[size=18]** Writers note: Keep in mind that I am a comic book writer, so I tend to write more like a historian vs a storyteller. This is the first in a series of stories about a Pirate/rogue named Aqua, set in the EQ world. I will be incorporating more people into the stories as I go and have started a series on Vampriss also /grin. Feedback is welcome, even constructive.[/size]
Aqua...
Dust erupted with every step as Aqua made his way through the entrance into the mountainside citadel of Chardok. The entrance hall was a long passage that had been tunneled through the rock and ended with a tight left handed turn opening into the fortress main. It was a simple, yet effective defensive design that Aqua hade noted since his first visit years ago.
For the fortress itself, time seemed to stand still. The stone walls appeared to have changed very little over the years. They were rough and lethal in some areas where the rock cutters had left sharp edges and points. The floor was clean yet covered in a fine dust, which Aqua assumed was from the daily erosion of the walls and ceiling, which loomed 20 feet above.
Just as the walls themselves remained the same, so then did the creature Aqua faced as he rounded the corner. The lead herald of the fortress, Herald Techna, stood ready to greet visitors or cry alarm in case of an invasion. Techna stood a solid foot over Aqua's small dark-elven form, even though he was considered small by Sarnak standards. He smiled as Aqua approached.
Sarnaks were a race best described as humanoid dragons. They stood 3 heads taller than humans generally and were slender, yet muscular creatures. Small reddish orange scales replaced skin, offering a limited measure of physical protection while each sported the talons, horns, and maw of their draconian kin. In truth, they were a race that had been bred for war, from the sharp talons on each hand and foot, to the beaked maw, horns protruding from the head, and the spiked scales that ran down from the base of the neck to the tip of the tail.
"Greetings Herald Techna" Aqua stated loudly as he bow in front of the draconian. He noted how his words reverberated through the chamber, indicating that they were alone.
"Ahhh....masster Ak-gua, it hass been ssome time ssince you have sset foot in our abode." stated the herald as he smiled revealing several rows of tiny sharp teeth. "I trust you bring giftss for our Queen?"
Aqua had dealt with Techna enough to know that any "gifts" he presented the herald never made it to the queen herself. It was simply the price for admission into the fortress and therefore, he had come prepared.
"Aye, but of course dear friend," Aqua replied with a smile and short nod. He was careful to maintain his Tier'Dal accent and the normal darkelf demeanor of nonchalance. Reaching down to grab a small pouch that hung on his robes belt, Aqua continued "I bring salts from the deep mines of Droga itself. I do hope these will please Queen Di'zok."
Techna tried his best to hide his excitement as he was presented with the delicatessen, but Aqua saw through his attempts. The herald quickly grabbed the pouch with its long taloned fingers and stowed into the folds of his garb.
"Please proceed to the palace, friend Ak-gua, but be warned, there has been unrest in the hills outside lately and many of our brethren are anxious." The heralds tone turned grave as he continued, "Do not add to these tensions for we will not be held responsible for your meager life too long."
Aqua took the overt threat seriously, but with only a passing concern. There was always a certain level of danger when dealing with the Sarnaks, and anyone who did not respect that was a fool. He bowed again to the herald and started making his way down the stone corridor to the fortress's inner gates. He again reminded himself to move normally. Stealth had become a way of life in his profession, so much that he now had to concentrate on not being silent. He smiled at that realization.
Aqua noted the same structures he had passed time and time again. The fortress main, with its two stone towers and heavy gate, teaming with soldiers standing guard and moving through on patrols. The huge bridge with it's undead guardians, that spanned Crags Blood, the river which flowed life through the mountain, and the town circle, where travelers, merchants and Sarnaks alike gathered to share information and trade stories while browsing each others wares. Aqua stopped as one of the many guard patrols passed in front of him. He was careful to note the path each took, without revealing his intent.
Several minutes passed before the path came to an intersection, the left leading to the Royal palace while the other led to the lower level in-which the commoners and slaves resided. Slipping into the shadows for the first time, Aqua started down the path to the right and finding a small, dark nook in the wall, slipped inside.
