Chapter 1 - Plans
Submitted October 21, 2006 Updated October 21, 2006 Status Incomplete | This is one of my slowest works to date, and I figured I'd put it up here. It's an original story with original characters. Main character is "Alexander", an elf rogue. I hope you enjoy this!
Category:
Fantasy |
Chapter 1 - Plans
Chapter 1 - Plans
Toying with his staff idly, a green haired elf rogue threaded his way through the crowded streets of Cha’rik. Not bothering to pick any of the pockets of this poor village, he instead opted to pause and check the looks of one of the buildings.
This one seems to be it. But this is hardly what I call a ‘fancy’ building... he wrinkled his nose in disgust. The building was an odd shade of blue green, but no color that ever flattered such a wide edifice. Not only that, the paint was peeling. Around the building, there were some attempts to beautify–the only thing left was dead trees and brown shrubs.
“Great...the city gambling pit,” the elf sighed, “Let’s see how to work with this–if I’m right, the bouncers should let me in.” he quickly dug a small, tattered piece of paper out of one of his side pouches to reread it. Well, this is Cha’rik, and I suppose this IS the gambling pit, if that sign in front of the door is real. Now...
“Hey, you! Off the premises!”
Whirling around, the slender elf nearly cowered at the sight of a burly bodybuilder who wore a black shirt tucked into a pair of gray canvas trousers. The man, presumably a bouncer, scowls, “Didn’t you hear me? Go on! Get!”
“I was told to come here! M’name’s Alexander!”
With this, the bouncer appeared thoughtful,
“Alexander, eh? There is supposed to be an Alexander coming today,” he examines the elf, “Doesn’t much sound an elfish name, but who am I to decide?” he moves aside, “Go in and upstairs, there’ll be a door to your left. It’s the boss’ private quarters–don’t go in there. The door you want is down the hallway from that one, on the same side.”
Going past him, Alexander opened the door with a final warning in his ears,
“If anything goes missing, there’ll be hell to pay.”
***
Once inside, the elf paused a second to allow his feline-like eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room. Ulh, I think I preferred the outside.
The air was thick with smoke, stinging his eyes like fire blown into them, and also making breathing nearly unbearable. A bitter smell of cheap ale and beer mixed with the smoke to leave a metallic aftertaste in the back of his throat. And the NOISE! Rowdy drunks were starting arguments over a particular card game not two tables away, groups of gamblers were watching this one woman dance, whooping and a hollering.
Trying to stay near the walls, Alexander picked his way around the tables. A narrow stairway was quickly dashed up before he allowed himself to register a claustrophobia inducing terror.
Pleased with himself, he eased the door at the end of the hallway open and peeked inside. A desk sat in the middle of the small room, with a big, comfortable chair (which had its back to the desk and a couple feet propped on the wall) behind it. In front, there was a single smaller chair that looked less comfortable than riding a dragon. Carefully, Alexander eased the well oiled door open and stepped in,
“I got your message. How do you think that I can be of service to you?”
The big chair whirled around, revealing an older man in work clothes. He had a neatly trimmed mustache, and thinning hair on his head, not to mention he certainly was not hard on the eyes.
A shocked look quickly went into a measuring one as this man looked the elf in front of him over. Green hair, tied in a low ponytail, went down to his shoulder blades. Green cat like eyes. Slight in the way elves are, with a rope belt tied over a blue violet tunic at the waist. Gray trousers, simple unadorned leather boots. A quarterstaff lazily was held to his side as the elf leaned against the door, giving every semblance of being calm and relaxed.
Good. If he could keep him so calm, then maybe the whole operation would work. But...
“I thought you used a bow?” the man’s low tenor voice asked. Finding that voice pleasing to the ears, especially after that racket downstairs, Alexander smirked,
“I’m capable of that,” he closed his eyes, and recited the chant to the latent spell on the staff in his head exactly twice. Beginning to glow with a faint brown light, the writings on it burst into a brilliant yellow color, enveloping the staff.
When the light faded back to brown, and then nothingness, in Alexander’s hand was a bow–oddly, or maybe not so odd, it was roughly a third of length as the quarterstaff had been. The elf grinned, a bit tiredly, “ ‘S that what you wanted?”
Returning the smile, the man chuckles,
“Yes. I’m supposing that you were showing off and can do that without all the bells and whistles?” then he leaned back in his chair, “Have a seat.”
***
Eyeing the chair, Alexander sat on the floor, "So, what do you think I can do for you now? And what was this reward you were speaking of?"
