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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on May 31, 2023 8:16:09 GMT -5
Even for a man with near-infinite patience, stakeouts were never a pleasant experience. It was easy for Cyran to hide in the shadows on the ground, the darkness clinging to him like a cloak.[1] He remained close, keeping an eye on the area he saw Fish hiding in - though nothing happened.
At least, not until he heard the distant sound of footsteps and hooves against the grass.
Their targets had arrived.
Cyran’s shoulders stiffened, on alert while the group made their way through the woods and set up camp, as expected. And in the center, clearly visible from where Cyran stood, Arlin Nox. He was surrounded by armed men, a protection squad that would not be able to save him tonight.
The situation would require a delicate touch. Not because Cyran thought he wouldn’t be able to take on the men around the target, but because he didn’t want to find out. They needed to thin these numbers out first. From Cyran’s shadow, a mirror image of himself manifested, a silent shade that stood still, waiting for his order.[2] Cyran nodded in the direction of the camp, silently commanding the shade to act as a diversion.
It nodded, slipping away to the darkness where it would loop around to the other side of camp, making just enough noise to attract the attention of some of the guards - leaving an opening for Fish to potentially take out some of the others with well-timed crossbow bolts, and Cyran could finish off the leader himself. 1. Dark Form (Shadow Dancer III) 2. Shadow Clone (Shadow Dancer IV)
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on May 31, 2023 18:28:49 GMT -5
Once settled in Fish was almost motionless except for the avian twitch of their head, the constant scan for threats. Fish heard the targets coming in, the heavy hoof steps of the few horses with them made it clear the leader was with them. It was rare the leader ever had to walk.
The aviankin looks over the group, giving them plenty of time to set up. Rolling out bedrolls and setting up fires, they were still tense from the road and the walking. Everyone still had their guard up. Fish watched the way they fanned out, where people sat, the patterns and gaps they naturally created in their fields of vision. Every little bit of information helped build the plan out in Fish's head.
Likely much to Cyran's chagrin, the way Fish looks about shows just how much of a professional they are. This may be Fish's first paid assassination, but it wasn't the first big job they tried to pull. Fish watches as the noises come out and a few people follow....but it's too soon.
Quiet hands slip a vial out from a pouch and then a bolt. Moving slow enough to avoid making noise, the bolt is then coated in poison and loaded into the crossbow. Taking aim at the leader's horse, Fish aims to create as much chaos as possible first. A bolt is fired into the horse's rear haunch and the parasite poison begins to eat away at its flesh.
As the horse rears up in pain it tears from its post and starts to kick and thrash. Fish looks across the camp to another perch and suddenly seems to appear there.[1]
"IT CAME FROM THERE!" Arlin yells out pointing to where Fish used to be as he tries to get his mount under control.
1. Blink Cape (1/2 uses)
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 1, 2023 19:56:11 GMT -5
Oh gods damn it.
Cyran had to bite back an insult as he noticed the crossbow bolt whiz through the air from the tree, striking the horse’s flank and sending the entourage into pandemonium. Mercenaries pulled out their blades and started charging in the direction Fish was hiding at Nox’s cry, all in search of the interloper. Cyran grit his teeth, ready to sprint off in the direction of the tree and save Fish when a blur darted from the sky and perched on his shoulder with a series of frantic squeaks.
Yeux.
