer you!" He blurted.
Skrin smiled and simply said, "Yes."
Jeremiah looked to the floor then and said, "ye could have just asked me," his voice resigned.
"Ye would have said no."
Jeremiah looked up then, to look Skrin in the eyes. He nodded then. "Aye I would have said no. I have worked me arse off ta train that boy. I'd sooner be givin up the Bloody Rose!"
"Well you don't have to worry about Ziven anymore now. And speaking of your ship, you should be worrying about getting a new crew," Skrin said deadly seriously.
"What da ya mean?"
"I've sent one of my boys to fetch Ziven."
Jeremiah stared at Skrin for a while and nodded. He knew that any assasin sent by Skrin wouldn't have left any witnesses. He also knew that none of his crew would be a match for Skrins assasins. "Well damn!" Jeremiah blurted in utter frustration. "I can't be lookin fer a new crew 'ere in Britain, mate. I be a wanted man 'ere!"
"Then go elsewhere. Your ship is still there. I will give you a few of my men to help ya sail it. They'll return to me once you got a new crew. Consider this a favor for an old friend and former leader of our organisation."
Jeremiah was angry and he didn't try to hide it, yet he also knew that if Skrin had wanted him dead, he would have died along with his crew this very night. He knew that Skrin had used this meeting as the perfect time to send out someone to look for Ziven, without endangering Jeremiah. "Thank ya, mate."
Skrin smiled then and nodded. He said, "Is there any chance you'd consider rejoining us? It's a shame you've been away from us all these years. You have missed so much fun! There is still room for you in Birds of Prey, my friend. You need but ask."
Jeremiah considered the offer for a moment, then he shook his head. "Ta waves are callin fer this old seadog. I just don't feel right on land, mate."
Skrin nodded, expecting the answer and said, "If you ever change your mind, know that you will always be welcome."
Jeremiah smiled then and farted loudly just before getting off the altar. "Been buildin up that fart since I got 'ere."
They both laughed loudly, until they heard a voice calling, "Halt! Who goes there?"
It seemed one of the law officers had finally awakened and had come to check on the noise in the throne room. Jeremiah looked knowingly at Skrin and Skrin looked back, both an eager and mischievous glare in their eyes. "Like old times?" Jeremiah asked.
"Like old times," Skrin agreed.
They both jumped behind the curtains and sneaked out, a full minute before the law officer even entered the throne room.
He was at the doors that would lead to their meeting spot then. They weren't locked. They never were. Such a pitty. He would have enjoyed picking the locks on those doors as they were said to be the best locks ever made. At least those would have proved somewhat of a challenge. With a sigh of dissappointment, he opened the doors without making a sound and quickly scanned the room. It was empty, of course, so he moved towards the altar. Even though he should have expected it, he was startled to find Skrin sitting there, on the throne. Of course, it was the throne room of the castle in Britain, where else would he be sitting?
"Jeremiah, my friend!" Skrin said, and he didn't bother to lower his voice.
"Skrin! Good ta be seein ya, matey."
"Sit with me," Skrin said.
Jeremiah looked around, seeing no chairs to sit on. Then he chuckled and so did Skrin, for they both knew there was only one place to sit down. So Jeremiah took his seat on the holy altar of Winchester. It wasn't very comfortable, but it would do. Too bad he didn't have to fart. He chuckled again thinking about that inner joke.
"So, why did you decide to meet with me after all these years?" Skrin asked.
Jeremiah's smile disappeared then as he said, "I lost one of me assasins."
Skrin nodded and smiled then and said, "Would that assasin happen to be a boy named Ziven?"
Jeremiah's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he quickly gathered his wits and said, "I should have known ye would be findin out 'bout 'im sooner or later. Was hopin it ta be later."
"You should know me better than that by now, old friend. There is not much going on in this world that escapes my attention," Skrin said, as he winked to Jeremiah mischievously.
Jeremiah nodded and said, "Then ye must be knowin his whereabouts?"
Skrin shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, I was assuming the boy would have returned to the Bloody Rose by now, after assasinating that lawman."
Jeremiah was truly surprised now and said, "How did ya find out 'bout that? Do I have a rat amongst me crew?"
Skrin was silent for a while then slowly started to smile as he said, "Not anymore."
Jeremiah stared at Skrin for a bit, realizing the old crook had probably used one of his trademark legendary methods of 'gaining' information on one of the crewmen to gain the information. This action alone would have been a death warrant to anyone else but Skrin.
"The lawman is dead though, yet it wasn't Ziven who can claim the kill," Skrin continued.
Jeremiah frowned. Ziven's betrayal went deep, so it seemed. "I have ta be findin that boy, Skrin. He is the best assasin I've had in years. He might even be the better of yerself!"
Skrin frowned then and said, "the boy is good, I'll admit that, but he still has much to learn."
Jeremiah carefully regarded Skrin's face then and he saw something he hadn't noticed before. "Ye want ta boy ta be workin fer you!" He blurted.
Skrin smiled and simply said, "Yes."
Jeremiah looked to the floor then and said, "ye could have just asked me," his voice resigned.
"Ye would have said no."
Jeremiah looked up then, to look Skrin in the eyes. He nodded then. "Aye I would have said no. I have worked me arse off ta train that boy. I'd sooner be givin up the Bloody Rose!"
