The Wicked

Part 1

Two women sat at a table behind Xevach, the tavern lively as the night drew on. The priest listened to all of the nonsense as he played his violin, creating a great background noise for the people to dine in and relax. The tune mixed three different cultural sounds, a loud, deep chord followed by a more elegant one, then by a tribal harmony. What he played each day depended on those within the tavern, sometimes he only went for more orcish-sounds, and other days he had to play a mix of everything. Thankfully there was only a handful of elves, trolls and orcs, so he had a good balance of music to play.

The dark robes that enveloped his body allowed him to blend into the wall at the top floor of the tavern, out of most people's way. But tonight, it seems like he had been joined by two assassins, each appearing equally as dangerous as the other. Dressed in muted greys and reds, they caught his attention.

"So you mean he's not with you anymore? And you moved on, right?" One said, and he connected the voice with the girl that sat with her back to him. She sounded younger, perhaps just getting into her adult years.

"Yes, I have moved on. I'm with a man named Az. He's wonderful. But you're getting off track, darling. Let's talk about the task at hand." The furthest woman from him stood straighter in her seat, casting him a few glances, masking them by looking at other people as well.

She's curious. And curiosity killed the cat.

"Right, right. Who do you think did it?" The two then leant in, muttering to each other. He guessed they were speaking about a mission or an assassination that they were about to pull off.

Xevach let the other voices drown the ladies out, focusing on his violin instead. His arm moved slowly as he ended the song, then picked up the pace again in a more upbeat, trollish sound. A few below looked up and cheered, raising their drinks before going about their business.

Glasses clinked together, and men whistled at passing maids and beautiful dames. No bottom left the place unslapped, and no man ran off without a red handprint on one of their cheeks. The stench of terrible beer and cheap wine was almost overwhelming, yet Xevach tolerated it. He wondered why he still came here, but he left with his answer every day. A drunk, stumbling babe always got a little too close to him, allowing him to make his move.

"Hey, shadow man!"

Xevach flicked his right ear, hoping that whoever called on him didn't notice.

"No, not you, troll. Him."

Xanthi sneered as she pointed towards the hooded figure standing with his back to her, her eyes raking over his appearance. She couldn't decide if he was safe or not, but she knew him from somewhere. The more she came to this bar, the more she saw him. He was oh-so-familiar, but at the same time, a total mystery that she had to crack.

"I don't think he heard you," Ikkie whispered. Xan simply waved her hand around, dismissing the child's words.

"Hey, void priest. Playing the violin. Can you hear me?"

Xevach turned his head towards her, thankful that his hood covered most of his features. He examined the woman carefully, lips pursing. She wasn't looking at him anymore.

"Oh, for fel's sake. Who is that guy?" Xanthi rested her head on her hands, letting out a loud sigh. Suddenly, the place went silent, and she looked up hesitantly. The man was gone.

"Heya mon, who stopped da music?" A troll yelled, and several others chimed in, yelling for someone to start playing something before a brawl broke out.

Xanthi peered around frantically, trying to find where Xevach disappeared to. She saw a shadow slip outside the front door, and the assassin was quick to jump to her feet, pulling Ikkie along with her. Their masks went up on their faces, and they ran down the stairs to weave through a mass of people, nearly tumbling outside the doors. The street was empty, aside from a few carts being pulled down to the shops. No sign of the musician.

Xanthi pointed east with her right hand, then up to her left. "You go down that way. I'm taking to the rooftops. Find him."

Xevach watched Xanthi scale the building with ease, while the other ducked behind a building. He wore a smug smile as he turned around, walking down the alleyway with a small brunette clinging to his side.

Making sure that he was far away from civilisation, the priest shoved the woman against the wall, watching as she smacked her head off the brick and fell to her knees. She tried to speak, though Xevach reached down and cupped her chin, slipping his thumb into her mouth.

"You say a word, and I will make sure you're paralysed for the rest of your life." His words made her comply, her head lowering as she gave a drunken hiccup. He hoped, for her sake, that she was so plastered that she wouldn't recognise what he was about to do. Black smoke swirled around the girl's head, a precaution he took. If she was going to remember tonight, she wasn't going to now.

Sliding his hand down from her chin, he grasped her throat to pull her up and held her in the air. Brown locks fell over the girl's face as she gasped for air, begging him to put her down. He didn't relent. Instead, he pressed his body to hers, his free hand coming up to grip her hair.

"I'm sorry, dove. But you're just too pretty to pass up." And, he proceeded to pull her head towards him before smashing it into the brick, knocking her out cold. A grin spread across his face as he tugged her clothing off, and he had his way with someone for the first time in years.