Second assignment: unnecessary murder?
A week after my last mission where I had to spy on a lady, I got a note from Jack. Jack, the overseer of all the mercenaries of The Freelancers. This note told me to be at the Keg on Sunday the eighteenth of October. I sighed to myself and packed a duffel bag with some clothes, my spare bowstring, some dried food and some bottles of water and I placed it near the door to my room.
Just one week ago Lushu introduced me to some of the members from The Freelancers. But Tillithous was the one that intrigued me the most. He was an enigma. He got up from his chair and introduced himself in a flirty way and when Lushu steered me to a chair he sat down too and straight after he got very flirty with a female mage from the company. That evening we all chatted about stuff that sounded completely silly and had nothing to do with the company at all. I did really enjoy myself, this could become like family to me. Just like Lushu promised me, but in the end I had to excuse myself from the group when Rakaash stood whining at the door.
That evening was my first encounter with the enigma of the company. He was an unknown character to me and still remains so until this very day, for he always hides his face behind a mask. But now on the eighteenth of October, I learned that I had to work together with him to retrieve information from someone. We had two weeks to complete the assignment and I just didn't know how we could do this. Tillithous was a healer with mind bending abilities Jack had told me. He told us to work together and to retrieve information from the man that got blackmailed in my last mission. We were to retrieve the signed contract and to retrieve all other important information.
Sunday the twenty-fifth of October was the day that we went out to retrieve the information. All we had to start from was that the man resided somewhere in Lakeshire. Tillithous and I agreed to meet at the border between Elwynn Forest and Redridge Mountains. From the top of my mind I had sketched a mug shot from the man and it payed off to have it with me.
When we came upon the border between these area's, we spotted a wooden barricade with several guards. I told Rakaash to stay cloaked and to pass the barricades through the woods and too search for the man. Me and Tillithous approached the barricade by foot and I went for the same set up like last time. Time to try out the waterworks this time. Tillithous was very stoic beside me and we did not really talk about how we would do this.
I pulled the sketch from my pouch and walked towards one of the guards. "Good day sir. I am looking for my friend.", I asked the guard and held up the sketch. The guard was not in a good mood to talk and greeted me before shaking his head from left to right. "I do not know this man". But we could hear from the tone of his voice he was lying. "Are you sure sir? Me and my friend really want to give him a present. Do you really not know where this man is?", I asked the guard again and used my large eyes to my advantage and smiled softly at him.
The guard blushed, but I don't know if it was due to guilt or something else. Again the guard shook his head from left to right. "No madam, I do not know where he lives.", He said with a now quivering voice. I turned myself toward Tillithous and winked at him before throwing myself into his arms and I started sobbing. "We will never find him Tilly! How can we give him our present then?" The guard coughed apologetically. While I was fake sobbing into Tillithous his robes he spoke to the guard. His tone calm and slow. "Are you sure sir. She will be inconsolable if we don't find him. As you can see she cares a lot about her friends and she really wants to see him." Again the guard coughed and told us with a strong voice that he didn't know and that we had to move towards town.
In the meantime I could hear Rakaash whining from behind the barricade. So I turned from Tillithous his arms and ran through the barricade towards my best friend. If Tillithous said something to the guards, I would not know but I rushed to Rakaash. He told me with his whines and growls that he could not smell the man close to the barricade. Together we waited for Tillithous. When he arrived, he praised me for my acting skills and together we walked towards the town. While we were walking he did scold me for running away and he claimed that this was the only mistake I made.
When we crossed the bridge, that would lead us to Lakeshire, we encountered a guard in armor carrying a gun. Since I was watching Rakaash walking across the bridge, going from left to right, I missed the man talking to us. Tillithous grabbed my arm and prevented me from walking away, when the guard spoke to us. "Good day? Can I help you? You seem to be looking for someone." Tilly turned to the man. "You could help us, yes. But we already know where our friend lives and we want to surprise him. It is Hallow's End you know.", He told the guard.