"This," and the man tossed a medium sized pouch of gold to him, "and there are three more where that came from if you succeed in your mission." then the man rubbed his mustache, chuckling as Alexander checked the gold, "I assure you, it's real. Suppose I should introduce myself--"
"You're Mac. It's on the note you gave me," Alexander put the gold back in the pouch, after satisfying himself it was real and that it wouldn't disappear. Then he tucked the pouch into a bag he carried with him, "Now I'm interested...what's the mission?"
"It's quite delicate, and you'll be using your bow more than anything," this was said with a slight frown at the staff, "You'll be acquiring some information for us. But, first thing's first. You must take a little 'test'," Mac put his palms on the desk and half rose, "To see if you're fit for the job, of course."
Scowling a bit, Alexander wonders if he ought to take what he had and run. The note had made no mention of a test...but still...there were three other pouches of gold waiting in case he got this information...
And on the other hand, he had no idea where he was supposed to go or how he was supposed to do anything. Then if he wasn't to succeed, he could have his hands cut off--at the MINOR part of the scale.
Then it wasn't helping matters any that Mac was standing like that. Made him feel like he was just some kind of bait.
Mac's hand moved to the back of the desk, making Alexander touch his knife on his belt defensively. But no, Mac was just getting a drink from somewhere.
That silent hesitation was NOT good, this Mac knew for a fact. And he knew it double when the elf had reached for his knife when he himself was getting a sip of his ale. Drastic times call for drastic measures..."Need I remind you that there is more gold, and then whatever you can get from the place?"
Finally, Alexander nodded. "Fine. It would be a waste of time to come here if I wasn't going to do anything," he adds suspiciously, "What is this test?"
"You will break into here at 12:45 tonight. My bouncers will be guarding the place. You'll be coming here."
"HOLD ON," Alexander held up his hand, "Break in, when you people are EXPECTING it? What's the sense of that?! That's just ASKING for me to be caught!"
Mac smiles,
"Well, if you can break in when we're expecting you, think of what you can do if someone's NOT. Are you going to be here or not?"
Blowing out a breath, the elf looks at the writings on his quarterstaff in irritation. Not only was he walking into an already failed mission--why else would there be so much money in it?--he was going to have to take a test to even get to his death. Which was going to fail, because they would be expecting him. That would mean all windows and doors would be blocked!
He closes his eyes for a second and thinks, Well, I always say that I'm not going to be too careful in life to arrive safely at death...Looks like this one's going to have to be one of those times.
Intently watching those green eyes open, Mac asks,
"Will you be here?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll see you at 12:45. Leave so you can plan your attack."
This one seems to be it. But this is hardly what I call a ‘fancy’ building... he wrinkled his nose in disgust. The building was an odd shade of blue green, but no color that ever flattered such a wide edifice. Not only that, the paint was peeling. Around the building, there were some attempts to beautify–the only thing left was dead trees and brown shrubs.
“Great...the city gambling pit,” the elf sighed, “Let’s see how to work with this–if I’m right, the bouncers should let me in.” he quickly dug a small, tattered piece of paper out of one of his side pouches to reread it. Well, this is Cha’rik, and I suppose this IS the gambling pit, if that sign in front of the door is real. Now...
“Hey, you! Off the premises!”
Whirling around, the slender elf nearly cowered at the sight of a burly bodybuilder who wore a black shirt tucked into a pair of gray canvas trousers. The man, presumably a bouncer, scowls, “Didn’t you hear me? Go on! Get!”
“I was told to come here! M’name’s Alexander!”
With this, the bouncer appeared thoughtful,
“Alexander, eh? There is supposed to be an Alexander coming today,” he examines the elf, “Doesn’t much sound an elfish name, but who am I to decide?” he moves aside, “Go in and upstairs, there’ll be a door to your left. It’s the boss’ private quarters–don’t go in there. The door you want is down the hallway from that one, on the same side.”
Going past him, Alexander opened the door with a final warning in his ears,
“If anything goes missing, there’ll be hell to pay.”
***
Once inside, the elf paused a second to allow his feline-like eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room. Ulh, I think I preferred the outside.
The air was thick with smoke, stinging his eyes like fire blown into them, and also making breathing nearly unbearable. A bitter smell of cheap ale and beer mixed with the smoke to leave a metallic aftertaste in the back of his throat. And the NOISE! Rowdy drunks were starting arguments over a particular card game not two tables away, groups of gamblers were watching this one woman dance, whooping and a hollering.
Trying to stay near the walls, Alexander picked his way around the tables. A narrow stairway was quickly dashed up before he allowed himself to register a claustrophobia inducing terror.
