#Darius and Tibul

[talesofdungeonsanddragons]

The Lion’s Den

"Why are you coming inside?" A guard immediately demanded as they stepped into the clean marble foyer. The first thing that Phoenix took note of was the few wooden crates that were scattered around the hall. Other than the crates the hall was empty, which she regarded as odd. She must have been staring at them because she felt Damian subtly drive his elbow into her side.

"Two of our men went to help some whore with her things and never came back." Damian said in a gruff voice that was far from his usual dulcet tone. The guard, a grey-skinned tiefling with some of the sharpest cheekbones she had ever seen, gave no indication if Damian gave himself away by speaking. The three of them stood in an uneasy silence for a few seconds before the guard gave a roll of his eyes, surprising both Phoenix and Damian.

"Those idiots chase after anything with breasts." He muttered in exasperation as though they were discussing juvenile boys instead of trained assassins. If possible, Phoenix tried to sink further into the cloak that obscured her features as Damian gave a forced chuckle. Humanizing the guards that they just killed created an awkward atmosphere that only the two of them could feel, but the teifling seemed to be oblivious to their discomfort. "I'll send some backup to go help them."

"We're going to go rest in the barracks if you don't need help…" Damian trailed off, seemingly unsure how to finish the sentence. This made the teifling pause for a second, peering at the pair of them with suspicion in his eyes.

"Protocall is that you accompany me to investigate the disturbance." He put a hand on his hips, unsettlingly close to his sword, and gave them a once-over. Phoenix's heart hammered in her chest as she held back the urge to simply attack the man to stop this painful line of questioning, but she simply lowered her head and waited for Damian to speak. Damian paused as his mind reeled for a reply, but the teifling seemed to brush off the mistake. "It is late my, friends. Go get some rest."

The two adventurers felt the tension leave their shoulders as he spoke. As long as they got deep enough inside before anyone raised an alarm, the others should have enough time to climb the towers and make sure that they wouldn't be shot down by archers during their infiltration. Confident once more, Damian smirked and led the way as they breezed past the teifling. Phoenix almost mimicked his self-assured stride, but found herself stumbling as she felt the cloak around her shoulders tighten before tearing away from her form.

"Fu-" Her curse was cut off as she barely dodged a slim sword that was aimed for her throat, her knees bashing the marble floor as she dropped to the ground and rolled to the side. Damian lunged forward and slashed the teifling's face with one of his arrows as Phoenix popped up behind the man and wrapped one of her whips around his neck. The teifling swiftly kicked Damian away while simultaneously driving an elbow into Phoenix's side. She let out a grunt, but didn't let loose the grip she had on the whips.

"I knew I sensed a bitch." The teifling managed to choke out, once again slamming an elbow into her side. This time her grip slipped, allowing him to shove her off and dodge the attack by Damian. The teifling grinned at her, standing as though she had barely scratched him. "There's a reason that we don't let women into our guild."

"Woah, I thought that you guys were an assassins guild not a magic guild!" Damian exclaimed, straightening up with a faux surprised expression. "But look at you! Conjuring misogyny out of thin air!"

For the first time, Phoenix felt herself actually laughing at one of Damian's jokes. Hearing her reaction, Damian shot her a grin which she reluctantly returned with a shake of her head.

"It isn't that difficult of a spell, Damian." She replied, a chuckle lingering in the back of her throat. "I'm sure an idiot like him could learn it."

The two of them both dissolved into laughter, frustrating the tiefling as they completely ignored his threatening step forward. Phoenix straightened up, one hand holding her gut as it hurt from both laughing and the two brutal blows that it took a few minutes ago, and shook her head once more at Damian. It had been a while since she had laughed that hard, and it almost seemed fitting that it had happened in the most inappropriate of times.

"Alright, the others should have taken care of the towers by now." She tried to force her smile from her face, but found it difficult as she saw the look of pure bewilderment that the teifling had. "So are you going to surrender or not?"

"Go to hell." He spat before darting forward and slashing downward. Phoenix sidestepped and allowed Damian to brush past her and drive his arrow into the man's throat. Gargling filled the air as he began to choke, one hand clutching the area around the wound while the other grasped at the air in front of him. Phoenix's smile finally slipped away as she looked away from the grotesque scene, not looking back until she heard a thump and then nothing more.

