Daeman just let the harsh words brush off her conscience. She knew her presence would wake him up at some point which was why she just stood there and didnt wake him.
"You slept pretty late. Its almost noon Atticus. The sun is up and i thought you might be sleeping on the job so i came to wake you before he came." She knew he felt sleepy and that entering a mans room before invited was rude. She couldnt help but smile when he sat up withough a shirt on then slipped one on.
"You should probably be leaving soon and so I woke you up to get you ready for what you were about to do. Im also wondering if you have any regrets seeing as your about to killed your old friend." She smiled.

[Well this is a first for me three pages of new posts in only a day of being away! :D Even though a bunch were ooc, it still took me a while to read them all I like to imagine character voices and stuff when I read so I end up reading slower than my younger siblings, hehe :XD Well, here goes. Veata's going to start her day before dawn...]

Black and yellow slit eyes stared up at the wooden ceiling.

"Morning already." Veata sighed. Though the sun hadn't risen yet, the sky already had a faint glow. She slowly got up, brushing back her waist length black hair with her fingers. Even if her sleep remained uninterrupted by the blare of the sirens, she still felt tired. Tired because of the state of her guild. Tired because of how people had changed. She did feel a ray of hope. It seems some of the guild members were still willing to fight against Cain, like the girl from last night. She made a mental note to get her name once she sees her again. The djinn quickly got dressed and donned her heavy scaled silver-gray armor. Putting on her white hat and grabbing her spear, she left the inn and made her way to one of the lowest parts of the city, a place filled with poverty and strife.

"This looks like the place..." she said, raising her head from the mission papers she had brought. Before her stood the small shabby hideout of a lowly thieves guild. It was rather dark and gloomy looking, much like her guild was now, albeit more worn down. This was because of the soot and grime covering it, and all the other buildings around it. This little guild had no doubt been attacked by the other city guilds before. It was a miracle it had survived this long. 'Alright, alright...here goes...' the spearwoman thought, breathing in deeply and exhaling before she warmed up her arms and legs. This would be her first assassination mission for this year and she would have to have stealth.

Down she jumped from the small chimneyed building she had been on, into the shadows below. Like a snake, she slowly and cautiously made her way into the quiet guild. She had to keep an eye out for traps once inside. Thieves' guilds always had them. Avoid touching the walls, avoid stepping in the middle of the stairs, avoid walking directly into an open area, all these she had learned over the years doing guild work. Stopping at the top of the oddly crooked stairs, Veata looked at the small blueprint of the place in her papers. It seemed strange to her why the guild leader's office would be on the second floor, but this was what the map said and this was a thieves' guild. Before moving forward, however, the djinn took some of the fine soot off the floor by her feet that had fallen through the holes in the roof. She crouched down and blew it into the empty space before her. Soon thin lines became visible to her eyes as they became coated with the dark stuff. Tripwires. Although Veata did not like the idea of using one of the tricks Cain used to detect these, she had to admit this method was pretty useful. She deduced that the whole hallway was covered with these so there would only be one way to get across, and that was up. Her clawed gauntlets were good for scaling the unmaintained walls, and like a lizard, she crawled all the way up to the ceiling beams. Unfortunately, halfway down the hall, the ceiling beams were deteriorated so Veata decided to go up once again. She memorized where the office would be, twenty paces more from where she was. She climbed out through a sizable gap in the roof, the cold morning wind blew her hair as she stood. 'About twenty paces...' she thought to herself, mentally counting down the steps as she approached where the guild leader would be at this time of day. She looked over the nearby edge for a window into the room. Nothing, just like in the hallways. "Tch. Stupid precautions." she grumbled, crouching down to carve a hole in the roof.
"Crap.", she stated flatly, as the weak roof did not wait for her to finish the entryway. It started to crumble under the weight of her heavy armor, and she could only sigh as it finally gave in. Luck didn't seem to be on her side today. With a loud crash, she landed on her feet above an oak desk which broke under the force of her fall. The room was dark but she could tell there was a living soul within. She swiftly stuck out her spear to the right, holding it against the neck of a shadow. A slight ringing came from the mithril spear, a result of the force she had thrusted it with.

"Welcome."

