Quest A Not So Noble Request

[Liam Silvern]

A deal with a devil had been done and now the devil was demanding its due from Liam. He had promised his service as a sellsword to Joseph Tailor, the owner of the Fancy Fabric tailoring and fabric store, several days ago. It almost seemed like he wouldn't be hearing back from the elderly man, but then the letter from him came. It seemed the time to pay had come.

Liam leaned against the wall as he kept his eye on Joseph at his table in some port side tavern only good for cheap grog and shady dealings. The bald, wrinkled, and yet sharp eyed old man was waiting for the other interested parties he had found to arrive. There was no real details yet on what he wanted done only that it would involve bandits and could have a good reward for those interested. Liam already had his reward technically in the form of his wife's smiling face when she got her prized ivory hairbrush and a bolt of wool she really wanted, so he figured the reward part was more for the others.

The serving girl, a black haired and somewhat dark skinned young woman with a bosom pushed up to look ample, came by to refill Joseph's mug of ale. Liam had one for himself that was half empty. He didn't like to drink when he was working. Foggy minds lead to death. He just leaned there in his leather jacket covering his mostly leather with some metal plate armor. His sword and dagger were on his hips and a pair of leather gloves with metal over the back of his hands and wrists was on his hands. A pair of sturdy boots lacking any metal was on his feet. He certainly was looking the part of a sellsword right now even if he wasn't entirely feeling it. Perhaps one day soon he could wear clothes and do trade rather than wear armor and sell his life out to make money.

 

[Simin Omid]

Simin had received word from Koda that someone had requested their help. At first wary, a few details had come to light that had inspired the komodo to at least meet with the person requesting help. They painted their skin with extra paints leftover from some of the ritual services their family held with other komodo. They borrowed a scarf and dyed what little hair there was to dye before heading to the location that was told to them. Their outfit was simple, no metal or bits that could clank and make noise. Plain clothing with boiled leather in places that were important. The weapons they carried were concealed in the folds of more traditional clothing, a simple pair of daggers with a wicked edge.

Silence and stealth were this komodo's weapon when drawn. It was not an easy thing to get Simin to agree to this sort of work, a harsh set of moral codes that they adhered to in order to live peacefully with others. There existed those that did not want peace though. People that disrupted that peace with bloodshed and violence. People that would not be missed if they no longer came around.

Simin entered the tavern, having found it easily since Koda had given them directions. It was another out of the way place for shady business to take place. The numerous delta marks on their face set them apart from most other komodo. They didn't have to waste paint for the inside of the triangles, having just left it as unpainted skin. Their tail was covered in clothe and paint, further removing their true identity from possible discovery.

This was not their main job, and if it came to light that Simin Omid dealt in death on the side, it would ruin everything the Omid family had worked towards.

Upon entering, their eyes glanced over everyone inside, and the man leaning against the wall caught their attention first. Their gaze shifted away from the armored person toward an old man that beckoned them over. It wasn't everyday that a komodo popped in and looked around. After a short discussion, Simin stepped away to another table, softly sending the serving girl away that came to them. The old man would be giving a signal when everyone had arrived, so they just had to bide their time.

---

 

[Liam Silvern]

A komodi had come in dressed up in red. Their kind was uncommon but not that unusual in places like this. Liam took note of them, but he was doing the same really with everyone who entered the place. Joseph had kept the information on who he had hired for this job to himself, which made Liam's current objective for it of keeping a watchful eye over the old man a bit harder. Never knew if the one who approached was a companion or a thug looking for some quick coin off a supposedly defenseless old man in a shady place.

Liam wasn't having to keep looking around for long though before the old man began to wave at Simin Omid and beckoning the komodi over to their table. In a low voice so only Joseph could hear Liam said, "This one of them?"

"The only other one actually." Joseph replied a little too cheerfully for Liam's taste. Being a soldier had taught him that smaller numbers had plenty of advantages, but only two people was usually the start of a suicide mission. Well it was unless you were blessed by Lady Luck herself. His life so far was a testament to how little she had blessed him in that regard so far.

Liam frowned a bit. He would deal with it as best he could. This was all for his wife in an indirect way after all. She liked the old man, or at least he guessed she did, so he would do what he could for him. Repaying a debt was also a wise move. "Hope you explain things in detail then. Not going to be easy." Joseph just gave the younger man a reassuring smile, but the old man was as much a trickster so far as any devil. He probably couldn't be trusted.

 

[Simin Omid]

With the waving hand, Simin approached the table once more, eyeing the other person that stood there. The up down look was not subtle, but their eyes focused on the old man. If Koda and Ferral said the man was trustworthy enough to work for, Simin was content with that. After all, the details had included something about innocent people being hurt.

"You have called for help, and this one has answered. Are you also helping?" Simin asked the other person quietly. The old man had been requesting help, but hadn't said anything about needing more than the young komodo.

 

[Celeste Tenebrea]

A small dark figured entered the bar, her cloaked figure obscured by a dark blue cloak she wore wrapped about her and pinned in place with a silver crescent moon. She brushed the hood down and tilted her head to catch the eye. She was looking for something in particular. She just had to find it. She entered deeper into the bar, refusing the drink from one of the waitstaff and began to make her beeline for the table. Half focused on what was going on around her and what she wanted to find. Glyphs and sigils danced in light traces across her skin, hidden by the clothes she wore. She was not much of an action type person. That was her dear Grimr. He usually was the one to worry about physically. Celeste's abilities were more nuanced and finite than that. She let her hair billow down around either side of her face in soft feathering waves and smiled when she finally saw what she wanted. She approached the table with the old man with a small smile. Looking up at Liam against the wall nearby. Oh she was in the right place. Good.

 

[Liam Silvern]

As the komodi woman walked up to the table Joseph just gave her a friendly smile. Liam watched from his post at the wall with a blank look on his face. She moved in a strange way. It wasn't the way mercenaries or sellswords moved. It also wasn't something a former soldier would have. It was far more subtle. That bothered him. He couldn't place it at all and that meant he didn't have an idea of what they were capable of.

A nod was Liam's response to Simin Omid question of him being involved. Joseph was more wordy in his own. "Yes. Malachite here-"

Joseph looked to Liam and added, "Malachite is what you go by yes?" Liam gave him a nod in confirmation.

"Malachite here is my chosen lead on this job." Joseph replied with that friendly smile of his.

Liam raised a brow at the older man. Lead? That was news to him. It seemed his employer had caught it and gave him a look as if to say Sorry I forgot to tell you. The older man then seemed to be about to go on when an elven woman suddenly approached the table. The look on Joseph's face took on a sudden shift of surprise for a brief second and his smile had dipped slightly. He recovered quickly, but it was enough to get Liam's hand on his hilts.

With his eyes locked onto Celeste Tenebrea Liam said, "Greetings. Who are you? Why are you here?"

 

[Simin Omid]

Malachite. It seemed Simin had not been the only one to take a false name for the time being. They examined the man thoroughly, before looking to the elf that joined them. Her presence made this one a tad uncomfortable for reasons they had no words to describe. It may have been the confidence she approached with, or the way that she looked almost, happy to find them. Simin shook the feeling as they looked to the old man.

"You can call this one Thorn." Simin quietly informed the two as the old man began to question the newcomer. Hands that initially had been tense were now idle and kept close to the folds that held the knives. They did not believe a fight would erupt here, but caution had kept Simin from spending the rest of their life in a box underground.