"Well you don't have to worry about Ziven anymore now. And speaking of your ship, you should be worrying about getting a new crew," Skrin said deadly seriously.
"What da ya mean?"
"I've sent one of my boys to fetch Ziven."
Jeremiah stared at Skrin for a while and nodded. He knew that any assasin sent by Skrin wouldn't have left any witnesses. He also knew that none of his crew would be a match for Skrins assasins. "Well damn!" Jeremiah blurted in utter frustration. "I can't be lookin fer a new crew 'ere in Britain, mate. I be a wanted man 'ere!"
"Then go elsewhere. Your ship is still there. I will give you a few of my men to help ya sail it. They'll return to me once you got a new crew. Consider this a favor for an old friend and former leader of our organisation."
Jeremiah was angry and he didn't try to hide it, yet he also knew that if Skrin had wanted him dead, he would have died along with his crew this very night. He knew that Skrin had used this meeting as the perfect time to send out someone to look for Ziven, without endangering Jeremiah. "Thank ya, mate."
Skrin smiled then and nodded. He said, "Is there any chance you'd consider rejoining us? It's a shame you've been away from us all these years. You have missed so much fun! There is still room for you in Birds of Prey, my friend. You need but ask."
Jeremiah considered the offer for a moment, then he shook his head. "Ta waves are callin fer this old seadog. I just don't feel right on land, mate."
Skrin nodded, expecting the answer and said, "If you ever change your mind, know that you will always be welcome."
Jeremiah smiled then and farted loudly just before getting off the altar. "Been buildin up that fart since I got 'ere."
They both laughed loudly, until they heard a voice calling, "Halt! Who goes there?"
It seemed one of the law officers had finally awakened and had come to check on the noise in the throne room. Jeremiah looked knowingly at Skrin and Skrin looked back, both an eager and mischievous glare in their eyes. "Like old times?" Jeremiah asked.
"Like old times," Skrin agreed.
They both jumped behind the curtains and sneaked out, a full minute before the law officer even entered the throne room.
Re: Riches for the taking
A few weeks had passed and Ziven couldn't stop thinking about Lilo. He had always been a ladies man. Every time he had left the pirate ship for an assasination assignment, he had managed to find some time to spend with a lady of his choice, usually the wife or daughter of his intended target. Though he had also spent many hours in the brothels of the lands. Yet the love he found there was often equal to the amount of coins in his purse. At least it was a convenient love, as the whores wouldn't cry and chase him when he left them. But this Lilo, she had something about her. She was a lady of character. She was a true lady, not one of the whores he visited. Not even a merchant wife or daughter. She had a certain stature about her. She was one worthy of Ziven's attention, but he sincerely doubted he was worthy of hers. He decided that wheter he was worthy or not, he would seek her out someday, and find out. But today wasn't that day.
He went out to his familiar spot just outside the city and climbed the tree that had been his hideout for the last few weeks since he arrived here. He didn't have to wait long this time. A man wielding a crossbow came riding out of town. He dropped from the tree, landing in the middle of the road, blocking the rider's path.
"Out of my way," the rider called.
"Good day to thee, sire," Ziven said, and he took off his hat and bowed his head slightly.
"What do you want?"
"A moment of your time, if you please," Ziven said.
The rider's tone suddenly changed a bit as he said, "sure, what can I help you with?"
Ziven considered that change of tone for a moment and he decided to talk to this man for a while longer. "What is your name, brave warrior?"
"I'm Momath," the rider said.
"Well met Momath. I am Ziven. Are you any good with that?" Ziven said, as he pointed to the crossbow.
Momath smiled and said, "I am good enough to shoot a fly off your nose."
Ziven chuckled and said, "for some reason, I believe you. I wish to see you in action."
"That can be arranged. How about we go and slay some critters in the swamps? Do you have a mount?"
Ziven shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, life has been unkind to me. I cannot afford such a beautiful beast to carry me and my burdens."
"Ah that's alright. Follow me to the city, I'll stable my horse and we go to the swamps on foot."
So they made their way to the city to stable the horse and then they went to the woods just outside the city again, this time both on foot. Momath turned out to be a good tracker and he had some skill in fencing as well. They hunted down many animals and took their hides. Then they reached the swamps and started hunting down the many smelly creatures there. They worked their weapons in symphony and had cleared the place of creatures soon after, gathering many resources from them they could sell to the merchants in the city.
Ziven started wondering if this was a better way to gain wealth. Maybe he didn't have to play the part of the honest warrior, defending the roads in return for a little toll anymore.
"Well this place is all clear now for a while. It will be a matter of time for new creatures to appear. This swamp is an everlasting pit of filth and monsters are attracted to it. Shall we go to the dungeon Despise? It's not too far from here."
Ziven nodded and followed Momath to the dungeon. In the small mountain pass on their way there they encountered a man wearing a close helmet. He was chopping bits of stone from the rocks nearby and examining them. "Excuse me," the man called as soon as he saw Ziven and Momath approach. "Do you know Tilla?"
Ziven looked to Momath and Momath looked to Ziven. They both said, "No," at the same time.
"Ah that's too bad," the strange man said, as he continued chopping on rocks with a small tool Ziven didn't recognise.
"Can we help you with something?" Ziven heard himself say to his own surprise.
The strange man paused and regarded Ziven again, as if he saw him for the first time. He said, "Haven't I seen you before? Do you know Tilla?"