"Ah, that was fun!" Damian was far too cheerful for just impaling someone, but for the first time in a while, Phoenix didn't find that she minded. She walked over to the door that lead out of the foyer and peeked into the hallway, blinking in surprise when she didn't see more assassins coming. All she saw was a few more crates scattered throughout the stone hallway.

"It looks empty?" Her tone was unsure, as there were a number of enchantments that could make it look like an empty hallway. She stepped forward and quickly held out a hand, her fingers encased in a soft violet glow as she tried to detect the presence of magic. When nothing came up, she stepped further in. "I think that it's safe."

"Good, we need to meet the others in the courtyard." Damian said from the foyer, joining her after a few seconds as he tried to rub the blood on his hands off on his cloak. He shot her a smirk and joined her at the large oak doors, leading into the courtyard that ringed the main building of the stronghold. The cool midnight air blew the stray curls that had fallen from her braids, making her wrinkle her nose. About six men who were speaking in front of the main stronghold whipped around as the two of them stepped onto the cobblestone path.

There was a moment of silence before Damian nervously laughed.

"This isn't our inn!" He threw a tense arm around Phoenix, which she immediately pushed off of her shoulders. "We must have taken a wrong turn! Excuse us gentlemen but-"

He didn't get to finish whatever witty reply he had because an axe flew at his head in the next moment. Phoenix acted fast and shoved him to the side, watching as the axe barely brushed against her arm in the process. It was only the smallest of scratches, but it was enough to make her glare at whoever threw it.

She snapped her whips out, finding something satisfying about the resounding crack they made as they hit empty air. Before she could rush forward, she heard a whistling in the air and watched as a javelin drilled the shoulder of the man who had thrown the axe.

Phoenix let out a growl of frustration at the fact that Bamf wouldn't let her just have one badass moment and instead rushed at the next closest man. After ducking under the sword that he swung at her, she drew back her arm and delivered a strong blow to his throat. Choking, he stepped backwards with one hand clutching his throat. Taking this opportunity, she hooked her foot behind his and knocked him backwards. As he fell, her arm darted forward. Her whip snaked around his neck, causing it to snap to an unsettling angle as he fell to the ground.

At her side, Damian ran to the man with a javelin in his shoulder and shoved it further in while also driving and arrow into his uninjured shoulder. A tortured scream rang out through the courtyard, silence in the next moment.

Apparently unable to contain himself any longer, Dovahkiin descended from one of the ladders on the outer wall and dove into the group of assassins with a bellowing war cry. Phoenix made a face, but had to admit it sounded better than the folk songs that he had been singing on the way there. The fight dissolved into a blur of flashing metal accompanied by the singing of blades, ending as Thanatos summoned a bolt of lightning to strike down the remaining enemies.

"We should...have started with that." Damian panted, leaning over to catch his breath. Dovahkiin let out a bassy chuckle, slapping him on the back roughly.

"You need to get into better shape, my friend! You'll never keep up with my numbers in your current state!" Dovahkiin's face split into a wide smile, delighted in tonight's events. Phoenix rolled her eyes, getting used to her acquaintances constant lust for battle.

"Why weren't there more men? This is a stronghold." Bamf, as usual, completely ignored the banter.

"Judging by the crates, I'd say that they were moving." Phoenix replied, walking over to one of the wooden boxes and pushing the top open. Inside was rows of vials, carefully nestled in tufts of hay. If she were to guess, she'd say that they were poisons of some kind.

"I wouldn't touch thos', lass."

Phoenix whipped around, holding her weapons aloft in either hand as a gruff, yet feminine voice, came from the doorway behind them. Out of the shadows stepped a short figure, a mess of burgundy curls falling around a round face. It was a dwarvish woman with a knobby nose, holding a battle axe in her hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Who are you?" Dovahkiin demanded, drawing his large sword in preparation. Phoenix shot him a look, as it was clear she wasn't about to attack. The dwarf woman had come alone and had a relaxed stance, making it clear that she was not currently a threat. This did little to assure Phoenix to a point of trusting this woman, but she felt a bit more at ease.

"Kiligana." She gave a slight bow of her head, placing a calloused hand over her leather chestplate. Her mossy green eyes looked at both the hammers in Dovahkiin's hands and the whips that Phoenix held, and her lips twisted into a larger grin. "I came ta' help ya out, but you lot seem ta' have it under control. Not surprised since it looks like ya folks are friends wit' Darius n' Tibul."