He would only have returned if he lost track of Fish… Cyran narrowed his eyes, squinting up into the treeline. Fish didn’t look like they were hiding up there anymore. Had they escaped? He wasn’t going to take any risks. Cyran raised his hands, forming a fist as he called the shadows to his aid. As three mercenaries made their way to the tree, vine-like shadows erupted from the grass, tangling around their ankles.[1] Spikes jutted into their legs, draining them of their energy. Cyran blinked - in a single moment he was behind two of the mercenaries, digging Spell Slicer into the neck of the one on the left.[2] The mercenary on the right whirled around and slashed at him. In one second, Cyran dropped his daggers to the ground, pressing his fingers together as if he were turning his very hand into a blade. As the sword descended in a downwards slice, Cyran twisted his torso, jabbing his arm into the attacker’s shoulder.[3]
The attacker let out a cry of pain, dropping his weapon to the ground. Cyran took a step forward, his daggers returning to his open palms once more before he rained hell down on the unfortunate sellsword, a maelstrom of steel and enchanted ice.[4]
The third one cut at the shadowy vines with his blade, freeing himself from Cyran’s magical trappings. “Die!” He screamed, dashing towards Cyran with murder in his eyes. Cyran tapped himself on the shoulder, imbuing himself with a burst of energy that gave him the edge - faster than the mercenary could follow, Cyran darted past his guard, wrapping a hand around his neck.[5,6]
The guard didn’t manage to take another breath before Cyran sapped him of all of his energy.
Three corpses lay around him. Cyran turned around, barely giving a second thought for the ones he’d destroyed. Where was Nox? Where was Fish? 1. Stinging Nettles 2. Blink 3. Viper Dance 4. Cyran's Haunting Blade (1/2) 5. Quicken 6. Vampiric Touch
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 1, 2023 20:21:15 GMT -5
This chance to prove themselves was entirely unintentional, but perhaps when the time for hindsight settles in Fish might realize that not disclosing their full plan or some of their tactics to Cyran as a missed opportunity. They keep a track on Cyran as best they can in the fray, this would have been a lot easier with his interruption. Subconciously though, Fish understood what was happening.
A pair of guards can be heard coming up behind Cyran as he holds to the last one, but before he can turn around there are two dull thuds as the man comes to a stop. Crow feather fletched bolts stick in his neck.[1]
Nox has taken off on foot in an attempt to leave the ambush. The bolt wound from the horse would normally be something to power through but the parasitic damage meant it wouldn't be rideable without whinnying in pain with every step. It wasn't a great option for a man trying to hide.
The kenku starts to travel through the trees to follow after Nox. Fish stops on a branch, takes aim, and fires in one smooth motion into Nox's thigh.
"SHIT!" The call of pain rings out in the forest. He rips the bolt from his leg, but the serrations of the bolt tip injure the muscles further on the way out slowing him down further.[2]
The wound trail makes it much easier for Fish to follow even from the trees. They take their time to get in front of Nox as the bandit curses the skies.
"Come out you bastard. At least face me you damned coward, stop slinking about, if you're gonna kill me, KILL ME!"
Fish chooses not to oblige, dead or not, they weren't going to show their face. The bird really had no sense of honor after all. Air crackles around them a moment before there is a brief snap of light as they fire one last time. When the flash fades, Nox is left with a pierced hole in his armor through where his heart would be.[3]
1. True Hunter + Dual Shot 2. Crippling Wounds 3. Art of the Storm Bow
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 2, 2023 18:41:15 GMT -5
THWAP-THWAP
The sound of whizzing arrows striking their targets sounded behind him. Cyran dropped the body, whirling around in time to find the bodies with arrows sticking out of their necks, feathers tied to the bolts. Cyran grimaced. Fish.
He’d gotten careless in his distraction.
It was easy, he’d learned, to watch over a student that listened to you. His apprentices respected him - when he told him to stay back, they obeyed. Not to mention, they were adults who’d killed and stolen long before they met him. Fish was a child. A young one who believed they were older than they were. Of course they were going to act out and do their own thing.
A few seconds later, as if to confirm every suspicion lingering in his mind, Cyran heard Nox’s cry of pain.
Cyran darted off, following the direction of the sound. Soon enough, he found the trail of blood on the ground… and only seconds after that, the body. A hole in the corpse’s heart, crackling with electricity. The smell of ozone in the air.
Fish. Where was Fish? Cyran whipped around until he spotted the figure crouched in the trees, hiding in the shadows. The ruse would fool anyone with normal eyesight, but Cyran was adept at spotting people that didn’t want to be seen. They didn’t appear to be injured, just… waiting. Watching.
