Children of Night

Part 1

                 

Shade

The pungent smell of beer and blood was always what you looked for in a good tavern. Music from a band playing elegant and classic music that couldn't be heard over the laughs and yells going through the air. Everyone here had some sort of weapon on them, it was definitely a criminal bar or mercenary. Then again there never was much of a difference. This tavern was specifically my favorite as it was close to the gates of the city where every traveler came by. Even if they didn't stay they would walk in.

                I sat in a corner booth minding my own business as my eyes scanned the bar for any sort of excitement. So far today was quite... I say that as two men where wrestling down to the floor braking each other's faces. I then turned my attention to my brother who was leaned up against the bar flirting with an Elvin women who was wearing too short of a dress that showed too much of everything. Still I could see the dagger hidden under her dress on her thigh. My brother being the cocky bastard he was only looking for fun. His golden eyes trained on her cleavage as her's where on his lips. He looked as usual, black spiked up hair, black overcoat with black pants, and a black vest under his coat. He had a sword at his hip but was hidden by the coat. There was also a knife on the outside of his pants strapped to his thigh. With a belt around his waist that had a number of pouches. His gloved hands carelessly moving on the women's waist.

                Much like him I wore all black too, a black leather jacket with a hood that I had over my head. Black scaled pants with steel tipped boots that still had blood on them. I had knives hidden on a leather shoulder pad on my left. Then about ten throwing knives on each of my thighs. For good measure another band of the small knives on my left arm as if acting as a piece of style as an arm band. A much larger knife was sheathed on my tail bone. My own belt held pouches which had numerous devices. The last piece of weaponry I had was a black gun, but it wasn't a gun, it was more of a rope dart... helpful when having to get out of a situation fast.

                Then physically we had vary similar looks. Though unlike him I had shaved off one side of my hair because of a scar that made my hair on that side grow unusually. So now the scar was clearly shown on the left side of my head. One of my eyes was gold but the other was soft amber. He had had been told numerously told he had the same smile, nose, dimples and eyebrows. We where twins after all but i didn't expect us to look so alike.

                It was then I noticed the Elvin whore steal my brothers coin purse. I sighed knowing he wouldn't notice it until we left. So I stood up walking across the fire fight of a bar. Ducking my head as a glass bottle was aimed at the man beside me.  I then jumped to the side as a barstool flung at a man behind me. Then another brawl started as two men in my way where at each other's throats. I kicked out the bigger mans legs causing them both to tumble to the floor as I walked over them.  Then I was right behind the Elvin whore in which I wrapped my arms around her waist pulling her away from my brother into me.

                "I thought father taught you to share?" I asked my lips ghosting over the women's pointed ear. My brother looked angry at me now as I stole his coin pouch back from the women as my hands roamed her body. "Dearest sister, fuck off" he growled at me and I released the women sighing and walking off to find my own fun outside the tavern.

                My brother had a lot of money on him, why the hell so much? Was he looking for a prostitute? Well I crushed that dream of his. When the fresh fall air hit me it was like a wave of relief from the hot tavern.

                The city was carved from stone and marble. It was very dark at night though. The lanterns on the posts beside the stone street where barely anything. There was the occasional guard dressed in golden armor with blue cloth underneath them. Other than that one guard walking north to the giant sinister looking castle up on the hill which this city was built on, it was an empty street.  I heard shouting at the gate turning my attention south. The giant stone walls had the most guards patrolling it. Always ready for a attack. However I'm not sure only a handful of guards could fend them off.  The steel gates then began to crank open. Another visitor to this dark city?