Topic: Drow assassins don't make the paranoia better...

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:32 EST

Thank you to the player of Wolvinator for his assistance with this portion of the SL.

July 24th.

Paranoia was once again Rayvinn's bed fellow and there was no reprieve. Her behavior had quickly spiraled from a little nervousness to extreme paranoia, hearing the voices in her head again and seeing enemies at every turn. This had become the norm since Jono had mentioned how her spending habits might draw unwanted attention.

Thus, once again, she was plagued by nightmares of Lialin. Bolting upright from her sleep, it took her several moments of disorientation with her surroundings to realize she was in her own bed. Knowing this fact did not ease the tightness in her chest or the churning in her gut.

Knowing it would be futile to attempt sleep again this night, she slipped from her bed and padded silently to her closet. A simple pair of workout pants and white wife-beater were slipped over lightly bronzed skin along with a pair of running shoes. A solitary dagger and its sheath were adjusted beneath her shirt, around her waist to rest upon her lower back as was her pistol. Despite the fact that she was only going for a run, she wouldn't leave home without some semblance of protection. Perhaps not her usual arsenal, but she was a weapon and anything within her reach was as well. Facts such as this did not register with Rayvinn when she was in this frame of mind.

Soon she was bounding down the stairs and out the front door, breathing in the still too-warm muggy August air. Immediately, she felt her muscles begin to relax, though her mind remained plagued with the hangings-on of this most recent nightmare. Pale jade gaze scanned and darted about her surroundings, a mixture of anxiety and preparedness that would prevent a total immersion of herself in the run.

The Red Dragon Inn seemed to be it?s usual self this evening. There were arguments, random flirtatious behavior, and warriors bragging on battles they only dreamed they were part of or bolstered by tales to boost their egos. Loud music was playing in the back while a few of the regulars were being witty and humorous. The one thing that was thankfully missing, was violence. The lack of it was quite welcome and rather unusual for the Inn. Not that violence happened everyday, but the Inn seemed to be the epicenter of all activity that took place around Rhy?Din.

That's why he was there.

Wolvinator sat at the bar alone, making love to his bright blue drink that he was babying in his hand. It gave him something to do as his ears were attuned to the atmosphere around him. He was always on the lookout, ready for anything that might come his way. There had been an increase in certain activity in the past few weeks and if anything was going to happen, he wanted to be there for it.

His long brown cloak adorned his body and fell over the stool as he sat, near motionless. The overly large hood, which he used to conceal his features, was resting down on his shoulders. Blue eyes glanced around occasionally, taking note of the people in the bar, but as the evening carried on, and grew later, the usual patrons slowly began shuffling out for the evening. Wolvie, however, still had a drink to finish.

Four miles later, Raye found herself sprinting up the front steps of the Inn. Hip checking the door, she crossed the threshold while continuing to assess her surroundings, including the other patrons. The sheen of perspiration upon her skin, illuminated by the lighting within the common area, and a healthy tinge of red to her cheeks made it apparent she had been running for a while.

Lifting a hand to smooth back the tendrils of hair plastered to her forehead, she moved through the break in the bar and towards the cooler for a bottle of water. Once the bottle was obtained, first pressed to her forehead, it was uncapped to allow a small measure of icy liquid to spill over her head. Finally the remainder of the bottle was tipped up and allowed to pour freely into her mouth. The empty bottle was tossed unceremoniously into the garbage and once again her gaze flitted over the now sparse crowd. Gaze narrowed as she looked at each individual as if they might throw a dagger her way at any moment. Intermittently, she would whisper a few words and shake her head before finally moving on to the next person and repeating this process all over again. It would be nearly impossibly to miss this display of paranoia, if one was nearby. That paired with her general appearance left little doubt that there was something wrong with this woman.

Finally deciding there were no hidden killers within the room, she ran through the break of the bar and out the door leading to the back alley. Not the wisest of places for a lone woman to venture, especially when they appeared to be unarmed and suffering from some sort of mental lapse.

"What the hell?" Those were the words that came to Wolvie?s mind as he glanced over at the latest entrant, an elven woman, who now became the latest departure of the evening. It wasn?t the fact that she came and left, void of a ?hello? or a ?goodbye?, it was that look of paranoia that was splashed over her face. That was highly unusual.

?You all done here Wolvie, or do you want another?? The newly arrived Bartender asked, wiping down the bar in front of the Admiral and motioning towards his empty glass.

?No, no. I think I?m pretty much done for the evening.? He replied, taking out some silver from his cloak and placing it down on the bar top, all the while his eyes remaining fixated on the door that was slowly closing to the alley.

The bartender retreated back towards the kitchen to dispose of the empty glass as Wolvinator gathered himself to leave. It was probably nothing. He couldn?t feel anything yet, but there were a lot of bad things that took place in that alley behind the Inn, and he wanted to set his mind at ease by knowing that this evening wasn?t about to become extraordinary.

Raising the hood on his robe and concealing his face, Wolvinator casually made an exit for the back door and disappeared into the back alley.

Being in that alert yet distracted state when she had left home, due to her nightmare, Raye had missed the threat that had been staking out her home. Unbeknownst to her; she had possibly just saved her own and Jono's lives by leaving when she did, as there was a party of four drow prepared to break in and murder them in their sleep. Well, that had been their plan, none would know at this point whether they would have been successful at their endeavor or not. She and Jono weren't the typical couple living in oblivious domestic bliss, easily killed, especially not in their own home.