"What is that accent?" Damian whispered to Bamf in a not very subtle way. Phoenix resisted the urge to smack him for such an insensitive comment, settling on sending a glare his way instead. In truth, she did find the woman's accent a bit difficult to understand. It was an odd dialect that she hadn't heard much of, despite the fact that she had traveled to many different places.

"I'm Phoenix and these are my companions." She mimicked the woman's slight bow, grimacing as she felt that the leathery material of the assassin's uniform was soaked with blood. Once introductions were out of the way, Kiligana eyed the middle stronghold with a curious eye.

"I d'nno about ya, but I'm a bit curious 'bout what's in there." She walked forward and knocked her axe against the cold metal door.

"We took out the men, so we get the treasure." Dovahkiin rumbled, crossing his arms as he watched her size up the door.

"We aren't here for treasure, Dova." The nickname slipped through her lips before she realized what she had said, but Phoenix brushed it off as a habit from long ago. "We're here for answers about the men who are trying to kill us."

"I mean there's still a chance of treasure." Dovahkiin argued, pressing a large hand against the metal and shoving it open. With a screech of metal scraping against stone, it opened to reveal a large room with two figures standing next to a shining chest. One of them, a blue teifling, turned to them with an easygoing grin.

"Nearly ten minutes." He sighed, his long fingers tapping against the wooden chest in a consistent rhythm. "I expected more of the protigees of Darius and Tibul."

[talesofdungeonsanddragons]

The Adventure Begins

Chapter 1

She called herself Phoenix. Of course, that was not her given name.

But nobody needed to know the chestnut-haired woman's true name as she stepped inside a pub, creatively named Darius & Tabul's. A rueful smirk rested on her lips as she pushed her way through the milling crowd that was beginning to form. It was unlikely that she would have much time to drink with them after she performed. After all, that was her profession. As a bard, she was to ensure that the patrons of the taverns she performed in were happy in their drunken state. Pushing through a door next to the wide wooden stage, she entered into a world full of colorful clothing, out of key instruments, and thick powder being applied to the faces of both males and females.

Setting her pack down in a relatively secluded corner, Phoenix began to unabashedly strip out of her simple dress and into a more extravagant outfit. Being a performer entailed losing the privilege of privacy, something she had learned quickly after her first few days of being a bard. Nobody cared to stare as she tugged the rough, yet shining, golden fabric over her creamy skin, her fingers pausing at her hips and noting that they had once again shrunk since the last time she wore the dress. A sigh made up of one part disappointment and two parts frustration left her lips as she let go of the fabric, letting it hang loosely off of her figure. It hadn't helped that her last employer had failed to pay her for her services after she refused to sleep with one of his patrons.

"You're on, girlie." Someone called from the corner of the stage. She quickly patted powder that was mainly made up of flour over her already pallard complexion and brushed rouge over her cheekbones before she hurried over to the side of the stage where a man was finishing a ballad about a man whose love fled from him in the night.

And though he gave her silver and gold,

His tall walls sheltering her from the cold,

The maiden fled from his side as his slept

The midnight wind, away with her swept.

Phoenix scowled at the well-known ballad, leaning against the wall whilst keeping herself hidden in the shadows as the young man stood, bowed, and finally retreated backstage. Grasping her wispy ribbons tightly in her hands, the willowy girl stepped onto the stage and nodded to the trio of musicians sitting slightly off-stage to her left. The slow and intense piece began with the violin, prompting Phoenix to delicately place her foot in front of her and raise her arms slowly above her head. The light ribbons clutched tightly in each hand brushed against her ankles as she began to move to the increasing tempo. Her limbs moved fluidly as her limber body told the story that the music invited her to tell. Dancing had always come naturally to her, as naturally as breathing. She could feel the music in her bones, the melodies entwining with her very being and allowing her to let go of every woe and trouble that dared cross her mind. Her parents had her dabble in playing the violin, singing, or even painting, but she had been nothing more than average at all of those. Dancing was the only thing she found herself excelling at, the only thing she knew that she couldn't possibly live without.

