Assassin's Game (private rp)

[wingfeather]

(This is a private rp between wingfeather and brooke0518, if that is not you then please dont post on this thread)

Set in the dangerous days of the medieval ages two men, both born assassins and carefully trained to do the business that any lesser man would quail at... were suddenly, unbeknownst to either, set against each other by command. The two soon enough figured out what had happened and a dangerous game of to the death was begun and a clash of wits was engaged. Both were determined to come out on top but only one would be victor, or was there an alternate path?


Alister: brooke0518

Gaige: wingfeather

[wingfeather]

Gaige finished cleaning and sharpening his blade then slid it silently back into a sheath strapped at easy reach on his lower back. The agency he worked for had been quiet lately and he was kind antsy for a new assignment and something to occupy his mind for a while, plus he was a little low on coin at the moment. He stood up from the front step of his small cottage set at the outer skirts of the city, and grabbed his bow (newly greased) and his arrows and walked into the grey forest behind his house. He was a hunter in his civilian life and was known to be very good. Gaige had found that this was what he was best at as far as a normal occupations go. 
The dew from the morning grass clung to his boots as he strode quickly and furtively beneath the dark eaves of the fir trees. It was already habit for him to travel through the shadows and dark places, trying to make his passage as least noticeable as was possible. An eagle erupted into a loud long series of shrieks somewhere far above his head. Gaige muttered something under his breath and looked up, clearly he was already seen.

[brooke0518]

Alister leans back in the chair, at his desk, in the lower part of his home, a large mortar and pestle in front of him. He had been on a killing streak, as of late, and he had needed to restock and make the necessary poisons, to better execute his kills. He had been in this city for a fair while, making a good reputation for himself. the city had never had, such a silent and successful killer, who could never be caught. When he was younger, he had been learning the trade, of not only learning how to kill quickly and cleanly, but to also make sure that there wasn't a trace left, of the people, whom he killed. During the day, or when assignments were low, he worked as an assistant, in the local apothecary. It was there, that he managed to snag access to some of the more toxic plants. He never stole them from the shop's inventory, but rather, he always made sure to grab extra, anytime that he went out to harvest more inventory. Mashing together a dark colored root, along with some bright red berries, and jagged, dark green leaves, he continues to mash them, until the mixture produced a very dark colored liquid, that he would use to coat the blade of his knives, right before a kill. It was very risky business, since one nick from the blade, could very easily kill. He worked, mainly, with paralyzers, since that made for a quieter, more efficient kill. As he works, he could hear the sounds of people, outside, mainly children, running around, and screaming in the streets.

[wingfeather]

Gaige took in a slow breath as he scanned the area around him. Suddenly he caught sight of a deer, half hidden in the shrubbery but standing out clearly, ‘so it wasn’t he who had been discovered’ Gaige thought with some relief. Gaige smoothly took down an arrow from where a few hung at his back and notched the grey feathered end against the string. He drew back, carefully and slowly straightening to get a clear shot when the eagle suddenly went off on another round of screams. The deer lifted its head and fled deeper into the forest, Gaige let it go, he never took a shot when he was unsure of the outcome. He pressed his lips together with annoyance, but then again one was always to allow for outside forces to interfere at any given moment. He would just have to try again. He walked on. He did spot a very strong looking stag with a rack of ten points, but he let it go considering that he had not brought a horse on this excursion and wasn’t looking carry and couple hundred pounds of meat all the way through the brushy wood and back to his house. After walking for perhaps a mile more he finally stopped and realized that he should get back home since there was less chance of game once the heat of day began to settle in.

[brooke0518]

When he finishes the mixture, which was sitting in a medium sized, dark gray mortar, Alister picks up the medium sized bowl, straining the dark green liquid, into a glass bottle, before taking a small glass instrument, placing a couple of drops, of a yellowish liquid, inside. Capping the bottle, tightly, he starts to shake the bottle to incorporate the contents. He had been very bust with making different types of poisons, and it had been a lot of work, to extract the venom, from a local spider, that was known for a potent venom. He always tried mixing leaves, roots, and other things, along with the venom of animals, since that meant potency, quick death, and harder to trace. It could sometimes be easier to trace the poison from berries, than a fish, or a bug, or even a snake. Standing up, he begins to clean up everything around him. He had been hard at work, for the past few days. He was probably going to get a new assignment, within the next week, so he knew that he needed to be prepared. It was cool, for right now, so he would probably take a walk down to the local tavern, before the weather got too hot. he was hungry and he really didn't feel like making anything, today. Work was hard enough as it was, without adding more to his plate.