By deciding to go for a run, she had prevented the quartet of Lialin's assassins from harming Jono as they were now following her. Perhaps this was luck or maybe it wasn't. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, however, it was fate.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:34 EST

The drow, matching her in stealth and silence, had managed to avoid detection thus far. While she was inside the Inn cooling off, they had hatched a plan that posted one of their numbers directly outside the alley door, the front door, the kitchen door leading outside, and the final assassin upon a roof across the street from the front of the Inn. Seems they had all the exits covered and everything should go according to plan, with Raye's body taken to Lialin for proof of death. Nothing could go wrong here, right?

Nothing but the target herself. In her paranoid state of mind, her senses heightened, she had bounded out the alley door in a burst of speed as if the devil himself was upon her heels.

The drow stationed at the alley exit was thrown off guard enough that it took him a couple of extra seconds to lift that handheld crossbow with its poisoned bolt and take aim for a still moving Raye. The trigger was depressed, a loud click that she was certain to hear due to that excellent elven hearing. Many decades of honing battle skills had her head turning in the direction of the sound and her body reacting without pause.

In what felt like slow motion to the Elf and the drow, Raye immediately halted her running and dropped down into a sideways split position, her hand simultaneously reaching for the dagger sheathed at the small of her back. That couple of seconds of a head start she had when she exited the Inn paid off as she heard the bolt whiz just over her head. There was no time for Raye to register the look upon the assassin's face, but it was one of near shock. He was reloading just as she let loose the dagger; flying tip over hilt to expertly pierce the soft hollow of his throat, continuing until it protruded through the back of his neck.

Raye hopped to her feet, while scanning her immediate surroundings and made her way to the body. Not taking the time to retrieve her dagger from the drow's neck, she pulled a wicked looking scimitar from the exposed scabbard upon his hip and began her stalking descent down the alley to the corner of the building, knowing without a doubt, where there was one drow there were more.

From the woman whom had previously been paranoid and appeared afraid, now escaped a soft chuckle. Raye was in her element right at this moment, her blood coursing through her veins in an adrenaline charged symphony of destruction.

The cloaked figure came to a two-step halt as he looked down at the freshly killed drow laying by his feet. The blood began pooling from beneath him as some of of his nerves still twitched with life. It was impossible to help him, he was gone, but Wolvinator wasn?t even sure if he should.

Looks like it wasn?t going to be a quiet night after all.

This certainly wasn?t the woman who had left out of the inn a few moments prior. Perhaps she had a reason to be paranoid after all. The crossbow laying beside his dead body was a sure sign that he was, in fact, trying to kill her with the art of surprise. Quickly, his eyes scanned for any targets in the alley or on the rooftops. He?d fought in this alley more times than he could possibly remember. He knew every nook and hidey hole so if anyone was there, he wouldn?t miss them.

Then he saw her.

There was a sign of life at the end of the alleyway, moving with the speed and stealth of a trained warrior. The figure of a woman held a scimitar in her hand, off to the side, elbow tight and the blade slightly pointed down and out from her. She obviously knew what she was doing, that intrigued him, but where there was one drow assassin there were usually more. If they were gunning for her, she would need help.

Pushing his body up against the shadowed serenity of the alley?s brick wall, Wolvinator quickly made his way towards the end of the alley, following the woman out towards the front of the Red Dragon Inn.

Prior to reaching the corner, she heard the sound of pursuit from behind. With her back pressed to the wall, Raye turned her head and peered down the length of the night shadowed alley. Her vision focused upon the cloaked form of Wolvinator and though she didn't know him, she knew he wasn't drow by the height and breadth of the man.

Being well versed in the ways of the black hearted Lialin and his hired drow, she knew the cloaked one wasn't with their party. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't also in hot pursuit of the elfess. She had, on countless occasions, earned the wrath and vengeance of strangers.

"You will just have to wait your turn..." she whispered, not intending him to hear, though it was possible that he could if his senses were enhanced. With that, she slipped around the corner of the building, her gaze shifting this way and that, scanning the pitch black of the night for signs of her would be assailants. Satisfied none would be able to ambush her from behind, she angled that gaze up slightly to the porch that loomed before her. A wicked wisp of a smile curved upon her features as she mouthed the words "Got you," dropped low and silently made her way forward to the edge of the porch.

Wait your turn?

That didn?t settle well with Wolvie. She said such words, possibly not even realizing that he wouldn?t have heard her, but he was able to deduce one of two options.

The first option was that she was the aggressor. Running around, killing a random drow in the street. Though, this seemed highly unlikely. There was an assassins crossbow laying next to the assailant. drow were particularly fond of using that form of weaponry, something that he had learned from his years spent on Rhy?Din.

The second option was that this drow wasn?t alone, and there were more out front. While the female seemed to have dispatched the attacker single handedly, Wolvinator wasn?t sure what might lay around the corner for her. As she disappeared around the corner Wolvie quickened his pace, keeping his back along the brick as he carefully peaked around the corner.

Raye continued her approach; like a wraith, unseen by her target but all too visible to the drow upon the roof across the street. She would be a mass of color; red, yellow and orange mostly as the drow would be seeing her in infrared spectrum with her body heat giving away her position.

It was very atypical for her to just be oblivious to a threat, to not bother scoping out the entire area and every key position. Yet here she was, grossly exposed to a drow assassin that had a long range weapon in his possession. So intent was she, upon her target on the porch, that as she ascended the steps and made her presence known to the one she stalked, the drow on the rooftop fired his poisoned bolt without any warning that Raye could detect.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:37 EST

It was nearly impossible to miss the drow on the porch. They had set up a perimeter, trying to corner her inside the inn. It was more than evident, at this point, just who the assassins were. The female had already began her approach. Something wasn?t right however. This assailant didn?t have anyone to...

That?s when he noticed it.