Deciding to alter his path meant that he could no longer afford to be seen. Any detection would result in failure...., which would ultimately mean death. Slipping the magical mask from his face, the dark-elf image seemed to shimmer and then fade, leaving a tall muscular barbarian in its place. Aqua had never really been able to put into words how it felt to change shape using his masks. Though the process was absent of pain, he was always relieved to return to his natural form.
The plain brown robe he had worn earlier was removed and stowed in a bag, revealing the dark black chainmail tunic and leggings underneath. The chain was magical itself, enchanted to be silent on almost any condition and offered a fair level of protection combined with maximum mobility. Aqua adjusted his gloves and boots for a firmer fit, then wiped the lent out of his red braided beard, that reach down to his chest. Wiping the sweat from his bald head, he prepared himself for the next leg of his journey.
Shrouded by shadows, Aqua walked among the slaves and their masters with little worry of being discovered. He had practiced this art of stealth since he was a youth in the snowy peaks of Halas and it was a rare instance indeed when he had encountered a being able to detect him. He was confident that these creatures did not reside in that company. Slaves of many conquered races worked feverously mining different sections of the mountain walls. Most of them belonged to the lizard race known as the Iksar, the mortal enemies of the Sarnak Empire. Each slave wore a simple cloth tunic and medallion around its neck, signifying its houses allegiance.
As Aqua descended, he came upon a relatively unpopulated section of the mines, where several slaves, with their masters absent, had decided to take rest. Picking an Iksar slave sitting off to the side of the others, he moved to crouch next to the worker. In a split second, the assassin unleashed his dagger, embedding it into the neck of his Iksar victim. A soft hiss was all the resistance that the victim offered, before its body became lifeless.
Moving with an unnerving amount of efficiency and silence, Aqua undressed the body among the sleeping slaves, careful to get as little blood as possible on the tunic. He spent a few seconds cleaning the spilled blood from the floor before dragging the body to a nearby refuse sight. It would be days before the body was discovered, and even then it would be assumed that the attack was made by another slave.
Again, the image of the assassin shimmered as he place yet another magical mask to his face. This time, Aqua took the form of an Iksar male, and after donning the medallion and white cloth tunic, was pleased that his appearance was little different than that of the other slaves in the area. Stepping back into the shadows, his heart raced as he moved through the shadows toward his final destination, the Overseer of the mines.
Overseer Dal'guur was a large and imposing creature with little regard for life, even the lives of his brethren. Having served for centuries in the Chardok mines, he had risen to power on the backs of thousands of slaves and, as rumor had it, a few carefully planned "accidents" to his superiors. By all accounts that Aqua had gathered, Dal'guur was a ruthless and cunning opponent. Of course, none of this was motivation for the assassination attempt; it was greed, plain and simple.
As with countless other war prisoners, the Overseer took charge of the initial check-in of each new slave...not because of any sense of duty, but because many came to the mines with their equipment still on their mangy hides. Dal'guur saw fit to "hold" these items and had apparently amassed quite a horde. One item in particular had sparked Aqua's interest though, a magical mask that allowed the user to take the form of a Halfling, the small mischievous creatures from Rivervale. They were a race dedicated to, among other things, thievery and secrecy. A mask of that nature would allow him access to treasures he would never get an opportunity to plunder, otherwise.
"Gods Teeth!" cursed Aqua silently as he rounded the path for the second time. As disorganized as the mining area was, it had been constructed well. Every guard post seemed to have a direct view of at least one other. The spot Aqua chose for his ambush was less than favorable to say the least. It was well lit, close to working slaves, and had a direct line of sight to an apparently popular hallway. Judging by the tracks on the floor though, Dal'guur stopped here frequently in his route, so it would have to do.
The ambush was set quickly, it had to be. Aqua took the time to find the perfect spot where shadow blended into wall and faded into the darkness. He unsheathed both daggers that hung on his side and proceeded to carefully uncork and apply a small vial of poison to each of the blades. Gripping them in clinched fists with the blades angled back, along the underside of his forearms, he stood flush against the wall, and waited.... and waited.
Hours passed as a few of Dal'guur's underlings made their way through the hall performing routine inspections of the work being done, with no hint of the threat that was poised to strike just a few feet away. Aqua allowed his thoughts to drift during the interim, remembering the training of his youth in the Icelands; the first time he saw, and fell in love with, the open sea; and the glorious days of piracy sailing the Ocean of Tears.
