Dirty Deeds...

[Carev Null]

Carev walked down a long flight of stairs, a black robe hanging off him over a dark blue shirt and black pants. His daggers were hanging on the back of his belt, so they would be out of sight as long as he wore his robe. The robe had a hood attached to it, but he did not want to pull it up just yet, and lastly his pendant still hung from his wrist. Carev makes it down the stairs and comes to a long and dark hallway, with dimmed lights and numerous doors on both sides. The doors he wanted were the double doors at the end of the hall. Carev could hear all sorts of commotion coming from all directions, all around him, and finally pulls his hood up once he reaches the double doors. Carev pushes them open, and what he sees takes his breath away. It was literally a market place placed underground, and the only way to get there was in the back of the White Stallion. EVERYTHING was down here, from animals, to newly developed weapons, slaves, bands, and even live competitions to the death for entertainment. Carev is about to step out of the door frame and into the crowd when he is stopped by two Knights, both wearing silver suits of armor with gold strips of cloth dropping down from the shoulders, waists, and helmets. They also were both armed with a mace and a shield mounted on their backs. The knights both place a hand on his shoulders and hold him at bay.

”Just who are you supposed to be?”

”I haven’t seen him around here before.”

As the knights begin to hunch over and try to get a glimpse beneath the hood, Carev digs down into his pockets and pulls out a large sum of currency he had ‘borrowed’ from a merc looking for trouble on his way down. Carev raises his hands straight up and hard, so that his forearms knock the knights’ wrists away before they can pull back, and then drops the money at their feet.

”Come on, you aren’t really worried about my name or anything. If someone asks, just say I’m a guy looking for something, with alittle bit of change on me. Who knows, I might not get rid of it all before I leave, and I don’t wanna carry anything out with me.”

Carev smiles under his hood and then walks right past the guards as they collect and divide the money. He had basically told them he was rich, and they let him in and kept their mouths shut he’d bride them a second time when he left. They were so stupid, there’s no way they were certified knights. The suits were most likely just for show. Carev continues to walk forward until he ends up in the center of an enormous aisle of stands. There was to much noise around him, to much movement, and too many watching eyes. It made him kind of uncomfortable. Carev turns and looks to a stall on his left. It was run by a gypsy woman who actually looked more like some kind of giant rodent then a human being. Carev approaches her and leans against the counter to look over her so-called enchanted runes until she comes to him.

“Welcome to my booth, Is there anything in particular you’re searching for?”

Carev raises his hand so that she may lay eyes on the pendant.

“Tell me how to use this.”

Carev is somewhat disturbed by the look in her eyes. She stares at it in complete silence with widened eyes, her mouth hung open, her hands began to rise as if Carev were offering her the charm and she was accepting. Carev quickly balls his fist around it and shoves it into his pocket, breaking the trance she had went into.

”So, are you gonna tell me?”

”You must have gone to great troubles to gain such a thing. How long have you had it?”

Carev frowns.

”You’re avoiding the question.

”How much would you sell it for?”

Carev sighs and turns away.

”Thank you for your time.”

Carev starts to walk away while she is still rambling on about buying it. Today was gonna be a long day.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

Shadow Hunter moved threw the crowed of people around, he carried a man over his shoulder. He wore his cloak & all black, his mask was in place. His eyes & ears remained open, in case anything happened.

The man was out cold & most would think him dead, but he lived. He carried the man to a back door, before knocking. A metal slide in the door opened, as they asked why they where there & what there business was.

He told them that he, had a man they where after & he had come to claim the bounty on the man. The slide closed, before shortly after opening. He walk threw the doors, he had been here before & with it he had learn quick, the dos & do nots of such a business.

He was armed well, but the people he was dealing with, he had dealt with before. And they had learned quickly as well, what they could not try with him as the did many others.

There was a guard that, had Shadow fallow them. they came to a room. Where a person waited, they where hidden by mostly shadows, they commended him on his success.

He nodded before placing the man, on the floor to allow the other men to take him. Before the men moved him, the person with in the shadows payed him. He nodded once satisfied that he was not being cheated, the men then took the man away.

Shadow Hunter turned to leave, just as quietly as he had come. No one there stopped him as he left, he hidden the money as he turned to leave, noting no one would know he had it & should any try to take it, they would find how wrong the idea was.

He then moved to leave, heading to back up into the White Stallion.