Across the street to the Red Dragon Inn was a brick building, a few stories higher than the inn itself. High atop it, and shadowed by the cover of darkness, was another figure watching the events unfold below. However, he wasn?t just watching, he was waiting for the perfect moment. His arms barely moved, and the object in his hand came into clear view.

In a flash, Wolvinator?s senses were heightened. His ears began to ring, and he could feel danger coming from the direction of the building. It was what some would call a sixth sense -- his early warning danger sense that alerted him of hazardous situations.

As silent as it was intended the drow fired a single shot from his handheld crossbow. His aim was true, barreling down on the female who was taking them out before they had a chance to attack her. It wasn?t necessarily his place. He wasn?t aware of what the exact situation was. Who was who, why it was happening. But one thing was clear. That arrow had more than enough force and poison on it to level an elephant and that was not going to happen today.

Stepping out from the shadows, Wolvie tossed back the opening to his brown cloak, grabbing a small handheld device from his belt. Adjusting the setting to maximum, Wolvie drew his Starfleet issued Type II Hand Phaser and tracked the arrow. Pressing his thumb to the button, a red stream of phased energy intercepted the arrow mid flight, vaporizing it into oblivion.

But the job wasn?t done just yet.

Another flick of his finger and he lowered the setting down to a heavy stun. His wrist moved as he repositioned himself, aiming at the rooftop sniper now. Pressing the button once more, energy flew out of the phaser at practically the speed of light, zapping the drow in his chest and flinging him back onto the rooftop.

Rayvinn had the scimitar lifted to chest level, her right arm up across her chest so that when she attacked, the blade would slash in a downward cross body motion to add more force to the attack. However, she heard the sound of the phaser as it obliterated the crossbow bolt, so the slash with her sword arm was clumsier than normal due to shifting her weight and twisting slightly to see what was happening. The drow assassin, being a master swordsman, took advantage of that slight disruption and parried the blade with his own, leaving Raye suddenly in a fight for her life and unable to give attention the goings on behind her.

Several rounds of this dance of blades continued with both opponents receiving minor flesh wounds. Rayvinn made a bold lunge towards the drow that was met with a kick to the chest that actually lifted her a couple of inches from the ground. Stunned by the strength of that kick but still moving with the momentum, she flipped her body backwards into two backflips and out of striking distance of the drow?s deadly blade.

Pulling the handheld crossbow from the harness upon his back as he dropped his parrying dagger, the assassin loaded the poisoned bolt. As Rayvinn saw the attack coming, her hand dropped to the small of her back to slip the .45 from the waistband of her pants. With her palm pressed firmly against the beaver tail safety, the barrel was lifted level to the drow?s head while he simultaneously aimed his bow. Only one round was popped off, one was all that was needed as she was the faster shot. It was a clean kill and the drow was now a mere heap upon the porch.

Raye checked the drow to be certain he was dead then stepped over the body, as if it were simply a normal obstacle in her path, and moved quickly down the steps towards Wolvinator. Her arm was lifted to chest level, elbow bent with her left hand balanced beneath her right, firearm trained upon him. She didn?t have any clue who he was, after all, and had missed the scene of him saving her life.

?Why are you following me? Who sent you?? He was fortunate she had bothered to ask questions first...that wasn?t the norm. Lucky for him he wasn?t built like a drow, or she wouldn?t have bothered to ask this time either.

The fourth and final assassin was alerted to the trouble with the plan when he heard the sound of Raye?s pistol shatter the silence of the night. He left his position by the kitchen exit and stalked through the darkness until he had a visual on the situation. He saw Wolvie and Rayvinn first, prior to her leaving the porch, and then the body of his comrade. Not seeing anyone atop the roof where one of their number was to be stationed, he assumed the worst and took off into the night, headed back to Lialin?s camp with the news of the failed attack and what appeared to be the woman?s ally.

The Admiral lowered his phaser as she approached, slowly placing it back on his hip with slow and telegraphed motions, intent on showing the woman that he didn?t mean her any further harm. His senses were calm now, reinforcing the initial assessment that she was the intended victim.

?Would you mind if I lowered my hood??

Her stance never changed once she stopped in front of him, out of striking distance, though her eyes quickly scanned him and kept sight of his moving hand. "You may do so. Then keep your hands above your head where I can see them while you answer my questions."

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:40 EST

He was a professional, that was certain. His moves continued just as before. They were slow, his hands were in clear sight, and both of his hands moved to his hood and carefully dropped it back down to his shoulders to reveal his face.

His blue eyes looked back at her, they were welcoming if that could be so. He had short brown hair, with a goatee to match his strong facial features. He was young looking, possibly in his late twenties, but he was certainly peppered with wisdom that was far beyond his years. Placing both hands up, as per her request, he finally answered her.

?My name is Wolvinator and I thought you were in trouble, which you were.?

Rayvinn was also extremely professional, at this moment anyway. When it came to killing or any sort of military maneuvers, The General overtook. Military training and leadership was ingrained into her mind and no matter how crazy the elf could be, this fact never changed.

Wolvie would see a tall, athletically thin female in causal workout clothes. Hip length chestnut colored waves were pulled back in a haphazard fashioned that bespoke of an elven woman not over concerned with her appearance in the middle of the night. She looked far far younger than her actual age, appearing as an early twenties young woman with bronzed skin and almond shaped pale jade eyes. The lightly tipped ears and delicately angular facial features gave away her heritage, a fact she appeared unconcerned with though it had been a source of contention for her prior to settling in RhyDin.

She also appeared extremely comfortable with a weapon in her hand. Big surprise there. Not a muscle twitched as she watched him, eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized him, keeping her gaze upon his eyes as that was the best place to watch for a person's next move.