She paused in her movements as shouting reached her ears, pulling her from the trance that she was under. Her lips twitched down in annoyance before she fell back into step with the music, her eyes watching as there was an altercation between a dragonborn, a human monk, and a tiefling dressed in black. She rolled her eyes briefly as she became immersed in the music once more. Phoenix brushed her left foot across the floor as the tempo began to slow, bringing it to a stop behind her ankle as the final notes of the fiddle faded out into silence. There was a light round of clapping from those who were not piss-drunk, prompting her to step lightly backstage once more.

She was finished performing until tomorrow, prompting her to shove her things unceremoniously into her bag and head out to one of the tables that were scattered around the bar. The bar was admittedly far nicer than any of the taverns she had played in prior to this, despite it not being a place where aristocrats would come to drink. The walls were made of a thick dark oak, the tables and bar complimenting the darker walls as they were only a few shades lighter than the walls. She managed to find an empty table, clutching her gin close to her body as she maneuvered the crowd, close to where the fighting trio now sat by the command of the owner, and couldn't help eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I believe you owe my friend a new drink."

"I believe I owe him nothing but a knife to the throat for getting me into trouble."

A snort escaped Phoenix's lips at that comment, gaining the attention of the three men. The monk's lips curled back into a mocking grin as he began to leer at her.

"I suppose you have an opinion?" He asked sarcastically, propping his chin up on a tan hand. His dark eyes watched from under his hood as she shifted in her chair to look back at them fully, meeting her own deep blue ones evenly. They looked one another up and down, silently sizing the other up.

"Oh, I do." Phoenix replied loftily, raising her drink to her lips. "But of course, who am I to comment on the relationship between you three? Feel free to go about your business."

"Huh, I'm surprised that a woman of your..." He looked at her up and down with a slight smirk resting on his thin lips, "stature would be able to keep her mouth shut. I find that beggars are the ones with the loudest opinions."

The brunette stiffened suddenly, her eyes flashing with irritation, and made her way to the empty stage, climbing up to stand in front of the tavern. Phoenix waved off the string quartet that was playing and coughed to gain the attention of the patrons of the bar.

"Attention. There is something I'd like to say." She announced, her voice easily carrying over the chatter that resounded around the vast space. Something began to lace into her voice, making the next words that she spoke even more biting than they already were. Vicious mockery, one of the first spells she had learned, would prove to be useful in this situation. "Monk, I watched you when you came in. Are you so alone in your monastery that you have to reside with the company of men instead of women? You made no advances on anyone but the dragonborn. I have no issue with that, of course, but perhaps this announcement will ward away any women who may have mistaken your kindness as desire."

Her speech earned a round of laughter from around the tavern, which she responded to with a slight bow at her waist before she hopped down and returned to her table. She sat once more and raised her glass in a silent toast to the trio, a smirk playing on her lips once more. The thief was grumpily staring off into space with his arms crossed across his chest, Dovahkiin wore an expression mixed between humor, anger, and embarrassment, but Asur's face was unexpected. Eyes crinkled in humor, he was chuckling slightly as she approached.

"That was a very nice performance." He complimented with a faint smile replacing the nasty look that was once on his face. Phoenix scowled at the fact that he found her words amusing instead of offensive. "Why don't you come and join us."

She deliberated for a moment, trying to sense any alternative motives other than simply sharing a drink with the trio, but stood up and joined them nevertheless. She discarded her empty drink and moved a chair to their table. Sitting on the backwards chair, she glanced around at them with an appraising look while resting her arms on the back of her chair.

"My name is Asur. This is Dovahkiin and Altair the Theif." He introduced everyone with a wave of his hand before giving her a charming look, all hostility seemingly melted away. "Might we have your name, milady?"

"Phoenix." She replied shortly after a second, feeling uneasy at the sudden shift of mood in the monk. Of course it wasn't unusual for her to feel uneasy around new people in general, as she had something referred to as 'trust issues'.

"It is nice to meet you Phoenix." Dovahkiin rumbled, inclining his head to her. She jumped slightly at the deep voice of the dragonborn, as he had yet to speak, but gave him a polite smile in return. He wore a slight scowl on his face, a sign that her comment about his banana tattoo was not forgotten, but other than that he wasn't as hostile as she expected him to be. In his hands, he played with a giant ax. His blue scales reflected off of the metal and began to cast muted shades of blue across the table.

