Group role-play: Rodeo 3

Jhelya | Mortiris | Briana | Demarius | Krystophan | Ordici | Justin

Jhelya
The moonlight twinkled through the mist, as she huddled in the alley across from his house. He had not left there since he came home a few hours earlier. She wondered why he was on her boss's list. Of course, this wasn't the first time. However after three weeks of shadowing the hit she could not see where he might have offended Mycieva. Mycieva was the boss of the "underside" of Boktor, he held practically the same power over the thugs and assassins, as the Crown Prince held over the nobility.
In the last five years she had come to know Mycieva well. If he wanted you dead you might as well dig your grave, because somebody would collect on his unusually large bounties. He employed about fifteen assassins on a regular basis, not just for murder but for enforcement of his edicts as well.
Rinara was his top choice, she could blend in an oak glade without being seen, she could find a week old trail through rock. It didn't hurt that she was the finest hand-to-hand fighter this side of the Great Escarpment.
The front door the house opened, bringing Rinara's attention back to the present. A man about the same age as her walked out the door. There he was, Hillas, a small time merchant in cheap trinkets and baubles. He was definitely a handsome man, Rinara thought to herself. What a shame they could not have met under better circumstances. She smiled to herself as she watched him walk down the street towards the neighborhood tavern. He made this sojourn nightly and spent several hours drinking there with his fellow merchants.
As she slipped out of the shadows to follow him a burly armored man, carrying a very large and sharp looking axe stepped in front of her. Her hand instantly went to the weapon at her side, as she looked apprehensively at the man between her and her target.

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Mortiris
Rinara sized up her opponent in the split second that passed between his action and her reaction. "I do not wish to end your life here, you are not my target, either you can stand aside and live another day or you can die trying to make whatever he's paying you." The bear standing in front of her seemed to consider her proposal, but his answer was given by the voice that came from over her shoulder. "I'm afraid we can't let you 'knock off' Hillas just yet Rinara, he has a mission that takes precedent over any little grudge Mycieva might have. Go tell your boss Hillas is off limits."
The ground felt awfully hard as Rinara woke from a forced nap, the welt on her head, from a well-placed sap, throbbed like a bad hangover. There were so many questions she did not have answers for, so many thoughts she needed together before she could make her next move. Hillas was off limits to Mycieva? No one had the power to prevent Mycieva from getting what he wanted. What was she going to tell him? She had to do something, he was going to be very upset over this unlikely turn of events. First thing first, she had to find some information on a few people.

Briana
Rinara walked out of the seventh seedy pub of the night, still having no more information than she had earlier, but at least the throbbing in her head was down to a dull roar now. She had tracked down nearly all of her more sordid contacts in town, and none of them recognized the description she had given of the burly fellow who had initially blocked her way. She was about to swallow her pride and report her failure to Mycieva, when a voice called to her from the shadows.
"You're going about this the wrong way, you do realize that don't you?" a raspy voice hailed her from her left.
Rinara froze in her tracks, her hand going to her dagger. Taking no chances this time, she shifted slightly, putting her back to the wall. "What do you know of my business?" she asked.
"More than you, as I'm not the one spending the night walking from one hole to the next asking all the wrong questions", he informed her. "I would have thought better of you, Rinara. You're not living up to your reputation. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed,” he said as he casually examined his nails.
She sized up the small, rat faced, Drasnian, the hand on her dagger relaxing slightly. "It seems you know who I am. Who might you be?" she asked coolly.
"I apologize for the rap on the head earlier, but my men had their orders, just like you had yours. Now, let's talk business shall we?" he asked, with an unpleasant smile.
"You have yet to answer my question, friend" she said, her voice taking on a definite edge. "My patience grows thin" she informed him, her fingers tickling the hilt of her dagger now.
"Oh do stop the theatrics,” the stranger said as if talking to a child. "Look around you, Rinara" he said, brushing a bit of dirt from his sleeve. Rinara quickly scanned the area around her, her eyes narrowing as she caught site of two men in the second story windows across the narrow street, their crossbows aimed directly at her. Seeing no way out, she took her hand from her dagger, raising it in the air. The man nodded.
"Mycieva will not let this go unpunished. This is his city. I don't think you realize what you have gotten yourself in to stranger. I'd leave now, before he finds out you're in his territory, or you can bet he'll have your head by the end of the morrow".
The man just laughed, genuinely amused. "You amuse me, Rinara. I might just see about keeping you when all of this is over" he said, smiling.
"When all of what is over?" she fumed.