[Carev Null]

Carev stood close to the edge of a booth, it’s inner wooden frame draped over the outside with black sheets, possibly making this the best suited place to conceal himself at the moment. His left hand sat just at the corner of the booth, the tips of his finger nails sticking out past the wall and into the aisle, while his right weaseled its way between his cloak and his body, grasping the hilt of the closest dagger and bringing it forth. He was perfectly concealed by cloth and shadow, not even those who stood in the center of the walkway and stared right in his direction noticed him, his back was pressed hard against the wooden walls of the stall and his body refused to move until the time was right. He cautiously brings his face closer to the edge of his concealing wall, peaking around the corner to see if he was clear while sliding his drawn dagger into his sleeve to both keep it concealed and ready himself to attack. . He wasn’t. He had a feeling in his gut, a feeling that told him to hide himself. It had died down when he turned the corner and clung to the shadows, but it came back full force once he looks out. In his mind he can hear a voice, his own voice, yelling for him to ”TURN AROUND!”. Carev quickly whirls around and looks in the opposite direction to see a man just as hidden in darkness as he was, the only thing visible was the bottom hem of his robes, which appeared to be a dark shade of blue. Carev held his dagger out in front of him to show he was armed, but whispered to avoid further attention.

“Who are you?”

He replied in a deep voice, that oddly sounded familiar to Carev.

“You cant be serious. After all we‘ve been through together, you‘d stand here any act as though you‘ve forgotten me? I’m crushed. “

The figure begins to shift in the darkness, Carev could see him move but couldn’t exactly make out what he was doing.

“Be still.”

Something comes hurling out of the shadows towards Carev, thin and quick. His mind tells him that it is a razor of some sort, and acting solely on reflex, he swings his dagger infront of him to knock it off course. A loud ring echoes out when the two blades make contact, and Carev looks down only for a second to see what was thrown at him, before looking back and discovering his ‘stalker’ had vanished. He didn’t really try to kill Carev just now. That was just an attempt to distract him and make a clean get away. Carev ducks down and picks up what looks to be a crossbow bolt, a large metal needle with a arrow point at the end. After holding it close to his face and looking it over to see if it was special in any kind of way, Carev goes to put it in his pocket and realizes something is wrong. His pendant was no longer on his person, somehow it had been taken from him. Carev begins to twirl around in place, looking down at the ground to see if he had if dropped it at any time, and then takes off into the aisles and starts to retrace his steps, looking both for the pendant and the mysterious figure that had just assaulted him. Things were not what they seemed, something strange was taking place all around him.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

As Shadow Hunter was about to leave, he felt some one bump into him. He was quick to feel the hand that, had moved to lift his money off him. He was just as quick to grabbed the figures hand, putting enough perisher on it to break it if he wished.

He took his money back as he spoke. "An unwise move, an unwise move indeed. I have killed people for less, try ever such a stunt on me & me braking your wrist will be the least of your concern."

[Carev Null]

Carev dashed out the large scale doors he had come through earlier and darted down the long and dark hallway and back up the flight of stairs. He made his way through the hidden passage of the White Stallion and entered into the main area. He saw two men appearing to have a dispute further ahead, something about pilfering of money, and is about to interject himself and search the accused for his missing pendant, when he hears that familiar voice coming from behind him. Carev turns back to see the man clad in the blue cloth just making it to the top step, chuckling as he does so.

“You’re slipping Carev. I expected you to be better then this by now.”

Carev rips off the outer layer of his robe and takes both his daggers into hand. His face showed the immense anger inside of him.

“That’s enough! Just tell me who the hell you are, or I’ll come over there and force you to tell.”

The figure steps into the light and pulls back his hood, showing Carev the last face he ever expected to see. He drops his dagger and stares on in disbelief, tears forming in his eyes as he tries to find the words to say.

“Idle threats, little brother, idle threats.”

Carev steps slowly towards his brother and drops down to his knees before him, clinging to his robes and trying his best not to cry in front of him. His mind was so confused now, but also somewhat joyful.

“Cohan….how did you? I saw him kill you, I carried your body out and searched for help. How did you come back? “

“Magic is the substance that binds my spirit to this body. But my time here is limited, and it will take more to make me whole. That is why I need this.”

Cohan raises his hand and unballs his fist to reveal the missing amulet. Carev never takes his eyes off his brothers, ignoring the pendant completely.