"I had it under control. Why were you following me down the alley? How did you come to be in such a location, alone, in the middle of the night and then just happen to be following me when these failures attempted to dispatch me?" It really did look bad. Especially to an overly paranoid woman whom had just been the target of an assassination attempt.

Wolvinator could see the boldness of a warrior in her, something that he was quick to admire. His own build was rather broad, which was enhanced slightly by his cloak. His physique was a delicate balance of muscle and athleticism. However, there was much more under this robe than he chose to reveal. It was one of the main reasons that he wore such attire, to blend in with the Rhy?Din population and not reveal too much all at once.

He was human, for all intents and purposes, but there was certainly a lot about his man that he was expertly concealing; not just what was beneath his garment. Despite being in a rather ?uncomfortable? position, he seemed extremely calm and confident. He had purposely removed his weapon and placed himself in such a situation. Where it wasn?t an option before, he was hoping that diplomacy wouldn?t fail him now.

?You had it under control?? He questioned, without sarcasm. ?I?m not sure if ya noticed, but there was a sniper on the roof, and a poison tipped arrow with your name on it. If I hadn?t vaporized it, I?m fairly sure it would?ve struck you unabated.

?I was sitting in the inn, when you came in a grabbed a bottle of water. I?m pretty sure you hadn?t even taken notice. However, I took notice of you. It?s my job to do so, if you will. You looked extremely paranoid, perspiring, and you stayed for thirty-six seconds. Not exactly yer usual drunkard hangin? out in the Red Dragon.

?So, I decided to make my rounds. About a minute after I exited the rear entrance I saw yer pal back there,? he said, motioning his head back down the alley. ?Layin? there, nerves still twitchin?, takin? a dip in his own blood. If I hadn?t followed you, we might not be standin? here, right now, chit-chattin? about it.?

Rayvinn allowed her gaze to shift momentarily to the building across the street as it seemed the only possible location for this sniper. "I was not aware. I am sure you won't mind accompanying me to that rooftop to have a look at this sniper you speak of. Or did you let him go?"

She wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a sniper up there. It was logical deduction since she was well versed in that particular craft. Of course, anyone with that sort of background would have the same knowledge. She was accusing him of being an assassin, was she not? So, it was also logical to assume he would have that knowledge. No offense to Wolvinator, Raye was just not the sort to trust because someone sounded like they knew what they were talking about.

She did, however, arch one thin inky brow as he stated exactly how long she stayed. "You were timing my stay." Impressive, for a lawful type or killer either one. The jury was still out on this.

She motioned with the gun for him to turn towards the building across the street. "Shall we?"

?I set the phaser for stun, for just that purpose. If I recall the drow physiology correctly, he should be out for almost another hour. You?ll certainly find him up there.?

Wolvinator nodded to her instructions then and began to move across the street. This was a rather awkward position. Being held up by the woman he just rescued. No. Assisted. She clearly had most of the situation under control. But now he was being dragged into a building at gunpoint. This part of the endeavor he wished to change.

?Can I at least put my hands down?? he asked her, not replying to the fact that he timed her. ?I look like a clown with my friggen? hands up. I?m not askin? ya to lower yer weapon, but just so ya know, I did place mine within safe keeping.?

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:42 EST

He was not being dragged...he was leading her. There was a distinct difference, right? "You are of questionable allegiance. You can continue to look like a clown until you can prove to me that you should be allowed to have access to your weapon. I am sure if our positions were reversed, you would be cautious. Also, what is this clown you speak of?" Yes, she was holding him at gunpoint and asking about clowns. Typical.

They reached the building and her aim was moved from him long enough to shoot at the door handle to "unlock? it. Her aim was locked upon him once again as she nodded towards the door. "Open it."

?If I wanted my weapon, I wouldn?t have put it away, now would I?? He asked, while listening to her instruction. His fingerless gloved hand was placed on the doorknob, twisted, turned and opened it.

It opened up to a small apartment building, the lights were on throughout the hallways to illuminate the paths for those that lived there. Directly ahead was a staircase that obviously ascended to the higher levels of the building.

?If my allegiance was questionable I would?ve attacked you by now. Whether it was in the street, or inside of the Inn where I first saw you. You?ll believe me momentarily.? Without resistance, he began to move up the stairs in front of her, playing along with her little prisoner game.

"I don't pretend to understand your mind, I'm not a damn psychiatrist, after all." She followed him up the steps quietly until they were almost at the top before she replied to his last statement. "You may have or possibly you were waiting. Again, I'm not gonna act like I understand you. You are a stranger to me and thus are treated as one. If things are as you say, I will leave you alone and we can go back to being strangers that happened to come across one another's path." She had, for the most part, already begun to relax slightly. He didn't give off the vibe of someone sent to kill her, gods knew she was very familiar with that vibe. "I mean, I will leave you alone once you tell me what this clown is." In the midst of this, she had chosen something as ridiculous as the word "clown" to fixate upon.

?You?re right. You may not.? It was time for him to give her a little more background. ?I?m a Watch Commander for the City Guard, and also a Defense Minister for the Governor if that helps you.? There wasn?t any reason to pull out ?The Admiral? card now. That might be a little more difficult to explain, especially if she didn?t know...

?You seriously don?t know what a clown is?? He answered, with perhaps the first smirk of the evening. Some might consider this to not be a smart move for a person who had a pistol in his back.

?It?s a person who dresses up, sorta like... a Jester. They dance around, tell jokes, do jester-like acts for the amusement of children and adults. It?s a very... innocent form of humor and entertainment. Ya kinda have me here, with my hands up, lookin? rather idiotic, sorta like a clown.?

As his statement finished, he came to another door, this one which lead to the roof.

?Mind usin? yer key??

