It's About, Sending A Message

[Than]

A shadow flickered across the ground in the light of a small torch, flickering in it's holder against a small building. the shadow moved along with it's owner, a night elf, covered from head to toe in clothes, not a single patch of his dark black skin showing. He walked along a narrow street, lined with small shops and a few scattered houses, as he made his way towards a small patch of open cobblestone with a fountain rising in the middle. "I trust that the buildings are set?" "As you instructed, the houses were set without the inhabitants knowledge. I ran the lines to the fountain they're all bound together there." "Very good Alastor, you and the King will be rewarded heavily for this," the night elf said as he took a torch from he wall as they passed.

He walked alongside this shapeshifter until they reached the edge of the courtyard, "Tonight the humans learn, that even with me they are not safe from the revenge my people have, if I have my way the humans will be made to suffer the rest of they're lives as slaves and exiles, just as they treated us. I my envy their system, but their way of life and their decadence is something that I despise," he said softly before reaching into his pocket and sprinkling the green powder onto the torch, the flames suddenly turning green, "everything burns, and the Army of Green Flames is going to prove that."

[Auspice]

A small shadow landed near the fountain. It held the shape of a pigeon, and would have very clearly been one if the light had hit it. The pigeon didn't seem to have any particular business, it was pecking at some invisible bits of food on the ground as pigeons often did.

Auspice was actually intensely interested in what was going on. He'd been pursuing his new obsession every few days, despite Calandra, sneaking out and leaving letters that said things such as 'Shopping, back in a few hours' and 'I just need to stab someone. Be back in the morning.'
But he wasn't stabbing anyone. He was searching. Always searching. He'd pick up bits of information on the Green Flames and just look for them, fly around their old camping places, always one step behind.

The move to the city had pissed him off quite royally. He had gone through quite a lot of trouble in finding proof of the move, and bashed his head against the wall in frustration after each failed search. The city was just too big. How was he supposed to find one Elf in a city that hid hundreds? The Fae were good at hiding in the city, and Than wouldn't be any different.

Then he'd spotted the green torch. He still had three, four hours before Calandra noticed he was gone. Probably. 'Somebody told me they thought I looked fat as a pigeon today. I'm going to pull out his stomach and explain body mass to him.' would buy time, assuming Calandra thought it was funny.
He could do it. He could have Than. He just had to wait for Than to be alone. Delicate, delicate. If he didn't do this perfectly then he wouldn't have what he wanted. Sure, he could just stab the man, but that wasn't any fun. Not when it came to a headache like Than.
Than would admit to each and every failing.
Maybe he would scream. Auspice liked to hear them scream.

The pigeon showed no sign of it's interest in the man with the green torch, though.
It was plotting inwardly, but outwardly it was pecking at invisible bits of food on the ground, and scratching it's head with it's foot every so often, quite adorably.

[Alastor]

Alastor stared at the fire for a second, uninterested by it's color. He'd seen the cheap parlor trick performed on every torch in the City of Thieves when the mysterious night elf, who sauntered up to the King and informed him of his plan to overthrow the Fae Council and destroy the human's influence on Litharia's other species. The King had agreed to finance the little venture and offer a small group of his men to Than, but had specifically said that it was nothing more than economic interest, that the second the Fae got back on their feet and had adopted the human economic system he'd just be stealing from them to. The Night Elf informed him that a thief is always a thief, and he had no plans on changing that.

Suddenly something caught Alastor's attention near the fountain. A pigeon, a simple little pigeon, wait a fat little pigeon, extremely pudgy. What was it doing? Pecking the ground and scratching it's head, making it look adorable, how not cute. Wait! Fat pigeon? Wasn't there a shifter a few years back that spat in the face of his King who could shift into an extremely fat pigeon despite his small size? AUSPICE! That was it, that not so little pigeon had been on the King's 'watch list' for ages. "I think we have company," he whispered to the cloaked night elf, "That fat little pigeon is not as innocent as he appears." His comment and warning made, he pulled the hood of the cloak over his long brown hair.