Demarius
"Tut tut Rinara! Emotion and curiosity are dangerous elements of the mind on their own Rinara. Together I find that they often make for a rather self-destructive force,” said the stranger with knowing smile on his face as he stepped into the glow of the night with, Rinara noticed, a slight limp. "However,” he continued noticing the tightening of Rinara's expressions, "in the interests of diplomacy and goodwill, allow me to sooth your curiosity in a manner that perhaps will leave you in considerably better health. Tell your employer that we mean him no harm nor take what is his. However, Hillas is a minor player at this time in matters of great importance and opportunity that my employers will not see undone after having invested much effort and time. Any act of ill-will towards him will be met and as you have already noticed, dealt with.”
"You speak in mysteries", sneered Rinara, "do you think Mycieva cares for your subtly worded threats? Or for your plans whatever they may be?"
"Perhaps not," murmured the stranger nodding to the archers as he stepped back into the darkness of the alley and began to casually pace away, "but we hope to end this amicably. The contents of the bag at the end of this alley will perhaps be of interest then to you. Treat that as a warning and a sign of our intent. And Rinara, tell Mycieva that The Spiders send their greetings."

"What did the bag hold," curiously interrupted a stone-faced Mycieva minutes later as Rinara debriefed him on the turn of events.
"Culig and Gart," answered an ashen-faced Rinara opening the bag and emptying its contents onto the sleekly polished oak desk of Mycieva's office where they rolled around leaving a bloody trail, "or rather should I say their heads."
"Belar!" muttered Mycieva with his first sign of emotion since the debrief began, "those two were shadowing you. They do certainly play for the keeps. Any word on who they may be?"
"None other than some cryptic message from our mysterious stranger that I should send my regards from The Spiders. Didn't make very much sense to me", replied Rinara who now peered closely at Mycieva, "but I have a sneaking suspicion that you know exactly whom I'm talking bout."
"The Spiders!" echoed a somewhat shaken Mycieva, "my, my, we have attracted some powerful folk to this little backwater haven't we now."
"Powerful? So then you have heard of them," spluttered an almost similarly shaken Rinara, "perhaps you would like to tell me what exactly is going on before I wind up looking permanently handicapped like Culig and Gart here."
"Ha! Now, now, Rinara," said a smiling Mycieva who seemed to have recovered his composure quickly, "they were amateurs who walked in your shadow. But yes. I do think its time I brought you in on closely guarded secret that I could use your special expertise on. What do you know of the Prophecy of Exile?"

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Krystophan
Rinara gets an extremely confused look on her face as she tried to understand what Mycieva had just asked her.
"Prophecy of Exile? I have no idea what you're talking about. I've heard all about the Rivan King returning and all that garbage."
"So you don't believe in prophecy?" Mycieva asked her with a shrewd look on his face.
Rinara stutters for a moment as she tries to turn her thoughts into words. "Well, I guess sort of. I mean everyone grows up hearing all those stories. That the Rivan King will return. That one day Torak will awaken and invade the Western Kingdoms. That's what they are though, just stories. They aren't real or anything."
Mycieva leans back in the chair and rubs his eyes as if suddenly tired. "You see Rinara that's the problem. They are real and not just bedtime stories. The Prophecy of Exile is one of those bedtime stories, just not as well known as the rest. The whole text is long and quite hard to understand so I'll sum it up as simply as I can."
Mycieva's eyes gain a far off look as he begins his story. "They say that when Aloria was one, Cherek Bear-Shoulders was not the true king but instead had seized the throne from the heir at the time. Instead of killing him as his clan chiefs bade him too, Cherek instead banished the child and his mother from Aloria. They were told never to return on pain of death. Of course everyone then knows the story of how Cherek and his sons along with Belgarath snuck into Cthol Mishrak to steal the Orb of Aldur. But what people don't know is that during that time, the unknown heir had grown up and snuck back into the country. You see he was the original member of the Bear-Cult. In some of the Cult's most sacred documents are instructions on how to go about finding the decendants of the heir. The man you were following tonight was had information to a small piece of that puzzle. It seems that the Spiders are after the same information as I am."
Rinara has been listening attentively until now as a look of confusion once again crosses her face. "But why are you looking for the document? And for that matter why are the Spiders looking for the document? Do you want to find this so-called heir and raise him to reunite Aloria? Or are you trying to find him so he can be taken out of play and no one would ever know?"
A sly look crosses Mycieva's face as Rinara asks her questions. "Ah my dear that is the question is it not? You see my plans are quite simple, yet so brilliant that the culmination will shake the foundations that all the countries of the world rest on. You see my dear its like this..."
Before Mycieva has a chance to lay out his play, the door flies open and crashes into the wall. The strange man whom had given her the message earlier stands in front, with two large but nimble looking men stand behind him awaiting his orders. And their weapons are all drawn.

