It was a crisp, clear dawn. The sunrise was an astounding symphony of red, orange, and pink sprinkled with the random thin cloud cover left over from the night. The remnants of darkness had fled into the long shadows, and some of the townsfolk were already preparing their shops for the morning crowd. The untamed grass just outside the city walls swayed slightly in the breeze, catching and reflecting the dew like diamonds just out of reach.
Baron Xiomen sighed deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of his bath oils. His fathers' grandfather had made sure to build the mansion high enough to see over the city walls, and the view from this window in his audience hall was, as it was every morning and evening, spectacular.
The thick oak door to his audience hall swung open on well-oiled hinges. "...Sir?" squeaked Gerald, one of his newest, and most skittish, servants.
Xiomen grunted in disdain. Viewing the early light was one of very few things that kept him a happy man. During any other part of the day his concubines would keep him entertained, and he loathed the timid interruptions then as well. "What is it, swine?" Xiomen spat, hardly bothering to acknowledge his servant's presence.
"My Lord, the assassin has arrived."
A slight smirk graced Xiomen's features as he turned towards Gerald, a sickly man with streaks of gray hair and clothing befitting his position. The Baron silently chuckled to himself when he noticed the droplets of sweat adorning his servant's forehead, vaguely resembling the dew outside. "Show him in and remove your pathetic self from my presence." Xiomen hissed.
The servant turned to the still-open door and began to speak, his face contorted by confusion halfway through. "You may now come... in?" Xiomen silently scoffed at the servant's ineptitude, turning back to his beloved window.
"I was wondering when you'd finally let me in." Baron Xiomen jumped back from the window as if it were a viper. A being sat there on the sill, his legs comfortably propped atop it. It was he that had spoken.
The stranger was tall and wiry, though still filled out with muscle, giving him a very lithe appearance, like a coiled spring. His clothes were all dusty brown, with a sandy colored cloak cascading from his thin shoulders, spilling off the sill to reveal a light brown gee, a tight fitting robe shirt, wrapped around his chest. It was held at the bottom by a slightly darker belt, joining it with a pair of auburn, cloth pants. High-topped leather boots reached from toe to knee, laced together at the top with rawhide. His long face flowed backwards, from his pointed chin to his hawk nose, covered in a sickly-looking yellow skin. His head was crowned by ruddy, spiked reddish-brown hair. His eyes bored out of his face, the jewels in the crown, twin steely grey orbs that caught the light in a most unnerving way. One corner of his thin-lipped mouth twitched upwards in a small knowing smirk, as if he knew something Xiomen did not. His appearance was utterly alien, and it made Xiomen nervous just to look at him.
A moment of confused silence hit the room like a tidal wave, washing away the Baron's thoughts of the unfortunate incident earlier that week. Gerald didn't have the focus to keep his mouth closed.
The stranger arched an eyebrow, never losing that unnerving smirk.
Snapping out of his daze and quickly regaining his noble composure, Xiomen sent the awed Gerald skittering from the room with a snap of his fingers. It took another moment to realize that the door had been left ajar, which instantly infuriated the Baron.
Good help is so hard to come by, these days... Xiomen thought to himself. No matter, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Xiomen walked to the door and forcefully slammed it shut, forming a crash like desert thunder. Gently resting his hands into his expensive morning robes, his tension slowly drifted away like the dying echoes of his servant's ineptitude.
Turning back to the window with a sigh, Baron Xiomen began his mentally rehearsed speech. "Four days ago, at the Broken Lute tavern, two of my off- duty guards were maimed in a quick bar fight. Neither of them survived..."
"...because they were both quite drunk, correct?" finished the stranger with a bemused expression on his face. "I don't see how this really applies to my presence here so just jump to the part where you tell me who and how much."
Xiomen's furrowed his eyebrows in fury. Only his fear of the skills backing up this person's arrogance kept him rebuking the ranger on the spot. "My men were slain by one Tree-Wolf the something or other. From what my sources gather, he was last seen heading to the North lands, which is why I need someone of your particular talents. Most other hired help is too refined to survive the trip."
"I don't know whether to take that as the ultimate compliment or a civilized insult." replied the yellow skinned creature.
Unfazed this time, the Baron continued. "As for payment, I'll promise you the standard going rate with a sizable bonus for bring back either his head or some other personal belonging."
The slightly inhuman creature smiled broadly. "Sounds like a reasonable deal to me."
Pleased and relieved to be finished with this... thing, Xiomen reopened his audience hall's oaken door. "Swine!" he bellowed. The grand mansion echoed back both the thunderous summons and the faint reply of Gerald. Sprinting to his Lord, the servant nearly tripped on his robes before skittering to a stop before the audience hall. Xiomen was hit with the smell of human sweat and the sound of Gerald's short gasping breaths as he doubled over. Without giving him a chance to regain his composure, Xiomen continued. "Kindly show our guest off the grounds, and then remove yourself from my sight. I never should have bought you in the first place, you worthless scum."