[wingfeather]

Gaige traveled quickly back to his home, he knew that it was going to be hot soon, this was about the time when people were about most, working in the fields surrounding or on their way to trade in town, he didn't mind meeting or having to talk with people, but he just preferred not to. One never knew if he was ever seen and remembered by someone, not that he expected anyone would know him for who he really is but his kills weren't always local so he never knew if anyone would remember him from somewhere else, and he didn't want any unnecessary questions asked. He slipped in unobtrusively through the back door of his cabin shed his bow and arrows, he kept his knife at his back. He took out a piece of venison that he had dried a season earlier and uncorked a bottle of ale, he'd just have a quiet meal that day and perhaps go out in the evening.

[brooke0518]

Shutting and locking the door, to the small house, where he was staying, Alister shoves the key, into the pocket of his coat. He was definitely hungry, right now, so a stop by the tavern, sounded like a good idea in this moment. He had spent all morning, mixing poisons of different sorts. He knew that, after a bit of a lull in his assignments, they would start to pick up, again. That was how they always were. He would have a mountain of assignments, that would keep him busy for a few months, then he would have at least a couple of months, where he was replenishing supplies, and making sure that his gear was still in good working order. He knew that there was no shortage of jobs, and this city was no exception. Word on the street, was that this was a prime location, for assassins, so there would probably be a few, trickling in. It made his job easier and harder, at the same time. It was easier to hide his kills, but he always had to make sure, that he got to someone, before another assassin did. Walking up the old, wooden steps, he goes into the tavern, and takes a seat, beside the window, picking up the menu, so that he could order.

[wingfeather]

The food was simple but hardy, though that was not to say that he didn’t wish for a real meal, he just wasn’t much a hand at cooking, he never really was. Soon he cleared away the remains of his meal and sat back to take a smoke of his pipe, thinking. He was ready to put his mind to work at something new. He was newer to his agency, only becoming official five years prior, so assignments were generally given him one at a time but were lined up one after another, but it had been months since his last kill and he was, in truth, a little surprised that he wasn’t already given at least a lead on another. But it would come when it comes he supposed, perhaps they were giving him a break to make sure his trail was clean. He added a few more bits of tobacco to his pipe and sat back again, he suddenly heard someone coming up the porch steps. He knew that it wasn’t one of his kind for they would not be heard until they knocked so it had to be a civilian. He stood and opened the door with masked wariness.

[brooke0518]

Taking a sip from his cup of coffee, Alister pulls out a series of documents, that he would often read with his coffee. They were simply lists of assignments, that he could complete on his own time. Whenever it came to assassinations, they always came in two groups......category 1 and category 2. To him, category 1 assignments were always top priority. They were the kills, that he always completed first. Usually they were high ranking members, or people, who just had a bounty on their head, that no one else would take. Category 2 assassinations were generally over something small and petty......small time criminals, bullies, adulterous adults, the works. Those were assignments, that the clients told him, were not of the highest importance. As long as they wound up dead, they didn't care when. These were all category 2 assassinations. He would probably go ahead and whittle them down to a more manageable number. But first, he needed to go out into the forest, today, and get more supplies, especially viper venom, different plants, and maybe if he was lucky, some more spider venom. Those were in high demand, these days.

[wingfeather]

A cheery face framed the doorway, ''g'day to ye friend. I was sent up here to deliver ye a letter.'' The speaker was a youth who didn't really seem like he was the brightest rock of the pile. Gaige had seen him before and knew him to be the town mail boy. Gaige pasted a convincingly disarming smile on his face, ''ah thank you, this must be the news I have been expecting from my great aunt Candice, she has been very sick of late.'' A ridiculous frown of concern creased the young man's forehead, ''well aint that a pity, I say tell her to eat lots an' lots o' garlic and drink up a bunch of lemon tea, that's sure to cure anything. At least that's what my mother always gave me when I was feeling it and look, I turned out great,'' he said grinning lopsidedly. ''Yes, well, thank you for the advice, I'll be sure and put it in my next letter to her,'' Gaige said nodding. He shut the door and sat back down to read, of course this was obviously not a letter from his aunt.. it was the long awaited assignment. He easily slit the seal and opened the yellow paper. He rubbed his deep red beard as he considered the information given, it was rather scantier than normal but enough to get by. His summary of it was some man.. named Alitser (hmm no last name, must not be a prominent fellow).. with red hair like himself (hmm easily spotted targeted), vague details about how he is newer to town. The letter was folded up and pocketed. This would indeed be a strange assignment and would require a lot of thought. It would have helped had he at least had a glimpse of the guy. Gaige had a habit of going to the forest whenever he needed to do any serious contemplation so he decide to get up and go. He left his bow behind, he wasn't hunting... yet.