[Auspice]

With that brilliant, paranoid leap of logic, Than's friend was going to get himself in trouble. You couldn't force a Shifter into his Human form. You simply couldn't do it. You could injure him into his animal form, but you couldn't make it go the other way.
Auspice was a pigeon, and they had no proof otherwise. It was his favorite part of being a pigeon. Pigeons weren't notable birds. It wasn't like he was some albino eagle, or a peacock with purple plumage. He looked like each and every one of the thousands of other pigeons living in the city.
Hundreds of thousands, even.
Paranoia could destroy ya, honest. The longer Auspice acted like a regular old pigeon, the less credible the claim would seem.

Auspice strutted a few feet and hopped onto the ledge of the fountain, where he started taking a bath. This involved the very pigeonish act of flapping his wings around and getting vaguely damp, with a lot of pretending at being clean.

He was vaguely offended. He wasn't the fattest pigeon in the city. He'd named that one Wallace. Wallace probably had a good half pound on him, and that was a lot when you were the size of a bird. Wallace was typically seen nesting with Mildred, who was a close second in size. He liked to throw corn at them when he saw them, just to make sure they stayed plenty fat.
So yeah, he was fat, but he wasn't the fattest. He could go on a diet, but it would really hurt his Human shape. Every time his pigeon shape got close to skinny, his Human shape would start to look like a vegetarian who'd decided vegetables had feelings too.

What he needed was a few more pigeons. He wasn't good with pigeons. He could convince them he was a pigeon too, but he couldn't exactly get them to come over and start crowding. A flock of pigeons would turn him into a needle in a haystack to even the most suspicious onlookers.
For now, he'd just play at being a pigeon and see what happened. If they went after him, he could always fly off into the rafters somewhere like any other startled pigeon.

[Than]

"It doesn't matter, there's nothing they can do to stop us now, too many wheels are turning, too many fuses are already lit," the night elf said as he walked across the intricate cobblestones on his way to the fountain. He then reached it and stepped up onto the edge of the fountain, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen!, " he called out to the houses that surrounded the courtyard. Groggy men and women stared out from behind curtains on second stories , as energetic children could be heard rushing down the stairs and trying to reach high enough to look out the window. Other couples opened their doors only to see they're children race around them and rush towards the center of the courtyard where the two mysterious figures had gathered.

"I represent a group who is trying to make a difference in the world, one life, one city, one species at a time! I lead a group known as the Army of Green flames, a small group, but dangerous to any who oppose it. Now I mean not to harm you tonight, but make no mistake I will not hesitate to do what is necessary. I am here tonight to deliver a message, the murmers of my assent, the rumors of my focus only on destroying the Fae, not helping them... they're all lies, I do what I do to save my once proud race, and if I have to burn this city to the ground I will, make no mistake...," his voice was suddenly interrupted by the loud crashing footsteps of a man running for a side alley, no doubt to raise the alarm, "Alastor."


"As you wish," the shapeshifter replied as he grabbed the dagger from it's sheath and spun, releasing the dagger from his hand and smirking as it drove itself into the neck of the fleeing man. "Anyone else?," Than asked the assembled, "No? What a shame. Either way, this is not, despite your wishes, a night you will easily escape from. This night may well be the last for several of you. You see, I had a dream, a dream that one day the Fae would be able to reclaim their rightful place as the leaders of Litharia, keeping the peace between the species, a dream that everything would be as it once was, as it was supposed to be. However, there is still one little thing that stands in my way, you disgusting filth. That's right, you disgusting filthy humans, who smile through your teeth at us Fae whenever you see us in Spirit, who kill us on the spot in this city, you stand in the way of true justice, and if someone stands in the way of true justice, you simple walk up behind them, and stab them in the heart.