Ziven looked to Momath again and Momath waved his finger in front of his forehead, crossing his eyes. "No we don't know this Tilla you are speaking of."
Then they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching. A man fully armored and armed with a nasty looking spear regarded them from on his steed and looked at the strange man finally when he said, "are these two bothering you?"
The strange man shook his head and said, "no they are not."
The rider nodded then and looked at Ziven and Momath and said, "If I ever hear you bother this man, I will kill you."
"It is not our intention to bother anyone. We were just passing by and met this man here."
The rider shrugged and rode off.
The strange man turned his head then without another word and continued chipping the rocks again.
Ziven decided it was time to leave and gestured to Momath to come along when he walked away.
"Now that was weird," Momath said to Ziven as soon as they were out of the strange man's hearing reach.
Ziven chuckled and said, "he must have been hit in the head one time too often."
They both laughed a bit but then Momath said, "No I actually meant that rider. Did you see his armor and his weapon? He looked dangerous."
"Danger is everywhere, my friend," Ziven said, realising again how close he had come to robbing Momath the moment they met earlier that day.
They continued to the dungeon without further incident and spent a few hours slaying all the lizardmen and ratmen they could find, gathering their loot and cutting their hides and then the time had come to return to the city. Ziven now considered Momath a friend and at this point he felt truly sorry that he had even considered robbing him. They went to the inn and had a few drinks together, then they called it a day and retired in their rented inn rooms.
He went out to his familiar spot just outside the city and climbed the tree that had been his hideout for the last few weeks since he arrived here. He didn't have to wait long this time. A man wielding a crossbow came riding out of town. He dropped from the tree, landing in the middle of the road, blocking the rider's path.
"Out of my way," the rider called.
"Good day to thee, sire," Ziven said, and he took off his hat and bowed his head slightly.
"What do you want?"
"A moment of your time, if you please," Ziven said.
The rider's tone suddenly changed a bit as he said, "sure, what can I help you with?"
Ziven considered that change of tone for a moment and he decided to talk to this man for a while longer. "What is your name, brave warrior?"
"I'm Momath," the rider said.
"Well met Momath. I am Ziven. Are you any good with that?" Ziven said, as he pointed to the crossbow.
Momath smiled and said, "I am good enough to shoot a fly off your nose."
Ziven chuckled and said, "for some reason, I believe you. I wish to see you in action."
"That can be arranged. How about we go and slay some critters in the swamps? Do you have a mount?"
Ziven shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, life has been unkind to me. I cannot afford such a beautiful beast to carry me and my burdens."
"Ah that's alright. Follow me to the city, I'll stable my horse and we go to the swamps on foot."
So they made their way to the city to stable the horse and then they went to the woods just outside the city again, this time both on foot. Momath turned out to be a good tracker and he had some skill in fencing as well. They hunted down many animals and took their hides. Then they reached the swamps and started hunting down the many smelly creatures there. They worked their weapons in symphony and had cleared the place of creatures soon after, gathering many resources from them they could sell to the merchants in the city.
Ziven started wondering if this was a better way to gain wealth. Maybe he didn't have to play the part of the honest warrior, defending the roads in return for a little toll anymore.
"Well this place is all clear now for a while. It will be a matter of time for new creatures to appear. This swamp is an everlasting pit of filth and monsters are attracted to it. Shall we go to the dungeon Despise? It's not too far from here."
Ziven nodded and followed Momath to the dungeon. In the small mountain pass on their way there they encountered a man wearing a close helmet. He was chopping bits of stone from the rocks nearby and examining them. "Excuse me," the man called as soon as he saw Ziven and Momath approach. "Do you know Tilla?"
Ziven looked to Momath and Momath looked to Ziven. They both said, "No," at the same time.
"Ah that's too bad," the strange man said, as he continued chopping on rocks with a small tool Ziven didn't recognise.
"Can we help you with something?" Ziven heard himself say to his own surprise.
The strange man paused and regarded Ziven again, as if he saw him for the first time. He said, "Haven't I seen you before? Do you know Tilla?"
Ziven looked to Momath again and Momath waved his finger in front of his forehead, crossing his eyes. "No we don't know this Tilla you are speaking of."
Then they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching. A man fully armored and armed with a nasty looking spear regarded them from on his steed and looked at the strange man finally when he said, "are these two bothering you?"
The strange man shook his head and said, "no they are not."
The rider nodded then and looked at Ziven and Momath and said, "If I ever hear you bother this man, I will kill you."
"It is not our intention to bother anyone. We were just passing by and met this man here."
The rider shrugged and rode off.
The strange man turned his head then without another word and continued chipping the rocks again.
Ziven decided it was time to leave and gestured to Momath to come along when he walked away.
"Now that was weird," Momath said to Ziven as soon as they were out of the strange man's hearing reach.
Ziven chuckled and said, "he must have been hit in the head one time too often."
They both laughed a bit but then Momath said, "No I actually meant that rider. Did you see his armor and his weapon? He looked dangerous."
"Danger is everywhere, my friend," Ziven said, realising again how close he had come to robbing Momath the moment they met earlier that day.
They continued to the dungeon without further incident and spent a few hours slaying all the lizardmen and ratmen they could find, gathering their loot and cutting their hides and then the time had come to return to the city. Ziven now considered Momath a friend and at this point he felt truly sorry that he had even considered robbing him. They went to the inn and had a few drinks together, then they called it a day and retired in their rented inn rooms.