Cyran wished he could say he was upset at Fish. But honestly, he was just more upset at himself. That he let this happen, that he hadn’t held his ground, that he let a literal child get blood on their hands when he could’ve done something to prevent this. Cyran glanced around, making sure there were no more armed guards, but they’d taken out everyone - Nox’s armed guards, and the tribesman himself.
His voice was cold with worry as he called out.
“Come on. We… we have to get out of here.”
He bent down to close Nox’s eyes. Cyran rarely felt guilt for the people he was hired to kill, but this one… this one weighed on him. More because Fish had been the one to commit the deed. Cyran had allowed a child to commit murder. At the very least, he hoped to make sure that Fish understood the weight of that life.
He couldn’t offer a burial, but at the very least he could make sure the body was at peace before moving to the base of the tree. He held out his hands, motioning for Fish to hop down. Guilt lingered in his gaze. “I can fly us out of here.” There was an inn not too far away where he’d stashed the rest of his things. There, they could… rest, assuming either one of them could get any sleep.
Though Cyran imagined he would be the only one left awake after the night’s events.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 2, 2023 22:41:01 GMT -5
What few survivors and scragglers there were that managed to avoid the initial clash fled in terror. Their leader was dead and whoever that elf was wasn't worth testing their steel against. Add the weird specter in the trees and there was no good reason to be here anymore.
Fish hopped from the tree, gliding down to the ground as their cape catches the air underneath it to slow the fall.[1] They hopped towards Nox's body to start rifling through the pockets, no sense in letting any of this go to waste. Fish looks at a few coins, gems, other trinkets and puts them in pockets. Nothing of high value, that loot was probably stored on saddlebags or among some of the belongings left at the camp.
The aviankin hops onto Nox's chest, then over it with little care for the fact it used to be alive, having to clear it as they hop towards the camp. "The others are running, Fish does not see a need to rush from here."
Fish did not seem to have the same concerns about burials or at least showing a bit of respect towards the dead. This was entirely a transactional experience for the bird at this point. They were hired to kill, so they killed. Fish did not need to think beyond that.
Unless stopped, they will start rifling through pockets and belongings.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 8, 2023 7:32:20 GMT -5
In retrospect, Cyran should have expected this. He’d known that Fish was a thief, and had an inkling of their background. What they’d had to do to survive, and why those habits persisted as a child. That didn’t mean his heart didn’t shatter into a thousand pieces in his chest watching Fish start to rifle through the corpse of Nox in search of valuables.
Cyran took a step forward, moving to put a hand on Fish’s shoulder to stop them from rifling from the belongings. “I never assume I’m safe just because the target is dead.” His voice was gentle, but there was a hardened edge to it that said he wasn’t exactly looking to discuss this. Not angry at Fish - but worried for them. For the upbringing that they’d had to take to survive, and the way it had twisted their morals until they compartmentalized everything into transactions, ignoring the personal component entirely.
“You don’t need to loot his pockets.” Cyran tried. “You’re going to get paid for this later.” He stopped, trying to think of the best way to phrase this. But there were no words that he could think to offer. He was just… heartbroken. He just wanted to give the child a hug and let them know that they didn’t have to live like this, not anymore - not when they didn’t have to fend for themselves with so many people that cared for them - but he was certain that any affection would be rebuffed.
“Please? Let’s just go.”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 8, 2023 18:22:38 GMT -5
"Fish will get paid, yes, but Fish can get more paid. There is no point in leaving it behind for other bandits to pick over. Fish did the work, Fish gets the reward. All of it....Profits split with Cyran of course."
Well at least the bird considered them an equal in this job, though that likely did little to soothe the stinging in the elf's heart. They take a moment to survey the rest of the camp and assess if there was anything that could be worth investigating. Their head tilts in that curious way, the same way they looked at the starlings just a few short hours ago.
It was impossible to tell if Fish really did understand the gravity of this kind of work. They clearly knew it meant killing, they had no issue being the one to pull the trigger, but the internal struggle some assassins feel is absent in Fish. Deep down, it's not even about a cold indifference to the world, this just is the world to them. Maybe someday Fish will realize the weight of that.