So long was the wait and so caught up in his nostalgia, that he almost missed the huge figure coming down the hallway. Overseer Dal'guur came to a stop directly across from the assassin, just as he had predicted. Standing a head taller than the other Sarnaks, the Overseer was clothed in golden straps across his chest and a chainmail kilt around his waist. His talons and horns had lost the luster that younger draconians exhibited, but his scars showed sign of his battle prowess.
Blood rushed through Aqua's veins as the thrill of the kill almost overwhelmed him and he had to make a conscious effort to calm his breathing as he poised for the attack. It had to be perfect, the slightest miscalculation and he would be standing toe to toe with a very large and understandably angry Sarnak. Overseer Dal'guur turned his back to Aqua as he inspected the wall. Aqua emerged from the shadows...
Still holding his daggers blade down in his trained stabbing stance, Aqua faded out of the shadows. Stabbing in from the sides, the first blade struck through scales, muscle, and bone to pierce the Overseer's neck. Immediately following the silencing blow, the other dagger slid into its side, slicing the vital organs of Sarnak anatomy. Straining, but keeping the daggers in place so the poison would take effect, Aqua pinned the giant Sarnak to the wall it faced.
Dal'guur released a gurgled sound as he attempted to defend himself. Thrashing against the strength of his assailant, the Sarnak slung his spiked tail in hopes of buying himself time. Try as he might though, the tail would not leave the floor, as if it weighed twenty stones. It was then; the full realization of his demise struck him. Critically injured, bleeding, and poisoned, he would die here today. He whispered a thousand curses as the poison filled his veins, further incapacitating him until even his thoughts were immobilized.
Seeing that the realization had sunk into his victim (as well as the poison), Aqua smiled and withdrew the upper dagger, returning it to the sheath. As he began to search through the many bags that hung around the Overseers waist, luck was with him. He came upon the mask almost immediately. Placing the mask on the wall in front of Dal'guur so he could understand the cause of his death, Aqua removed the second dagger from the Sarnaks side, tilted it's head backwards, then ran the edge of the blade across the Overseers throat, drawing the last breath from his targets body.
Aqua allowed the corpse to slump into a heap at his feet, as he pocketed the newly acquired treasure. The kill had been as clean as any, but the timing had been unfortunate, since the guards were just about to be changing duties. The body would surely be seen in a short time, and while his skills of stealth and evasion were considerable, he could not hope to out maneuver a whole city, especially one that housed this many mages. He had to move.... now.
The shadows offered a certain amount of comfort as he retraced his steps up the path towards the fortress proper. He moved unseen amongst wardogs, sentries, and undead alike, all the while keeping his illusion of Iksar enabled. In the off chance that he was noticed, the illusion would allow him to maintain anominity.
Echoed shouts suddenly rose through the tunnels! An unmistakable alarm sounded, first deep behind him, and then ahead at the inner gates. Aqua paused, in order to survey the situation when suddenly a squad of six Sarnaks, accompanied by several Chokidai, war dogs of the Sarnak infantry, thundered up the cave and passed within inches of his position. Figuring he had best make haste to the inner walls, Aqua turned to follow suite behind the squadron, when he noticed one of the dogs and it's handler sniffing its way back down the corridor.
"For the love of the dice, be making up your mind lady luck!" cursed Aqua silently as he realized the dog had picked up the Overseers scent on the mask. The sniffer stopped abruptly, lifting its head to look directly at Aqua...or his location anyway. The scent had been found, and thus the dog charged.
Steel appeared to flash from out of the wall itself as the rogue emerged from the shadows to engage the charging Chodikai. The dog leapt forward, opening its maw in hopes of grasping the throat of its helpless prey in the first pass. Seconds before the attack reached its mark, the Iksar intruder spun to the outside, turning his front hand upward to reveal a dagger. Unable to stop its forward movement, the dog could not stop the dagger from stabbing into its exposed throat. Removing the blade as he spun, the rogue finished the 360 degree turn with his other dagger slicing into it's side. The Chodikai slammed into the rock wall, falling to the ground in a bloody mess.