"Now, I am here, for one reason, and one reason only," he said as he jumped off of the fountain and strode up to a couple standing in their doorway with a teenager, about 17, standing beside his father. "We're not scarred of you," the old man challenged. "Pity, you really ought to," Than said as he stabbed the man before taking the thin little boy by the arm and leading him to the fountain. "MY BABY! MY HUSBAND!," the wife wept on her knees beside her husband. "Now my dear boy, I have a message for you to deliver, to the King, ssh, ssh," he comforted him by running a hand down his face, "I need you to tell him that the Fae do not give up easily, and that Than will see to it that his crown is in the Mound before frost sets, got it, good, go." "Kill his mother, and send Trempton to follow him," Than whispered to Alastor before returning his focus to the assembled, "I am not here to kill you, I am only here to send a message, that the Fae will not tolerate the human filth's continued destruction and decadence. If the humans do not cease in their pursuit of destroying all other races, they will be wiped out themselves, everything burns!" He then ran the green torch along the row of fuses that were bound against the fountain in a clump. "You said you weren't going to kill us!," a women from the second story exclaimed as the green flames burnt along the fuses towards the houses. "Yes, but I never said I had to save you," Than said before laughing to himself.

[Auspice]

The pigeon startled as Than made his way on and off the fountain, coming to rest on the balcony of a nearby house. It gave all the appearances of losing interest, picking at it's toes, but it was more interested than ever.

Something very dark had ticked into place in Auspice. So dark as to be unusual in the Shifter. Than was a tricky target, and he'd been fun to hunt down. It wasn't about the game anymore, though. Not for Auspice. His obsession had just become something deeper. A grudge? He wasn't good at grudges. Perhaps he'd just got one.

Than, the bastard, was killing Humans.
He was going on about his dislike for their kind.
They weren't even the vaguely scummish types that Auspice was paid to deal with. They were boring, entirely useless, innocent, civilian Humans.
He was the most disgusting creature in the world, and Auspice was going to hear him scream. He was going to hear him sob, renounce his ways, and Auspice wouldn't let up until he saw a truly broken man. Than would break.

Auspice had no intention of helping the Humans. Humans were resourceful, practical, and way more intelligent than they looked. He envied the Humans, always would. Even if he loved them, Auspice couldn't afford to lose Than over helping them. Somebody else could do that. Instead, he watched Than. He watched him with every last bit of his enhanced magical eyesight. [/size]

[Than]

Than then strode off towards the alley he had used to enter the courtyard, Alastor on his heels, as soon as he had retrieved his dagger and killed the wife, which meant that Than had gone a good ways down the alley when he arrived beside him and fell in step. "You instructed the men to fire at anyone who tried to escape, correct?," he asked as a loud scream tore through the air. "Just as you instructed," Alastor replied as he walked alongside Than. "How long until the...," he was cut off as a loud explosion sounded behind them followed promptly by several terrified screams and yet another explosion. The night elf then turned to look back, his jet black skin illuminated beneath his hood in the sickly green flames. A Smirk crossed his lips before he continued on down the alley, not stopping when a third explosion erupted, followed by a loud ringing, the alarm. He made no move to walk faster and no move to try to hide, he walked slowly onward.

He then reached the door of a small two story building set into the side of the alley where a few scattered voices were coming from just as a fourth explosion rang out and hooves started to thunder down parallel alleys in search of the perpetrators, or at least that was all they could really search for. He had discovered a plant in the Northern Tangle that provided a stable food source and "shelter" for the fire, this allowed the vibrant green flames to burn for days before they could be extinguished, so the houses would burn long after The Army of Green Flames. After all he wasn't there to say hello and then leave, it wasn't about the journey, it wasn't about the life's he took, It was about sending a message.

[Auspice]

The pigeon startled and soared up over the burning houses, unharmed thanks to it's foreknowledge of the blast. It had a little trouble with the subsequent disturbance in the air waves, but stuck it out like any truly motivated bird ought to.

It caught a breeze, lazily rode it in the same direction as the elf, and landed on the roof of a nearby building. It didn't wait very long before it decided to dive. This dive brought it straight down, where it landed rather precociously on the Night Elf's shoulder. Some observer might have assumed that he was a pet of some sort.