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Ordici
Rinara pulls her dagger and dives into a roll placing herself in between the rat faced stranger and Mycieva. "One more move gentleman and your heads are going to roll!" she says between clenched teeth.
The rat faced man looked at Mycieva and with a knowing wink started to laugh. "Spirited isn't she, old friend?"
"I've been trying to break her of the habit" Mycieva said cooly. "Why am I not surprised to find that you are involved in this?"
The rat face man snickers as he orders his men to fan out. Seeing that there was no other choice Rinara pulled her dirk from her boot, keeping her dagger pointed t'words rat face and while she held her dirk in a defensive position. She was sizing up the biggest thug and was about to strike when she was pulled back roughly by the shoulder.
"Amber, if that is what you call yourself at this time, I think it is time to call off the dogs!" Mycieva said as he prudently pulled the dagger out of Rinara's hand. "I can't afford to loose her or you!"
"What's this you know each other?" Rinara asked suprised that her voice cracked.
The rat-faced man extravagantly bowed and said "Rinara, you have no clue how long I have know that old wolf!"
Rinara's face paled as she looked back at Mycieva. "What in the name of all the Gods is going on here? What aren't you telling me Mycieva?"
Mycieva looked at Amber now and shrugged "What do you think, is she ready?"
Amber responded "Bel..." with a nervous look at Rinara he looked back to Mycieva. "I think she needs some polishing, but she just might be able to get in where we can't!"
Rinara knew that wasn't what Amber was going to say at this time. But she just let it slide as she glared at Mycieva. "I think it is time you told me everything old man... And leave nothing out."

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Justin
Outside again, Rinara stepped into the shadows for a second to regain her thoughts.
Though she still had very many questions left, such as why the Spiders, if they were so powerful, hadn't killed Hillas yet, but she knew she wouldn't learn more from the strange man than what they had told her already. Though she had never really believed in Prophecies or anything else that didn't directly affect her, the oldest man of the group, who had seemed the least important, proved to her that what she was told was the truth. It puzzled her how he had convinced her so easily, but she decided that this was not the time to try and figure it out and she felt a strange urge to do what she was told as if she was pulled by an invisible hand which didn't directly tell her what to do but felt more like it made certain choices seem best.
She knew exactly what to do. She would have to get to Hillas before the Spiders finally decided it was time to do so themselves and she would have to retrieve the document one way or another. The task seemed quite a bit more daunting now than it seemed a short while earlier because of what was at stake and who she was up against. These Spiders weren't folk she would like to mess with or would have before and she recalled what Mycieva had said about them.
Apparently, these Spiders were a group of, mostly influential, people who followed a Prophecy directly linked to the Prophecy of Exile, which involved the bringing together of eight vital components, centred around one central figure or item. What these components were, was unknown, but Mycieva had told her that there were strong suspicions that whatever document Hillas had come across was one of the eight lesser important ones. What happened if all nine components would be brought together was a mystery as well, but it was made quite clear to her that it would not at all be pleasant.
The following day, Rinara waited until evening and ventured towards the home of Hillas again, looking around her constantly to check if she had been followed. She saw no one. As she stood near the door of the house, she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to push the door open. She tried, acting on impulse, and found that the door was actually unlocked. She stumbled into the large, well-lit room and quickly went for one of her daggers. In front of her stood a handsome man.
"Hillas" she said softly to herself. "What the" the man responded and he started to call for assistance immediately after. Once again, impulse took over and Rinara's hand directed the dagger it was holding towards Hillas' throat, cutting deep into the flesh and silencing him immediately. As his body slumped on the floor, Rinara recovered and noticed that two men were standing on either side of her their long swords raised to strike. From behind her, she heard a third person entering the room.
"Turn around Rinara," a soft woman's voice said, and Rinara immediately did as she was told and ended up staring into the face of a short woman wearing a dark hooded cloak.
"Who are you?" Rinara tried to ask, but the woman uttered a word and Rinara found herself unable to speak.
"First, you will listen." the woman said with a louder voice this time. "I will spare you the details on who were are as individuals" the woman started, "and go straight to the part where I tell you that we are, as you probably suspected, members of the Spiders. And, to answer another question you will inevitably have, we did not kill Hillas because we wanted you to do so." The woman grinned. "I trust you have been told about the Prophecy of Nine? Nod your head if you have." Rinara nodded and the woman continued "Then know that this was one of the Events, or Legs if you will. Why we didn't let you kill him earlier you ask? Because I was not here at the time. It was quite vital that both me and the true heir of Aloria are here at this exact time." The woman stopped talking for a second and pointed at one of the men standing next to Rinara. "Fetch the document" she said and then she gazed at at Rinara again "Don't feel bad, this is how it was supposed to happen. We will meet in the future" the woman paused for a second "my Queen."
And with those words, the woman left, with the two men rushing after her. A few moments later, the spell cast on Rinara was lifted and she was able to move and talk again, but she had no intention to do so. The last words the woman had spoken caused
Rinara to fall on the floor and for some reason she could not understand she started to cry uncontrollably.

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