If she was impressed by his station in life, she gave no outward sign. ?Yeah? Well, if that is so, I bet my friend Rachel would know you. She works for the Watch as well. Respectable job. Might explain a few things.? Yet her pistol was still aimed for the back of his head.

A soft unladylike snort could be heard as he questioned her lack of knowledge regarding clowns. ?Are you gonna be one of those advanced lifeform snob types? Gods but I love those kinds. Usually human and usually ridiculously ill equipped to have any sort of opinion...yanno...because they are downright stupid. Not humans in general, just the ones that think they are superior.?

She huffed a sigh of irritation at the thought of the superiority complex of some people, not necessarily him, and then obliged his request to ?unlock? the door. ?Not at all,? was her reply before one more shot was fired and he would be able to hear her near silent ?three? as she ticked off how many bullets she had fired, a little trick learned by Jack when he was teaching her to shoot.

?I do, however, know what a Court Jester is since I grew up with one as a playmate. And you are correct, you do look rather idiotic like that. So, once you prove your innocence, you will be free to lower your hands and look less idiotic.? Perhaps he would be able to hear the smile that had crept into her voice. She was mildly amused now.

Her gun was once again trained upon the back of his head and she set her jaw as she watched him open the door to the roof, knowing what unpleasant business was about to ensue.

His lip was tight now. As far as she was going to know, he was just a member of the Council and the guard, just another random human in a cloak. It was the facade that he kept up while on the planet?s surface. There wasn?t much need in revealing anything much further then that unless it was absolutely necessary, or unless he trusted the person. The woman with the gun in his back? Yeah, she wasn?t getting any answer from him on that front.

With her gunshot to open the next door he silently counted that shot. She had used three now. There were four shots left until she needed to reload. He wasn?t sure if she was counting or not, but he certainly was.

He was smiling now. Her words ringing through his ears -- ?free to put your hands down.? This game was growing rather tiresome, but it was all part of the ongoing facade. He wanted to let things continue on as they would, he wasn?t planning to interfere with her disposition at the moment. She was in charge, let her lead, this is what he gets for helping out.

Pushing the door open, the moonlight illuminated the entrance as well as the roof of the building. It was particularly silent just a few stories up above street level, even at this time of night. It would take only a moment, even for an untrained eye, to notice the limp body laying flat on it?s back. One of the drow assassins was completely sprawled out with a crossbow laying by his side. His eyes were closed and he was still breathing. A small circular darkened spot rested on his chest from where he took the Phaser blast. He was, true to the term, stunned.

?There?s yer boy,? Wolvinator said, hands still in the air as he looked back at Rayvinn, showing no signs of the inner grin that he held.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:43 EST

Yes, this is what he got for helping out. Sometimes it was just better to let events occur unobstructed, right?

She was one to nearly constantly find herself in some sort of hassle or trouble for involving herself in matters that weren?t originally her concern. Sometimes, helping someone was much more trouble than it seemed to be worth. The alternative, watching someone die when it could be prevented, was far worse and that is what brought her back over and again.
Who knew...perhaps this paranoid female elf might be of assistance someday and saving her life would be worth the hassle he dealt with now.

Four shots left, she most certainly had that number in her head, though she really had no intention of firing on Wolvie now. The drow was another story, however, depending upon his actions.

Wolvinator was still being held at gunpoint for the simple fact that there had been some question regarding his intentions and secondly, Raye would soon be outnumbered. She had all but decided he was not involved in the attack other than being in the right place at the right time (for her anyway) but it would be unwise to release a stranger when she was about to come face to face with one of the assassins. It was routine and Wolvie should recognize that.

She followed Wolvie out the door, scanning the rooftop rapidly, unhindered by the darkness. ?Yes, there he is, indeed. Gather his weapons and drop them over the side of the building, please.? Hopefully there weren?t any late night strolls occurring below them. Oh look who was being polite...she said please!

She gazed down at the drow, eyes narrowing as she looked at the dark spot on his chest. Looking back up at Wolvie, she arched a brow. ?What did you do to him? I haven?t ever seen a mark such as that. I suppose a fireball would make a black mark but it would be far bigger..? She paused and offered a lopsided grin. ?Also there wouldn?t be so much drow left as this.? Such a sick sense of humor.

Wolvie... being ordered. This was definitely an eventful day. But the fact that she had said please seemed to smooth the situation over a bit more. As he leaned down to grab the weapons, Wolvinator scanned over the rooftop, and those that were adjacent, just in case there were other assailants in the direct vicinity.

?Yanno,? he said as he looked over at her, ?dropping these things off of a roof really isn?t safe. If a kid were to find ?em, or someone else of ill repute, this situation could get a lot worse. Ya don?t trust me, but these would probably be safer in your hands?

Carefully, he placed a crossbow and a dagger on the ground, and used his foot to kick them towards her. He was putting quite a bit of faith in her, but it was also his confidence in the situation, and his own ability, that he calculated the best course of action.

?I told you,? he was answering her question now, ?I stunned him with a Phaser.? He spoke the phrase as if she knew exactly what a phaser was. ?If I would have kept the setting to maximum, as I did with the arrow, he?d clearly had been vaporized. I figured that you might want this one alive.?

Poor Wolvie! No worries, however, Raye would order the Gods themselves around if they had triggered her paranoia the way he had. Actually, she tried to order them around quite frequently as it was. So, it was nothing personal, she was just a bossy wench.

?I trust him far less than I trust you.? That could be a compliment or quite derogatory. Perhaps she trusted him a little more or an unconscious drow posed her more threat than a fully conscious, and armed, Wolvie?
?I agree with your assessment regarding the weapons. However, I am not inclined to leave weapons anywhere within his reach. If they are in his sight, they are within his reach. Once you remove his scimitar as well, you can place them inside the door and then awaken him in whatever way you deem fit. Perhaps with that Phase thing you keep talking about.? She was making it painfully obvious she had no clue what the Phaser was.

