It was dark, but the moon was full over the clouds giving off soft light. Its light made the landscape look alive and dead at once. A small break in the clouds let a ray moonshine dart across the land. If it were alive, it would have felt joy to be free to shed its' soft light. Before the clouds could snuff out the intruders' light, it revealed a dark hooded figure standing in front of six gravestones. The gravestones were setup in a five pointed star, with one marker in the middle. The strange figure stood outside of the grouping with its head down. Who's markers were these? Who or what is that? Why was it here?
~CRAWK~
The figure looked up to see that a black raven had alighted on the marker in the center, and the bird wasn't happy to see the intruder.
~CRAW~ ~CRAWK~ It seemed as if it was saying, "Your fault!"
The figure returned its gaze to the ground and spoke with a pain that couldn't be healed, "I couldn't save them."
~CRAWK~ ~CRAWK~ "They trusted you!"
Tilting back its head, it gazed at the moon through the hole in the clouds. Memories of pain and loss filled its mind, but also happiness. Happiness for being brought out of a life of hate, destruction, and loneliness, to unconditional love, peace, and... friends.
So many friends; friends that weren't bothered by its appearance and attitude, friends that were there to stand by its side, friends that cared.
But why did it have to end in so little time?
"No, not just them."
~CRAW~ "Betrayer!"
A rouge wind howled in the trees, billowing out the dark cape and throwing back the hood. The moonlight revealed a pale head topped with flowing silver hair and golden eyes. A single tear fell from the creatures' face in the fading moon light, "But all of them."
~CRAWK~ "MONSTER!"
When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains...
He's late.
Just the thought alone was enough to make me grind my teeth together. Too bad the pub's music choice already beat it to the punch...I'd say...around two hours ago. A group of partying dwarfs had been singing and drinking nonstop. The worst was when they started singing a human song called Wreaking Ball. To say that it was a smash would be by far an understatement.
"Another refill sir?"
Turning my head to face the waitress, I shot her a glare that said "Don't ask." She flinched and almost spilled the mead from the pitcher as she went about to refilling my drink. I couldn't blame her for being scared of me. As a Dryad, she knows what I am. But she knows what will happen to her if she tried to attack me. There will be one less tree in this forest.
"There you are sir." she said with a fake smile. With her mission done, she turned away and headed towards the still partying dwarfs to help minimize anymore damage. Now refilled for the umpteenth time, I palmed the glass and took a big drink. It went down just the same as before, rough and hot. Just the way I like it. The reason I'm not on the floor dead drunk, I'm made of tough stuff. Too bad my enemies aren't.
I settled back into the cushioning of my seat with a sigh, letting the moment of peace fill me. The warm atmosphere was erring towards being uncomfortable in my grey "Suck my Jolly Rogers" sweatshirt and army cargo pants that covered my chest plate, gauntlets, and shin guards. Feeling my arm slide against something smooth, I turned my head to see my sword propped against the wall. Peace. The thought rolls around my head like a bowling ball as I caress the length of deadly metal.
Peace is the hope for fools. Peace doesn't exist here on Earth, among the Gods, hell it's not even in the fucking Afterlife! Letting my thumb slide against the sharp edge, I let the blade bite into my skin, but not enough to draw blood. The only way for peace to exist, is to have everything erased.
I shake my head to clear out the morbid thoughts and guzzle down more of the mead to focus on the task at hand.
Waiting. More ungodly~
*ding *ding
I looked up at the door to see a dwarf stroll in. He didn't look like he was here to party, hence the crossbow/war-hammer strapped to his back and his armor bore the Order's insignia, so score one for me. His eyes roamed the room until they found me in the corner booth. Picking his way through the debris of the party-goers, he set his weapon at his feet and slid into the seat across from me with a stern expression.
"Your late again Narvi." I growled, "Do I have to ask what kept you this time?"
"Oi it taint no picnic tryin' ta git round these days ye know," Narvi explained, "flyin' coach fer seven ours will do ye in faster than drinkin' nightshade."
I resisted the urge to just punch him in the face, I didn't think the employees would know how to clean out brain matter from seat cushioning. "I don't care if it kills you," I scoffed, "you work for the Order and you know it's never a good thing to keep people like me waiting."
"Where aye come from, it's called bein' fashionably late," he countered, "nothin' ta git yer boulders broken over. Sides, killin' me will only give the Order another reason ta kill ye."
"So," I said, giving Narvi a glare to match his, "did you ask me here just to talk smart, or business?"
Narvi grinned, "A drink!" He turned his head and shouted over the ruckus. "Oi! Waitress! Give ol starvin' Narvi ere a tankard o yer finest honey!" I rolled my eyes and found that my hand was on the handle of my claymore.
That idea of ending his life is starting to sound very appealing. A voice spoke in my head mischievously.
YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!