I tried to act like I normally portray myself. I think I can cover a lot of my seriousness with my act as a happy go lucky, bouncy, young draenei. So I bounced a little on my hooves and started whining. "… I want to go surprise him now…. Puhlease!" I think Tillithous would be smiling or smirking under that mask of his, because he turned and scolded me. "Just wait Lana. I am talking to this gentleman here." He then turned back to the guard. "You see her enthusiasm my friend. I need to keep her occupied with a lot of things. She is pretty new to the concept of Hallow's End and this will be the first time she would be surprising one of our friends." I would whine again, while rolling my eyes in my mind. "Can we go now?", I would whine again and tugged on Tillithous his sleeve.
Tillthous said goodbye to the guard and I rushed still acting playfully to my cloaked friend. When we entered town Rakaash told me, with his whines and growls, that the man we were after was in one of the houses in the back of the town. While we walked through town we could see several small street vendors selling their holiday themed goods, you could see people carving out pumpkins and children would be running all across the streets dressed in silly costumes. Far in the distance upon the hill we could see a medium large mansion and if Rakaash was correct our target would live there.
While me and Rakaash would walk up towards the mansion, Tillithous slipped into the inn. Most likely to drink some beer or other alcoholic drink. On the road towards the mansion I spotted a very large boulder and I stopped right behind it. It was a proper vantage point to get the first impression of the mansion. From here I could see roughly seventy percent of the building. I had just send Rakaash out to circle around the building, when Tillithous finally arrived. We had a short chat and up on his advice I followed Rakaash around the building. We were searching the lower part of the house, before we spotted a open window on the second floor.
We moved back towards Tillithous, where I think I actually frightened him a little when I appeared right next to him after I had dropped my Camouflage. After a quick conversation we agreed to the fact that I would climb through the window, Rakaash would stand guard near the entrance of the mansion and Tillithous would try to talk himself inside. When I went through the window, I entered a room filled with golden accents, richly colored pictures and many item that would have cost a fortune. I slowly shuffled my way towards the stairs, without making any noise. I could hear the man having a small conversation with a woman. Whom I presume is his wife.
After a few minutes I could hear someone knocking at the front door.– I could hear someone get up from his or her chair and I could hear the sound of footsteps. When the front door opened I could hear the woman of the house say: "Here you go deary". Right after I heard Tillithous his low accent. "Why thank you, but this is not why I am here. I was wondering have you seen my apprentice. She is a happy and bouncy Draenei, about this tall", he started rambling. I rolled my eyes and approached the top of the stair, while drawing my bow.
"Well as you can see we are quite busy, so I can't help you sir", the woman replied. A loud squeak could be heard as the door got pushed further open. "Hey aren't you… Like the richest person in the whole of Lakeshire?" I could hear Tillithous ask. So I guessed it was him that pushed the door open. "You are the one that refused my business proposals." Tillithous continued. I heard him take one more step forward, as I could hear the floorboards creak. I took a deep breath and leaned slowly over the edge of the stairs to try to spot the man and woman.
The woman let out a small hiss and I suspect the man glaring at him. "Oh no no no, this is good. I just wished to say that you were completely right not to accept it… do NEVER accept to work with orcs… it is more trouble than it's worth it." Tillithous told the man. He would let out a small cough. "Rumors say that the Black Daggers and you made a contract… right?" "OUT NOW!" screeched the woman. "It is alright Helena…", the man told the woman. "Come in please", the man asked Tillithous and right after I could hear the door close.
I sighed softly. This fool was breaking protocol. This is not what we talked about. He continued to sweet talk to the man. Suddenly something important came up. "So… you must be from the Freelancers, Yes?" the man asked Tillithous. "The Lancers? No…. I have used the services a few times yes… but that is all I have done with them… I am a collector let's say. Books and artifacts of great and minor power." I heard Tillithous replied and once again the man came back with: "You either work with them or -have- worked with them." I could hear the pouring of wine, before the bald man talked again.