Atticus tensed, swallowing audibly. "Old alliances are just that," he whispered, "things of the past." Of course he had a problem with killing off Darius - the half-elf doubted he would be able to do it.
The assassin went about the room gathering his supplies: weapons, bits of leather armor for his arms and chest, his cloak. It was only a few minutes before he raked a hand through his long hair, ready to start the day.
Noon. I slept until noon. It was past time to get moving.
"Darius would have left his room by now," Atticus said, adjusting his belt of weapons. "Most likely he is in the training yard or kitchens." It was always a habit of the man's to eat lunch after a bit of warm-up sparring. If he wasn't in either of those places, then Darius was most likely in the library or roaming the town.
Atticus hoped that his old friend still followed his old schedules and habits.
Slipping out into the hallway, the tall man flipped his hood up with a sigh.

Can I do this?



"Welcome."
The man's deep voice almost echoed about the dark room, but not quite.
Standing and stepping to stand over the djinn, the guild leader looked down at her with disdain.
"It's about time Cain sent someone after me," he muttered. "I've heard of you."
Turning his back to Veata, the man raked a hand through his graying blond hair. His shoulders sagged tiredly, and he sighed quietly. With his worn black boots and ragged brown clothing, the leader looked more of a street beggar. The man was tired, past his prime (somewhere in his forties), and obviously submitting to defeat.
"If you're here to kill me, just get it over with quickly."


((Did I give this guild leader a name? :XD I don't quite remember. I don't think I did, actually.))

[Nope, you didn't :) By the way, is Cain taller than this guild leader?]

Veata's eyes widened at the sight of the towering man. This guy was huge! She hadn't seen many who were as big as he was. Considering his size and the fact that he was apparently the guild leader, the black haired woman wondered if this would be a long fight. That is, until he turned his back to her. This reaction threw Veata off for a second.
"If you're here to kill me, just get it over with quickly." he said, but the djinn would not have any of it. She assumed this was a ploy to get her to drop her guard. Many enemies have used this tactic. She pulled her spear close to her and kept it aimed at the man. A quick blow through the heart was all she needed to finish the job.
Yet, he seemed reluctant to move from the spot, even after she changed her stance. He didn't seem to have any weapons either. Attacking an unarmed man was against the code, unless you were the one who disarmed them in the first place. Veata decided to test him. How he would react will determine how she would deal with him.

"Fine." she said. Rushing forward, she aimed her spear's blade at his neck. "Hraaah!!!!"

((I'd say that Cain is just about the same size, if not slightly larger - in all aspects of the word. Taller, broader, more "fit" and capable . . . Cain is scarier . . . this guy (whom I am now naming William) is too worn down to really cause too much turmoil. Being malnourished and living in the depths of poverty, Will has been a threat to Cain only in the past.))

When Veata rushed at him, the guild leader didn't even tense. In fact, he seemed ready to die. No one jumped out of the shadows, no threats were made . . . the tall man merely closed his eyes and lowered his head.
Muttering what sounded like a prayer under his breath, he sighed and awaited death.

Veata stopped short of slicing an artery. A shallow cut was all that remained on the man's neck. The spearwoman sighed as she retracted her weapon. Looks like it was just another man waiting to die. An easy mission to any assassin. Placing a hand on her hip and the spear by her side, she looked at the tired man. He was middle-aged but still seemed like he had the strength to defend himself. She was sure this guild would have fallen apart even without Cain's intervention with the thieves' leader like this. She paused to think about what she should do next.
"Hey, I can't kill you if you're not armed. Don't you have a weapon or a toothpick or something?" she finally said, breaking the silence of the room. The sun-less sky had gotten a little lighter.

The guild leader flinched at the spear's nick, but didn't move away. Reaching up, he gently fingered the small gash.
"An honorable assassin?" The man shook his head. "My weapon lies beside my chair." With a sigh, he stepped over to pick up a sheathed short sword. "Might I know the name of my killer before I see my last few moments?" Unsheathing the weapon, the tall man tossed the empty scabbard aside and turned to face the djinn. "I have heard of such a woman as you, though not her name. You work with Cain, do you not?" When he said Cain's name, his eyes flashed with a spark of hatred. Despite his weariness, he still was able to show his anger towards the growing guild.
"I'm sorry for you," he muttered, his green eyes exploring Veata's face. "That man is a tyrant."

