The Cover of Darkness; The Deafening Silence (Basic Stealth)

[Astraea Olath'barra]

Dusk
22nd Brightening of Kalendryas in the Season of Winter,
Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum

As the suns set over the horizon of the cursed city of Vortex, the surface identity for the Vysstichi underworld of Har'oloth, Astraea Olath'barra waited. She was leaning against the building where she'd been told to wait--Issar's School of Miscellaneous Trades and Training, the building she'd enrolled in once again earlier that brightening.

She was dressed in her full outfit of leather armor--shirt, pants, and greaves--and had all her weapons on her. Fachion at her back, bandoleers of throwing knives on her legs and waist, fingers still laced in their bagh nakh...she hardly ever took them off unless necessary, and pretty much never set them down. After all, she was likely to be fully armed and armored any times she would be wanting to be sneaking around, so it made sense to learn how to do it with all her equipment so that she'd never underestimate her abilities or gear at a crucial time.

Her time in the tunnels of Har'oloth had been well spent. She had an edge to her,...a predatory dangerousness that could likely make people's skin crawl. She hadn't learned the art of stealth, however, just the art of not dying. She waited, arms crossed, for the arrival of the teacher Reenix had arranged for her...whomever it could be. Aeternia, perhaps it was even Reenix herself. The woman had, after all, taught her how to pick locks, perhaps she'd teach her the art of sneaking about as well. Only time would tell.

Strae felt a cold winter breeze float over her, toying idly with the strands of shock white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Most of the cold was filtered out by her thick leather armor, though she did still feel it in certain areas. She waited patiently, however, fingers laced in her bagh nakh, loosening and tightening to keep her muscles prepared and on edge. It had become habit in the underworld, where at any time and without warning one might have to fight from becoming a creature's meal.

Despite being one of the longest-lived mortal races, Strae was somewhat impatient woman. She hated waiting, but she would put up with her dislikes and her hatreds, setting them aside, if it helped her learn how to be a better assassin.

So....she waited.

[Larien Gil'dae]

OOC: Peer-modding by request and with permission from Kalinda.

IC: Little did Strae know that her teacher had been there all along.

The dying light of the twin suns was still clinging to the roofs of Vortex when Vaun finally decided to reveal himself. Wispy and yet solid, the Vyssie male stepped out from the shadows, his telltale white hair hidden beneath a black hood that blended in seamlessly with the other black attire covering his ebony frame. The only thing that really stood out about him was his height -- or lack thereof -- and the pair of crimson eyes staring out from his devastatingly angular face.

"Twilight is so lovely, is it not?"

Stepping up to stand beside Strae, Vaun gazed up at the Vyssie woman, his head barely grazing her shoulder. "Astraea, yes?... Come with me." After giving the other a deep nod of respect, Vaun then set off at a brisk pace through the streets of Vortex, breezing effortlessly through the thick crowds that had only seemed to grow in numbers since the retreat of the twin suns of Telath. Vaun was little more than a shadow as he slipped along the cobblestones in a sinuous path that eventually led him into a dark alleyway. How original.

Reclining against the wall, the Vyssie male folded his arms across his thin chest as he waited for Strae to join him. His crimson eyes flashed from the darkness as he crossed his ankles before his body in a demonstration of absolute relaxation, though in truth he was actually quite tense and ready for action should the need arise. One could never be too careful...

[Astraea Olath'barra]

Given the basis of the class, what happened was actually exactly what Strae expected would happen. Her teacher would materialize out of nowhere, perhaps having been there before her. However, she couldn't hide her surprise and revulsion at the fact that the one who'd be instructing her was...male. Just thinking the word left a bad taste in her mouth, as though forced to drink one of the poisons she'd learned so much about. In fact, she still had her vial of barbbark. Perhaps when he wasn't paying attention...

...But no, she had things she needed to learn from this male, so she would simply have to suck it up, no matter how distasteful she found the idea. Her other two instructors for previous classes had been women. One had been a decidedly odd fae, but she at least was palatable. A male, though...

Her brother Motias had been different. He'd been one of the few good ones. A good stock, a healthy, cunning, and reliable one. Still not nearly the equal of a female, but he hadn't been as worthless as so many others of his gender. She could only pray that this one had those same qualities she'd preferred in her brother.