Then he shifted. "Bastard." The change in shape had done quite a bit for Auspice's position. He was bound to be crushing down on Than's spine, for one, feet carefully balanced on his shoulders, one hand busy pinching his nose shut to prevent screaming. "Your Army needs me. We have business to attend to. You'll meet me two streets down. Alone. There's an alleyway on the left, easy to spot. Company isn't welcome, and I'll kill them if they show. I understand that this is how you tend to treat others, so you'll understand the importance to security."

He jumped and shifted back to a bird without bothering to wait for a reply. Than would be tempted to show. He needed to recruit immoral psychopaths like Auspice. It wasn't like Than to drop a chance like this.

He flitted rather easily off to the designated alleyway, skipping over all of those annoying streets and buildings. Straight to the point. He had no trouble hiding his tiny pigeon form in the shadows, now he just had to wait..

l[/color]

[Than]

Than watched as the "little" pigeon fluttered down onto his shoulder and then suddenly a naked creep stood on his shoulders holding his nose. The nerve of some people, stand above someone and talk down to them as if they knew them so well, to think. Well he listened, not to closely, but enough to know where to go. Then suddenly the weight on his shoulders was gone and the pigeon flew off towards the alley, "Sir?" "Alastor, you heard the man, no body is to follow me, but maybe a little animal will be scavenging the rooftops," he said winking before walking off towards the alley he had been instructed towards, "This should be fun."

Screams still filed the air, panic stricken women ran by in a fury, hooves thundered by as he made his way to the dark alleyway. It was calmer here, most likely part of the King of Thieves territory, used to the panic and terror, the disturbances frequently made by the King and his men. But he didn't let that fool him as he walked into the shadows and removed his hood, "Well Death Pigeon, what do you want?," he said as he walked into the light glow from a window, "Oh, yes, I know who you are, do you really think that an army of such cunning villains, thieves, and otherwise 'deathwishers' wouldn't notice the Death Pigeon following their army like a stray dog who some misguided fool fed scraps? I think not." He then shifted slightly, "Now what do you want?"

[Calandra]

A small gaseous ball floated only inches away from the head of a night elf, one that Auspice had obviously no love for. It was commendable really, how adept the pigeon-shifter was at escaping, but alas, Loki had hundreds of years of experience in his arsenal.

Loki flashed once in greeting, very faint, but visible to the pigeon in the corner if it were paying attention before he drifted silently upwards, resting himself in the shadows at the shifter’s back, still unseen by the elf or his little rat that stalked the rooftops. He could only wonder just how stupid this man was to have fallen into the age-old trick of an empty alleyway.

The will-o’-the-wisp crouched in hiding, his amethyst eyes and cream-striped red fur nearly colorless and invisible in the dusky light. The use of his powers made his form paler, less tangible and nearly translucent. If they wanted to find him they would have to either know he was there or step on him, a perfect guise for spying on unruly slaves.

Than began to speak, calm, collected, and most of all arrogant. Loki narrowed his violet eyes in dislike. There were many forms of arrogance, and this man’s came from the easy life of the Fae mixed with madness and violence. He had no right to be so sure of himself, especially when he couldn’t even take down a pigeon by himself.

But Loki had been following Auspice for a long while now, and he had discovered everything he needed to know about this elf, Than. If Auspice decided to fight, Loki would help. On one hand, this man truly deserved to be killed, on the other, Loki just plain liked Auspice. It definitely would not do to let his companion’s new slave be killed by an elf and his pet right?

[Auspice]

Auspice caught Loki's flash of light when it happened and instantly started to revise his plan. Loki knowing about his excursions didn't guarantee that Calandra knew, but it did mean that Auspice would have to watch himself. Calandra could show up at any moment if the thing had been sent ahead to find him. He'd just have to make it quick, then. Auspice shoved all of his worries to the back of his head. He had business to attend to, Than was already speaking after all.

Auspice shifted, appearing behind Than towards the mouth of the alley, and sat himself down on a convenient box. "I'm currently in debt to a Daemon by the name of Calandra. She's high ranking. She works directly with Gabriel the Daemon Lord. I can get you full names, if you can guarantee my freedom." Not likely. Auspice wouldn't be stupid enough to discuss this kind of betrayal in front of Loki.