Aqua ended his attack facing the sentry in a slightly crouched fighting stance, with his fists out in front of his face, daggers pointing to the outside. The dog had been a mindless enemy, and thus an easy kill. He would have to use caution with the Sarnak, for they could be as cunning as a dragon or dumb as the rocks in the walls. By the looks of things, this one was the latter.
Barely able to get its sword from the scabbard before the dog was dead, the sentry fumbled the big two-handed blade in its claws before the assassin. The look of dread quickly turned to one of relief when two other Sarnaks rushed to join their mate. The first, a taller version of the sentry, was surely the Drillmaster of the group, with his ceremonial sword and shield. The second was smaller than both the others and bore the tattooed markings of a Sarnak Channeler, a spell-wielding class within the Chardokian society. They all three sized up the runaway slave quickly and moved in for the kill.
"Thankee lass" Aqua said sarcastically, as if the lady of luck was even listening. The situation seemed to be degrading by the minute, so he decided to fall back on the oldest lesson he had learned in the early days of his rogue training. Flashing his Iksar teeth in an attempt to grin at his attackers, Aqua lowered his shoulder and charged through the trio in a dead run.
Blood flew in every direction as the assassin shouldered his way past the Sarnak sentry, his blade slicing up its side on his way through. Caught off guard, the Channeler flinched as droplets splattered her face, but the Drillmaster, a seasoned veteran of battle, charged after the rogue, shouting for reinforcements along the way. Noting the ease with which the Iksar moved through the caves, the Drillmaster was not so sure that this assassin was merely an escaped slave, as had been reported earlier. The chase found it's way into the large hall just before Crags Bridge, where several squads had surely gathered in response to the alarm. The Drillmaster allowed himself a smile...the rogue was trapped.
After what seemed like an hour of running and dodging the sounds of rushing troops, Aqua finally found the great passage leading to the cities main bridge. Figuring there would be more than enough troops to keep him busy up ahead, he turned to face his two pursuers. To his surprise, only the Drillmaster came charging up the tunnel, and it was wearing what appeared to be a slight grin. Seeing the assassin, it slowed its pace and drew its sword.
The Sarnak was quick for it's size, and skilled too. It attacked first; swinging the falchion sword in downward slashes and overhand pierces. An odd combination, but Aqua found it easy enough to evade, block, and even parry at times once the movements had been understood. Keeping his daggers folded downward along the underside of his forearms, the daggers took each blow amazingly well, as usual.
After a few rounds of sizing each other up, the Drillmaster came on full force with a flurry of windmill slashes, driving Aqua back with each step. Right, left, right, right, up...using his primary dagger to block each blow, Aqua waited for an opening. The opening came a few seconds later as the Drillmaster drew back his shield to bash the rogue. Aqua dove forward to one knee, sliding past his opponents shield arm. Hoping to deliver a critical blow to the inside of the Sarnak. The Drillmaster proved too experienced for the trick however, turning awkwardly to stop the forward motion of the shield he angled it down to successfully protect his vitals from the blow.
Aqua quickly adapted to the warriors skilled move, slicing the tendons on the back of the Sarnaks leg as he dove past. The Drillmaster emitted a yelp of surprise mixed with pain as the blow landed and turned to face his opponent, using his tail to keep the assassin at bay. With no hope of blocking the spiked appendage, Aqua was forced to dodge several blows, wasting valuable time, as the Drillmaster turned for another round of attacks.
As the warrior turned, Aqua went on the offensive. Still holding his daggers downward in clinched fists, he advanced slashing first high and then low, incorporating punches along with the blades. In truth, the attacks were little more than elaborate feints, used to keep an opponent off guard and study it's defenses. The Sarnaks shield absorbed most of the blows, while its sword caught those few that slipped through.
After several minutes of trading blows, Aqua's footwork became quicker as he began discovering the weaknesses of his opponent. As with most shield fighters, the object offered superior protection, but at the expense of limited mobility, leaving the fighter vulnerable for short periods.
