Re: The Infiltration of House Adamantine

[Naukha]

The man scribbles down the name without much question, adding a quick, "(Maid)" beside it.
"We'll contact you as soon as the Lady is ready to see you. I believe it shouldn't be much longer."
The man adjusted his glasses with a thumb and forefinger and offered Kai a friendly smile.

------

I can't take it anymore. Bored with leaning against the cool stone wall, she turns and tucks a foot into the mortar of the wall and lifts herself to peer over the edge. Her eyes narrow at the guard. He's leaning against the side of the mansion, near the door. His head is tilted back and is resting against the wall with eyes closed. Apparently he is nearly as bored with his duty as she was.

She regards him for a few seconds. He looks young; perhaps he has a wife, a family, chil- No. Azzie inhales and exhales a slow breath. Blinks her eyes hard. It's a job. With gritted teeth she silently creeps atop the wall, crouches low, and braces her toes against the ledge before springing herself from the wall.

She sails silently through the warm night air before her hands find the balcony's edge. She grips it like a trapeze as her body swings forward with a momentous kick aimed for the man's head.

It finds its mark at the man's unhelmeted temple. His face is smashed sideways as he crumples to the ground- and she's on him before he knows what hit him. Azzie crouches over him; one hand on his neck, the other holding a now-unsheathed blade of ragged hot metal. She grips her fingers into the skin at his throat, cutting off any cries for help the man may hope for.  

Her voice is low, a nearly inaudible whisper.
"Now, now. We won't be needing any noise from you..."
The words drop from her lips like smooth water. The man looks horrified. He tries to right himself, to struggle, but is quickly stilled by the uncomfortably warm blade now pressed into his neck.

Azzie stares into his widened eyes as a grin twists its way across her lips.

-----
After awhile, the man at the sign up table can be seen conferring with a servant of some kind. The two exchange quick conversation before he catches Kai's eye and waves her over, "Miss Drake! Ah, yes, well- the Lady is asking for your presence now." The servant girl smiles, she's rather young: maybe fourteen or fifteen. She waits expectantly, clearly intent on escorting Kai upstairs to the Lady.

[Opal]

Kai had been standing near a small pillar in the center of the room, leaning on it lightly with one shoulder while her fingers drummed along the crystal glass of wine in her other hand. It seemed like it had been hours before finally an innocent glance around the room resulted in her catching the eye of the meek man who had been running the sign up table. Her stomach dropped as he motioned her over to him. It was uncharacteristic for her to be as nervous as she was now, although to be fair, acting was never listed as a skill in her dossier. Deciding she was too shaky to hold onto her wine, she set it down on a nearby side table and took a deep breath to steady herself before striding over to the man and a young housemaid whom Kai assumed was here to escort her to the interviewing room. Should the housemaid remain present in the room during the interview, Kai decided that she wasn't too worried about the task of dispatching the girl. A young life, yes, but if it had to be taken to preserve her anonymity, then so be it. When she reached the blissfully oblivious pair of servants, she greeted them with a pale-lipped smile and a brusque nod of her head.
"Forgive me, I'm quite nervous to meet her Grace"
She stated in explanation for her jittery behavior before folding her hands neatly in front of her and giving another nod to show that she was ready to be escorted away to meet Lady Adamantine.

Be ready, Azzie. It's almost time.

[Naukha]

Kai is led upstairs by the young servant girl into what appears to be a cross between a library and a large office. The girl speaks with a sweet voice, glancing up at Kai with soft brown eyes. "She'll be right up these stairs, don't be nervous." she says with a gentle smile, brushing her long brown hair behind her ear with a hand. As she steps into the room she motions Kai to step forward towards the Lady.

She sits at a large oak desk, parchment and quill placed before her for any notes she may wish to take on Kai's appearance, demeanor, and skill sets. Her hair is a light blonde, accompanied by fair skin and hazel eyes. "Good evening." She says, her voice rather rigid and nearly...nervous?
"Take a seat. Alannah Drake is it? You want to be a maid you say?"

Two guards are posted at the doors that Kai has just walked though. One stands at the side of the Lady at the desk. A nobleman of some kind is browsing books on the far side of the room. The servant girl hovers timidly nearby. There is a single door behind the Lady's desk, unguarded.

----

Azzie had ended the man with a deadly slice before pulling his body up over her back and dragging him off into the nearest shrubbery, which wasn't hard to find in a decorative garden like this. She dropped him to the ground with a soft thud, her back smeared with the blood draining from his throat. With a swift motion she springs back atop the wall, and stalks quietly down its length before leaping the gap between the wall and the balcony.