"So… first you tell me I declined a business proposition. Then you say I have made a deal with some Black Daggers, and now you tell me you are a collector. What is it you wish exactly?" The man asked Tillithous. A sudden creak would flit up the stair, as someone would have opened the door again. While this door was open I could hear Rakaash his soft whine, as he told me he was following the woman of the house. I took a deep breath and aimed my arrow straight at the man. "My wish? Oh… nothing really… Just wonder what your deal would be with the Daggers… you know… to see if it would be a worthy investment.", Tillithous offered in response.
While I listened to Tillithous and his conversation with the man, I chanted a soft prayer and connected with Rakaash. I saw the woman speak with the armed man on the bridge and then I saw Rakaash rushing back. Once I hear Rakaash growl and push through the door, I cancelled the prayed and leaped down the stairs. I kept my bow aimed at the man as I landed on the table filled with expensive tableware. "Tilly close the door… Rakaash get him boy. And you my dear friend…",I said threateningly to the bald man. "What is this contract about and where did you hide it. Tell me or I will kill you and your lovely wife". I growled at him.
Tillithous sighed and closed the door before using a glamour on himself. He would look as one of the Sargerei forces, as seen in the Black Temple. "The old ones have found great interest in the Black Daggers.", He told the man. The man's arm would shoot straight up in the air when I landed on the table. "I… Don't shoot! I am just an investor! They wanted gold", The man squeaked out. Suddenly I felt a glamour slide over my body and I sighed. "Ease up Initiate… The old ones do not work with force." I sighed again but complied with his act. "Sir, there is an armed guard approaching. We have no time!" Tillithous moved up the man and placed his hands on the man's forehead. "The Daggers have a scepter of great importance to the old ones.", Tillithous hissed.
I placed my hoof upon the chubby belly of the pudgy man and growled down at him: "Where is this contract! Show us!". Just as I said this the armored guard entered the mansion and pointed his gun at us. "What is going on right here?" Tillithous raised his hand to silence the man and to try to focus on the man's mind. "Deal with him initiate.", He told me and kept staring at the man. Suddenly Rakaash disappeared from the scene and moved behind the guard to prepare himself for an attack. The pudgy man screamed: "It is upstairs in my safe!"
I approached the guard. "Sir this is non of your concern." I told the guard and tried to block his view of Tillithous. "The old ones thank thy", Tillithous smirked and mind blasted the man. I suppose he made his brain mush. But I don't know much about mind magic. The pudgy man slumped back into his chair. "You killed him!, The guard yelled and fired his gun at Tillithous. Before the deafening shot rang through the building, several other things happened. Rakaash leaped and landed upon the man, I growled and leaped to the man and Rakaash, where I landed with my two hooves beside the guards head and Tillithous disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The guard had his aim thrown off by Rakaash and shoots through the window. "Graargh!" He then fell backwards with Rakaash on his back, as he got my two hooves in his face. He quickly regained his footing and tried to throw Rakaash of his back and cleave him with the bayonet on his gun, before firing the gun towards me. Rakaash swiped at the Guard's gun arm and I let my bowstring go. One of my arcane powered arrows would fly straight at the his face. He had his gun swiped from his hands and my arrow hit him dead on. I killed him on the spot.
But at the same time I winced in pain when his bullet that was out of aim hit my shoulder. "God Damn… Why is it always my right shoulder!", I cursed before walking toward the bald guy. Because I thought that Tillithous had fried his brain, I thought to put him out of his misery and slid his throat with one of my spare daggers. I made my way up the stairs while dripping blood all over the place. "Tilly… Help me please?" I whispered leaning against the door post. I guess I passed out here, since I can't remember anything else, then waking up in the forest, with a cat resting on top of my stomach and a Tillithous staring at me.