Leaning down, she picked up the dagger and placed it in the empty lower back sheathe beneath her shirt. Her own dagger remained in the throat of the drow in the alley. She looked back over at Wolvie and shrugged slightly, voice infused with a coldness that only one hardened to death could achieve. ?I am truly unconcerned if this one lives or not. I know who sent them...I knew the moment I saw the first one.?

Raye unclenched her jaw and forced a smile upon features that were, at the moment, more suited to a statue, cold and devoid of emotion. Dealing with anything involving Lialin did this to her...turned her into this cold stoniness , more suited for killing than any other thing. She hadn?t entirely lost it, yet, as was evidenced by her attempt to be polite. ?I thank you for...your attempt to further aid my cause, however.?

She lowered her weapon, barrel pointed now at the lone drow assassin, though her gaze remained upon Wolvie. ?You are free to go if you so wish. I will detain you no longer.? Learning that he had stunned the drow in order for Raye to question him seemed to have sealed her opinion that Wolvie wasn?t working with this party just as she had begun to suspect nearly immediately upon detaining him, though she hadn?t been positive, thus the continued hold-up.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:45 EST

?Well now, since I?ve been granted bail, perhaps you wouldn?t mind answering a few questions for me.? Wolvinator?s hands lowered down to his side as he took a small step forward and began to remove the last of the drow?s weapons. His hands moved the limp body onto its side and retrieved the scimitar. Wolvie, who was no longer ?captive? was still rendering the woman assistance. Seemed as though he was trying to help all along.

Standing now, he moved for the door, giving the weapons another brush of his foot before he dropped the scimitar inside of the frame as well. Closing the door, he turned back towards her.

?Who are you?? Was his first question, asked in a more upbeat tone, trying to catch more flies with honey. ?And why are these clowns riskin? their lives to try and end yours? Surely it?d be safer to just get drunk and pass out in that back alley, wouldn?t ya say??

As he walked back over towards her, and her new prisoner, Wolvie bowed a nod toward the sleeping beauty. ?He?s good for another hour, so you don?t have to worry about him waking up as opposed to answering a few questions.?

He was offered a smirk in return for his comment about being ?granted bail? and she watched his movements but with much less caution than she had previously. It was obvious, however, that she wasn?t going to just let down her guard entirely. As for it seeming that he was trying to help all along, she recognized this fact or she would still be pointing a gun at him.

?I owe you no answers or explanations. You aided me by your own choosing, not mine, therefore there is no debt owed here. We agree upon this?? It seemed important to her to point this out.

Her head tilted ever-so-slightly as he said the word "clowns" and it was obvious she was puzzled over his choice of words. In her mind she was putting the picture of a Court Jester together with the assassins and this caused a brow to arch as she considered that possibly this man was more odd than even she was.

Raye did nod her head once, however, as she spoke with a tone less cool and commanding. ?My name is Rayvinn. Why these ?clowns? chose death is because they were paid an obscene amount of money to take the risk. They knew who and what they were facing, this I can assure you and perhaps he felt with larger numbers they would be successful." The way she spoke this, so non-chalantly, would be proof enough that this had occurred before. It was obvious that she was going to speak nothing further of the matter, though a slight snort could be heard in regard to larger numbers being successful.

?It?s a pleasure to meet you then Rayvinn, even under such... unfortunate circumstances as this. I assure you, that I am not looking for anything in return. You owe me nothin?. I followed you and rendered assistance under my own accord. I?m not the type of fella that?s gonna guilt you into owing we anything down the line.?

Wolvinator adjusted his brown cloak a bit, trying to look a bit more seamless then he perhaps did previously. Judging by their discussion he was quite sure that she wasn?t used to a ?Spacer? such as him. Spacer?s were a term for individuals that had technology that was considered advanced for Rhy?Din, and usually arrived by some form of space travel. He wasn?t sure if she had considered him this yet, but he wasn?t going to just jump right out and say it either.

It was the ?Prime Directive? approach. Starfleet?s General Order 1. It dictated that there can be no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations. However, Rhy?Din didn?t quite fall into this category. Being that the planet was stuck in, what appeared to be, the crossroads of the Multiverse -- anything went. However, he still did his best to blend in and be ?one of the locals? on their own terms.

?So, who is this he that hired them? Why would someone go through all of this trouble, and money, to watch your life come to an end??

?I assure you, in return, that I am not the type of woman to receive aid that was freely given and not repay in kind. Not due to debt but general courtesy.? She nodded solemnly as she spoke the next words, this being very nearly the closest thing to a promise one such as Raye ever came. ?Should you require services to preserve your life, you may call upon me.? She had no idea who or what Wolvie was, at this point, still thinking him to be an ordinary type with perhaps some combat training of some sort. There were several ?clues? to tip her off to this conclusion.

Raye had met ?spacers? before, though she didn?t know them to be called by that name...they were just people from other places, as she was. She knew some of the people in RhyDin were from farther away than she was and there were people with large amounts of technology and she was rapidly learning what some of it did. It fascinated her and terrified her at the same time. So, she would be unphased by any revelation of his technology, aside from a curiosity, and the trouble that always developed due to that curiosity, that could annoy one of the Gods into cursing. Perhaps the entire Pantheon all at once?

?Who ?he? is...he is no one to be concerned over. We do this little dance of death periodically. He has not yet learned how unwise it is to continue....but he will.? Nice dance around telling the truth there, right? Wolvie wouldn?t be able to miss the unveiled threat in that statement. Wait...not threat...truth. It was definitely truth.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:47 EST

?So, an eye for an eye eh?? He replied to her with a hint of a smile now. ?I?ve watched your back, so you?ll watch mine? I can live with that arrangement. I promise I won?t abuse it though.?

