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A large figure swept its way across a small, yet ornately furnished room, the dwelling dressed almost to appear like an office. Finding his seat, the figure dropped down with a satisfied but exhausted sigh. Claud Hallion was a feared man, if not a respected one. For every person that called him master, five more would run from him like scolded dogs. Such a reputation was not built easily, and Hallion had spent many years toiling his way to such a position. This included, but was not limited to, bribery, blackmail, theft and murder. A ruthless man without mercy, Hallion had put a scimitar in the back of his former master, and forced many a shipmate to walk the plank at the first sign of mutiny. Such an unruly path would be frowned upon by common society, but was normal within the ranks of piracy that Claud Hallion now led. Choosing to further his sordid lifestyle, the pirate Captain had left the Black Shores that were renowned for their unsavoury waters and forged an inland career amongst the docks of Enleroth. It was a wealthy town, but one struggling from political corruption, making it a perfect opening for Claud Hallion to inject himself. Sucking nonchalantly on the end of a writing quill, the pirate Captain made himself comfortable in the heavy oak chair; one of the many comforts that he had learnt to enjoy since leaving behind his sea-faring days. Shrugging off his oversized leather coat, Claud Hallion dipped the seagull quill into the ink and with it signed a deed that would one day prove to be quite profitable. A smug grin crept across his face; it was always enriching to find plans coming together. All he could wish for now was the assassin to return with news that the double-crossing Marquis had been dealt with as arranged. Though it was not the only hiccup in Hallion's career since arriving at Enleroth, it was certainly one of the largest. The Marquis had been corrupted easily by the notion of a higher position within the political framework of the town, and by the promise of riches higher even than that of a nobleman of his stature. The Marquis' position had allowed him information that Hallion had desperately sought. He placed down the quill into its resting place. A sigh escaped the man's lips. The criminal transaction would have gone smoothly had the Marquis himself not attempted to double-cross the double-crosser. “Ignorant fool.” With a hoarse chuckle, the pirate captain recalled the pleasure with which he had hired the assassin that would exact fatal revenge upon the treacherous nobleman.
Di'thang had always upheld the principle of collecting his pay packet immediately after the kill was executed. Assumption was not part of his vocabulary, and as such the assumption that he would be paid justly for his services did not exist. Arriving at the warehouse in which he had first met the pirate captain, Di'thang slipped into the building as silent and invisible as a shadow, opening the large doors enough to slip through the paper-thin crack they volunteered. The body of the slender moon elf clad in armour, craft of leather for necessary manoeuvrability, dissolved into the darkness with supernatural ease. The main warehouse floor was empty, yet as always Di'thang had chosen to employ stealth. The few that knew the elf often dubbed this as paranoia, but Di'thang preferred to consider himself prepared for anything. As one that made his riches from taking others by surprise, the shadowmaster knew what being cautious could prevent. Instinctively checking the daggers concealed in each of his sleeves, Di'thang approached the steel door that he knew led to the office he sought. The assassin adjusted the ponytail of ice-white hair on the back of his head, before reaching out a pale hand to the door in front of him. Before he had even the chance to touch it though, it swung open. Greeting him in the doorway with but a single nod was the pirate captain Claud Hallion. Di'thang did not flinch at what to any other person might be a startling surprise. Instead, he returned the nod and let himself into the office, not a word said between them. Hallion had left the desk with his paperwork spread across it, quill rested lazily inside the inkwell. “Welcome back, assassin. I must confess I am impressed with your speed,” the Captain remarked genuinely. “You expressed a need for haste,” Di'thang gave a brief smirk, “We see no need in prolonging matters.” “We?” the pirate captain questioned with a less-than subtle expression of confusion. Di'thang stared forward through his golden eyes, not blinking or making any attempt to reply to the question. Simply the look on the slender assassin's face told Claud Hallion that the matter of Di’thang’s plural-laden speech was not open to discussion. There was clearly a history there, and Di’thang did not wish to share it. The pirate immediately changed the subject. “Your payment is ready then, Di'thang.” Di'thang's reputation as a hired killer proceeded him; gone were the days that he would have to retrieve the head of his victim as proof of the kill. There was now a general understanding in Enleroth that if the assassin Di'thang was on the job, the kill would be carried out. “All gold. Just as you requested.” Di'thang nodded, and accepted the sack from the captain. The weight alone told Di'thang that the sum inside was accurate, and the jingle of coins within was always a welcome sound to his acute elven ears. He placed the payment within the folds of his armour. “We thank you for your business, Captain. Perhaps this will not be the last we see of you.” A wry smile crossed the assassin's lips, met by a polite grin on that of the pirate captain. Di'thang turned his back confidently on Hallion and stepped towards the door that marked his exit. “I hope the circumstances will be favourable if it is not, assassin.” The captain chuckled, returning to the paperwork at his desk in which he so revelled. Di'thang sensed for just a moment a nervousness in the laugh. The Captain looked down at the paperwork lining his desk without order, before looking back up to where Di'thang was stood. The assassin had vanished in plain sight, absorbed into the shadows as only he could. |