"I'm glad you decided to show, Than." Auspice leaned over to get a better look at Than, chin resting on his fist. He was keeping his voice steady, like a good business man ought to. "You need me, I need you. It's a good deal. How many spies are watching us right now, do you think. Two? Three? Call yours off and I'll call mine off. Bring them down here so I can see them if you like." That was a gamble at best. Than didn't seem like the kind to go in without backup, he probably had a few minions lurking about somewhere. Now he just had to hope that Loki was willing to show himself when the time came. "Honestly, I'm not going to kill you Than. That contract dried up when I failed to kill you in the desert. If I'm not getting paid, I hardly see any point in making an enemy of you."

[Than]

Than listed as the shifter talked, intrigued slightly by his predicament, but no smile crossed his lips, he knew this man could be useful. Besides, it was better to have a madman in your army where you can watch him then out in the world where he could be hiding behind any bush, any tree. Then the shifter muttered something about his own men watching them, ha, he knew enough about the shifter to know he worked alone, but let him think what he wants. And then he said two or three men where watching them now, he knew of only one, and he had been given orders to take out anyone that lined the rooftops in wait, Alastor was the best, he could do it, right?

"I hardly see any point in killing you," Than smirked as he stared slightly at the shifter, "however, I am ready to, if it comes to that." He then snapped his fingers and the small pine marten scampered down the alley and shifted beside Than, "I'm sure you remember Alastor?" He then smirked widely before continuing, "So, Death Pigeon, what are your plans, I mean you certainly didn't plan to kidnap someone with as much influence as me and just tell them you were joining me. I mean surely you have some kind of business proposal, some kind of reason you want to join. I might be able to...," his eyes scanned the area, "relieve, you from your current obligations, but then again, daemons are such fickle beasts, a safe transaction may not be able to occur. However, I see potential in you, make your proposal and then we'll see if the Army of Green Flames is right for you."

[Calandra]

Loki glided out of his hiding place with a dangerous, wild look in his eyes. Somehow, his claws seemed a little longer, deadlier, and his near satanic smile showed off curved teeth sharper than glass.

The will-o’-the-wisp, though about the size of a medium-small dog, weighed almost nothing as he jumped lightly to stand on Auspice’s shoulder.

“Hello cocky bitch.” Loki greeted Than in a harsh, purring whisper. “I like your rat. I think he should look like that all the time. It would probably be an improvement if you did as well.” The cat-like creature watched the elf closely, with mocking eyes that held no pupil.

“And seriously, Death Pigeon, Army of the Green Flames? Have you no imagination at all? I mean my god, I’ve seen Nyeene with better naming skills, and they’re sheep! ” Loki’s voice held biting sarcasm and amusement, not disturbed by the prospect of a fight at all. If they really thought Auspice was of use to them then they would not kill his companion/bored stalker either.

[Auspice]

"Well, they do call me Deathp-" Auspice paused to look at Loki for a moment. Had he just called Than a bitch?
Well then.
"This is Loki." He patted the Will-O-Wisp's head breifly.

Auspice nodded at the shifter. "Alastor." He didn't feel any need to side with his own kind, but that didn't stop him from respecting them. Alastor's skills were respectable, even if he always seemed to be on the wrong side. Auspice couldn't recall working with him even once.

"What I want is rather simple, really. I want the relative freedom of my life before slavery. There are fools who willingly get themselves into situations with Daemons, and I am not one of them." True, true. Best to stick to the truth whenever possible. "I could work for you. I will not openly slaughter hundreds just to prove a point, I am far too sophisticated for that bullshit. Precision assassination is what I offer. I won't grovel or obey nonsense orders like your current assassin, of course. I've got too much pride for that. If you want delicacy, though, I'm your man. I could even do the work for free if you promised to keep the Daemons out of my hair."

How much did Loki know about the situation so far? Auspice would have to explain it to him later, and hope that he was all for going along with the gambit in the meantime. He'd never seen Auspice at work before, a disadvantage in partners. If Loki saw this as honest, outright betrayal of Calandra things could start falling apart fast.