[brooke0518]

Finishing up his meal, Alister pays his bill, before gathering his things, and leaving the tavern. Now he needed to figure out, just where he was going to go. He needed to restock more supplies, to make sure that he still had a good variety of poisons. Stepping out of the tavern, he makes sure that he had all of his things, from his vials for poisons, sturdy containers for venomous specimens, and a bag for herbs and roots. He had to make sure that he didn't leave anything out, especially if he had to deal with venous creatures. He had his sturdy leather gloves and a weapon for the venomous snakes. Some of the creatures, he killed in the woods, to collect their venom. And sometimes, they were creatures, that he brought back to his apartment, alive, to carefully extract the venom glands. It was a very tedious process, but it was one that not only worked, it was incredibly successful. He hadn't botched an assignment, since he was teenager. With everything in hand, after doublechecking everything, at least five times, he heads towards the woods, knowing just where to go, to begin his collecting. Walking through the woods, he knew that he had to be very mindful, of who saw him. Ever since he arrived here, he knew that with the arrival of a new assassin, he was a bit more at risk from the local assassin, since he was encroaching on their territory, taking their work away from them, considering his reputation and success rate. Finding several plants, he kneels down,, pulling some gloves on, taking out his bag, and taking a knife out of its sheath. It was hard work to harvest plants, especially when it was the roots that he needed, but these were a powerful paralyzer, and he couldn't afford to skip this step.

[wingfeather]

Wether it was the warming weather or his occupied thoughts, Gaige had slowly let his guard down. One hand stuck in his trouser pocket and his eyes cast low but not exactly watching where he was going. He entered the wood thus, instinct and the fact that he had been through this forest countless times guided him onwards. He didn’t have a particular place in mind to go to but walking always helped him process his thoughts, more so when it was outside rather than pacing around his cabin.
It was as he was traveling a path near a stream that his attention was suddenly diverted, on the ground was a slight impression.. a footprint, easily missed, in fact he himself was surprised at noticing it. It wasn’t there when he walked this way in the morning, and he couldn’t make out any returning tracks. “I’ll have to be more mindful of how I move now,” he murmured under his breath as he continued forward, and proceeded to mentally chide himself for being so careless for the SECOND time that day. That was when the trail took a bend rather suddenly and he came within sight of the apparent owner of the print he had seen. Gaige was indeed greatly surprised and glanced wildly about for a place of concealment but the area unfortunately offered none. Swiftly he altered his face to be one of simple surprise, “well, I surely didn’t expect to meet anyone here this time of day,” he said giving an exceptionally wide smile. He noted the red hair and the fact that he had never seen this fellow before.. perhaps he had found his target.

[brooke0518]

Placing the now extracted roots into their proper containers, Alister places the bottles back into his bag, removing his gloves and knife, placing them in a smaller bag, so that they could be properly washed, in case of cross contamination. Standing up, he tenses up, hearing footsteps behind him Placing a hand to the dagger at his side, he turns around, the minute that he heard a strange voice, filling the once quiet, empty air. Looking back at the figure, he noticed that this man was around the same height, perhaps an inch or two shorter. He also had red hair, though his face also had bright red facial hair. There was an annoying sound that came from the voice, an almost cheeky one, like a bandit who had struck gold. He doesn't say anything, but he meets the stranger's gaze, completely unflinching, before he finally decides to speak. "We are just outside city grounds. Anyone can be here. Now unless you have some business with me, I'll be taking my leave," He says. He hated this guy's grin......it made him very wary. No one ever looked at him like that, not even his clients.

[wingfeather]

Isn't he a touchy fellow, Gage thought, well, I suppose he won't be the easy lure-away-to-one's-death type of man. His face didn't change a blink as these thoughts ran through his mind, ''very well, quite the pleasure meeting you,'' he gave a small cordial bow, ''I shall continue on my way then. Good day to you.'' His eyes left those of the other man and he walked forward at a moderate pace all the while making sure to keep him within his side vision. Gage was now almost positively sure that this was the guy he was assigned. What luck to have met him within the first day! Now that the easiest part (finding the man) was over, it was time to bring in the next step: the assessing. He was to figure out strengths, weaknesses, common places of occupancy (including living area), and general habits. He wasn't going to dare try and jump the fellow now, though he would have been lying had he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. The man was of smaller build and hadn't appeared armed, but there was something dangerous in his bearing, something that reminded Gage of himself.