She loathed how he'd not asked but commanded her to come with him, as though he had some imperious right to be so arrogant.

He does, she told herself, hating every moment of it, He's teaching you because he's better than you at what you want to learn. Reign it in, or you'll never learn what you paid to learn. He's an instructor, respect him like one...at least as long as he has knowledge worth taking. Once his worth has run out, however... As she followed, she satisfied herself with empty dreams of torturous deaths for the male, until they wound up in the cliche dark ally.

She hated to admit it, but he was good. he moved well both in a crowd and out of it. Everywhere he went it was as though he belonged; as though he were a natural part of the scenery to blend in and be looked past. She loathed when a male was better than her at something, which for now was quite frequently. The point of this class was to reduce that tendency.

As he folded his arms and waited for her, she slid in after him. With arms crossed and posture relaxed, she couldn't help but feel irritated, as though his very body language was screaming 'any brightening now...'

With a frustrated sigh she only barely managed to contain and a look of disgusted hostility veiled behind nothing but sheer willpower, her flared hips cocking as her hands came to rest on them, her own posture a mixture of belligerence and the very dangerous 'what's your problem?' She would listen and learn, but she would be damned if she was going to bow and scrape to a mere male just to teach her what she'd paid good coin to learn.

[Larien Gil'dae]

Vaun remained in his reclined position as Strae moved into the cliche dark alley, his crimson eyes locking on to hers as she stood before him. He could almost feel her revulsion towards his person rolling over his body in hot waves of emotion. It caused him to smile -- a cautious expression draped in an almost suicidal sense of amusement. He was not an idiot. He wouldn't push this female of his race to do anything... drastic... but he also wouldn't scrape against the ground at every moment so as to appeal to her vanity and elevated sense of self-worth. He would be cautious. He would be professional. He would do his job.

Wiping the smile from his lips, Vaun leaned back his head against the wall and his eyelids fluttered down over his crimson eyes. "I can hear you breathing," he announced almost immediately, his own breath barely stirring past his nose in a hushed whisper of sound. "You must take deeper breaths... slower... imagine a slowly beating drum and match your heartbeat and your breathing to it. I want to question whether you are still alive."

His eyes flickered back open as he fixed his crimson gaze upon Strae's face once more, his eyes unwavering as he stared her down. His sensitive ears were tuned towards his pupil, listening, waiting for her to do as he instructed even as he remained in his almost mockingly relaxed position against the wall. They weren't going anywhere until she could learn to stop breathing like a dwarf.

[Astraea Olath'barra]

She could feel her jaw clench and flex as she gazed at him, feeling a decidedly noticeable urge to use her bagh nakh to slash his throat. She had decided long ago that she would rule her emotions, however, not the other way around. This was just further exercise for such control, she told herself; a 'two birds, one stone' situation that the surface dwellers seemed fond of describing.

So rather then gut the insolent male where he stood--which took some doing in and of itself--she did a rare thing and closed her eyes. Every instinct told her not to, every sense she had screamed that the newly blind could be better described as the near-future dead, and so it would be stupid to lose the one sense that she, like most all other mortal races, relied on the most. She did it, however, and as every nerve ending in her body tingled with readiness to take action, she focused her mind on the words he'd spoken.

In her mind she envisioned a war drum beating a ponderously slow tune to rouse the troops. As the sluggish beat rang in her imagination, she began to slow her breaths, taking deeper ones, so that the inhale and exhale each started on the beat. Additionally, she willed stillness in her body, trying to focus not on being ready to fight or flee, but instead as though she were trying to will her own body into suspended animation and hopefully slow her heart and circulation in the process.

She was careful not to punctuate the beginning or ending of each inhale or exhale of each breath so that it wouldn't make noise, working instead on seamlessly switching between taking air in and letting it out. Ideally, the only clues would be the rise and fall of her chest as she took each deep breath. Other than that, she waited to hear what else the male had to say, hoping her actions had appeased his self-righteousness enough to progress to the lesson rather than teach her how to breath. She understood the significance of it, but still, the sheer imperiousness of this male made it so much more difficult...

[Larien Gil'dae]

As Strae finally closed her eyes, Vaun did as well, knowing that it perhaps wasn't the smartest thing to do in his current position but also acknowledging the simple truth of the matter -- the Vyssie woman needed him. For the time being, he was safe. Hopefully.