"The Daemons: If you'd like I could start my first assignment with them. I would get their full names for you eventually. Remember, we're talking about two Daemon leaders here. The Daemon Lord being one of them, at that! Your power in Daemon matters would be unmatched."

Time was running out. Auspice needed to get Than, and soon. "Well, am I worth it, Than?"
If he got the Elf to follow him indoors, Loki could probably pick off the weasel assassin without much trouble. Then it would just be a matter of finishing the man. "I'm desperate, you know. Otherwise I would never have come to an organized military like yours for help. I don't need your trust, but I do need your protection. I'm always good at paying back debts of this nature."

[Than]

"You make an intriguing offer, pigeon, however, my ranks are fine as they are," Than said calmly as he walked past him and onto the street, "You see, despite your obvious, finesse, it's obvious that you want more from me then a place to work, you see I am not the kind of person who offers sanctuary for the uncouth, I offer vengeance for wrongs left unpaid." He then drew closer, "Also, Alastor does not work for me as my... bitchslave, he is merely here because of his loyalty to the King of Thieves, the second I take the Mound, he's gone like fog on the bogs. And for someone who idolizes a cat with a torch stuck in it's throat and tosses flaming bottles of booze at your "targets", your in poor position to say that you have delicacy, that your refined."

He drew closer yet to where he was almost on top of the shifter, "So, I'm going to have to respectfully decline your request to join our team, you see all of our slots are filled, and I have no need for someone who works within the daemon sector, for quite bluntly, I wish not to involve them. They are of no use to me, and as of now they are no threat," he then snapped his fingers and Alastor shifted before racing off. "But, I do have one last little question to ask you before I leave," he then took the shifter by the chin and lifted his face up to where it was level with his eyes, "Tell me Auspice, what do you fear?" he then stared directly into the eyes of Auspice, unlocking the power he had recently acquired whilst searching the King of Thieves stores, the power to unlock a person's fears just by lock eyes with them.

[Auspice]

"Loki, show him what we're all afraid of." He had to keep a cool head. This was magic, and it was working it's way into his head pretty quickly. He was already caught, after all. Auspice was relying almost completely on Loki's help at this point. It was embarrassing. Disgusting.

He kept eye contact (he had to, really), and stared quite defiantly back at the Elf. "What do I fear, Than? I fear Gabriel the Daemon Lord. Calandra to a lesser degree. I've learned to fear all Daemons, but those two are far more dangerous than any typical Daemon you might meet on the street. Small spaces throw me off. Women scare me when they get too close. I fear getting too close to others, messy emotional connections. I can't lose them, you know. It's disgusting. So easy to lose somebody in a world like this. Father, the bird Shaman... Disease, murder, jealousy... everything and everyone wants to take your special people aw-" Auspice bit his own tongue here, and started coughing.
Five seconds to think of a plan. Twist the fears. Reflect them towards Than's own ego.

He composed himself after the coughing fit, a good string of ideas already twisting his words around.
"Away. I fear losing everything. I do collect things, you know. It's rather sick in a Shifter, we're not collectors by nature. You collect people, you would understand.
I fear death. That one is simple. I've seen far too many people cross over ungracefully to believe I'll have a painless death. I've always believed in some sort of divine justice, karma, whatever you want to call it. Men like us don't do so well in the afterlife, Than. Final judgment is rarely pretty for us.
I fear things worse than death, too. Imprisonment, blindness, loss of mobility... I've seen the King of Thieves deal them out to others in the past. That's why I don't fear loneliness, the solo act. I'm good at watching my own back, that isn't a fear of mine. You need people under you, don't you Than? Minions? Blind followers? You should fear me, Than. I don't think like you."
He could feel some vomit rising in his throat, probably a side-effect of resisting the spell. No matter, Auspice was done. He had a few petty fears in him, like cats, but Than wouldn't need them, and he'd already said quite enough.[/color]

[Calandra]

What everyone fears, eh?
Loki stood still for a moment, listening to Auspice until he felt satisfied. For all that he appeared, the shifter definitely had normal fears, and his priorities straight. It took a strong will to combat a spell like that, and Auspice held out longer than most.
Didn't even pass out, though he did look ready to lose his lunch.