"Nothing to say, thief?" Phoenix turned to the small, dark pink teifling who had yet to speak. He responded with a sharp glare before turning back to his drink. She chuckled and rested her head in her hand lazily, beginning to relax. It had been far too long since she had been amongst the company of other civil beings. They began to speak of the reasons that they ended up in this establishment, reasons ranging from searching revenge for a fallen tribe to simply finding a new job in this town. As they spoke, a giant man made his way over at the sight of the three troublemakers finding a new friend to join them.

"Ah I see you three finally managed to attract a female. I didn't think it would be possible." The man chuckled deeply, grinning down at the group of people. Phoenix tensed and gazed at him uneasily until she realized that it was Darius, the man who hired her to perform tonight. Phoenix chuckled at the comment, shaking her head slightly.

"Can we have some of your strongest brew?" Dovahkiin asked as he noticed that his pint was empty, along with the other three's. Darius' booming laugh echoed across the bar, making the all of them jump in their seats. The intimidating man doubled over, his hands pressing against his knees to hold himself up. This continued for a good half a minute before he finally got control of himself once more. Dark eyes brimming with mirthful tears, he took a deep breath before replying.

"None of you could handle our strongest brew. I'll ask Tabul to get you some of his micro-brew." He waved at the dwarf behind the counter and called for him to bring over four micro-brews. The small man behind the counter nodded in reply, his serious expression ducking behind the bar to find the said alcohol.

"I'd like some dwarven fire wine." Altair suddenly said, looking at Darius suddenly once Tabul had brought over the micro-brews. Phoenix raised her eyebrow at the small thief, along with Dovahkiin and Asur. The bar owners looked at one another for a moment, and then at the teifling, before breaking down into laughter that was twice as loud as Darius' first fit of laughter. It took a full minute for the grown man and dwarf to stop laughing and look at Altair once more.

"You'd be dead before the last drop hit your tongue." Tabul chortled, his thick red hair bouncing with each shake of his head. Darius whispered something to him, and the dwarf laughed before disappearing behind the bar once again and returning a single shot glass. He slammed it on the table in front of the thief, the liquid inside spilling over onto the table as Tabul grinned challengingly at Altair. "Drink then."

Altair glared at the dwarf before he threw back the liquid inside. Phoenix, Asur, and Dovahkiin watched for something to happen, the three of them sitting on the edge of their seats. There was a moment of disappointment as the liquid seemed to have no effect on Altiar. He seemed satisfied with himself for a few seconds before he began to sway in his seat.

"Feeling alright, thief?" Phoenix laughed, taking a sip of her own drink. He opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance to. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell out of his seat, unconscious. Roaring laughter echoed around the table as they watched Altair laying prone on the floor. "What was in that?"

"A single drop of dwarven fire wine, watered down." Tabul chuckled. The group enjoyed a laugh at the expense of the drunken thief before falling back into conversation. Darius and Tabul seemed very interested to hear about their stories and how they ended up in their bar. Dovahkiin spoke of his tribe, long destroyed by a sorcerer who sought claim of the land they lived on. With revenge in his heart, he was seeking out that same sorcerer.

Phoenix nodded as the dragonborn spoke, understanding the pull of revenge as she herself had been long resisting the urge to fall victim to its sweet offer. Her hand clutched the drink in her hand as she looked down at the alcohol. The taste was bitter in her mouth as she was usually abstinent. It was comforting to hold onto something though.

Asur began to paint a picture of his monastery hidden high in the mountains north of the town that they currently resided in, an open space with columns lining the entire structure. Pale marble statues of their deity seemed to stare at you from every angle as you studied, prayed, and meditated. A high ivory tower served as their library, giving them a beautiful view of the valley below. They all seemed to listen attentively to this, the descriptions he gave creating a clear image of what the monitory looked like.

Too soon, they looked at Phoenix expectantly. Putting on a smile and allowing her storytelling skills to use, she painted a tail of a girl named Phoenix who was raised in small country town and began to travel the land on her own as a bard, seeking both jobs and adventures to go on. None of them found any sort of discrepancy with her tale, much to her relief.

Darius and Tabul recounted a few of their own adventures, filling the late night with tales of dragons, treasure, and heroes. As Altair began to come to, the two old adventurers said farewell to the group and made their way back to the bar, as they still had a business to run. As they left, a man approached the group and sat in the last empty chair at the table. The four figures paused in their conversation and stared at the hooded man. Dovahkiin tensed up as if he was preparing for a fight, Altair looked ready to run, but Asur and Phoenix remained composed on the outside.