"Good..." he whispered as the other did as she was instructed, slowing and deepening her breathing until it was less apparent. She still wasn't quite there, but at least she was trying. "Very good..." Opening his eyes again, Vaun gave the other a half-grin as he finally straightened from his lounging position and stalked towards the opening of the dark alley. "But can you keep it up while walking?"

Without another word or even glancing over his shoulder to make sure Strae would follow, Vaun then slithered out into the open once more, keeping to the edge of those lurking in the streets of the darkened Vortex. He melted as easily into the shadows as though he was made of little more than shifting darkness himself. Of course, his dark clothing and silent manner helped out with that illusion quite a bit. He knew the tricks of the trade and he wasn't afraid to use them. Slowing his pace, Vaun fell back to walk at Strae's side (if indeed she had followed him out of the alleyway), his head tilting back to gaze up into the other's face.

"I'm not going too fast for you, I hope," he jested with a fleeting grin.

Okay... so perhaps he was slightly suicidal.

[Astraea Olath'barra]

In response to his words Strae opened her eyes an instant too late, only to see the darting back of her as-yet-unnamed instructor meshing into the crowd. As she moved to follow, her next exhale included the grumbled word 'feth' as she too joined the streets. She worked on keeping her breathing quiet and even, trying to not breath too loudly as she moved about, trying to follow the cloaked back of her disgustingly male teacher.

She herself had dark clothing, the leather so well-worn and fit to the point where it didn't even creak as she moved. She didn't know his tricks of the trade, but gods help her, she'd try to learn them, if only to beat this stupid male at his own game. One of her failings was of course her pride, a failing common not only to many of her race, but of all her pointy-eared cousins as well. That same pride demanded that she be at least as good as this man at what he did before she killed him, otherwise he would be an opportunity to glean knowledge that was wasted. Thus, as he made his smartass comment she said nothing and took no action, though her venomous crimson glare said enough that she did not need to speak.

She had trouble enough keeping track of him--though she managed to do so through some miracle of fate--but luckily she felt rather confident at being able to keep up her quiet breathing.

"What next, male?" she asked quietly, her tone dripping with pure distaste, though her final word filled with more putrescence than the rest, as though his very sex was an insult...which to her, it was. They were her first words spoken to him so far, and there was no way she would let such things be even remotely praising--he was of the inferior gender, after all--but she couldn't be too sharp with him either, lest he refuse to teach her unless she do something absolutely humiliating like apologize.

[Larien Gil'dae]

Vaun expertly hid his grin at Strae's words, keeping his crimson eyes focused ahead of him even as they scanned the street. "Next?" His voice was little more than a curling whisper as he suddenly drew up short, stopping within the doorway of a rather decrepit looking building. "Next... you see that human over there?" There was more than a small hint of venomous disdain as his lips formed the word human. The specimen he was discreetly looking towards was a heavyset human male with a balding head and a beard that he could have easily hidden a gnome in. "I want you to follow him without him noticing you... find out where he's going and what he's doing. Don't worry, I'll be close behind."

And with that, Vaun seemingly disappeared.

Strae's quarry on the other hand was very much out in the open and suddenly on the move. He walked with the purposeful and yet decidedly lethargic stride reminiscent of a beast such as an ox -- surely he wouldn't be that hard to keep up with. Though, of course, it wouldn't be quite so easy, for no sooner had the rather rotund man started out that a great swarm of people moved between him and Strae, successfully separating the Vyssie female from the one she was supposed to be following. And of course, to just put the icing on her cake of difficulty, Strae would, after emerging from the swarm of people, realize that something rather important was missing. Her purse. Should she turn about she would notice a street urchin scampering away as quickly as he could -- the likely culprit. Could she retrieve her crowns and still follow her ox-like man? Even as she debated -- should she indeed debate -- the urchin would grow farther away, darting down a side alley while the balding human trudged off in the opposite direction, soon to be joined by another fellow that greatly resembled a goat... a very sickly goat that no one in their right mind would ever even in the most dire of situations wish to eat.

[Astraea Olath'barra]

If there was one thing a Vyssie who had survived patterns in the tunnels beneath ground had learned, it was how to track multiple objects. A favorite pack-hunting technique was for one creature to distract, and the others to swoop in while the prey is distracted. The degree of difficulty was, of course, increased while dealing with a crowd, and so she hoped that trait was practiced enough to keep an eye on the man while she pursued the urchin...quietly.