He was prodding her slightly, more than anything else. Trying to gauge her personality a bit as he noticed she was lightening up.

?So, you guys do this waltz often eh? Well lemme letcha in on a little friendly advice. Take it or not, it?s up to you, but it?s free advice.? He stepped a bit closer to her now, leaning in a bit as his tone lowered, almost as if he were telling her a trade secret.

?Pro-tip -- if someone is consistently trying to kill you, it?s usually a good idea to take them out before they succeed. He who has drawn his last breath can no longer attack.?

The slightest hint of a smile curved upon her lips as she motioned down to the black mark upon the drow?s chest. ?Something tells me you don?t require anyone watching your back. Not with a weapon such as that. But yes, should you need my assistance, if I am able I will help.?
A soft chuckle was given in reply once he imparted his advice. ?I wouldn?t say that we dance together often and I appreciate your ?pro-tip.? Another slight snicker, in appreciation of the irony that someone was giving her ?tips? regarding killing.

Then suddenly, she was all business again. That mischievous glint that might have possibly been detected lighting up her eyes was now gone, replaced with the icy promise of death. ?Make no mistake, Wolvinator, I have no intention of this dance continuing for much longer. Three decades is far too long and I find myself tiring of this partner.?

Just as suddenly as her demeanor had changed, it changed back again. He was gifted with a small but genuine smile, though it didn?t remain in place for long. ?Is there no way to awaken this one? He will try to be stubborn and not answer my questions. He will more than likely be able to withstand much torture. I have something, however, that will guarantee his cooperation.? Oh what a wicked little smile she wore at this moment. ?I have first hand knowledge of his employer. He will break very quickly once I describe what will happen to him when I set him free. Fear is a powerful tool, wouldn?t you agree??

?So, you?re not the type of girl who enjoys stayin? in long relationships, eh?? It was a play on words for her ?dance partner?. Wolvie was trying to continually soften her up a bit. Show her that, even though the situation was serious, this wasn?t his first rodeo. Although, with each passing moment of the conversation, he studied her more and more; the use of her words, her smile, the way she was standing and how she mentioned words like ?fear? and ?torture?. He took note of how long this ?him? had been chasing her down, putting her actual age far beyond her physical appearance, which wasn?t at all uncommon for an Elf. They more they continued to speak, the more he seemed to learn, though he wouldn?t let on.

?Depends on how it?s used Darlin?,? he spoke now on the use of fear. ?Sometimes there?s a humane way to get things done and sometimes there?s the hard way to get things done. Though, since you?ve been in this situation for the last 30-years you say? I?m sure you know how to handle this sort of thing by now.?

She found herself laughing as that mischievous gleam returned to her eyes. ?I would say my longevity in relationships is directly related to the stamina of the other participant. They tend to die.? This could mean only ?participants? such as the one they were discussing killing or she could mean it in the naughty way it sounded. No one really ever knew with Raye.

She wasn?t unaware of his study of her, she had just chosen not to be concerned at this point. She was quite accustomed to being watched. She was also quite paranoid and there were times when she was certain she was being watched when she wasn?t. Being stalked by the one whom attempted to murder you after kidnapping and torturing you could do that to a person.

So, she wasn?t uncomfortable quite yet. Not that he was obvious in his profiling of her. Rayvinn would have been surprised if a member of the watch and defense council had failed to scrutinize her after the small trail of bodies left in her wake. Oh, there was also that minor issue of holding a gun to his head. If she had been in his position, she knew she would be trying to figure out what made the man tick.

?I am doing one thing differently this time, though I cannot take the credit for this. This time there will be one left alive to glean information from. Lucky for him that you came along when you did.? She gave an oh-so-cheery smile as she once again directed her attention to the snoozing drow, still pondering if there were some way to awaken him earlier than the hour Wolvie had informed her it would take.

She probably meant to say ?lucky for me you came along when you did,? right? Surely that was what she meant. Some took this faith she had in her ability to escape from nearly anything as arrogance and sometimes as denial. When slipping from the grasp of a deranged killer countless times over the course of thirty years, as well as the normal everyday battles, a person does begin to believe in their ability to stay alive. This belief would more than likely get her killed someday but it hadn?t today and it hadn?t any other day up until today.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:49 EST

She was arrogant, in a sense. That was Wolvie?s take. She was strong willed and she didn?t want to give him any sign of a weakness. It was respectable, honorable even. Wolvinator was a man of a warrior?s code. Dealing with Klingon?s most of his life he learned much about that sort of behavior. But she was different. She had been a woman dealing with this ?situation? for a good portion of her life, if not most of or all of her life. It was this that kept him intrigued. If she hadn?t learned to be strong or confident she?d surely have been killed years ago.

He saw himself in her.

?I suppose it is. Surely you would have eviscerated him by now.? A boyish grin played about his features as he knelt down next to the slumbering body.

?So, you want this one awake, do you?? he asked, reaching into his thick robe to remove a small, silver, cylindrical device. Looking at it for a moment, he adjusted it for the proper dosage.

?Keep the gun on ?em, he?ll be awake in a sec.?

Leaning down further he pressed the small device, a hypospray, to the side of the Drow?s neck. A small pneumatic hiss escaped as the medicine began flowing into the being?s body.

She had been dealing with this situation for the entirety of her life in the sense that she had known her pursuer since birth, had even been promised in an arranged marriage to him.
Dealing with everything that had occurred from that arrangement had indeed made her strong. It shaped her into a woman whose duties were far different than what she had been born to perform. This pursuer was also responsible for the breaking of her mind; the cause of her insanity. He was such a lovely being.