Re: Riches for the taking
The next day he woke up with a throbbing headache. Had he really been drinking that much? He never did that. Being drunk clouded his senses. His discipline and training had not allowed it at all. Captain Jeremiah, his mentor, had always told him, "it's better ta pretend ta be a bloody drunk than ta actually drink yerself ta waste, lad." How he wished he had taken that advice last night. He managed to rise up from his bed a bit and shook his head to clear the throbbing. The shaking didn't help and actually made his head hurt more. Then he sensed something out of place. He smelled the air and then he knew he wasn't alone in his room. He opened his eyes and immediately was drawn to a shadow in the corner of his room.
"Reveal yourself!" Ziven said.
A hooded man took a calm step forward and regarded Ziven without saying a word. Ziven had already reached under his bed to retrieve his daggers, but they weren't there.
"Looking for these?" the man asked, waving his daggers in front of him.
"Who are you?" Ziven asked.
"I am Gomez. You will come with me. There is someone you need to listen to," he said.
Ziven instinctively understood this man to be dangerous and said, "why should I do such a thing, sir Gomez?"
"Because you have no choice," Gomez stated with a calm face.
Ziven nodded. He was unarmed and even though he didn't need weapons to fight, he somehow knew he wouldn't have a chance against this Gomez. "I will accept your proposal, sir Gomez."
"Good, now get dressed and meet me at the fields outside town," Gomez said, and he threw the daggers back to Ziven, allowing him to catch them. Then he left the room and closed the door.
Ziven considered the words of this Gomez for a moment and even considered making a run for it, but where would he run to? Gomez seemed very confident and that must have been for a good reason. He had to study this man and his possible allies before he made a move. He knew too little about this situation to take any risks by escaping. Ziven also realised that Gomez was aware that he was cornered. So he dressed himself and headed for the fields just outside town.
He crossed the bridge and passed the last guard station of the city of Britain, along the road that passed by the large keep and passed the stables. All was quiet and serene and the sun was shining brightly. There was not a single cloud in the skies, yet Ziven's thoughts were dark. What was he walking into? A trap? He discarded that idea. If they meant to trap him in order to kill him, he would be lying dead in his inn bed now, he knew that much. No this was somthing else. As always, Ziven's curiousity was his main driving force.
He saw the first fields and stopped for a moment. He searched his surroundings but couldn't find any tracks. There were no suspicious sounds. There was nothing. So he continued to the cotton field. The moment he stepped onto the soil, three men appeared from the bushes nearby. Impossible! He would have noticed their tracks and their sounds! Utterly amazed that three people had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing, he regarded the men.
One of them was Gomez, of course. The other was wielding a wooden staff and wearing leathers. He didn't seem very strong nor agile, but his eyes were intelligent indeed. The other was possibly the most intimidating man he had ever met, aside from Jeremiah Mavey. His eyes seemed like infinite pools of coldness. They seemed to notice everything. He felt as if all his secrets were laid bare to this man's thoughts. He wasn't overly strongly built, but there was an aura about him. An aura of power.
"Aaah Ziven, glad you could make it," the man said casually. Ziven tried to respond but the man interrupted him, "before I answer your questions, which I'm sure you have many, hear me out, would ya?"
Ziven nodded.
"I know all about you, Ziven. I know you are an assasin. I know you fleed from your ship and your captain. I know your captain is Jeremiah Mavey and I also know you were sent to kill an officer of the Law," the man continued.
Ziven stared at the man. How did he know all that? Ziven didn't know what to say so he remained silent.
"I know you are living in this beautiful city as a beggar, a poor man. You have no friends, you have no power and you have no respect."
Ziven thought about Momath then, his new friend. But he met him only yesterday. Could he truly be considered a friend? So he nodded again, impressed by the knowledge this man had.
"I have a proposal for you. Work for me and not only will you have wealth, power and respect beyond your wildest dreams, but Captain Jeremiah will not send any assasins after you ever again."
"You don't know Captain Jeremiah, he will not rest until he has me back at his side," Ziven declared.
The man started laughing then and said, "oh but I do. In fact, 'Captain' Jeremiah used to be my business partner and on many ocasions he still is."
Ziven absorbed that information for a while and then said, "you are Skrin Dagda, are you not?"
Skrin clapped his hands and said, "congratulations! Jeremiah wasn't kidding about you. You are smart indeed!" With that Skrin looked at the scrawny man wielding the staff and the man chanted, "Vas Rel por"
Shortly after that, a blue portal opened and Skrin said, "Follow me, if you would?" and he walked through the portal and dissappeared from sight.
Ziven had no choice but to follow him, as Gomez and the scrawny man who had turned out to be a mage, were still there with him. He stepped through the portal and appeared in front of a small shack in the middle of what seemed a swamp.
Skrin was waiting for him there and gestured for him to follow, as he entered the shack. As Ziven took a step forward, Gomez appeared from the portal and then the mage, who chanted some other words Ziven couldn't hear and a stone wall appeared in front of the portal.
When they were all inside the shack, Skrin said, "Welcome to our swamp headquarters."
Ziven looked around the shabby shack and wasn't impressed. "I had assumed the legendary Skrin Dagda to be living in nothing less than a palace by now," he said.
Skrin laughed then and said, "we are working on that, my friend."