Working to maintain her quiet breathing while attempting to mesh from shadow to shadow, she tried to do it all while working to overtake the urchin in hopes of the child not learning of Strae's presence until she was in range to take back what the dirty little thief had taken. She needed the skills the male had to teach, it was true, but she needed her money more. Even if the male failed her and left her, she could simply enroll in another stealth class all over again. It would be irritating if she had to, but the purse clutched in those grubby little hands held her livelihood. without it, she'd have no way to get by, which was a little more important than a class--especially a class she could easily retake if required.

Hopefully the arrogant male would understand the circumstance...but far more ideally, she'd be able to keep track of the fat human while she retrieved her coinpurse, and return to stalking him once she had reclaimed it. First thing was first, though, she moved as quickly and quietly as possible, trying her best to sacrifice neither speed nor stealth as she moved about as fluidly as she could.

This darkening just keeps getting better and better... her mind spit sarcastically. If things didn't turn around for her and soon, there might be some spilled blood before the darkening was out.

[Larien Gil'dae]

Vaun watched with a wicked smile of amusement from the shadows as his urchin fled with his pupil's coinpurse. The fact that she had had enough sense to chase after her money told him quite a bit about her character -- she was practical. She would do well in his line of work, once she was properly trained. With a step almost as light as air, Vaun trailed behind Strae as she stalked the escaping urchin, his crimson eyes glowing behind his hooded eyelids as he fingered the blade at his waist. He had paid the urchin to only give the Vyssie female a "run for her money" (no pun intended of course), though if the boy decided to take a little extra for himself, he was fully prepared to take a little back. In flesh.

The urchin, on the other hand, had just darted down a side alley and was escaping into the darkness, making for a little grubby lean-to that he called home, despite the winter months. He had full intentions to go against his pledge and just keep the stranger's money. It wouldn't hurt anyone if he kept a little extra for himself, right?

Wrong.

Strae was quickly gaining on him, for despite the fact that he was actually quite a skilled pickpocket, a lack of food, sleep, and warmth had rendered him sluggish ... and a little dim-witted. Glancing over his shoulder, he realized the rather dangerous looking Vyssie was stalking him... and he panicked. Like a prey animal fleeing a predator, the boy broke out into a dead sprint, taking a wrong turn in his haste. He wasn't going home. It was a dead end. Turning about, he pressed his thin back up against the grubby stone wall, the sharp edges of the crumbling structure pressing into his spine as he grasped at the coinpurse as though it was his lifeline. It just might be. His wide eyes locked onto the crimson ones of the Vyssie woman, the boy lowered himself slowly, grabbing at a loose rock on the ground and quickly flinging it in Strae's direction. It glanced off her left side, though he had been aiming for her stomach. Hoping that the sharp pain she would experience would be enough to distract her, the little urchin made to dash around the Vyssie, though alas, he ended up tripping over his own feet. The coinpurse went flying off into a nearby broken crate while he sprawled at Strae's feet. He tasted blood.

"Please... please dun hurt me..." he whimpered, tears streaking his dirtied face as he curled into a protective ball. "I meant no 'arm..."

[Astraea Olath'barra]

(OOC: Godmodding the reaction of the child OK'd by Larien)


Fething child...

As soon as the urchin noticed her, she gave up trying stealth and pursued at full speed. As the boy panicked and turned the corner into the dead-end alley, she smirked dangerously. Her hands, still holding the bagh nakh, clenched and unclenched, this time not in preparation but in irritation and anger. As he threw a rock at her, it only aggravated her further. This child had the nerve to take her money and then when she followed to try and get it back he attacked her? As if things weren't bad enough with that damn male...

Moving forward she reached down and hauled him up on his feet before throwing him against the back wall, though he still stayed on his feet. She saw her coinpurse on the ground out of the corner of her eye, and without taking her eyes off the child she picked it up, hefted it in her hand to make sure that none were taken before resecuring it back where it belonged. Of course, most people might have asked to see if any was missing, but Strae was well aware he might lie anyway.