"I've been watching you four during the last hour, and I have come with a proposition for you." The man spoke, an aura of mystery surrounding him. Phoenix resisted the urge to snort at the 'mysterious' vibe that this man gave. She tried to peer under the hood, but he turned away from her. "You all seem to have a diverse set of skills that will make you useful in this quest."

"Quest?" Dovahkiin questioned, leaning forward on the table with all weariness gone, excitement replacing it.

"What kind of quest?" Asur's expression remained calm and collected as he observed the mysterious man. One hand began to slowly creep behind him to the staff that rested against the back of his chair while the other remained relaxed on the table.

"There's a dungeon right outside of town, west and into the forest a bit of ways." He said, "There is something inside that I require, but I cannot get myself. A golden ball. If you go in and retrieve it, you can have the rest of the treasure."

"All you require is one thing?" Altair finally spoke, now interested at the prospect of getting money. The hooded man nodded silently in response. Altair grinned before sending a sneer at his companions. "I cannot speak for you three, but I am accepting this quest."

"I will not leave a thief to retrieve this item. I accept this quest as well." Dovahkiin announced with a stony look at Altair. Of course, the dragonborn was excited for the prospect of adventure and potentially slaying some beasts.

"I will also accompany you." Asur stated quietly from his seat, his eyes still on the hooded man. His face betrayed no suspicion or distrust, but something in his eyes showed that he wasn't completely buying what the hooded man claimed.

"I have yet to go on an adventure. I will be on this quest as well." Phoenix agreed with a shrug. She had a dagger and a crossbow in her pack, which with she was not entirely proficient with, but it would certainly be enough to defend herself with if she got in a tight spot. Phoenix preferred to fight with her words or magic. She bit her lip as she looked around at the other three, beginning to doubt if they would be able to get to the cave and back alive. None of them seemed to be the most experienced…

"Very well. I will expect you back in three days' time." He said before standing and walking back to his table. The three of them stared after him, various emotions running through the group. Darius returned to the corner table with a raised eyebrow, glancing back to where the hooded man was walking to.

"I hear that you four are going on a quest." Darius commented, taking the hooded man's seat. They all nodded and waited for him to continue. "Well, I've taken a liking to you," he glanced at the thief who looked as though he would love the opportunity to run Darius through with a knife, "well most of you. So I am going to help you on this quest."

"You will accompany us?" Phoenix asked with a tint of hope in her voice. She was fairly sure that none of her companions had ever been on an quest before, so an experienced adventurer would be a great asset.

"No. I will give you supplies to help you on your journey. Tabul and I have been on many a quests in our time. I know what you need." He explained further. Phoenix nodded and searched for the hooded man once more, noticing that he was now talking with a finely dressed man who had two guards by him. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the scene, but quickly returned her attention to Darius as the hooded man and his companion stood and disappeared upstairs.

"Can you tell us anything about this dungeon?" Asur asked while entwining his fingers together and leaning forward. Phoenix tried to remain concentrated on the conversation but found her eyes drifting to where the two men disappeared. The finely dressed man seemed out of place, especially since there were far more elite bars to drink at for aristocrats in this city.

"Eh, it was nothing that most high-level adventurers bother themselves with. It's a minor dungeon, but I couldn't tell you what is inside." Darius said with a shrug. Phoenix stood up suddenly as though she was kicked, an idea coming to her mind like lightning.

"I will be right back." She said before walking over to the bar where Tabul resided. The dwarf looked up from the surface he was cleaning, looking at her quizzically. Before he could ask what she needed, words began to spill from her mouth. "Tabul, do you know anything about that rich looking man with the guards that was just in here?"

"I can't say that I do. He's just another noble. They come through here every now and again." He replied, his gravelly voice sounding absolutely unconcerned. Phoenix nodded in reply, an uneasy feeling remaining in her stomach. She tried to tell herself that she was overreacting, but that kind of thinking had landed her in far worse trouble in the past.

"Thank you, Tabul." She said graciously before returning to the table. Not much of the conversation was missed other than Darius offering them rooms and supplies. Phoenix sighed in relief at the offer. She didn't often like taking handouts, but her coin pouch was far too light for her to be paying for both a room and supplies.