Ziven couldn't help but smile. He realized that he actually liked Skrin. Jeremiah had told him many tales of Skrin and their exploits. He had never thought to ever meet him personally though, yet here he was, standing in one of his headquarters talking to the man himself.
"Now, will you accept my generous offer, dear Ziven?"
Ziven didn't have to think twice. "Yes Skrin, I will accept your offer and I am honored to be working with you."
"For me," Skrin corrected him. "You will be working 'for' me, not 'with' me. If you prove to be as good as Jeremiah claims, it will not take long until you will be working 'with' me. Be patient, young assasin."
Ziven was somewhat annoyed that he found himself working for someone yet again and he really didn't like being called 'young assasin', but he had to admit he was very young compared to this legendary man. Besides, working for Skrin might just turn out to be a good thing for Ziven. "Alright, when do I start?"
"Hah! I love it! You are eager already. But patience is a virtue. First you must learn some of our basic strategies."
They discussed strategies for hours, Ziven pointing out potential flaws and Skrin tempering his overeagerness a bit. Ziven learned the names of all the other associates and also the name of the organisation he was joining.
"Now you may call yourself a Bird of Prey, Ziven. You will be known as the Vulture."
Ziven nodded and said, "I will wear that title with pride, Skrin."
"Find yourself a steed outside. Let's see what you are made of," Skrin said.
There were many steeds outside, tied to various trees and poles. His eyes fell on a particularly energetic llama and he decided he would claim that steed as his own. "I will name you Mavey, after my old mentor."
Skrin approved of his choice and said, "Mount up and let's ride!"
And so the Birds of Prey rode out of their swamps to patrol the lands and make sure that no single person would ever become too rich.
"Reveal yourself!" Ziven said.
A hooded man took a calm step forward and regarded Ziven without saying a word. Ziven had already reached under his bed to retrieve his daggers, but they weren't there.
"Looking for these?" the man asked, waving his daggers in front of him.
"Who are you?" Ziven asked.
"I am Gomez. You will come with me. There is someone you need to listen to," he said.
Ziven instinctively understood this man to be dangerous and said, "why should I do such a thing, sir Gomez?"
"Because you have no choice," Gomez stated with a calm face.
Ziven nodded. He was unarmed and even though he didn't need weapons to fight, he somehow knew he wouldn't have a chance against this Gomez. "I will accept your proposal, sir Gomez."
"Good, now get dressed and meet me at the fields outside town," Gomez said, and he threw the daggers back to Ziven, allowing him to catch them. Then he left the room and closed the door.
Ziven considered the words of this Gomez for a moment and even considered making a run for it, but where would he run to? Gomez seemed very confident and that must have been for a good reason. He had to study this man and his possible allies before he made a move. He knew too little about this situation to take any risks by escaping. Ziven also realised that Gomez was aware that he was cornered. So he dressed himself and headed for the fields just outside town.
He crossed the bridge and passed the last guard station of the city of Britain, along the road that passed by the large keep and passed the stables. All was quiet and serene and the sun was shining brightly. There was not a single cloud in the skies, yet Ziven's thoughts were dark. What was he walking into? A trap? He discarded that idea. If they meant to trap him in order to kill him, he would be lying dead in his inn bed now, he knew that much. No this was somthing else. As always, Ziven's curiousity was his main driving force.
He saw the first fields and stopped for a moment. He searched his surroundings but couldn't find any tracks. There were no suspicious sounds. There was nothing. So he continued to the cotton field. The moment he stepped onto the soil, three men appeared from the bushes nearby. Impossible! He would have noticed their tracks and their sounds! Utterly amazed that three people had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing, he regarded the men.
One of them was Gomez, of course. The other was wielding a wooden staff and wearing leathers. He didn't seem very strong nor agile, but his eyes were intelligent indeed. The other was possibly the most intimidating man he had ever met, aside from Jeremiah Mavey. His eyes seemed like infinite pools of coldness. They seemed to notice everything. He felt as if all his secrets were laid bare to this man's thoughts. He wasn't overly strongly built, but there was an aura about him. An aura of power.
"Aaah Ziven, glad you could make it," the man said casually. Ziven tried to respond but the man interrupted him, "before I answer your questions, which I'm sure you have many, hear me out, would ya?"
Ziven nodded.
"I know all about you, Ziven. I know you are an assasin. I know you fleed from your ship and your captain. I know your captain is Jeremiah Mavey and I also know you were sent to kill an officer of the Law," the man continued.
Ziven stared at the man. How did he know all that? Ziven didn't know what to say so he remained silent.
"I know you are living in this beautiful city as a beggar, a poor man. You have no friends, you have no power and you have no respect."
Ziven thought about Momath then, his new friend. But he met him only yesterday. Could he truly be considered a friend? So he nodded again, impressed by the knowledge this man had.
"I have a proposal for you. Work for me and not only will you have wealth, power and respect beyond your wildest dreams, but Captain Jeremiah will not send any assasins after you ever again."
"You don't know Captain Jeremiah, he will not rest until he has me back at his side," Ziven declared.
The man started laughing then and said, "oh but I do. In fact, 'Captain' Jeremiah used to be my business partner and on many ocasions he still is."
Ziven absorbed that information for a while and then said, "you are Skrin Dagda, are you not?"