"Alkonost."
The djinn readied her weapon once more, twirling it before facing the head low. "And yes, he is."
She pushed the edge of her cowboy hat upwards to get a slightly better view of the man. "Unfortunately, I work for him now. He managed to grab leadership of our guild, that cunning cur."
She had heard the guild leader's dislike of Cain when he spoke, asserting the fact that he was his enemy.
"I'll admit he's efficient. Seems like he's taken over most of the town since I had left."
She would have asked him to join her against Cain but since she was sent as an assassin and crashed in uninvited, the chances this man would accept were slim. Also, it didn't seem like he had the will to continue living. Veata could not afford to look after any allies who lacked resolve on the battlefield. The fight against Cain might not be short-term and most definitely will not be an easy one.

Readying his blade, the man smiled.
"I am Willam," he said, spinning the sword before him and settling into a fighting stance. "Pleasure to meet one of Cain's favored."
Just as the guild leader was about to strike first, there was movement from beside his desk, and a small bundle of rags shot out in front of William. A waif of a child, perhaps around the age of 6 or 7, grasped the man's leg to stop him from fighting.
William's expression melted into worry, and he patted the dirty youngling. "Go back to your mother, Waif."
The kid shook her head, dreadlocks flying about her dark face. Clutching William's leg, the girl looked over at Veata and pointed a sticky finger at her. "Bad," she whispered.
With a sigh, the guild leader shook his head. "Go on, Waif."
"No."
Glancing over to the djinn, the blond man shrugged. "One moment, if I may."
Kneeling next to Waif, he pried the little girl's dark fingers off of his pant leg. He muttered a few words to her, but the small child continued to shake her head. "No."
Waif then squirmed away from William, scampering over to Veata. "Don't take Will away," she whispered, standing bravely in front of the djinn woman.

(( Awwwwwww... Soo cutteee ))

((AWWWWW IT IS CUTE))


Before she could say anything Atticus had left. Daeman sighed and left the room as well in the other direction. Still no word from Cain. She might as well go after her brother. He would pay for what he has done. I will kill you Dante. She ran at the window in the hallway that was open and jumped across in a straight body, arms outstretched in front of her spiraling towards the building ahead. It was a little further away than the others thus the reason for spiraling. She landed on the slanted roof dodge rolling and ran across it to the outskirts of the town. She went to the wall and then into the forest next to it. Jumping from tree to tree she found the camp her brother was in. The kitchen boy was happily cooking at the camp fire.
Ill kill every last one of you that were involved with taking her gem. That was my lasting memory. Daeman watched from the treetops and waited till the men went back in their tents. She hid behind a tent but decided a frontal approach was better. Her cloak hung from her scraping across the floor. She went into the bigger tent in order to get to her brother. He was sitting at his desk with his back turned to her. She stood at the opening of the tent taking out her swords from their sheaths. "Hello brother"
"Ahh so you got my message" He turned with his chair and looked at his sister. It had been raining in the forest and she was drenched. "And got a little wet i see."
"Cut to the chase Dante what did you want?" She said in an angered tone as if to say she was thoroughly pissed off. Her blue-green eyes were focused on him as if he were her target of destruction.
"What no nice to see you after all these years? No comments of where have you been and how have you been doing before we get into the conflicting matters? Oh well." Dante looked at her as if mockingly he wanted to piss her off even more.
"You know what i want. Give me back the charm so i can leave peacefully without killing any of your men or else suffer the consequences of your actions. I will not hesitate brother. I am a skilled assassin" She said to him. Daeman saw the charm on the desk glittering in the candle light. He was pissing her off and all she wanted was that glittering charm.
Dante sighed. "And to think that i was a caring brother who had tried many times to rescue you"
"YOU FAILED ALL THOSE TIMES NOW GIVE ME BACK THE CHARM" Daeman couldnt hold it in any longer. He had tried her patients as he always did.
"Theres a proposition for you to get it back. And i know youll do anything for Mothers Charm Of Protection. You must fill me in on any information on Cain that i dont know. His weaknesses, his new plans, everything." He smiled
"You know as much as i do at this point so dont try to make me spill anything. From what i know he doesnt have any weaknesses and as for his plans. No one knows but him and a select few not including me. Now give me the charm." She said with athority. Daeman walked over to the desk about to just snatch it up and slit the mans throat even if he was her brother.
Dante sighed and took the charm off the desk holding it in his hand. "I cant do that baby sis. I dont have the information i know you have. You killed a Captain of the guards lastnight for no reason. For him. Why was he one to die? hmmmm? tell me why."
"I dont know why. It was an assignment." Men started filling up the tent seeing them squabling at eachother. She was getting so impatient with him.
"I cant give you the charm. these men will escort you to the tent you will be staying in." Dante got up and exit through the back way.
Daeman got so pissed of she started to kill all of the men twice over. Even when they were dead she kept stabbing at them in her rage. She massacred anyone who was on the camp but couldnt find her brother or any of the others that had left. She let out an ear shattering scream at that then found a pair of wrist cuffs on the ground ((The really long sleeve bracelet things)). She picked them up. They use to be her fathers when he went to war with anyone. Putting them back on she headed back to the guild and went back to her room. She had a ton of cuts and bruises from the fight with so many men. She laid in her bed unable to move or anything. She couldnt believe she had let her emotions get to her like that. What was the purpose of the visit if all she did was kill men who didnt need to be killed at the time. She contemplated this as she stripped of her clothing and put another wrap around her upper torso. She laid back down in pain and just stared at the cuffs. She tried to remember anything about her father but nothing came up besides war. He was the reason she was here in the first place for going to war against the guild so many years ago.