Aqua worked his way into a spinning frenzy, causing the Sarnak to retreat slightly while moving his shield frantically to keep up with the seemingly random dagger strikes. Just as the warrior began to realize the pattern of attacks, Aqua stopped and crouched, facing his opponent in one movement. Reversing the direction of his spin, Aqua stabbed into the exposed ribs of the warrior with his primary blade. Leaving the dagger in place, he continued his rotation around the swordsman, slicing upwards along its spine as it began lashing out wildly, blinded by the pain. Aqua spun two more times around the now feeble warrior, slashing with his second dagger as he went. On the first rotation he retrieved his main dagger from the Drillmasters side, and on the second, the dance ended abruptly with the assassin poised behind the Drillmaster, both daggers buried deep in its back.
BOOM!!!
Aqua felt the electricity in the air before the crash erupted around him and his latest victim. The Channeler had finally found them apparently, though too late to save his swordsman friend. Rock crumbled all around as lightning struck the wall. Aqua was tossed a stones throw away from the blast, but managed to gather his balance as he landed. All those years on the high seas made for sturdy legs and a great sense of balance.
Tumbling into a crouch, Aqua eyed the mage down the corridor. It had made the mistake of missing on its first cast, but by throwing him further down the hall and widening the gap between them, the mage had struck fortune. To make matters worse, his two daggers were still embedded in the Drillmaster, which lay between he and the mage. Aqua knew it now had time to cast again...and he could do nothing about it.
Wasting no time, Aqua sprinted straight for the mage, who in turn began to chant the words to an offensive spell. The Channelers hand began to glow with intense light as the air in the chamber crackled again with arcane energy. A bolt of energy flew from its hands toward the rogue. Aqua saw the bolt and continued his sprint, leaping across the hall just before the bolt struck. Landing gracefully near the corpse of the fallen warrior, he rolled into a kneeling position and unleashed the two throwing daggers he had unsheathed seconds before. Both daggers flew true to their mark, but caused little more harm than a flinch from the spellcaster as its mystic shield absorbed the blow.
Retrieving his daggers from the bloody rocks, Aqua took off again towards the Channeler in a dead run. This time, the Sarnak Channeler unleashed a torrent of fire towards the assassin. With no defensive options or tricks left up his sleeve, Aqua had no option but to run face first into the blast and pray that his armor and warded protections absorbed most of the blow.
Heat seared the passage as fire engulfed him. The chain that hung about his body burned the skin underneath while his mind and body screamed with pain. The dark underworld of his surroundings became a blaze of blinding heat as he continued his run towards the mage. Then it stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
Blinking his eyes repeatedly, Aqua readjusted to the darkness around him. Mentally he checked his body. The wards and armor had done their jobs, and all seemed to be fine, save for some scars a local healer should be able to clear up later. The world came into focus just in time for him to see the Channeler swinging its staff straight at his head. Aqua ducked under the staff at the last minute, drawing his daggers and slicing the Sarnaks mid-section many times as he passed under the blow and the mage. Standing back to back, Aqua stabbed behind him, left then right, each blow landing solidly into the either side of the Channeler.
Letting the dagger rest in place, Aqua turned to face the mages backside and grabbed both daggers, twisting each slowly as he did. The Sarnak shrieked in pain as Aqua returned the torture he had endured moments earlier. His rage sated, the assassin finished his opponent off with a dual slice as each dagger met in the Sarnaks midsection.
Sounds rang through the passage as soldiers approached from the lower area. Obviously they had heard the sounds of battle and now had a location of the assassin within their walls. By the sound of it, there seemed to be close to three score of them approaching. Torchlight illuminated the chamber to reveal piles of rubble and two dead Sarnaks. As the soldiers scoured the area cautiously, Aqua continued his run unnoticed for the bridge ahead.
Apparently, the bridge guards had heard the tortured cries of their comrade down the path. All sixteen stood ready for the assassin if he dared make his way to the Bridge. Cloaked in shadows, Aqua counted two mages and a priest among the other sentries and noted their position at the back of the ranks. He then turned and backtracked towards the previous chamber until the bridge was barely in sight and dropped his stealth. He would have to make a grand exit indeed if he were to ever set foot in the citadel again, and that was just what he planned to do....