Pleased with himself, he eased the door at the end of the hallway open and peeked inside. A desk sat in the middle of the small room, with a big, comfortable chair (which had its back to the desk and a couple feet propped on the wall) behind it. In front, there was a single smaller chair that looked less comfortable than riding a dragon. Carefully, Alexander eased the well oiled door open and stepped in,
“I got your message. How do you think that I can be of service to you?”
The big chair whirled around, revealing an older man in work clothes. He had a neatly trimmed mustache, and thinning hair on his head, not to mention he certainly was not hard on the eyes.
A shocked look quickly went into a measuring one as this man looked the elf in front of him over. Green hair, tied in a low ponytail, went down to his shoulder blades. Green cat like eyes. Slight in the way elves are, with a rope belt tied over a blue violet tunic at the waist. Gray trousers, simple unadorned leather boots. A quarterstaff lazily was held to his side as the elf leaned against the door, giving every semblance of being calm and relaxed.
Good. If he could keep him so calm, then maybe the whole operation would work. But...
“I thought you used a bow?” the man’s low tenor voice asked. Finding that voice pleasing to the ears, especially after that racket downstairs, Alexander smirked,
“I’m capable of that,” he closed his eyes, and recited the chant to the latent spell on the staff in his head exactly twice. Beginning to glow with a faint brown light, the writings on it burst into a brilliant yellow color, enveloping the staff.
When the light faded back to brown, and then nothingness, in Alexander’s hand was a bow–oddly, or maybe not so odd, it was roughly a third of length as the quarterstaff had been. The elf grinned, a bit tiredly, “ ‘S that what you wanted?”
Returning the smile, the man chuckles,
“Yes. I’m supposing that you were showing off and can do that without all the bells and whistles?” then he leaned back in his chair, “Have a seat.”
***
Eyeing the chair, Alexander sat on the floor, "So, what do you think I can do for you now? And what was this reward you were speaking of?"
"This," and the man tossed a medium sized pouch of gold to him, "and there are three more where that came from if you succeed in your mission." then the man rubbed his mustache, chuckling as Alexander checked the gold, "I assure you, it's real. Suppose I should introduce myself--"
"You're Mac. It's on the note you gave me," Alexander put the gold back in the pouch, after satisfying himself it was real and that it wouldn't disappear. Then he tucked the pouch into a bag he carried with him, "Now I'm interested...what's the mission?"
"It's quite delicate, and you'll be using your bow more than anything," this was said with a slight frown at the staff, "You'll be acquiring some information for us. But, first thing's first. You must take a little 'test'," Mac put his palms on the desk and half rose, "To see if you're fit for the job, of course."
Scowling a bit, Alexander wonders if he ought to take what he had and run. The note had made no mention of a test...but still...there were three other pouches of gold waiting in case he got this information...
And on the other hand, he had no idea where he was supposed to go or how he was supposed to do anything. Then if he wasn't to succeed, he could have his hands cut off--at the MINOR part of the scale.
Then it wasn't helping matters any that Mac was standing like that. Made him feel like he was just some kind of bait.
Mac's hand moved to the back of the desk, making Alexander touch his knife on his belt defensively. But no, Mac was just getting a drink from somewhere.
That silent hesitation was NOT good, this Mac knew for a fact. And he knew it double when the elf had reached for his knife when he himself was getting a sip of his ale. Drastic times call for drastic measures..."Need I remind you that there is more gold, and then whatever you can get from the place?"
Finally, Alexander nodded. "Fine. It would be a waste of time to come here if I wasn't going to do anything," he adds suspiciously, "What is this test?"
"You will break into here at 12:45 tonight. My bouncers will be guarding the place. You'll be coming here."
"HOLD ON," Alexander held up his hand, "Break in, when you people are EXPECTING it? What's the sense of that?! That's just ASKING for me to be caught!"
Mac smiles,
"Well, if you can break in when we're expecting you, think of what you can do if someone's NOT. Are you going to be here or not?"
Blowing out a breath, the elf looks at the writings on his quarterstaff in irritation. Not only was he walking into an already failed mission--why else would there be so much money in it?--he was going to have to take a test to even get to his death. Which was going to fail, because they would be expecting him. That would mean all windows and doors would be blocked!
He closes his eyes for a second and thinks, Well, I always say that I'm not going to be too careful in life to arrive safely at death...Looks like this one's going to have to be one of those times.
Intently watching those green eyes open, Mac asks,
"Will you be here?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll see you at 12:45. Leave so you can plan your attack."
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