Snippet #1967857

Dúlin scanned the crowd checking to see if anyone was paying attention before he slipped into an alleyway. After checking again to see if no one was watching he abandoned the old man act straitening up and rolling his shoulders when he continued on his way again he had no limp. He hurried through the side streets keeping his hood low over his face to cover the plague doctor mask. He arrived at a junction in the alleyways where three different paths branched from the one he was on.

He would have been lost had he not spent yesterday evening planning his route. To get to his home he would take the left path but he took the right path instead to meet his employer so that he would get paid for the mark he just killed. Taking the right path he put up his act again not sure of who might be watching now that he approached the meeting place, hunching low and walking with a slow limp he started up again. Following the numerous twists and turns he made his slow way through the stinking alleyways arriving at the back of a low building he saw he employer with a bodyguard on either side.

He stopped and called out in a weak voice “Your job is done the Fat man will eat no more.” His employer looked up startled “Good, you have performed your task like asked there is only one matter to settle the payment.” The man carefully approached Dúlin his guards flanking him he stopped within just out of arms reach. “The job cost 700g” Dúlin said holding out his hand. The man dropped a small pouch into Dúlin’s hand “That’s 300g take it or leave it you’re an old man you might be able to kill a 1 fat man but you can’t take three of us in fair combat.” The man smiled coldly at Dúlin.

Suddenly Dúlin barked cruelly as he straightened to his full height of six feet “I neither fight fair nor am I an old man.” As he said this he dropped a small clay ball from his hand as it hit the floor he closed his eye’s protecting them from the blinding flash caused by the ball. The man and his body guards screamed as they were blinded in that same moment Dúlin drew two of his blades and let them, the daggers slammed into chests of both body guards who went down like rocks. He opened his eyes and drew his sword and remaining dagger ready to fight the last man but his onetime employer was still clutching at his eyes. Dúlin sheathed his sword and knocked the legs out from under the last man causing him to land flat on his back.

Dúlin knelt down his knee on the last man’s chest. The man was looking at him now fear in his eye’s “It’s unfortunate that every time I come to a new city someone tries to cheat me because they think I’m an old man who’s only skill is poisons.” Dúlin looked at the man; the mask on Dúlin’s face would be enough to cause nightmares. Dúlin reached up and pulled off his mask revealing his real face to the man he was kneeling on. The man screamed at the sight of the scarred flesh but the scream was cut short as Dúlin’s knife flashed in the dark alleyway creating a bright red smile on the man’s neck.

Wiping his dagger on the man’s shirt he searched his employer and found the rest if the payment he had and some extra. He slid the ring off the man’s finger, but finding nothing else of value he turned his attention to the other two men after looting them and retrieving his two knives he turned back to the last man. He needed to make an example of this man to show what happens if he is cheated by an employer.

Grabbing the body by the arm he hoisted it over his shoulder. He carefully climbed up the low roof tossing the body up before him; he repeated the process until he was standing on highest roof of the building which was level with the surrounding buildings. He lifted up the body and made his way back to the square where he had killed the fat man.

Placing the body on the edge of the roof he removed his employer’s dagger and coin purse from the body’s belt and stabbed the dagger through the coin purse and into the man’s chest. Kicking it off the roof he watched it fall slowly a smile on his face, any potential employer would know there was new assassin in town and they would make sure not to double cross him.

He turned and fled back across the rooftops just as screams from the street filled the air.