She immediately slips through the arched doorway leading up a shadowy hall. Her footsteps are silent as she reaches the bedroom of the Lady. With narrowed eyes she glances around the dark room for a moment before finding the door out. She presses her ear to it gently, hearing the Lady's voice in the office outside.

Excellent.

[Opal]

Kai smiles at the servant girl and steps quickly into the room with her gesture. She immediately averts her gaze from Lady Adamantine, instead giving a small, formal bow before answering the purposed question.
"Yes, that is correct."
She says affirmatively, taking a seat across the desk from the fair-haired noble and crossing her legs underneath her. She brushes a long strand of ginger hair behind her ear before folding her hands neatly in her lap. As opposed to concentrating on the interview, however, her mind wandered to Azzie and whether or not she'd made it safely into position. If Azzie had somehow failed...Kai knew she wouldn't stand a chance of escape after the metaphorical alarm had been sounded.

[Naukha]

The Lady Adamantine smiles, "Wonderful. Now, tell me a little bit about yourself."

The others hover nearby, watching casually.

Azzie waits for the noise to come.

[Opal]

Kai makes her best attempt at seeming bright and cheery, her viridian eyes gleaming as her blood began to heat with adrenaline. What came across as both nervousness and bashfulness to onlookers was simply a mask to her growing restlessness. Under the desk, her fingers drummed in concise rhythm against the base of her wrist, barely missing the small, concealed button that laid there. As she held her gaze with The Lady, her eyes inconspicuously scanned her over for all her most vulnerable points.

"Hmm..."
She muses.
"I've always loved art, and the homes of royalty are brimming with it. Your collection is by far one of the best I've seen, but then again I can't say I've had the privilege of being invited into the homes of many nobles."
Kai gave a shy chuckle, before quietly standing and wandering over to look up at a large painting hanging to the side of the desk.

Closer...just a little closer and then I can...

After studying the first piece for a few moments, Kai began to meander over towards the artwork directly behind the desk. It could be expected now that the Lady might think her behavior slightly peculiar, but the climax of the job was close enough now that holding up a strong act didn't matter anymore. Kai again crossed her hands in front of her, pretending to study the details of the second painting. While she did so, her fingers found the button on her wrist, and like the tongue of a silver snake, the 8 inch blade darted out silently from under her forerm. Kai's expression darkened, her mouth curling into a malicious grin and her eyes glistening from the shadows of her now slightly-bowed head. With a sudden and sharp turn, her left hand shot out to death-grip the shoulder of Lady Adamatine while at the same time, her right guided the virgin blade directly into the middle of the Lady's spine. The hand on her shoulder then wrenched the noble back further on the poniard until the palm of Kai's hand was against the Lady's back. Still grinning widely, Kai bent forward to hiss in the Lady's ear.

"Sleep tight, Lady Adamantine"

[Naukha]

[Shit's getting serious, we're in past tense now. :O! ]

The three guards stood, mouths slightly agape, hands on their swords as the woman at the desk spasmed, pitched forward, and clawed helplessly at the desk before finally going still. But strangely the guards did not run towards Kai, or in fact make any move towards her. Even the one that had been standing quite near the lady at the desk. Instead, within seconds of absorbing what had just happened, they all flocked across the room to surround the nobly dressed and unidentified man who had been browsing books earlier in the corner of the office; circling around him quite protectively.

As soon as she heard the rushed footsteps of the guards across the floor, Azzie jiggled the doorknob and, finding it locked, quickly bashed it open with the heel of her boot. She charged in and immediately took her stance next to Kai. She offers a smirk and a quick glance at the woman sprawled across the table top. She then locks her eyes onto the guards, and without looking away, she offers Kai her bow and unslings her quiver to hand that over too. "I see you had fun with your new t-"

She stops mid-sentence. Something isn't right.

From behind the guards the man removes his elegantly feathered hat, revealing cascading golden curls that had been hidden beneath it. They fall to her collarbones and she sweeps one side behind her ear with a delicate hand. With well groomed, dainty nails, one might add.

The woman smirks, tossing the hat to the side. Her voice is like velvet, smooth and slow with the practiced tone of nobility. She gazes across the room at them with emerald green eyes, framed by delicate lashes.

"Oh my, I must say, you are exactly what I was hoping for. A bit brash perhaps, but quite quick nonetheless. I am quite impressed." She tilts her head to the side pleasantly at Kai and Azzie, as if she were complementing children on their crayon drawings. Well isn't that cute?