Skrin clapped his hands and said, "congratulations! Jeremiah wasn't kidding about you. You are smart indeed!" With that Skrin looked at the scrawny man wielding the staff and the man chanted, "Vas Rel por"
Shortly after that, a blue portal opened and Skrin said, "Follow me, if you would?" and he walked through the portal and dissappeared from sight.
Ziven had no choice but to follow him, as Gomez and the scrawny man who had turned out to be a mage, were still there with him. He stepped through the portal and appeared in front of a small shack in the middle of what seemed a swamp.
Skrin was waiting for him there and gestured for him to follow, as he entered the shack. As Ziven took a step forward, Gomez appeared from the portal and then the mage, who chanted some other words Ziven couldn't hear and a stone wall appeared in front of the portal.
When they were all inside the shack, Skrin said, "Welcome to our swamp headquarters."
Ziven looked around the shabby shack and wasn't impressed. "I had assumed the legendary Skrin Dagda to be living in nothing less than a palace by now," he said.
Skrin laughed then and said, "we are working on that, my friend."
Ziven couldn't help but smile. He realized that he actually liked Skrin. Jeremiah had told him many tales of Skrin and their exploits. He had never thought to ever meet him personally though, yet here he was, standing in one of his headquarters talking to the man himself.
"Now, will you accept my generous offer, dear Ziven?"
Ziven didn't have to think twice. "Yes Skrin, I will accept your offer and I am honored to be working with you."
"For me," Skrin corrected him. "You will be working 'for' me, not 'with' me. If you prove to be as good as Jeremiah claims, it will not take long until you will be working 'with' me. Be patient, young assasin."
Ziven was somewhat annoyed that he found himself working for someone yet again and he really didn't like being called 'young assasin', but he had to admit he was very young compared to this legendary man. Besides, working for Skrin might just turn out to be a good thing for Ziven. "Alright, when do I start?"
"Hah! I love it! You are eager already. But patience is a virtue. First you must learn some of our basic strategies."
They discussed strategies for hours, Ziven pointing out potential flaws and Skrin tempering his overeagerness a bit. Ziven learned the names of all the other associates and also the name of the organisation he was joining.
"Now you may call yourself a Bird of Prey, Ziven. You will be known as the Vulture."
Ziven nodded and said, "I will wear that title with pride, Skrin."
"Find yourself a steed outside. Let's see what you are made of," Skrin said.
There were many steeds outside, tied to various trees and poles. His eyes fell on a particularly energetic llama and he decided he would claim that steed as his own. "I will name you Mavey, after my old mentor."
Skrin approved of his choice and said, "Mount up and let's ride!"
And so the Birds of Prey rode out of their swamps to patrol the lands and make sure that no single person would ever become too rich.
Last edited by Aznar on Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Riches for the taking
The last few weeks had been the best weeks of his life. Ziven had found his home and his purpose. Skrin was now his new mentor, his example. There was nothing the Birds couldn't achieve under his guidance.
Only a few weeks ago, Ziven considered himself to be free. He had been having some marginal success at requesting tolls near the road to Britain, without having to actually kill anyone. He had gotten gold and jewelry and thought himself a rich man. How naive he had been. Skrin and his Birds would roam the lands for a few hours and make as much money as Ziven had made during his entire time in Britain before he had joined their ranks.
Soon after he had joined, Skrin had shown trust in him by assigning a few men under his command. He had been taking them out ocasionally, at times when he wasn't patrolling with Skrin, and he had been having great success. There had been situations where he had considered himself and his associates doomed, but merely the mention of Skrins name would give them free passage. So this was what power was all about, Ziven thought.
During the many 'meetings' with high profile people such as high priests and guildmasters, he noticed the horrible fear in their eyes when talking to Skrin. The deals Skrin made somehow always turned out in his favor. His tongue was posessed of a special magic, or so it seemed.
They even made strikes in Britan, where the Order of Law had their headquarters and where they would be patrolling most intensively. The mage Yaen proved of unimaginable value to the Birds. He would get them to places where they otherwise couldn't even dream to go to.
Nobody was safe, nobody could escape. This is the era of the reign and high time of the Birds of Prey.
Only a few weeks ago, Ziven considered himself to be free. He had been having some marginal success at requesting tolls near the road to Britain, without having to actually kill anyone. He had gotten gold and jewelry and thought himself a rich man. How naive he had been. Skrin and his Birds would roam the lands for a few hours and make as much money as Ziven had made during his entire time in Britain before he had joined their ranks.
Soon after he had joined, Skrin had shown trust in him by assigning a few men under his command. He had been taking them out ocasionally, at times when he wasn't patrolling with Skrin, and he had been having great success. There had been situations where he had considered himself and his associates doomed, but merely the mention of Skrins name would give them free passage. So this was what power was all about, Ziven thought.
During the many 'meetings' with high profile people such as high priests and guildmasters, he noticed the horrible fear in their eyes when talking to Skrin. The deals Skrin made somehow always turned out in his favor. His tongue was posessed of a special magic, or so it seemed.
They even made strikes in Britan, where the Order of Law had their headquarters and where they would be patrolling most intensively. The mage Yaen proved of unimaginable value to the Birds. He would get them to places where they otherwise couldn't even dream to go to.
Nobody was safe, nobody could escape. This is the era of the reign and high time of the Birds of Prey.