Stepping from the shadows, Aqua sprinted towards the bridge in plain sight. Guards called out sightings and lurched forward as the assassin came into view. The sound of clashing steel rang out through the chasm as the rogue carefully, yet hastily, made his way through the wave of warriors. A few lucky hits got through his parrying daggers as he passed Sarnak after Sarnak, but none of them proved lethal. Aqua smiled; maybe his luck was changing after all.
Stepping foot onto the bridge, Aqua took cover behind one of the stone pillars, as the mages launch an ill-timed assault of fire and lightning. A few of the pursuing warriors who had failed to see the attack coming, fell dead in the chaos. Aqua emerged unscathed and continued his sprint, leaping onto the edge of the bridge; he grabbed one of the many chain supports and vaulted himself, feet first, towards the two mages.
Even had the daring move not stunned the two mages and the cleric, they would not have been able to escape anyway due to the cramped surroundings. Aqua's foot connected solidly with the lightning mages face, cracking bone and sending the mage to the ground with a great thud. Landing on his other leg with his back to the fire mage, Aqua unsheathed his blade and pivoted bringing the arm up in a backhand fashion. The blade sank in under the Sarnak mages jaw, lifting it slightly off the ground and killing it instantly.
Soldiers filled the bridge on both sides, closing in on the assassin. The whole citadel seemed to have been alerted and making their way to the battleground. Grabbing the cleric that was cowering near the bridges ledge, Aqua wrapped his arm around the priests’ neck and then jumped.
The walls of the great chasm blurred past as the assassin and his Sarnak prisoner raced towards the raging river and rocks below. Aqua peered upward to make sure no Sarnaks had been foolish enough to follow the suicide move, and then his hands became a blur of activity. Grabbing at the mask on his face, Aqua's image shimmered back into his natural barbarian form as he then placed the mask to the face of the priest, who remained firmly in his grasp. The draconians form shifted into that of one its racial nemesis’s, an Iksar. Releasing the clasps on the priests’ armor, Aqua freed the telltale chainmail to leave the altered body unadorned.
The sounds of the raging river below roared through the cavern as the couple continued it's suicidal fall. Seconds before impact, Aqua took the whip from his belt and began to wrap it around the dazed priests neck. Releasing his prisoner, he activated the magical cloak on his back with a thought and the enchanted levitation spell took affect on its wearer. The cord of the whip straightened as it strained against the weight of the Sarnak on the opposite end. With an audible snap of the neck, the priest's life left it's body. Aqua flicked his wrist to release the whip's hold on the Sarnak and it fell lifelessly to the rocks around the river below.
The assassin grasp onto the wall as he floated down the chasm, some thirty feet above the waters below. Finding a shadowed area of the wall proved easy enough as Aqua blended and settled in for a wait. In the hours that followed, the Iksar body was retrieved and many Sarnaks scoured the area looking for the body of the priest prisoner that had fell with it. After some time, the caves traffic became less and less as the search continued to come up short. Aqua made his way up the shaft to the bridge and back down the path to the crossroads where it had all begun, carefully avoiding any of those cursed Chodikai along the way.
Once to the crossroads, Aqua switched back into the Dark Elven form and made his way to the inner fortress. He spent a few hours shopping, eating, and gossiping with the locals. A rushed attempt to exit the fortress would have surely gathered suspicion in the Sarnaks heightened state of emergency. After spending a few coin here and there, Aqua made his way to the gates, where he was scrutinized by a guard.
"So, what was with all the commotion earlier friend?" Aqua asked as the Sarnak recruit looked him up and down.
"Twas drillsss elf" it hissed back to the departing visitor, "Nothingss for you to worry yourself with. Be gone."
Bowing shortly as he walked off, Aqua made his way out of the fortress main and into the wilderness beyond. The Sarnaks had the body of their Iksar assassin and in time would forget about the priest that was washed away in the river. The loss of such a useful item as the Iksar mask was indeed distressing, but a few days of digging through the burial heaps of the Sarnak slaves would prove much easier than fighting his way through many scores of Sarnak warriors. The mask would be retrieved soon enough, though the task would be gruesome.
Returning to his barbarian form, Aqua placed the Darkelven mask into his pouch and retrieved the Halfling mask as soon as he was at a safe distance. Looking down on it, he thought to himself, "And then...the treasures of Riverdale be calling! Yar har har!"
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