Her cocky smirk does not falter for a moment. "I suppose..." She glances to the bookshelves behind her, before grinning back cleverly. "...it's a good thing I felt like- Mmmm, browsing my library today, hm?"

She straightens her head, her smile lessening as she crosses her arms in front of her.
Her tone becomes more serious.

"I am Lady Adamantine. And I have a counter-offer."

[Opal]

Within moments after acquiring her bow, Kai had an arrow docked and aimed at the guards, her eyes gleaming venomously. She was about to let her finger slip hold on the arrow when she suddenly realized that nobody was attacking anyone. She watched, her eyes darting back and forth suspiciously, as the guards moved to huddle around the strange noble man like a flock of sheep,
When the noble moved to take off his hat and reveal the curly golden locks and dainty green eyes of a woman, Kai swore her heart skipped a beat as her mind put the puzzle pieces together instantaneously. This was the real Lady Adamantine, and she'd just made complete fools out of both of them! She had them wrapped around her finger from the get-go. Sure, she probably hadn't been expecting Kai and Azzie as individuals, but she had been completely prepared for this situation. Kai hissed a curse under her breath, her eyes narrowed as the woman spoke. Not once did she ever relax her arms or look away from her target. The tiniest movement, the smallest hint of aggression and she would't hesitate to shoot whomever got in front of her arrow first.
Kai didn't expect the next curve-ball, however.
"A...counter offer? You mean you were just waiting for some assassins to traipse in here so you could make them a better deal?"
Kai looked astonished at first, however as she finished her sentence, her expression twisted into a wicked grin.
"Well go on then, let's hear this offer"

[Naukha]

((Alas, I am ALIIIIIVE~!))

The Lady smiled back at Kai and Azzie, absentmindedly twisting a golden lock of her hair around her pointer finger. Azzie snaps her head over to give Kai sharp, disbelieving look.

"What? Are you kid-"

She was immediately interrupted by the noblewoman,
"I kid you not, I seek to rid myself of this petty disputant of mine, he's become rather irritating- I'll give you more than what he offered you. Perhaps even double."
She said as she tilted her head and looked between Kai and the now scowling Azzie with a bemused gaze. The woman continued to swirl her hair around her finger. She clearly thought this a fun game.

"And besides, at least you can clearly see that I have money."

She says, swinging her arms out and motioning to the guards, the paintings, and other expensive adornments of the room.

"And what'd you do? Make a deal with someone in the corner of a bar? The back alley of a street?" She grins, "What insurance do you have from them, then?"

[Opal]

Kai cast a sideways glance towards Azzie, one of her fine eyebrows, which were both dyed ginger to match her hair, raised in questioning.
"Why not? There's really no downside"
Kai said, continuing to keep her eyes trained on the group across the room.
She gritted her teeth.
"Plus, if we /don't/ accept, I have a feeling they might slaughter us here. Or if we're lucky, get locked away in prison for a good while. Whether it was The Lady or not, I've still murdered someone already."
Kai noted, narrowing her eyes.

[Naukha]

"And what'd you do? Make a deal with someone in the corner of a bar? The back alley of a street?" the Lady had said. Azzie's eyes flickered away. Guilty.

She exchanged a glance with Kai before eyeing the lady with skepticism. "Slaughter us? I'd like to see them try. And besides, I came here to end a corrupt and spoiled brat, not to be sent around like a well-trained messenger pigeon armed with knives. Screw the payment..."

A grin hints at the corner of her mouth as she eyes the Lady up and down before running her eyes across the accompanying guards. Her fingers drum against her coat, desirous for the daggers lying beneath.

"I'm only here for the game, and I'm getting impatient."

[Opal]

Kai gave Azzie a sharp look. Maybe she could handle herself in a brawl, but Kai's strong suit lay in the elements of shock and surprise, not downright strength and power.
"How do you know our original employer is any less corrupt? As far as I'm concerned, every person in this damned city is corrupt."
Kai said cooly, holding unwavering contact with Azzie's icey eyes.
"You're saying you just want bloodshed now while you're straining at the leash?Your lack of patience is disgusting. If you could merely pull yourself together enough to think straight for a minute..."
Kai's focus on her bow and opponents-in-question faltered as her impatience with Azzie rose.
"Y'know, if you're full of yourself enough to believe you can take these guys on, then go ahead. I'll take the Lady's offer. Who knows, depending on how things work out, it's possible I could end up prying our original payment out of his cold, dead hands on top of the Lady's offer."
Kai un-nocked her arrow and slung her bow over her back in finality.

