Kren and Friends

The night was dark, the thick layer of clouds obscuring whatever sliver of a moon their may have been from the view of all. Somewhere below her, Torasia could hear rapid footfalls echoing down the cobblestone streets. The sound reverberated; this time of night, if one listened, they could hear the town's pulse.



At least that was her way of putting it. The elf remained silent perched atop the rooftop of the Belik & Sons tannery. A man, one very familiar to her, was the source of the sound. He sprinted down the empty street with purpose and skidded to a stop before a dilapidated brown house not too far from the building she was standing upon. He fiddled with the lock on the door, succeeded with opening it, and slammed the door noisily behind him.



She knew this man well. And if he were afraid of something, it was worth seeing what that something was. The female elf was silent as a pard as she watched silently to the east, awaiting whatever if may be he was running from. Minutes later came the grinding sound of steel on steel and the clapping of leather boots on the road. A large group by the sounds of it. As they came into view, she smiled darkly and pulled down her demonic leather mask.



It was time for a show.



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Kren couldn't believe it. This had to be Angel's doing. At least, he hoped it was. If the Waterbaron had taken an interest in his little operation, they'd soon be finished. The diminutive thief had gone rogue when the former leader of the Yartar Thieves Guild had fallen. Command had gone to Angel, an intelligent girl with an amazing charisma about her and a natural flair for leadership; but she was also an inexperienced commander, impetuous and young.



He had, at the moment, been minding his own business in the Brown Well awaiting news from a business associate when they came for the meeting. They were a motley group - two gnomes and three humans. The male gnome wore plate mail, and one of the male humans was wearing a suit of light leather. The human woman wore a holy symbol around her neck.



The dark haired man watched them with hands folded, brown eyes studying the lot carefully. He had recently grown quite nervous as Angel's influence grew. Her own member base was seeing an influx of new recruits, and she herself had become emboldened by this. It was a worrisome situation.



At least these ones did not appear to be hired assassins. It was obvious they were adventurers - their armor was too well cared for, their faces too clean, weapons too high quality. They were as out of place in this shithole tavern as a drow would be on Evermeet. Thankfully, they wouldn't be here long.



On closer examination the human woman was a priestess of the Lord of Tyranny, and therefore an agent of order. She spoke only as a well trained cleric could, making the threat she had come to thrust at him slightly palatable. Her offer was that if he were to offer the reins of The Silent Arvoreen to Angel and agree to follow under her command as an agent of the Zhentarim, he would not be killed. Of course she said this in more polite terms, but no amount of flowery speech could hide what she meant.



Kren denied her with a raised hand. These adventurers did not frighten him. Why, if he were to give in now, what would have been the point of this year of struggle?



And then she spoke. "Five hundred gold pieces to the man who brings me Kren's head." she announced to the tiny tavern. The men seated at the bar - both his men and associates - hesitated for a moment at the generous offer. The moment of thought they were giving the act concerned him so that by the time Kren heard the gnomish woman's voice raised in arcane chanting, it was unavoidable. Unerring missiles of force railed into his chest, upending his chair and landing the thief flat on his back with a surprised grunt.



However, he also knew magic. Hands twitching in necessary gestures Kren spoke out the proper spell words and dropped a globe of magical darkness on their heads, engulfing the group. In the seconds of confusion afterward he felt for the seam in the musty woodwork behind him. With his knowledge the door built into the wall slid open to allow him entrance. Once within it shut just as tightly, as if it had never been opened in the first place.



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Kren's smooth voice rang through the tiefling's head, as clearly as if the man had been sitting beside her in the tub. Her soft brown eyes opened in alarm at the urgency heard in his words.



'Get your ass down here!'



She paused in silent thought as she gathered back her sopping mane of curly hair, tying it back with a piece of leather as she responded.



'What's going on, babe?'



The silver band perched at the base of a long and thick serpentine tail made the telepathic communication possible, a very expensive magical item that proved well worth the price.



'I've got no time for any of your games, so listen closely.' He explained the situation he found himself in. As he did so Saramiya stepped out of the bath gingerly and dried her feet on the mat before scooping up her towel. 'I managed to get out of the Well, but if they know anything, they'll pick my trail up eventually.'



Saramiya patted herself briskly down with the plush cloth until suitably dry. She sifted through her wardrobe and tossed a pair of leather slacks and a mask bearing the vicious visage of a hunting cat atop of metal chain shirt.



'Allright, hon, where do ya want me?'



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The door slammed shut behind him. A hood now covered Kren's face, but it wouldn't matter much either way. This house was empty, the boarded windows making it as dark as Shar herself. Trapping himself in an enclosed space was a horrible idea. Yes, he wore a sword at his hip, but it was only for use in the most desperate of situations. As he cursed his luck Kren ascended the first flight of stairs - he could not risk lighting a lantern, lest he be spotted. His progress was sure footed in the darkness but slower than he would have liked.



Hopefully, Saramiya would have herself positioned in time.



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"Hello, Kren."



Torasia watched in delight as the man nearly jumped from his skin at the sound of her elven-accented voice, her tone sugary sweet. He had not heard her enter from the attic above, and by this he was clearly unsettled. A moment later, he returned the greeting.