“You could have just asked me. I would have helped you. “

Cohan places the pendant around his neck and then slides his hands into his robe, looking for something. He looks up to the sky and away from Carev.

“No, I could not.”

He looks back down at Carev with eyes that were now filled with cruelty.

“You’ve failed me Carev. Your weakness is the reason I’m in such a situation.”

Carev couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“But I tried to protect you. I killed our father on your behalf. If…”

“Shh, troubled youth. There’s no need to go through the entire story. In truth, I came here for TWO reasons, one was the amulet, and the other, was to put you through the pain you allowed me to feel.”

Cohans’ robes fly open and his arms push Carev back and away from him, he’s now sitting on the floor. Cohan held in each hand a compact, automatic, crossbow, with exactly twelve bolts in them at the time. He squeezes the triggers without a seconds hesitation, and doesn’t show the slightest bit of regret as his brother screams out in pain. His blood flies into the air and stains the ground, and after taking exactly twenty-four bolts to the body, falls to the ground and lays still in a pool of his own blood. Cohan muffles himself in his cloak once again and leaves his brother for dead in the floor, the last thing on his fading mind was the look in Cohan eyes.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

Shadow Hunter heard some one scream, he let the man go he was holding to turn & look for the one that screamed. He saw no one & the man he let go was making tracks at a fast pass away from him.

He then started to make his way, up into the white stallion by the secret door. As he entered he could smell the hint of blood in the air & the air was still, he knew at once something was wrong. But he did not know what was wrong yet.

[Carev Null]

It hurts. It hurts more then anything he had ever felt before. Carev struggles to get back to his feet, thin metal needles were sticking out everywhere from his chest to his feet and blood stained his clothes while streaming out of his wounds and dripping into puddles beneath him, yet he still willed himself to stand. He didn’t understand what had just happened to him, he didn’t want to. He refused to believe it was his brother that did this to him.

Carev plucks one of the bolts out of his right shoulder with his left hand, and cries out as he does so. His vision was blurry and he was somewhat disorientated from blood loss, yet he staggered on. His body ached all over and begged him to lie down, only for a moment, and rest, but he remained standing, continued walking. He refused to die. He passes by numerous people as he makes his way through the back quarters of the white stallion and enters into the heart of the tavern. The room goes dead silent, and all eyes focus on his battered and blood soaked body, wondering what he had transpired as they sat and drank. He’s to erratic to be annoyed by the constant stares, but feels that if he tries to go on as if nothing happened, then it wouldn’t hurt so much.

He looks to the man closest to him.

”What the hell are you looking at?”

His voice is weak and raspy. No matter how close to death he came, he would never give up his stubbornness and pride.

“Send a medic upstairs, then go back to your drinks.”

Carev leans against a support pillar in the middle of the Tavern, inadvertently pushing several spikes lodged in his arm deeper into his flesh and sending sharp pains through his nervous system. He closes his eyes tight and lets out a long, but somewhat suppressed groan, and then begins across the floor once again and ascends the stairs to the second floor. His room was the third door on the right when going down the first hallway. All of his things were inside already, and so all he has to do is unlock the door and stumble inside. His mind tells him to lie in wait on the bed, but he doesn’t. Carev sets himself in a wooden chair in the corner and leaves the door partially cracked. He keeps his eyes open and takes his mind off of his wounds as he begins what would be a long and difficult waiting period.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

As Shadow Hunter came all the way out of the hidden door, he could smell the blood with in the air more clearly. He looked around to see the blood that was on the ground & the blood trail that was on the ground. The man that was hurt, had spoken to a person & then told them to seed up a medic to help him.

He then moved up the steeps to his room, the blood made a light trail as it hit the floor. Shadow Hunter did not know what, had just happened. But it looked like all hell had broken loose & there was a silents in the air that held its own. He decided to not ask what had happened, if he stayed up he would likely hear what had happened & why.

[Carev Null]

It didn’t take long for the White Stallion’s bar attendant to contact and send up several practitioners to Carev’s room. They wore white garments, with red sleeves and two insignias on each side of the chest, one representing the King and one symbolizing that they were a certified first aid team. There were three in all, but only two entered the room. The third remains outside to observe the amount of blood lost, to gain a better understanding of Carev’s condition. Carev slowly pulls his face out of his hands and looks up to the two medics, his annoyance and pain were very obvious on his face. He was very enraged right now, he could even be described as feral. One of the medics pulls his contamination mask from his face and attempts to calm his agitated patient as the other inspects him from head to toe.