As for not showing weakness, so far in this adventure, there was no weakness for Raye to show Wolvie. She wasn?t intentionally playing a role of hardened warrior woman, this was simply who she was. She had plenty of weaknesses, just not much at the moment, to speak of.

She was incapable of feeling any emotion and not acting or reacting to it in some fashion. Would she be rendered unable to protect herself due to fear? That was an impossibility. Too many years of soldiering and leading soldiers had ingrained an automatic response to a threat. It usually came devoid of emotion. Killing someone in defense or otherwise was a job to be completed. There was no room for emotion in that equation. The fear or sorrow or any other emotion would come afterwards, usually in private and usually in a flood.

The knowledge that Lialin had once again located her, and this wasn?t her paranoia, would most definitely have Raye in a state of near inconsolable fright once the immediate urgency of the situation was resolved. This in turn would cause her to jump to very rash conclusions and make plans that a normal individual would view as faulty. If Wolvie should be around for the after effects of all of this, when those plans were solidified, then he would see some weakness, thought it wouldn?t last long. Raye was a woman of action, not one of sitting back and crying over a situation.

?I most definitely would have, you are quite observant.? In response to his comment regarding how Raye would have dealt with the remaining drow. A crooked grin lit up her features as she was certain he could understand sarcasm. He had appeared to be such a serious fellow...right up until he started flashing smiles. Now he appeared something a little less machine. That, in turn, made him a target for her twisted humor. Possibly.

Any further poking at Wolvie?s sensibilities would be put on hold, for a later time and place, as she leaned forward to watch him. Ever the curious elf, especially with something shiny and unknown, she was watching every movement with widened eyes and arched brows. If he had looked up at her in that moment, he probably could have seen the multitude of questions flowing through her mind.

Somehow she managed to restrain herself, a nearly impossible feat when in the midst of some new ?gadget.? She still had her gun pointed at the drow but adjusted her aim from dead center of his chest to between his eyes. He should appreciate waking up to that sight, she was positive. ?Alright, party time,? was her response to Wolvie.
The Admiral stood and took a step back, placing the hypospray back within the confines of his cloak. Seeing as how Rayvinn still had a firearm pointed at the drow?s skull, he didn?t want to accidentally be in the way of any ?interrogation? that might take place in the next few moments. That didn?t mean, however, that he wasn?t ready just in case the drow proved quicker than her trigger finger.

The drow male took a deeper breath now, his eyes beginning to blink and open as the stimulant took affect through his blood stream. After a few blinks and his eyes coming into focus, he looked over at the Admiral first before staring right down the barrel of Rayvinn?s pistol.

Rayvinn · Date: 2011-11-08 10:51 EST

Rayvinn had her ?game face? on now. Gone was the mischief and any semblance of humor. This drow had to see her as dominant and fierce from the first blink of his eyes. He came from a world where the females were tyrannical and vicious, if she seemed less than this, she would never cower him.

She allowed the corner of her lips to curl in a haughty smirk as the heel of her running shoe painfully found a comfortable home upon the drow?s chest where he had received the phaser blast. The knee of that leg was bent and she leaned down to rest an elbow upon it while maintaining her aim upon his head.

Exuding arrogance, she stared at him for a long moment, forcing him to look away first, before she finally spoke, using his harsher native tongue. ?Bwael kre'tan, Sadlorisa. Al'doer ulu Uoi'nota.? (Good morning, Sweetheart. Welcome to Hell.) She would not find the drow showing obvious fear, of course. Not yet. That was why she needed to break him. The scene was now set for her interrogation, however. He would know she wasn?t a passive female as most of his kind considered surface women to be.

Speaking to Wolvie, but not diverting her gaze from her prisoner for even a millisecond, ?I greeted him sweetly and welcomed him to the area.? She had no idea if Wolvie could speak Drow but she hadn?t exactly lied. Her words were a greeting and she had welcomed the drow, more or less.

Wolvinator had casually reached into his robe once again, pressing into the left side of his chest as Rayvinn began her questioning of the fallen drow. The drow looked confused. He wasn?t sure what hit him at all. One moment he was taking aim at the elf in the street below and the next, he was looking up at that same elven woman with a firearm pointed right at his head.

?Usstan shlu'ta kyorl nindel.? (I can see that) Was the reply that came from Wolvie, his face as cold and stern as a military commander in combat. He wanted to see what this drow had to say for himself.

It took great self control for Rayvinn not to simultaneously burst into laughter and curse when Wolvie replied in Drow. It was only due to her complete focus upon this drow and maintaining her role as dominant that prevented either of those things from occurring.

?Usstan orn belbau dos uss mayar ulu an'yui ussta mizil'ros. Ka dos hojh ulu xun ji Usstan orn ori'gato dos dro jhal dos orn ann uns'aa ulu elgg dos.? (I will give you one chance to answer my questions. If you fail to do so I will let you live but you will beg me to kill you.) A look of pure disdain crossed her features as she continued to degrade him by saying he would beg.

?Dos orn ann uns'aa jhal Usstan orn naut inbal ka'lith. T'yin Usstan orn plynn dos rath ulu Lialin, siffat d'dosst treemma.? (You will beg me but I will not have mercy. Then I will take you back to Lialin, stinking of your fear) It was important, after all, to be sure she whittled him down and there was no better way than to accuse a drow of being afraid. She had been ready to launch into how he would smell of his own urine and worse but decided fewer words spoke volumes more.

The drow?s crimson eyes widened slightly at the mention of Lialin and Raye gave a knowing smirk, all the while her brain formulated a plan that would get the answers she sought.