"I expect you all need some rest before tomorrow, so you four should head up to your rooms. And thief, don't even think of leaving in the middle of the night." Darius seemed to read Altair's thoughts, which caused the drunken tiefling to glare at the muscular man. Three of the four figures wished Darius a good night and thanked him for his kindness before heading upstairs to their separate rooms. Phoenix pushed through the crowd of drunk piss-pots to the stairs, tinkering with the key that Darius had given her as she walked up the sturdy steps. As she reached the top, soft carpet replaced the hard wood of downstairs. She paused at the top, looking around at the elegantly decorated hallway. She hadn't stayed in a place this nice in years. Walking down the hallway, she found her room at the end of the second hallway that connected to the first. Pushing open the door and dumping her bag on the ground, she found herself stopping dead in her tracks. This couldn't be right. A large bed rested against the far wall opposite of her, framed by two nightstands on either side. The wall to her left contained a small couch and a tall bookcase, filled only halfway with various books and scrolls. To her right another door lead to a moderately sized bathroom that contained the usual amenities. To the right of the bathroom door was a large wardrobe, completely empty. She almost wished she carried more on her so that she could fill it. Slipping out of her performance dress, she walked over and hung it up in the wardrobe, the single item looking quite lonely. Shrugging, she tugged a nightgown from her bag, adorned it, and then fell into the bed. A groan escaped her lips as she sunk into the soft mattress. It took only seconds for her to fall into a deep sleep.

[talesofdungeonsanddragons]

The Assassination

Chapter 5

“Dovahkiin, move!” Phoenix shouted as another figure dressed in black moved to attack the drunken dragonborn. His response was to flail in confusion, luckily cuffing one of the assassin’s face with one of his massive hands. The assassin in question stumbled backwards, clutching his now-broken nose with one hand while the other hand lashed out with a green-tinged dagger. Darius moved with a speed that one wouldn’t think possible in a middle-aged man and grabbed the back of the man’s tunic and slammed him against the ground. The other patrons in the bar began to shout in panic, hurrying for the front door. Whether more assassins blended into the fleeing crowd, nobody could be sure.

“Don’t touch that.” Darius barked as Damian and Phoenix approached the dagger that had fallen from one of the assassins’ hands. The two exchanged a look but back away from the weapon nonetheless. The tavern was silent and empty, save their small group, as they crowded around the fallen assassin. The man struggled in Darius�� strong grip, attempting to scramble away from them. In response, Darius slammed his foot down against the assassin’s leg. A resounding crack filled the empty bar, followed by a blood curdling scream. Phoenix found herself flinching and looking away from the scene, the excessive abuse of even someone such as this not being something that she enjoyed.

“Now then,” Darius said, his large dark eyes serious as he kneeled down by the man who was trying to stifle his screams through his teeth. “Who sent you to kill these people.” He gestured to their small group. Before an answer could be given, however, the assassin stretched his mouth open wide and slammed his teeth together. A small pop could be heard and a second later the assassin began to foam at the mouth, choking and spluttering before falling back against the wooden floor. His tan skin, tinged blue, twitched slightly as the final effects of whatever poison he had ingested took place.

“Damn it.” Bamf growled, slamming a hand down on the bar in frustration. Phoenix shared the feeling, as she suddenly felt a cold chill creep down her spine at the thought of someone having it out for her. Her mind was eased at the fact that she was not the only person being targeted, lessening a portion of her paranoia.

“Does he have any insignias or guild signs on him?” Damian questioned, squatting down by the body. He regarded it carefully, trying to figure out if it was safe to touch the body or not. His spell to detect magic came up empty, so it was unlikely that there would be any magical consequences of touching it. He gingerly lifted the dead man’s hand and peered at the insignia stamped into the dark glove. “Check it out. It looks like they were from an assassin’s guild.”

“What gave you that idea?” Phoenix replied dryly, causing Damian’s cheeks to flush an angry red. Before he could tell her off, however, Darius spoke up.

“This is a familiar symbol. It’s a local guild, I believe.” He observed before he walked over to the bar and withdrew a piece of parchment. After hastily scribbling something down, he snapped his fingers which caused it to disappear in a wisp of smoke. “I’ve sent a message out to one of my contacts, so hopefully we’ll have more information soon.”

“In the meantime,” Tibul’s gruff voice piped up from behind the bar, “relax and have a drink on the house.”