” Had I known sewing could be this dangerous, I wouldn’t let my daughter knit her own sweaters.”

This only thing he succeeded in was pissing Carev off even more.

“Get these things out of me.” He snaps back.

The third doctor enters the room while the first stands and steps back. The three begin to talk amongst themselves before turning to inform Carev of what would happen.

“We’ll, the good news is that you wont have to be relocated. All we have to do is pull them out and wrap your body up for a while, which we can do right here if you prefer to. The bad news is that, 1, this is going to be very painful and with as much blood as you’ve lost, you may pass out. And 2, you’ll need to be monitored for the next forty-eight hours just incase your body takes a turn for the worst. Is there anyone nearby that can watch over you.”

That was a easy question to answer. No. Forte was no where to be found, and plus Carev didn’t want to fall back on him for a third time. And Tamera, he would feel so stupid to leave the house without her knowing, just to come crawling back busted, and needing to be nursed back to health like a child with the flu. He answers them quickly.

“I watch my own back now.”

His ability to trust others had taken a massive hit in the past few minutes. The doctors shake there heads in disagreement.

“We’re sorry, but you’ll need supervision while you sleep. If you cant find anyone who’ll do it, then you’ll be placed in our care until your cleared.”

Carev throws a frown their way and seems as though he is about to start a heated argument, but doesn’t for the moment. He’d worry about this supervision BS when the time came, and focuses on the most important thing at the time.

”Whatever. Just pull these things out of me.”

“Alright. Let’s get started then. All you have to do is relax and keep from moving. We’ll try to do this fast and keep you from feeling too much pain at the same time.”

Suddenly the entire second level fills with noise as people crowd outside the door to watch the man with the needles being extracted from him. As the hallway began to fill to capacity on the outside, on the inside the doctors begin to pull gloves over their hands, grab bottles of disinfectant, and pull out cloth to wrap the wounds with. They bring out containers to hold the needles they remove, and then crowd around the chair to begin the minor operation. The Tavern only becomes louder once it starts, and Carev begins to express his discomfort verbally.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

Shadow Hunter remained where he was at the table he was at, he heard some words as they drifted down the steeps. But he was almost the only one in the first floor, for everyone else was on the second wanting to know what was going on & watch.

It bothered him to think that the people up, there where not only there to see if he was alright. But some enjoyed to hear & see the pain of other, they almost feed off it.

[Carev Null]

It seemed like a eternity before relief came to Carev. It took well over an hour to extricate the crossbow bolts from his body, clean his wounds, and bandage him. The door to his bunk room had to be closed at one point, both because he had to be undressed to be casted, and the crowd was beginning to draw too close into the medics working space. At long last Carev had been treated and had put on a fresh set of clothes, black pants with a white, long sleeve undershirt and maroon tee-shirt, and opens the door to walk back out into the Tavern, his bag in hand and halberd on his back.

He walked with a limp, and his face made obvious the discomfort that lingered with him, but he had to go and retrieve his daggers. The crowd of noisy drunks blocking him didn’t make things any better. The medics walk around him and order the civilians to clear a path while Carev backtracks his steps and retrieves what is his. His daggers go right back to their positions on the back of his belt, and as he turns to leave out the door, the medics stop him.

“What is it? I already said I appreciate you and gave you payment. What more do you want?”

“There’s still the matter of your warden. You cant be allowed to go off on your own in such a condition.”

Carev pushes through them forcefully, causing more pain to himself then to them, and acts as though he hadn’t heard a word they just said.

“Mr. Null, this isn’t smart. It’ll be in your best interest to come with us if you have no one else.”

They may have helped him in a time of need, but these doctors were really starting to get on his nerves.

“Mr. Null….”

“Shut up! I’m on my way to a relatives house right now.”

It was obvious they didn’t believe him, but there was nothing more they could do. After his last statement, Carev had somehow managed to disappear into the townsfolk. With nothing more left to do now, the practitioners go on with the rest of their calls, and Carev departs from town to begin the first of three tasks the had just presented themselves to him, and had to be dealt with.

[Black Knight/Shadow]

Shadow Hunter watched quietly from the shadows he was, as the man moved down the steeps & left the tavern. The man ether had enough hate for some one to fuel him, in to leaving or there was something else at work. But he did not leave, after the man.