((I kinda made this up on the spot with a general idea on what to do... sorry for the length Lol))

[Awwww :eager: *quickly picks up kid and uses as hostage* Mwahahahahaha! :twisted: If you want her alive, you will do as I say! We shall form an army to crush Cain, then I shall rule the world!! Mwahahahahahahaha!!!----hmmm, what a possibility :D j/k, j/k ]

"Tsk, a little kid."
The spearwoman withdrew her weapon to a vertical position by her side. She didn't fight in front of small children unless it was necessary. Her snake like eyes stared down at the brave child. Now what would she do?
Sighing she leaned on her spear, continuing to watch the raggedy child. The djinn suddenly didn't feel like finishing the mission anymore, what was the point anyway? Letting the guy live would most likely irk Cain, a result she would truly welcome. Unfortunately, her life did hang in the balance if she didn't do as she was ordered to. Failure to complete this mission would give Cain a good reason to crush that rock to rubble, even though he didn't need one.
"What if I do?" she asked the girl, half-teasingly.

The tall slender drow watched as Ivy looked over the contents of the folder and she reacted as an expert assassin should, emotionless. Instead she walked over and tossed the folder onto Selene's lap and then asked the drow about his loyalty. This was semi-insulting to him but he calmly replied to the woman looking her dead in the eyes, "I came to you for your support to take this man down I have no intentions to, nor will I, betray you. My word is my bond."

Then the young man stood up and walked over to a window peering out of it thinking on her last question. "I have no outstanding supporters right now, as I said I came to you first," Areyse turned from the window and leaned on the wall, "I do however have a plan to gain more support." He looked at Selene and smiled, "The young woman there is the daughter of the late Lord Marcus and therefor she will be our key to gaining support from the nobles." He paused for a moment thinking about what his next step should be, "I will go and visit the other two targets and gain their support," he thought about Cain and his expression slightly changed, "I don't think that convincing them to join out cause will be difficult. However if they do not prove willing I will slay them. I won't risk being ratted out by a man I was suppose to be killing in the first place."

The now crimson eyed elf walked back over to the chair and sat next to the young noble woman and he realized that he needed Ivy to respect him. He crossed his right leg over his left knee and sat back extending his arm around Selene who still looked nervous then looked at Ivy expressionless and his voice majestic like that of a prince's, "So is the plan sufficient to you or do you have an objection?" His plan was the simplest course of action based on what he was given to work with but he still wondered if there was more that could be done right now though they would still need to be extremely careful.