For now, they look up to Cyran after his plea to leave. They silently agree and start hopping towards where they had set up camp for the night.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 9, 2023 11:25:07 GMT -5
Cyran shook his head.
“It’s alright, keep what you’ve already gotten.” He tried to keep in mind what Del had told him… that Fish was used to living on their own. Scavenging was probably something they were used to. They were desensitized to this kind of thing. That didn’t make this any easier to watch. But at the very least, they acquiesced, nodding their assent to Cyran before hopping off of the body to follow him to the camp.
The walk was silent as Cyran kept an eye on Fish, lost in his thoughts. He remembered what he’d told Del back in Frostgale about the child, that Fish reminded him of himself. That much was true, even if it wasn’t in obvious ways. Cyran was the child of a businessman - a cold and calculated merchant who cared little for coin. He might not have continued with the family business, nor did he have any desire to, but he understood the cutthroat nature of it all. Hell, Cyran himself was an assassin, someone who’d had to learn how to compartmentalize the awful things he did. He viewed his work as a transaction… just means to make coin. And Cyran was good at it. And that was the life he’d lived, for a better part of a decade. Resigned to his lot in life, that he would always be a blood-drained criminal.
Yes, it was far too late for him.
But not for Fish.
Perhaps that was why this display had stung him so. He was watching a child walk down this dark path because it was all they knew, and it was all they believed they were good at. It didn’t have to be this way, but there was little that Cyran could do about o convince Fish otherwise. It was a difficult reality to accept - that Cyran wanted a better life for Fish than this, while Fish thought this was the best life would be.
By the time they reached camp, Cyran’s mind was an inferno of complex thoughts that left him feeling guilty and exhausted. He hadn’t done much this particular mission, but his body felt drained all the same.
He turned to Fish, a thousand questions and warnings and empty words on his lips. There was so much he wanted to say, didn’t know how to express.
What he asked instead was, “Would you like to help me make dinner?”
He had ingredients to make them something simple - perhaps they could have sustained themselves on rations, but he wasn’t much in the mood for eating jerky and bread tonight.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 10, 2023 10:41:09 GMT -5
It was real hard to gauge whether or not it was too late for Fish. Deprogramming someone from the only thing they know was not an easy process and Fish's stubbornness only made it harder.
Fish looks idly around as they stand back at camp, seemingly just waiting for Cyran to do whatever it was he was going to do before Fish climbed into a tree and went to sleep. Another subtle bird trait they held to, enjoying perching from higher places.
They look up at Cyran with a tilted head as he asks about food, "Fish has never made food, Fish only steals things when Fish is hungry. Fish's home has too many chemicals to make food safely....Kvasir usually makes a spare plate of food, Fish will steal that."
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 11, 2023 17:06:01 GMT -5
The fact that Fish had never cooked for themselves was… disheartening, though not surprising. What was more of a shock, though, was that the young thief knew Kvasir, and was close enough with the young doctor to steal food from him. Given what Cyran knew about Kvasir, though, he highly doubted Fish was actually stealing the food as they perhaps thought. But it was a good tactic to keep the young thief fed. And for that, he was grateful.
Cyran nodded, electing not to bring any of that up.
“Well, if you’d like to help me hunt, I saw some deer around here that we could cook. And if you’d like to learn something new, I’m always happy to teach you. It’s a good skill to have when you’re in the wild like this and need food in a pinch.”
Whether Fish would agree to follow or not, Cyran would make his way to the edge of their campsite in search of game, and bring back a few small animals for them to cook. And if Fish was interested, Cyran would show them how to skin and prepare a meal, and how to cook it over a fire.
“Cooking’s a bit like alchemy, or so I’ve heard. A little bit less precise. But it’s a bit like a chemical reaction, is it not?”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 11, 2023 19:56:45 GMT -5
Fish elected to skip hunting, the skills required to do it Fish already had and the thought of it wasn't something that piqued their interest. "Fish does not often eat meat." It's the only remark Fish makes before Cyran leaves.