Re: Riches for the taking
A carriage arrived at the castle gates. An important looking man wearing expensive clothes and a large wide brimmed hat with a feather on top stepped out, waiting patiently for his servants to drop a cloth on the dirty floor so he wouldn't ruin his shoes. "Out of my sight, stupid idiots," the man shouted to his servants, who walked backwards slowly, all the while bowing to him as if they were serving the king himself. The man and his entourage approached the gates, but the two guards positioned there utterly ignored them and acted like statues.
"You there," the man shouted while pointing at one of them. "Open the gates, immediately!"
None of the guards responded.
The man glared angrilly at them for a while until he said, "Do you know who I am?"
Still there was no response.
"My presence was requested by your leader, now open up."
Then a voice came from one of the guards, yet it wasn't the guard himself who spoke.
"Let him in. He is expected. In fact, let all who arrive from now on pass," the voice said.
The guard opened his backpack, took out a communication crystal and touched it as he said, "Aye sir." Then he put the crystal back and gestured to the other guard, who pulled a lever that finally opened the gate.
"The insolence!" The man blurted while he entered the castle courtyard.
Skrin replaced his binocular in a drawer and stepped away from the window. He turned around to see his friends who were becoming more and more like a family to him waiting there. Gomez, Ziven, Kane, Yaen and the others were all there. "It's time to take our seats, gentlemen. Our guests are arriving."
They went downstairs into the dining hall and took their seats. Servants brought food and drinks and in that luxury they waited.
The important man entered the hall with two of his servants. He looked at the table and his face became pale, yet he tried to hide his sudden anxiety. "Skrin, you asked me to come so here I am. What is the meaning of all this?" He gestured around the room. Beautiful paintings were set on the walls, golden statues and vases were shining in the dim evening light still passing through the high windows near the ceiling. Even the plates, spoons, knives and forks were made of gold.
"Would you expect anything less than the best for friends of the Birds? You insult me, dear friend."
"I am not your friend," the man blurted angrilly.
The hall became silent then, the Birds stopped their chatting and held their breath as they regarded the man.
The man swallowed then and his gulp was silent, yet it could be heard through the entire hall. "I... I didn't mean it that way, Skrin. It's... it's just that..."
"... It's just that you don't understand nor appreciate what the Birds have to offer you, am I right?"
The man swallowed hard again and said, "right!"
"Take a seat, good friend," Skrin said.
The man nervously took a seat.
"Now, let's wait for the other guests, shall we?"
So there the man sat for a few awkward minutes while the Birds were all chatting with eachother again. In the next hour, many more important looking men and women entered the dining hall until finally Skrin stood up and started pacing the table slowly. "As you know, the Birds have always taken care of the business interests of their friends," he said while stopping at the chair of an arrogant looking woman. He lightly grabbed her shoulders and said, "even though some of those friends do not truly appreciate the value of that friendship." He grabbed the shoulders more forcefully then and the woman's arrogant expression suddenly disappeared and was replaced by one of fear.
Skrin released the shoulders then and continued pacing the table. "One of you has even forgotten to honor an agreement," he said as he stared from face to face. "Disrecpecting your business partners is one thing, but disrecpecting your friends or family is unforgivable." Skrin nodded to Ziven who stood up while drawing a dagger and in a single swift movement slashed the throat of the man sitting next to him.
Nobody said anything. Nobody got off his seat. All faces went pale though, all except those of the Birds. Two servants showed up, dragging the dead man off his seat and into another room, a third following behind, wiping the track of blood away with a piece of cloth.
When they were done, Skrin said, "a shame, really. He could have been one of the wealthiest carpenters in the world, yet he chose to keep the full profit in stead of sharing it with his tinker associate, who had helped him produce his merchandise." Skrin continued to pace around the table until he reached the important looking man and said to him, "can I trust that you will share your profit with your associates?"
The important looking man gulped for the third time that evening and nodded slowly.
"Good. And one more thing. If I ever see you mistreating any of your servants again, you will be...removed." With that Skrin slowly walked back to his seat and sat down again, while the important looking man had a yellow stain in his expensive white pants. "You can all go now," Skrin said and he appeared bored when he waved his hand, gesturing for them to leave.
Suddenly the hall was a blur of movement, people all running into eachother, trying to make for the exit as fast as possible with as much dignity they could afford.
As soon as they were all gone, Skrin looked to his friends, who were all still seated and said, "That went well. Now we can drink."
They all shared a laugh then and drank and ate until long after midnight. In a few days they they would leave the castle and when the real owner returned from his journey, he would never know what happened there that night.
"You there," the man shouted while pointing at one of them. "Open the gates, immediately!"
None of the guards responded.
The man glared angrilly at them for a while until he said, "Do you know who I am?"
Still there was no response.
"My presence was requested by your leader, now open up."
Then a voice came from one of the guards, yet it wasn't the guard himself who spoke.
"Let him in. He is expected. In fact, let all who arrive from now on pass," the voice said.
The guard opened his backpack, took out a communication crystal and touched it as he said, "Aye sir." Then he put the crystal back and gestured to the other guard, who pulled a lever that finally opened the gate.
"The insolence!" The man blurted while he entered the castle courtyard.
Skrin replaced his binocular in a drawer and stepped away from the window. He turned around to see his friends who were becoming more and more like a family to him waiting there. Gomez, Ziven, Kane, Yaen and the others were all there. "It's time to take our seats, gentlemen. Our guests are arriving."
They went downstairs into the dining hall and took their seats. Servants brought food and drinks and in that luxury they waited.