((LOL, you guys. :D Yeah, Waif was my last minute "save the rebel clan leader" idea. Hahah, glad you all like her so much. :heart:))

Waif hesitated, and she looked back to the guild leader. When her eyes met his, she spun back to Veata and sprinted over to stand at the djinn's feet. As fast as she could, the child kicked Veata's shin before dashing back to William's side.
"You're bad," she mumbled, glaring at the dark-haired woman. Her dirty face was half hidden in the man's leg, but her gaze was just as feral as she meant it to be.
William stroked her matted hair, and sighed. "Waif-"
"Mama says if you die, we die."
The blond man looked down to the child in surprise.
"Mama says that if we die, I die," Waif's eyes welled up with tears, "and then I'll never get to finish my book."
After hearing the complete innocense that the young girl spoke with, the tall guild leader chuckled. "That would be most unfortunate."
With a curt nod, the dark-skinned youngster pointed back to Veata. "She's gonna kill you."
William hesitated, stuttering over a reply. "Well, perhaps not." He looked to the djinn as she rested on her weapon, and drew himself up - physically, as well as in spirit. "Do you truly support Cain? Or is this just a ruse?"



Ivy frowned at Areyse, sighing loudly.
"If you keep to your word, then I will keep to mine." The tall woman turned to look out of the wide window that rested between two heavy bookcases. "This had better be worth my time."
When Areyse sat beside Selene, she chuckled to herself. "You mean this little mouse is the key to getting the high-borns' attention?" Stepping over to Selene, who shied away as best she could, Ivy reached down to pluck at a strand of her red hair. "I wish I would have known that earlier. I could have used noble support." The woman backed away and grinned wickedly.
"Get that support you spoke of, and this might just work." Her brown eyes lit up with the glee of challenge.
"I will join you."

Veata watched with raised eyebrows as the little girl kicked her armored shin. What an amusing child, so spirited. Of course, she could have ended up dead if it wasn't the nice djinn who she faced. The girl's dreadlocks bounced around as she ran back to her great guardian. They reminded her of Darius' braids. The spearwoman listened quietly to their conversation and grinned in a joking manner when the little waif pointed back at Veata, warning Will about the threat to his life. The djinn's four sharp canines seemed to glint a little in the low light. She soon returned to a more serious demeanor, however, when the man stood up and addressed her once more.

"No, I do not support that man. And I do not believe most of my other guildsmen do either. Well, the surviving ones anyway. He's forced them to obey his orders by show of strength. He has killed many who have opposed his leadership in the guild and accepted honorless men who obey him. My guild is now filled with murderers who are willing to take lives even if it's just for their enjoyment." Veata's rage was building as she told of what had happened. Her grip on her spear tightened as she looked William straight in the eyes. "Please, do not insult me by saying I support Cain."

Areyse let a royal smile grace his lips, "Thank you Ivy, this will be worth your time I swear." The slender cloaked figure rose to his feet and then addressed their host once more. "I do need you to do me one favor though," he realized this might invoke a negative reaction, "Selene is very timid as you have noticed and I would like for you to help her to gain the nobles support. She would not be able do so on her own and we will need to use your house as a hideout from now on. It's only a matter of time before Cain figures out that I've betrayed him so we can't go back."

He looked at the imposing woman making it clear by his expression she really had little choice in the matter but still he hoped she wouldn't mind for a little while at least. He turned to Selene and smiled to her reassuringly, "It's going to be alright, Ivy will watch over you and won't hurt you... at least I think she won't... so let her help you so that we can be be rid of this tyrannical soul." His words echoed of such justice and then he again looked at Ivy with the look of an assassin, "I'm off to find our next comrade Nalfien, by the way is there anything you can tell me about him? You two did work for the guild at the time correct?"

"If you do not support Cain," William patted Waif's head. "Then why do you obey him?" A slight spark of spirit filled his eyes, and the guild leader stepped in front of the child. "You say you do not support him, yet you are here." He looked Veata over with a sudden change of expression. "Will you kill me? Even if I offer to help you?"