"Hello."



"On holiday? Lovely little spot to choose." She motioned to the dank room around her with a flourish, though the human's weak eyes could not see her gesturing with the lack of illumination. There was a musical quality to her voice, undeniable mirth. She removed her helmet, tucking it under her arm.



"I'm not in the mood for any of your shit" Kren responded, his voice low, "You know what I'm doing, or else you wouldn't be here mocking me."



"Mocking you? What do you take me for, a troublesome little hin?"



"You're more like a house cat toying with her prey, actually."



"You flatter me, Krenny." She offered a wink in his direction, though she knew it was lost on him.



A growl rose low in his throat. "Get the Nine Hells out of here before I cut your pointy little ears off."



"No" she shook her head, "I don't think you will. You're cornered, you know." Torasia was not blind. Kren was backed up against a wall with no escape, and might consider her own offer. "Your 'friends' are making their way up the street right now, and your little demon-blood whore is nowhere in sight. Unless I missed something, you have no way out of here but the back door, do you?



"So, I have a proposition. You and your underlings declare allegiance to my cause - not publicly, of course - and as long as I know where your loyalty lies, I'll see to it you and yours are protected."



Defiance remained on his face, she could see this with her finely tuned vision. Smothering silence remained over the room, broken only by the sound of an opening door on the lower floor.



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But he locked and barred the door! Kren turned to Torasia in the darkness and raised a finger in her direction.



"You..." he hissed, too angered to finish his sentence.



"Oops!"



He found her suddenly up against him, the slightly taller elf cupping his chin between a thumb and forefinger. Her sweet perfume was almost intoxicating, and the fact that he found the scent so pleasant enraged him all the more.



"Better make your decision, big guy."



A potent mixture of rage and fear swelled up deep within his chest. He could hear movement downstairs in the empty entryway. Torasia wasn't lying - Saramiya hadn't gotten into position in time. In his ears, he could hear his blood pulsing.



"What's your answer?" Soft lips brushed his ear as he whispered. Either way he chose to go, there was a knife at his back. He WAS trapped. A snarl and he shoved the woman away, giving no response as he walked briskly down the stairs and attempted to evade the intruders.



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'What's taking you so long?'



The irritability in her mate's voice was evident. Saramiya panted as she ran down the length of the nearly deserted River street. She hadn't taken time to wear any padding under her mithril armor, and was in a great deal of pain.



'I'm working on it, Kren. Wasn't in the best state when you called me!' She mentally responded in frustration. Moment passed, but the angry response she expected didn't occur.



"Aww, by Grazz't's thumbs." She cursed out under her feline mask, pushing herself into a faster stride. "Hold on, babe."



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Pain washed over Kren as the gnomish man grabbed the thief by his waist, slamming him against the debris-strewn alleyway. His attempt to escape through the backdoor had failed, and his spell of fear had only affected one of its intended targets. To his right there was a magically summoned skeleton biting into him occasionally with its own grimy claws. The gnome managed to pin him down for several moments, but his small stature made it impossible for him to keep Kren pinned down for long. The thief was unable to concentrate on using his magic, thanks to a spell replicating a buzzing bee that circled him, and instead reached to a beaded necklace. Snatching a bead off, he tossed it at his own feet and twisted out of the way of the explosive fireball that came from the impact.



The others yelled out in surprise or pain. Kren tried to push his way past the skeleton, but with no luck. From behind he felt a blade penetrate his armor, pushing into his abdomen. The force of magic missiles slammed into his back, knocking the man forward. Blackness enveloped him as he slumped to the ground.



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An explosion rocked the alleyway across from her vantage point. Saramiya raised her shortbow, nocking an arrow and letting it loose. Though she could not see Kren from this angle, she had an open shot at more than a few of the adventurers. The first two shots barely missed the leather-clad man with the bow at his back, slamming into the alley wall beside him. Taking notice, he also removed a bow from his back (his own almost obscenely large) and readied an arrow. As she did so with her own, his shot grazed her arm, and her arrow went wide.



A second explosion burst out from the area Kren was in, considerably louder than the last one. Saramiya fumbled for another arrow from her quiver, her worry for Kren's well being clouding her accuracy. From below a squeaking voice chanted and she was forced back a step by painful blasts of force, landing hits on her belly. A bolt of searing heat followed accompanied by the arcane words spoken in a masculine voice. She cried out and stepped back from the ledge, turning to run.



She hadn't expected to run directly into Torasia, the olive-skinned elf standing  in front of her now. The smile that crossed over her face was vicious and unnerving.



"Don't get in my way, elf!" Saramiya shoved a shoulder into the elf and tried to sidestep her. Too fast she saw the flash of steel, and felt a warm sensation flooding down her inner thigh. Torasia shoved Kren's accomplice to the concrete rooftop with her free hand, the kukri she held in her right stained bright red. With a clouded mind the young woman grasped at where the inner thigh met her hips, hissing out in pain. As her blood pulsed from her body, she could see Torasia over her in her hazy vision as she drifted off into the realm of the dead.



"He should have listened, doll. Have fun."