The important man entered the hall with two of his servants. He looked at the table and his face became pale, yet he tried to hide his sudden anxiety. "Skrin, you asked me to come so here I am. What is the meaning of all this?" He gestured around the room. Beautiful paintings were set on the walls, golden statues and vases were shining in the dim evening light still passing through the high windows near the ceiling. Even the plates, spoons, knives and forks were made of gold.
"Would you expect anything less than the best for friends of the Birds? You insult me, dear friend."
"I am not your friend," the man blurted angrilly.
The hall became silent then, the Birds stopped their chatting and held their breath as they regarded the man.
The man swallowed then and his gulp was silent, yet it could be heard through the entire hall. "I... I didn't mean it that way, Skrin. It's... it's just that..."
"... It's just that you don't understand nor appreciate what the Birds have to offer you, am I right?"
The man swallowed hard again and said, "right!"
"Take a seat, good friend," Skrin said.
The man nervously took a seat.
"Now, let's wait for the other guests, shall we?"
So there the man sat for a few awkward minutes while the Birds were all chatting with eachother again. In the next hour, many more important looking men and women entered the dining hall until finally Skrin stood up and started pacing the table slowly. "As you know, the Birds have always taken care of the business interests of their friends," he said while stopping at the chair of an arrogant looking woman. He lightly grabbed her shoulders and said, "even though some of those friends do not truly appreciate the value of that friendship." He grabbed the shoulders more forcefully then and the woman's arrogant expression suddenly disappeared and was replaced by one of fear.
Skrin released the shoulders then and continued pacing the table. "One of you has even forgotten to honor an agreement," he said as he stared from face to face. "Disrecpecting your business partners is one thing, but disrecpecting your friends or family is unforgivable." Skrin nodded to Ziven who stood up while drawing a dagger and in a single swift movement slashed the throat of the man sitting next to him.
Nobody said anything. Nobody got off his seat. All faces went pale though, all except those of the Birds. Two servants showed up, dragging the dead man off his seat and into another room, a third following behind, wiping the track of blood away with a piece of cloth.
When they were done, Skrin said, "a shame, really. He could have been one of the wealthiest carpenters in the world, yet he chose to keep the full profit in stead of sharing it with his tinker associate, who had helped him produce his merchandise." Skrin continued to pace around the table until he reached the important looking man and said to him, "can I trust that you will share your profit with your associates?"
The important looking man gulped for the third time that evening and nodded slowly.
"Good. And one more thing. If I ever see you mistreating any of your servants again, you will be...removed." With that Skrin slowly walked back to his seat and sat down again, while the important looking man had a yellow stain in his expensive white pants. "You can all go now," Skrin said and he appeared bored when he waved his hand, gesturing for them to leave.
Suddenly the hall was a blur of movement, people all running into eachother, trying to make for the exit as fast as possible with as much dignity they could afford.
As soon as they were all gone, Skrin looked to his friends, who were all still seated and said, "That went well. Now we can drink."
They all shared a laugh then and drank and ate until long after midnight. In a few days they they would leave the castle and when the real owner returned from his journey, he would never know what happened there that night.
Re: Riches for the taking
Ziven and his men had just finished a patrol in the Trinsic area and they were riding a narrow jungle path heading for the swamp cabin, when they heard a loud roar coming from the direction of Destard. Shortly after, a huge dark shadow came over them that seemed to block out the sun. Ziven glanced up and couldn't believe what he saw. A huge dragon flew high in the sky, headed south. Ziven shuddered. He had never seen a dragon that huge before. Where was it heading, he wondered. The cabin would be on its path, that much he knew. Then he realized the dragon was probably heading for Dragon Isle, an island located just off the mainland.
"Did you see that?" Ziven asked Gomez.
Gomez just nodded. His face was pale.
"Alright men, move out," he shouted.
How would he explain this to Skrin, he wondered. But when they arrived at the cabin, Skrin already knew. He was already armored and packed, ready to move out.
"I don't like dragons flying above my swamp. Ziven, report," Skrin said.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, except that dragon. Here's the protection money from the farmers," Ziven said, and he dropped a sack of coins on the floor.
Skrin whistled and a servant appeared from the cabin, grabbed the bag and returned inside.
"Alright men, we're off to Dragon Isle it seems. Stable your steeds, we're taking a walk," Skrin ordered.
"We're actually going into that dragon's nest?" Kane asked.
"Knowledge is power and power is wealth. That dragon is too large to ignore. We have to find out what it's up to," Skrin replied. "Move out! To the ship!"
"Did you see that?" Ziven asked Gomez.
Gomez just nodded. His face was pale.
"Alright men, move out," he shouted.
How would he explain this to Skrin, he wondered. But when they arrived at the cabin, Skrin already knew. He was already armored and packed, ready to move out.
"I don't like dragons flying above my swamp. Ziven, report," Skrin said.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, except that dragon. Here's the protection money from the farmers," Ziven said, and he dropped a sack of coins on the floor.
Skrin whistled and a servant appeared from the cabin, grabbed the bag and returned inside.
"Alright men, we're off to Dragon Isle it seems. Stable your steeds, we're taking a walk," Skrin ordered.
"We're actually going into that dragon's nest?" Kane asked.
"Knowledge is power and power is wealth. That dragon is too large to ignore. We have to find out what it's up to," Skrin replied. "Move out! To the ship!"