Post by Atake, the Mist Shadow on Jul 21, 2008 9:26:26 GMT -5
The sands were driven several feet up the walls of the village, seeming black in the twilight. The villagers were nearly all in bed, except for the unusually loud Ravenloft Inn. The drunks and gossipers were in full swing over the death of the city's mayor. As empty as the streets were, nobody noticed the strange man who crept silently through the gates and into the town. He stuck to the shadows, only occasionally visible. In a flash of light from the night watch's lantern, his clothing was revealed- he wore a purple kimono embroidered with golden butterflies. He opened the door to the Ravenloft and managed to find a table that had been recently vacated. The man ordered a drink and sank into the dark corner. One would think that noone would notice (or care about, for that matter) that a stranger was in their midst. But someone did.
A man in a black cloak stepped over to the booth and slid in, a cup of what appeared to be tea in hand. "What sweeter drink is there than the nectar of love?"
"Love is but the licking of honey from thorns," the man in the butterflies replied nonchalantly.
"Akado, my friend. Did you retrieve it?"
The butterfly man, Akado, pulled a slim black book from his robes and laid it on the table. "The genuine article, Gadra. It was quite heavily guarded."
Gadra sighed. "What became of the guards?"
"The butterflies had quite a feast."
Gadra raised his eyebrows and seemed about to speak, but didn't. After several moments, he said slowly, "Hitachi want's this by tomorrow."
"Where is he?"
"Hidden Mist."
"Of course." Akado glanced up and swiftly slipped the book off of the table and onto the seat beside him. The waitress sidled up to the table and set a small cup of ginseng tea next to Akado. He dropped a roll of coins into her hand. She stared, flabbergasted, at the huge amount but said nothing and pocketed it.
"Well then, we'd better go."
Noone noticed the men come, and noone saw them leave.
A man in a black cloak stepped over to the booth and slid in, a cup of what appeared to be tea in hand. "What sweeter drink is there than the nectar of love?"
"Love is but the licking of honey from thorns," the man in the butterflies replied nonchalantly.
"Akado, my friend. Did you retrieve it?"
The butterfly man, Akado, pulled a slim black book from his robes and laid it on the table. "The genuine article, Gadra. It was quite heavily guarded."
Gadra sighed. "What became of the guards?"
"The butterflies had quite a feast."
Gadra raised his eyebrows and seemed about to speak, but didn't. After several moments, he said slowly, "Hitachi want's this by tomorrow."
"Where is he?"
"Hidden Mist."
"Of course." Akado glanced up and swiftly slipped the book off of the table and onto the seat beside him. The waitress sidled up to the table and set a small cup of ginseng tea next to Akado. He dropped a roll of coins into her hand. She stared, flabbergasted, at the huge amount but said nothing and pocketed it.
"Well then, we'd better go."
Noone noticed the men come, and noone saw them leave.