Both men turned back to the window, only to find it empty.
Baron Xiomen sighed deeply, inhaling the sweet smell of his bath oils. His fathers' grandfather had made sure to build the mansion high enough to see over the city walls, and the view from this window in his audience hall was, as it was every morning and evening, spectacular.
The thick oak door to his audience hall swung open on well-oiled hinges. "...Sir?" squeaked Gerald, one of his newest, and most skittish, servants.
Xiomen grunted in disdain. Viewing the early light was one of very few things that kept him a happy man. During any other part of the day his concubines would keep him entertained, and he loathed the timid interruptions then as well. "What is it, swine?" Xiomen spat, hardly bothering to acknowledge his servant's presence.
"My Lord, the assassin has arrived."
A slight smirk graced Xiomen's features as he turned towards Gerald, a sickly man with streaks of gray hair and clothing befitting his position. The Baron silently chuckled to himself when he noticed the droplets of sweat adorning his servant's forehead, vaguely resembling the dew outside. "Show him in and remove your pathetic self from my presence." Xiomen hissed.
The servant turned to the still-open door and began to speak, his face contorted by confusion halfway through. "You may now come... in?" Xiomen silently scoffed at the servant's ineptitude, turning back to his beloved window.
"I was wondering when you'd finally let me in." Baron Xiomen jumped back from the window as if it were a viper. A being sat there on the sill, his legs comfortably propped atop it. It was he that had spoken.
The stranger was tall and wiry, though still filled out with muscle, giving him a very lithe appearance, like a coiled spring. His clothes were all dusty brown, with a sandy colored cloak cascading from his thin shoulders, spilling off the sill to reveal a light brown gee, a tight fitting robe shirt, wrapped around his chest. It was held at the bottom by a slightly darker belt, joining it with a pair of auburn, cloth pants. High-topped leather boots reached from toe to knee, laced together at the top with rawhide. His long face flowed backwards, from his pointed chin to his hawk nose, covered in a sickly-looking yellow skin. His head was crowned by ruddy, spiked reddish-brown hair. His eyes bored out of his face, the jewels in the crown, twin steely grey orbs that caught the light in a most unnerving way. One corner of his thin-lipped mouth twitched upwards in a small knowing smirk, as if he knew something Xiomen did not. His appearance was utterly alien, and it made Xiomen nervous just to look at him.
A moment of confused silence hit the room like a tidal wave, washing away the Baron's thoughts of the unfortunate incident earlier that week. Gerald didn't have the focus to keep his mouth closed.
The stranger arched an eyebrow, never losing that unnerving smirk.
Snapping out of his daze and quickly regaining his noble composure, Xiomen sent the awed Gerald skittering from the room with a snap of his fingers. It took another moment to realize that the door had been left ajar, which instantly infuriated the Baron.
Good help is so hard to come by, these days... Xiomen thought to himself. No matter, I have more pressing matters to attend to. Xiomen walked to the door and forcefully slammed it shut, forming a crash like desert thunder. Gently resting his hands into his expensive morning robes, his tension slowly drifted away like the dying echoes of his servant's ineptitude.
Turning back to the window with a sigh, Baron Xiomen began his mentally rehearsed speech. "Four days ago, at the Broken Lute tavern, two of my off- duty guards were maimed in a quick bar fight. Neither of them survived..."
"...because they were both quite drunk, correct?" finished the stranger with a bemused expression on his face. "I don't see how this really applies to my presence here so just jump to the part where you tell me who and how much."
Xiomen's furrowed his eyebrows in fury. Only his fear of the skills backing up this person's arrogance kept him rebuking the ranger on the spot. "My men were slain by one Tree-Wolf the something or other. From what my sources gather, he was last seen heading to the North lands, which is why I need someone of your particular talents. Most other hired help is too refined to survive the trip."
"I don't know whether to take that as the ultimate compliment or a civilized insult." replied the yellow skinned creature.
Unfazed this time, the Baron continued. "As for payment, I'll promise you the standard going rate with a sizable bonus for bring back either his head or some other personal belonging."
The slightly inhuman creature smiled broadly. "Sounds like a reasonable deal to me."
Pleased and relieved to be finished with this... thing, Xiomen reopened his audience hall's oaken door. "Swine!" he bellowed. The grand mansion echoed back both the thunderous summons and the faint reply of Gerald. Sprinting to his Lord, the servant nearly tripped on his robes before skittering to a stop before the audience hall. Xiomen was hit with the smell of human sweat and the sound of Gerald's short gasping breaths as he doubled over. Without giving him a chance to regain his composure, Xiomen continued. "Kindly show our guest off the grounds, and then remove yourself from my sight. I never should have bought you in the first place, you worthless scum."
Both men turned back to the window, only to find it empty.