Dovahkiin and Bamf, though weary about the night’s proceedings, were never ones to turn down a free drink. Both of them hurried to the bar to the waiting pints of alcohol. Phoenix, Damian, and Thanatos however remained huddled around the body as the prospect of simply sitting around after an assassination attempt was torturous.

“Is he carrying anything?” Thanatos questioned as Damian began to rifle through the man’s cloak pockets. Damian frowned and didn’t reply as his hand had brushed against something. Pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment, the other two adventurers leaned closer to observe what he held.

“Coordinates.” Damian said, gazing down at the small bit of parchment in his hand.  Neither Phoenix nor Thanatos understood what was written, but apparently Damian had some sort of background that involved navigating.

“That oughta come in handy.” A lazy voice observed from the bar. Phoenix had almost forgotten that Decs was there, which was odd since the bar was empty besides their group of comrades. Straightening up, she rested her hands on her hips as she stared levelly at Decs.

“Thank you for your assistance.” She said shortly, unwilling to be friendly with someone who was apparently much more than they seemed. She hadn’t expected him to confide in them all of his secrets and talents, but his unexpected skills in combat were unnerving to say the least. Decs only grinned at her hostility, his easygoing attitude unwavering.

“I like to drink here. I don’t like assassins killing my fellow drunkards.” He replied whilst running a hand through his fiery curls. Phoenix scoffed at the explanation but Thanatos nodded as though nothing made more sense. She could only huff and move to sit at the bar with Dovahkiin and Bamf as Damian asked Darius if he had a map that he could borrow.

“You’re in a particularly foul mood.” Dovahkiin wisely observed after taking a long swig from his foaming pint. Bamf chortled deeply into his drink at the look that Phoenix shot the dragonborn. It was true that this entire ordeal had ruined her good mood streak, as the last two weeks had been quite pleasant. She didn’t have to keep relocating from town to town, she had a warm room to sleep in, and had, dare she say it, friends. Although her grumpy and sarcastic demeanor towards them may suggest otherwise, she did find it refreshing to be in the company of those who tolerated her.

“I apologize that assassins put a damper on my mood.” Phoenix reported shortly, resting her elbow on the bar and firmly placing her chin into her hand as she glared at the racks of alcohol in front of them. A drink sounded heavenly right now, but she knew that if she began to drink she likely wouldn’t stop. “I’ll feel a lot better when we know who these people are and what they want with us.”

“We haven’t done anything very ‘assassination worthy’ in my opinion.” Dovahkiin said, pondering the jobs that they had recently took on. They had all been fairly mundane jobs, performing tasks for locals of the small city. The furthest they had ventured was the series of caves on the far edge of the southern woods. “Perhaps it is a personal vendetta?”

“Seems doubtful,” Bamf replied, his dark brown eyes staring deeply into his drink, “since those in our company are a bard, a ranger, a cleric, and then my brother and myself. And he and I have left our demons far behind us.”

“So you admit that you do have demons?” Dovahkiin pressed, his scaled forehead wrinkling deeply as he raised his eyebrows at Bamf.

“We all have our demons, Dovahkiin.” Phoenix finally said, wondering if she should have simply remained with Damian and Decs since this conversation was causing a knot to grow in her stomach. “I doubt that even you are without some sort of trouble that haunts you.”

“I only desire to find the killer of my clan.” Was his short reply.

“Perhaps someone doesn’t want you to find the killer.’ She then took a long drink of the water in front of her, slender fingers holding the cool glass tightly. None of them spoke for a few minutes after that, lost in thoughts of past lives and inner demons. For not a single one of them was without blame, guilt, or blood on their hands.

“I found it!” Damian’s voice cut through their silence, beckoning them over to where he sat with the parchment and a map of the city and surrounding area stretched out across the table. They all gathered around him, looking down at where he was pointing. “Right here on the edge of the northern wood is where the coordinates lead to. It must be some sort of meet up location or camp-”

“Or stronghold.” Bamf offered with a nod. Darius and Tibul exchanged a long look behind the bar as they watched the young adults begin to make plans of attack and infiltration, reminiscing to a time when that sort of thing was a daily routine.

“We will supply you with what you’ll need, but will remain here to continue researching who attacked you.” Darius informed them, his voice loud above their chatter. “You leave at dawn.”