"Ye alright there Adrian?"
I looked back at Narvi who had a steaming tankard in his hand and he was giving me an odd look. "I just need another drink!" I snapped. Pulling my hand away from my sword I grabbed my drink and chugged. "That's the spirit Adrian!" Narvi cheered and tipped back his drink to join in.
After the both of us came up for air, my throat was burning and my mood was no better, Narvi spoke first, "Business." I glared at him. About fucking time! I mentally screamed at him.
Narvi reached for his belt and unhooked a small black bag from its spot and set it on the table. I raised an eyebrow, "This isn't another assassination attempt on someone in the U.S. Government is it? This world doesn't need another nine eleven."
He shook his head, "Nay mate, no one that we know of is tryin' ta commit mass genocide on the Fables***." Taking a swig of mead, Narvi gave me a knowing look, "And ye didn't 'ave ta bring down the towers ta kill Merihim****."
"Hey," I cautioned, "I wouldn't have destroyed them if your boys weren't pissing around at the Pentagon."
"Be that as it may," he harrumphed, "ye still put enough strain on the Mist* ta kill an ogre."
"Well damn that ogre!" I almost shouted, still aware of the ongoing party, "If Merihim would have gotten away, we would be back to square one and he would be ratting out the few hidden villages that remain! Any human that gets caught between me and my objective is just another nuisance."
I waited for a response from him. Narvi just sighs like he was dealing with a child that just threw a tantrum, "Ye still 'ave no remorse fer the humans ye kill do ye Adrian."
"You ought to know," I said, "humans were the reason the Fables were forced to go into hiding in the first place."
"And that gives ye reason ta kill them?"
"Aside from the fact that they take more than what they need, they kill each other because their leaders told them so, and they don't care for the fact that they are quite literally killing Earth!?" My grip tightened on my drink, 'Yeah, I'd say that's more than enough reason to treat them as nothing more than a bunch of brain-dead animals!" With a little more pressure from my hand, I could have broken my glass.
It's nice to hear your opinion Adrian, said the voice, but aren't you forgetting something?
Taking a deep breath, I put a lid on my impromptu rant and looked back at the black bag on the table. "So if not for an assassination," I pried, "then what?"
"Special delivery," he answered, "ye 'ave the deliver that the Istuion in North Korea before tomorrow."
"That's it?" I growled, "You flew in from gods knows where, just to give me an first-class express delivery job to one of the most politically tense nations in the world. Let alone the fact that the place is home to sixty percent of the entire ogre population on Earth and their new war-chief is allied with the Blood-moon. What's so important in the bag that is worth this much trouble?"
Your doing it again Adrian.
"Ta answer yer first question, yes." He reached for his belt and grabbed a bigger bag that was brown. Setting it next to the black bag it made clinking noises. "Yer payment of two hundred and fifty Alyas**."
Red flags were flying higher than the steeples of Moscow as I took in this new turnout. A potentially risky mission, for political safety more than my own, with an upfront payment that's a little more than a small fortune, and Narvi's choice of travel. He's hiding something, but what?
"Fer yer second question, it's confidential." Narvi stated, "But what aye can tell ye is that it must git ta Istuion as soon as ye can and yer ta only one aye can trust with this."
Oh how touching.
Be quiet!
Just take the job already.
SHUT UP I'M TRYING TO THINK HERE!
What's the worst that could happen besides dying a lonely death in a ditch? What are you afraid of?
IT'S CALLED BEING AWARE OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES SHUT UP!
But the voice did have a point. What am I afraid of? Nothing. I don't have anything to lose.
Releasing a sigh, my gaze met Narvi's, "Fine, I'll take it." I grabbed the bags and tied them to my belt, "But this is the last time I'm doing favors for you." I said. Pulling out a Alya, I spoke the command word conversion and a handful of Dwarven currency took its place. Placing down some to pay for the bill and tip, I handed the rest to Narvi. "Here, go drink and eat what you want." I grumbled while getting out of my seat and picking up my sword I set it in its cradle on my back with the tip of the sword just inches off the floor, "at least enjoy yourself for you troubles." I said, turning for the door.
"Adrian." I stopped and looked back at Narvi. "Under no circumstances are ye allowed ta open that bag. Just git it ta Korea."
Giving him a shrug, I made my way towards the door. When I was passing the bar, I saw the waitress relaxing with every step I took. You get to live another day. I thought to myself. At least you kept me from dying of boredom. Opening the front door of Crazy Jay's Pub and Grill, I stepped out into the late afternoon sun. Letting the sun warm my face, I breathed in the musky smell of autumn.
Just another day in paradise Adrian?
Only when you keep your proverbial mouth shut.
Reaching into one of my pockets I pulled out the earbuds to my I-Phone and let Elena Siegman rock away as I walked towards my new objective in North Korea.
