I smiled, humoured at her remark.

"Very well, what do you want me to do?"

Jade smiled. "We shall talk after our little diversion."
Downing her ale, Jade looked at Uthar. "Where do we meet?"

I exhaled a little and frowned slightly, trying to assess her. Gesturing for a servant to come over I paid.

"Room upstairs, I'm guessing you agree then?"

I said standing up.

Jade smiled slyly. "Yes, I will help you and your friend."

I smiled casually, picking my sword from the table,

"Very well, come with me."

I guided her upstairs to the room in which I met Dryn. After knocking twice I entered without waiting for a reply and gesturing for Jade to go inside.

Jade looked inside. "There is no one here."

She looked at Uthar with suspicion.

I looked at her with minor irritation before glancing inside. My irritation vanished as I noticed the room to be bereft of human presence. Crossing over the threshold I went to the desk. The schematics were gone but the candle lights were still glowing. A shimmer of light on the dark shrouded shadow deep within the chasm of the alleyway drew my gaze. I tutted ruthlessly to myself as I remembered Dryn's comment. I moved closer to the window trying to discover what was happening.

As soon as Uthar had left, Dryn studied the schematics carefully.
After a while he rolled up the plans and left by the window, easily climbing down the old cracked stone and wood work.

Once in the alleyway Dryn took a moment to stretch and take deep breaths, releasing the nerves and readying himself for what he had to do.

A few minutes passed and Dryn was becoming impatient, but he quietly reminded himself that these things took time.

A patrol of guards were making their rounds, Dryn noticed one was a mage. The mage seemed to be concentrating on a spell, searching for something...or someone.

Dread briefly entered Dryns mind, but then he had not done anything yet.

When the troops came closer one stopped at looked at him. "What is your business here?"

Dryn smirked. "My business is my own."

The guard frowned, and gestured to some of his companions, who drew their swords. "Again I ask, What is your business here?"

Dryn quickly glanced at the guards, fighting his instinct to fight he smiled warmly. "Look friends, I am not looking for a fight, I am simply looking for a companion of mine."

The Mage looked over at Dryn. "He lies."

The guards took a step forward. "By order of the duke, I place you under arrest for suspicious activity, if you are found innocent you will be set free."

Dryn frowned. "How long will this take?"

The mage smiled. "If you are lucky a minimum of three days."

Dryn shook his head. "Wrong answer."

Through strained vision I saw Dryn talking to a handful of guards. Seeing their swords drawn I immeadiatley turned about and started sprinting down the stairs. I heard Jade's voice reaching after me;

"Wait! What did you see?"

I ignored her for now and dived out the tavern. Rounding the corner I saw the patrol and Dryn.

Dryn stepped back, daggers instantly appeard in his hands. "I do not wish to fight, but if you force my hand so be it."

The mage glanced quickly at Dryn. "Ix nix exorio!"

A red hue enveloped Dryn who sighed sadly. "So be it."

Drawing the sword from my sheath I threw myself into the closest guard; a short, long-haired rugged man. He turned around just as my sword plummeted into his chest. The giant blade tore through the mail and plate like butter and his jolt from the steel entering his flesh gifted me with a sinister, satisfied smirk.

The other guards looked at Uthar in momentary shock before two of them converged on him.

Dryn smiled as the Mage’s concentration was broken, freeing him of the spells effects.

Dryn threw one dagger at the mage that caught him in the shoulder, with the other dagger, Dryn, lunged forwards and caught the guard who had spoken through his visor.

Dryn withdrew the bloodied dagger from the soldiers face, turning about Dryn looked for the mage to see him a short distance away.

The Mage cried out with a voice that was not his own, and began drawing a pentagram upon his chest.
“And then the Black one shall come forth unto thee and the thousand Horned Ones who howl shall rise up from the Earth. And thou shalt be slain!”

When the mage uttered the last word a pillar of flame engulfed him leaving nothing more but ash.

My blade crashed through the helm of the first guard and entered his skull with a explosion of power; his reflexes were not sufficient enough to save him and now his body was thrown aside by the momentum of my sword. The second managed to react quicker, his steel intercepted mine but his guard was forced down. With a kick to his chest, he faltered, and stab into his abdomen, he fell with a deep blood-drenched crevice in his torso. I glanced around a few times before kneeling down and wiping the blood from my sword on the garments of a slain guard. Standing I turned to Dryn with a sigh, the incredibly delicious fuel of adrenaline coarsing through my veins.

"That was not a ordinary mage was it? I'm sure I could feel dark magic in that chant and I have never heard of nor experienced seeing one like it."

Dryn glanced at Uthar. "Nor have I."

Dryn sifted through the ash with his dagger, "Tell me Uthar, when i found you in the forest who are the one's who attacked you?"

I tilted my head a fraction as if it would allow me to analyse him any easier.

"A dangerous faction led by a sadistic and halariously delusional bastard. Within my kin they have connections everywhere but here I do not know. They have a large number of powerful conjugation mages. I don't know the details but I do know that they aren't planning a surprise party."

I neglected a many of the details, such as the reason for the scar on my palm and my reasons for searching them out. I sheathed my blade and began searching my kills for money or jewellery. I had little care for the slain, with exceptions. But those that I had were already dead and the putrid organs chewed on by the carrion.