[Naukha]

Azzie glares back, "My lack of patience? You aren't much better- you just want some gold so you can pretend you're queen of the whole damned town!"
She glances back over at the Lady, who's standing with her arms crossed and tapping a foot. She seems amused with the little disagreement she's created.
"I think we need to just finish what we started, who's to say she won't just call some Seraph once we're out the door and heading for the other kill, huh?" She grinds her teeth.
"I just want this done, so quit pussyfooting around."

[Opal]

Kai doesn't seem amused, and instead of replying with words, saunters over to stand next to the lady, her nearly serpent-like green eyes flickering across the guards faces as she shoulders through them non-aggressively. When she's next to the lady, she turns back to Azzie, lacing her fingers together in front of her in a relaxed manor as she stands near shoulder to shoulder with the noble

[Naukha]

Azzie blinks, her face growing tense. This was not something she'd anticipated. Her voice is low, "You have GOT to be kidding me."
Her blue eyes flicker between the guards, the Lady, and now Kai. She draws in a slow, deep breath; staring down Kai with a rather accusing stare as she does so.
"FINE." She spits suddenly, clearly very unhappy with this outcome.

[Opal]

"I am kidding"
Without wasting a breath, a finger from Kai's opposing hand slips to her wrist. The blade, still coated in the pseudo-noble's blood slips from the inconspicuous sheath as Kai pivots on a heel and swings her arm roundhouse in an attempt to sink the poniard deep into the Lady's stomach.
"AZZIE NOW"
She shouts, her other hand flashing to her back to practically fling the bow into her hand in preparation for the assault of the multiple Seraph she was now completely encircled by.

[Naukha]

Kai's arm swung around and her blade connected with the Lady.
Except it wasn't the Lady, it was an Arcane Shield that threw an uncomfortable prickle of magic up Kai's arm as soon as her blade struck.
Her blade seemed to sink into the forcefield before suddenly being forcefully expelled. The Lady grins, "I'll take that as your answer to my offer." With a snap of her fingers, two guards immediately closed in on Kai with drawn weapons, and the third rushed Azzie.
------
As soon as Kai had yelled her name, Azzie connected the dots. A trick. Of course. She sprung forward with a barked laugh of pleasant surprise and pulled a warm dagger to meet the rushing guard with. He readies his sword, his eyes locked on her with a determined expression.

With a pause she waits, only for a blink of an eye, for the armored man to swing his sword. And when he did she dipped easily out of its path, only to whip around with the handle of her dagger to bash the back of his head.

The man let out an exasperated, "Ugh!" as he tried to duck under the swing of the blunt instrument. Her blow connected, but barely. Not enough to knock him cold. The guard whirled around as fast as he could to face Azzie again and swung his sword in for another attempted blow.

He was still too slow. She ducked under the blade and swung her legs around in a leg sweep, her shins aimed for the backs of his knees. They buckled, and he staggered downward. She's done this before, many times, and she was on him in that instant with her arm reaching around to the front of his neck- her blade to his throat.

The guard unexpectedly tucked his head forward, causing the blade to bite into his flesh, yet he didn't seem to care. Azzie's brows furrowed then, "What're yo-"

Her vision was suddenly blinded by the loud CRACK of skull meeting skull. She stared, dazed. Blinded by her watering eyes, not to mention her profusely bloody nose. Her dagger had left his throat unintentionally and the guard had immediately seized the moment to reach over his own head and grab Azzie by the fabric of the her coat's shoulders. He'd begun to stand as he wrenched her over his own head and slammed her into the ground beneath him.
---

[Opal]

Kai hissed in irritation as the lady threw up an arcane shield.
A magic user, great
Kai noted, whirling to face the advancing guards behind her. She raised her bow immediately, knocking an arrow into place in a swift blur of movement. She fired a shot at one guard, aiming for the sword hand in a disarm attempt then leaping backwards before taking the time to fire another shot at the other guard. She glanced at Azzie whom was taking on the 3d guard, then eyed one of the bookshelves. In a split second decision, she made a dash for cover behind the large wooden obstruction.

[Naukha]

The guard dropped his sword and gripped his hand that Kai's arrow had pierced. Blood began to flow from between his fingers as he growled in anguish.

The second guard saw her second shot as it sailed through the air towards his head and ducked out of the way. A second too late, and it wouldn't have brushed past his head, it would have been embedded in his eye. He curses before pursuing Kai with a vengeance.