"Meant no harm? Without this purse I'm just as poor as you...how is making me live like you harmless? You are not better nor more deserving...you're so below me that you're not even worth being used as a stepping stone you stupid greedy little feth...but perhaps your family will learn from your mistake once they see your insides on the outside." The child's eyes widened and he was about to scream as Strae exploded into action to make sure it didn't happen.

Her left hand clamped over his mouth to make sure he couldn't scream as her right fist slammed forward into his stomach. There was no sound in the quiet alleyway except the sickening slush of the five hooked metal prongs of her bagh nakh penetrating the flesh beneath his ribcage on his left side. With a quick, sideways jerk the blades slid sideways, and the child's eyes widened in fear and pain as he screamed beneath Strae's clamped hand. A second later, there was a wet plop as a good portion of his internal organs fell to the dirty ground as he sunk to his knees. She sunk with him, searching his pockets to make sure no other coins were on his person.

Satisfied--and admittedly feeling a bit better with the chance to blow off some steam--she stood and turned, dusting off her outfit as she left the alleyway. Now, to see if she could still find that rotund human...

[Larien Gil'dae]

A low chuckle sounded from the nearby shadows as Vaun watched the number Strae did on the urchin boy. There was something eerily beautiful about the sight of the blood splashing across the cobblestones, something almost sensual in the way it trickled in rivulets through the ragged cracks of the stonework. But Strae did not linger over her kill. Silent and swift, Vaun trailed behind the Vyssie female as she resumed her original hunt, stalking back out into the main street, her eyes scanning for the rotund human in the seething darkness of Vortex at night. She would spot him, in the distance, still moving at his achingly slow pace as he was engaged in the conversation with his friend who had the misfortune to resemble a goat.

Slowly, Strae would draw closer and closer to the pair, growing finally so close that she could actually hear what the two were saying in their hushed tones, her keen sense of hearing aiding her in the task. " . . . 'at's what 'e said," the walrus man wheezed, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "I 'unno, Ren . . . seems a bit funny ta me. You dun think he might be trying ta pull the wool over yer eyes?" The fatter human of the two narrowed his eyes as he glared at his companion. "'ow come when ye get an offer, it's all candaroses and cabbits, but when I get a deal, someone's tryin' to trick me?"

The goat man lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm just sayin'..." "Well, stop sayin'... I feel like we're being followed."

[Astraea Olath'barra]

As she stalked her target after emerging from her kill, feeling a bit calmer and refreshed, she again continued to maneuver her way closer. Soon, working to keep her breathing even and quiet, she heard them speaking and felt a small smile blossom on her face. As soon as the fat one grew paranoid, her crimson eyes slitted as she glanced about for cover.

Feth... A small outcropping in a nearby building held the shadows to it, and that was where she went. Using the same, smooth movement she had been trying to use--probably badly mirroring that of her instructor--she slipped into the outcropping, keeping her ear out for the discussion of the pair. If they were quiet for longer than five seconds or she heard the conversation continue, she would peek a single red eye around the corner to continue tracking him, waiting for him to move away.

If they finally continued on their merry way she would slip from her cover back into the streets, following them once more but careful to maintain a distance enough to not look suspicious, but close enough that she could hear them speak.

She didn't know if he honestly had heard or noticed her, or if he was just being overly paranoid, but it didn't matter. She had to keep to the shadows and darkness, and be careful. She would take extra precautions as she moved to follow the man.

She still had an assignment to finish, even if blood was still dripping from her steel claws.

[Larien Gil'dae]

"I dun see anyone," the goat man complained as he glanced behind them, seeing nothing but other citizens of Vortex minding their own business like they should be. The rotund human merely grunted in reply, giving the street a quick sweep of his own with his beady eyes before starting off again in his waddling stride. "Just me nerves, I guess. This deal is big... can't 'ave someone trying ter steal our thunder now can we?" "We're dealin' in thunder?" The goat man replied stupidly as the pair moved off, giving Strae a perfect opportunity to slip from her hiding spot and resume her stalking.

"No ye moron, we're dealin' in..." Dropping his voice, the walrus man tilted his sweaty face closer to his companion's ear, his voice croaking so softly that not even Strae could hear it. Until the goat man opened his big mouth, of course. "Jewelsteel?!" "Quiet ye fool!" The fatter one roared as he caught his companion on the cheek with the back of his ha