By the time the elf returns, Fish has at the very least started a campfire. They quietly watch Cyran skin and prepare the animals, just curious as to why this man is expending extra effort to ensure the safety of another. Seems odd, though it might be related to what he and Del had been talking to Fish about."
"Fish would not know. Alchemy requires precise measurements and conditions to be made right...Most of what Fish has seen from cooking is very much subjective....The muffins Shaa made were very specific, baking may be closer to alchemy than cooking in general."
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 15, 2023 20:13:32 GMT -5
Cyran nodded when Fish mentioned that they didn’t eat much meat. When he disappeared to hunt for food, he took some extra time to scavenge for fruits and vegetables. His foraging skills were… passable, but he stuck to foods that looked more familiar, collecting some berries from a bush that he tested for poison to make sure they were safe for Fish to consume, and found some vegetables in a nearby field. Those would be able to be roasted as well, so Fish could get something a little more hearty on their stomach. Cyran didn’t know much about kenku anatomy, though growing children needed to eat, and he wouldn’t force them to consume anything they didn’t want to.
Still, Cyran went through the motions of showing Fish how to prep animals - just in case, as one could never be too prepared - with a low, gentle tone. He was decent enough at the skill, enough to survive in the wild for some time. He could only hope that those skills would prove beneficial for Fish. He made sure to grill the vegetables, too.
“Baking…” Cyran shrugged. He was alright enough at cooking, but not so much baking. They both seemed the same to him. But if it related to Fish’s interests, then Cyran didn’t mind either way. “Then alchemy is like baking… but cooking is like alchemy’s cousin. Think of it like learning a new method.”
He gave Fish a small smile, blowing on the vegetables he’d just pulled off the fire to make sure the meal wasn’t hot enough to burn Fish’s mouth, before offering it to the young thief. An olive branch, in a metaphorical sense, he supposed.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Jun 17, 2023 20:48:48 GMT -5
Fish grabs their own skewer from the fire and narrows their eyes at Cyran. The delicate balance of Fish-affections was turbulent, but somewhat predictable. They don't scamper away with the food, so there is some victory about that.
They certainly thought about it, but they were watching for the meat to finish as well. It would become apparent for future meals that Fish did not dislike meat, but a key part of kenku anatomy is they can't chew. So, Fish would just peel off bite sized bits and toss those back.
It was a quiet endeavor though, with both hands full they were incapable of signing anything. Though, this was likely a rare instance of Cyran seeing Fish as the kid they are as the edifice of professionalism evaporates watching little hands pick off morsels of food as their feet bounce off the log they are sitting on.
Take away the knives, crossbow, bolts, explosive bolts, poisons, smoke flasks, flash bangs, and explosive casks and there is an innocent little bird in there. Getting that out just takes a lot of patience in allowing them to put the guards down.
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Post by Cyran Fenastra-Asiliari on Jun 20, 2023 16:25:54 GMT -5
Dinner passed in silence. Cyran was still trying to gather his thoughts while Fish peeled off food in little chunks and ate while their feet swung back and forth against the log. At least they seemed a little more relaxed and less on edge than before. The same could not be said for the assassin, who was still deep in thought.
Only when dinner was finished and they set up camp for the evening did Cyran finally speak.
“If you’d ever like to work together again, I would be happy to take on a job with you. You have a lot of talent.”
An offer - not one he thought Fish would take. But he wanted to put it into the open. It was difficult for Cyran to watch a child act so callously with a life, but more than anything he wanted to make sure Fish always had someone trusted watching after them. It was difficult to speak to someone with a lifetime of programming and thievery and help them understand that they were so much more than what they did. But that didn’t mean he would stop being there for Fish as much as he could.
And whatever path Fish took, it didn’t mean they weren’t deserving of love and understanding.
And Cyran would try to give them that - understanding. And he could sure as hell give them all the love they wanted. That was the best he could do… and by the gods he would just keep trying. For Fish.
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