Ivy scoffed, and stepped over to pat Selene's hand roughly. "She'll be fine," the woman said, "We'll get along wonderfully, her and I." Selene's green eyes widened at Ivy's words, but nodded quickly. At least they'd try.
"Nalfien?" She spun to face Areyse, a strange look on her face. "Yes, we worked together many times." Ivy's sharp-featured face crumpled into a frown. "He was the weapon's master for the old guild leader - Shenrah. That elf was a pain in the a-" she caught herself and clamped her mouth closed moodily. "A pain in the neck."
Reaching over, she pulled a book from one of the thick shelves. Flipping through the pages, she lay the tome down so the pages could be seen. The map shown was of the city and the surrounding forests.
"The last I heard, Nalfien was headed here." Ivy pointed to a small forested area just east of the stone walls. "He lives in a small hut or something, the modest fool. I'd suggest you start your search there. If you don't find that pointy-eared dolt, then I'm sure you can find him playing that blasted flute of his near some water. He loves to do that sort of thing, the tree hugger." At this point, Ivy was practically storming about the room, pacing furiously before the window. It was clear that Nalfien and the high-tempered woman didn't get along the best.
"But if you wanted a loyal companion," Ivy interrupted her own rant, "that stuck-up idiot is the one to seek."



While Ivy grumbled about the "picky, strict, and unfair" elf, Selene sighed and stood. Moving to stand beside Areyse, the woman leaned into him.
"Be quick," she moaned, trying to ignore Ivy's complaints - which were growing louder by the word.




Atticus sighed, and went to Darius' door, knocking softly. I wonder if he's in. . . .


((I'm going to have Atticus come back to you, alright Dae? :XD I just have too many characters to follow at the moment. *chuckle*))

The woman's expression eased up a little after hearing those words.
"I'm embarrassed to say, I let something important to me get stolen." It felt strange saying this to a thief. "As you might already know, we djinn have something called a heartstone, the vessel of our life. It can take any shape, inanimate or not, and often not of our choosing. Mine had to be a blasted rock of all things!"

Veata moved her weight off of her spear and stood up straight. She held the weapon horizontally with both hands in a relaxed manner.
"While it keeps me from dying from any direct damage to my body, once it's smashed I'm through. I knew I should have hid it in the castle instead of the abandoned quarry. At least there'd have been guards there." she said, looking to the side with a huff of disbelief. Veata was sure hiding a rock beneath a huge pile of rocks was a good idea, despite the fact that hers had a gold ring around it and was rather rounded. She hated that reliquary. Sure it was as tough as a rock, but any small rock could be shattered by a hammer or a tyrannical evil overlord with superhuman strength.

Then, she let a smile form on her face. "So you plan on helping me?" the djinn began, placing her black and yellow eyes on the guild leader without turning her head. "Don't worry, you're little bodyguard's too terrifying for me to even think of killing you. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use my leg properly for a while."

((alright... cool cuz i couldnt actually think of what to do next lol))

(Oh sweet goodness, I'm finally home with internet and there are SO many posts. Geeze. I'm so sorry guys! *spazz* Especially you, Rae! If Darius doesn't do stuff for a while go ahead and leave him. Don't feel as if you can't post because of my latency!)

Darius shook his head at Rae and selfishly shuffled down the hall. He didn't care where she went or if she followed him. He was without fire, a shadow of the cocky man she had run into. Darius hadn't had a plan, per-say, but he felt- no- he knew they needed more. Now working out their plot was out of the question for him. The rider had considered himself a person who was defined by his connections in this world, and losing someone so close was terribly debilitating.

After some walking the man opened the door to his room and laid down face first. It wasn't enough that he felt miserable about losing a friend to Cain, but despite his exhaustion Darius' anxiety kept him from sleep. Staring at the wall lost it's appeal after an hour's time so he ventured outside once again, this time to sit against the guild house wall furthest from the gate.

(( Hehe. it's okay. I like reading what they are posting anyways. xD ))

Rolling her eyes, Rae followed the de-spirited man. She couldn't believe that he was letting something like that hinder everything else. Didn't he realize that once Cain was gone, there was that chance of getting his friend back again?

Sighing, Rae stood in the doorway to his room. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at the backside of him. "You have to be kidding me. Are you seriously going to mope around because a friend said something mean to you? Seriously now, that should be more incentive to get rid of Cain. Because I don't know about you, but this Cain guy probably likes killing the people that want to take him down and I really want to stay alive."

