The wind carried the scent of the sea, mixing with the smell of the hot cup of tea before the pale haired man. He brings the piping hot brew to his lips, and takes a gentle sip, sighing contently as he relaxes. He glances to the side, watching a group of kids, by the looks of them, street urchins, nabbing a security ministers coin purse while he wasn’t paying attention. He chuckles and shakes his head, closing his eyes as the memories flood back.
It was nearing winter, the first flakes of falling snow drifted down to the streets of Divinity’s reach. A small boy, hair as stark as the snow that fell, picked through a small pouch, tucking a few gold pieces before running after the Seraph he nicked it from. The man smiled down to the boy, taking two more gold pieces from the bag, rewarding his noble deed, non the wiser. The boy would use the gold wisely, one gold piece would last him the winter for food. The second would get him a fur cloak from the nice Norn man who would tell the children stories about his hunts. The last gold piece would buy him the first step on the path he chose, a simple ring.
The waiter interrupts his thoughts, bringing him the lovely tea cakes that went wonderfully with the tea, slipping a note under the plate. He smiles, slipping a gold into the Tengu’s hand, peering down at the note. The cypher was simple enough, Canthan was an elegant and yet coarse language, but it was easy enough to pick up.
“Jade veins run deep here”
“Shadows lurk behind pale masks”
“Beware kind whispers”
He tucks the note away up his sleeve, taking a bite of the tea cake, smiling softly as another memory settles.
The boy was taller now, the whispers had been quieter since he bought that ring years ago, having carved the runes from his dreams into it. He was stronger now, dressing in darker, more fine clothes, standing at a corner near the statue of Grenth. The Seraph approach him and loom over the teen, prodding him about a string of thefts of important documents from the ministry. He delivers sarcastic remarks until threatened with violence, chuckleing and slipping them a note during the scuffle. He flips them off as they leave, off to take down the people he was in debt to, where he had planted all those stolen documents. Two birds, one stone, but the one catching that stone, and showing him a new way to use his skills, was a Lightbringer.
He finishes his tea and cakes, Raising a hand as a white raven settles on his shoulder, he scritches the birds head lightly, attacking the note, translated, as well as a separate one for the Commander.
“Commander Riathen, I came to you during the conflict with the Charr civil war, providing intel and secrets to speed things along. Weapons for the fight against Balthazar, feeding your contacts information on Joko and his goons to aid your hunting. Always from the shadows since I arrived, but now the time for shadows and deceit is done, I am coming clean to you first. My name, is not Degarus Eboncross, this was one of many names i have worn since i was young, get in enough trouble and you need to start over. Degarus was a name i forged with the Order of Whispers as a Lightbringer, but those days are behind me. I have reverted to my original name, and any documentation for the guild registry has already been altered, so there’s now worries. I am Argus Gravewhisper, Necromancer, spy, arms dealer and information broker. You are a kind and Noble man, I am not, I’m a street kid who earn a fortune through lies, cheating and dark powers. But I will do as you permit for the sake of the people, and for all of our world. Forgive my earlier deception, but it was necessary, I am hoping Argus, will be a more trusted name for you. ”
The raven flies off, as the pale haired man steps away from the tea house, slipping into a crowd, as he makes his way to the center of this metropolis, searching for its underbelly, to begin his bloody work.
Comments
No Comments