In the meantime, Kai had run in the direction of that servant girl who let out a terrified shriek before running out of Kai's path to hide behind the desk that the previous "Lady" was slumped over. She'd given the bloodied, dead woman a nervous glance before hunkering down in an attempt to stay out of the way.

----

She laid there, still dazed for a moment before the guard grabbed her by the collar of her coat and dragged her upright, her dagger falling from her hand in the process. It lies hotly on the floor. She managed to blink the involuntary glaze of tears from her eyes before being slammed into the nearest wall.

Her eyes squeezed shut as the guard pressed into her neck from where he held her by her collar. Her eyes flew open as she growled through gritted teeth, "Get...OFF OF ME!" She swung a punch aimed for his temple.

No feet on the ground, no momentum. The determined guard tucked his head against the blow and the punch barely fazed him. He shook Azzie and spoke with a threatening snarl, "You aren't going anywhere."

She grappled at his arm in panic for several seconds before she wrapped her hands around his gauntlet and tried to wrench away his fist that was pressed into her windpipe. It was futile, the muscles in her arms straining to no avail. She set her teeth and managed to squeeze a frustrated growl through her throat, her fingers gripping at his metal gauntlet.

With a sudden rush, liquid fire coursed through her veins down her arms and seemed to expel through her palms and fingers. She drew in a surprised gasp as the metal of the guard's gauntlet began to heat up. Fast. As soon as she realized what was happening, she smirked smugly and planted her palms against the metal.

The guard's eyes widened as his own armor began to sear his arm beneath it. He lets out a yelp and yanks his arm away from Azzie in an unexpected panic, but this time, Azzie doesn't let go.

The heat that streamed through her veins was nearly painful for her, but her hands remained locked on the guard's gauntlet as she was pulled forward by his panicked retreat. He only succeeded in drawing her in closer. She stepped in and released a hand from his searing gauntlet, only to place it on the front of his breastplate. The metal began to heat rapidly, causing the man to begin to let out a scream of pain- only to be cut short by Azzie's hand around his throat, his arm now released.

[Opal]

When Kai realized there was still a set of heavy footsteps following behind her, she drew another arrow and set it in place on her bow as she ran.
A flash of brown hair and a terrified mouse-like squeak reminded Kai that the servant girl was still in the room. Her eyes flashed between the guard and the girl, but she kept running for the bookcase, marking the girls location in her head for future reference. As soon as she was out of view behind the bookcase, Kai changed her stride to run on the sides of her feet and muffle her footsteps. The guard was quicker than she thought though, and came. around the corner just as Kai was about to make another turn. She pivoted to fire a shot, but the guard was charging her with unexpected speed, throwing her aim off as he rapidly closed the gap. The arrow went flying past the guard's head with room to spare, and he gave her a cocky smile as he brought down a heavy longsword down towards her shoulder. The swing was relatively slow due to the weight of the weapon and Kai attempted to skitter to the side, but the guard had expected her to dodge and curved the swing to connect with her side. Kai cried out as she felt a rib crack under the steel but managed to swing the bow in her other hand forcefully towards the unarmored backside of the guard's knees. With his weight still thrown forward from the swing, the hit was enough to make his knees buckle and he toppled forward onto his stomach. Kai quickly moved to stand up straight, kicking the helmet hastily off of the guard's head as she clutched her side.

"Nice work, you guys are well trained. It's too bad you always turn a blind eye to street rats, or maybe you wouldn't be lying here on the ground under my feet right now."

Her words were rather quiet due to the pain it caused her for her lungs to expand, but they were spoken with vehemence. The dagger once again reappeared from the underside of her arm, and she took a moment to wince at the pain in her ribcage before bringing the dagger down towards the guard's neck. Unfortunately, her foot was a little too close to the fallen guards hand, and he seized the opportunity to grab her leg and pull her to the floor with him. She cried out in surprise and screamed as she landed on her already injured side and felt her vision momentarily quaver with pain. The bow in her hand slid off a few feet ahead of her as it was loosed from her grip, and the guard, still relatively uninjured, smirked at her again. Kai's dagger hand shot out from underneath her with a sudden and unexpected vengeance, and the guard's cocky expression turned to one of shock as the dagger slipped straight into his jugular. Kai grinned and twisted the knife for emphasis, before drawing it back out and letting his blood pool onto the floor underneath him. With effort, Kai managed to stand up again with the support of the nearby bookcase, still clutching her side as she limped to pick up her bow.

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