She watched him walk back out after an hour or so, and decided to follow him once more. Seeing that all he was going to do was sit around, she stood there tapping a foot. Grumbling, she walked over and dragged him up from his spot against the wall. She hated self-pitying people. "Get up you pathetic excuse for a man and prove to that guy that you still are worth being his friend."

The rider sighed and pulled his arm away from Rae, feeding to her dislike for pity parties. "I am a pathetic excuse for a man, aren't I? I let my friends get trampled over by tyrants as I go romping through my homeland. I should have known something was going to happen here while I was out. I should have stayed and helped to protect the old guild master. I took comfort, like a boy, believing things were fine here while I was away. I could stand seeing the destruction there if I could take refuge from it here with friends and cheer only to find neither comfort."

He looked off at the forest, calming himself down some. He had faith in his friend's heart still, not willing to yet give up on the sliver of optimism he had maintained, and felt it would guide the half-elf back to the high path. "Atticus is stubborn. You can't prove something to some who's deaf to all causes but the one he's set his mind to. He's a good man. Even if Cain ordered him to kill me, he wouldn't do it. I know he wouldn't." Darius frowned, "He still has a spirit, and a good one at that. It's just trapped and injured right now. He'll prove it."

"I haven't given up on what we've planned on doing, kid. I just need to think this out. We need to get people together. Veata and whoever she knows who's with us."

Rae sighed a little bit. As long as this guy was going to do this, this whole I feel bad act crap then she was going to have to be stern. With a grunt after he pulled his arm away, she smacked him in the side of his face. It was more to get him to stop being a baby than anything else. Glaring at him, she crossed her arms. "Well, if you think that you can still fight, then let's go. We have no time to just stand around."

She nodded, looking up at him. As long as he was still going to fight, that was good with her. Rae flinched when he called her kid. She knew she was still a kid, but she hated that name. "It's Rae, not kid. If you think that we have more people than just us and Veata, then let's get a move on. I would really not like to be here when they realize where we are, because I'll bet that at least one person knows by now that we are against Cain." She stood there looking at him, her brown eyes intently watching his movements.

William grinned, and stooped to pick Waif up.
"A fearsome warrior even at this age," he sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with her when she gets older."
Waif licked a sticky finger and pressed it to the old guild leader's cheek. "I fight."
"Yes you do," the blond man smiled, "And you prove to be a good example for all of us. Including me." Facing Veata, he drew himself up. "Yes. I will help you as best I can. Without Cain's shadow hovering over us, we can settle down again - I'll even scatter the guild, if it's something you want in return." With a slight frown, the tall man continued. "I can't promise payment, but I can say this: you help us get rid of Cain, and I will aid you in retrieving your stone." His blue eyes flit over to Waif as she tugged on a bit of his hair. "We can all help each other bring peace to the city."



Atticus sighed. Darius wasn't in; it was time to keep searching.
Pressing a hand against the rider's door, the assassin turned and headed back to the main room where most of the guild gathered.
"Have you seen Darius?" he asked one of the nearest men. When they pointed to a doorway, the half-elf nodded and headed in that direction. This exchange happened a few times before he saw them - Rae and Darius - by the wall.
Pausing, the gray-clad killer stepped back into the room.

I will bide my time. I can't do it around the others.

Darius shook his head "Veata could be eating, at work, sleeping still... who knows?" he sighed, though. "You're not going to leave me alone until this is done, are you? What am I going to tell people when they ask why I suddenly have a kid following me everywhere, Rae? That I suddenly came down with a bad case of daughter or something?"

Nevertheless he took to moving toward civilization again, he figured Veata would limit her time spent in the guild house if she were going to get allies for bringing it down. Then again, Darius didn't have to worry about something like a soul stone and didn't know exactly what kind of stress it gave his friend. "We'll try some of the dives first, alright? Just don't kill anyone. It's a mess and for Gods' sakes think of their families! Even if you find yourself a total arse, he'll have someone who loves him, somewhere. No one is despicable enough to be hated by all. Not even Cain."

That made the rider flinch "After he comes down, there will be many that will want revenge."

Darius was oblivious to his half-elven stalker his entire trek into town. On the few occasions in the past when Atticus followed Darius somewhere the rider was similarly clueless until his big reveal. Atticus was very talented.