Loki decided enough was enough.
The will-o'-the-wisp curled himself around Auspice's neck a little tighter and thrust his head in between the shifter's gaze and the elf's, breaking eye contact so that the spell could not continue. For a moment he felt the horrible, gut-churning fear that the spell itself brought on, before he gave a silent snarl and began to fight back.

Loki let his eyes go blank and unfocused before gathering up his will in a tidy ball of power. His eyes swirled and faded from amethyst to a pale, dead white and then he pushed with all of his strength.

In theory it would slap the spell back and inflict it upon its user, if not, it would surely shatter and hurt like hell. Perhaps give the elf a piercing headache as well.

"Leave my pigeon alone, bitch." Loki panted, a defiant snarl still prominent in his voice. Color began to creep slowly back into his eyes as he added with a ghostly smile, "If anyone is going to turn his brain to mush, it's gonna be me."

[Than]

Interesting fears poured out of the ignorant shifters mouth as Than's eyes focused on the iris' of the "man". He could tell that there was resistance against the spell, feel it pushing back against his forehead as he tried to coax more out of him. Finally Auspice made the worst move he commented that Than should fear him, the nerve of the fool, Than fear him, he had now idea that he was looking into the eyes of the most powerful creature in Litharia, he had burned villages to the ground, destroyed lives, wiped out an entire race of elves who hid in the swamps, he had the power to evoke fear in the fearless. But then that dang floating cat who looked like he had gotten a lantern stuck in his throat, and might very well have gotten a crab stuck up it's butt, had to interfere and try to break the spell, or maybe not break, maybe the cat of death was trying to send the spell back at him?

It didn't matter anymore anyways he broke the spell off and stood up straight, the force of the break causing him to waver slightly and have a massive headache which dissipated in an extreme uncomfortable way that forced him to screw up his face in pain, before he shook his head and turned his attention to the two, vermin. This was not over, but he had things to do, he had people to kill, things to burn, council's to overthrow, so he had, but one choice, the Gaze of the Void, if that didn't work, then he might have to call in his other assassins, you see Alastor had not ran off to just run off, he had strict orders to get his colleagues and place them around the alley, each with a special, and very hot, surprise.

[Auspice]

"Loki? No eye contact. He's got some nasty magic. Find me a weapon, anything sharp would do." Auspice bit his lip and rolled over the back of his box. Crouching, he watched for Than, eyes always on the Elf's feet. Feet, after all, said a lot about a person. If Than moved, his feet would announce it rather clearly. "So, deal's off? Not good for you, Than. You need someone who thinks like me."

He scurried around the box and grabbed than around the ankle. Just like a Shifter to fight dirty, eh? Hey, pigeons couldn't carry knives around with them. "You need somebody who can think like a chronic backstabber if you want to avoid backstabbing. You trust your underlings to be stupid far too often, Than. Self preservation is a powerful motivator, you ought to watch yourself."

He sighed, shut his eyes in hope that it would prevent Than's magic, and bit the elf's ankle. He couldn't let go quite yet. Than wouldn't escape. Never. Auspice had done far too much tracking, far too much work to let him slip through his fingers again. He would rather latch on like an angry leech than let Than go again.

He needed help. Than's troops could already be gathering around them, boxing him in. Auspice figured he might already be trapped in a shrinking ring of enemies. So, what? Would this become a desperate suicide mission? Killing Than would be a nice way to go out. People remembered the kind of men who killed tyrants like Than.
If he ran out of options, there was always flight. He could fly away and plan his next attack in the meantime.

[Calandra]

Calandra sighed, thinking back on Loki's words. "Wait two hours, and then find me, Auspice is going to do something stupid. Just follow the noise." Without waiting for a reply he ran off in the direction of the city.

The daemon had fumed for a while, contemplating whether or not to leave early, but decided to respect the little pest's wishes. As aggravating as Loki was, he usually knew what he was talking about, and if he said to wait two hours, then waiting two hours was the smartest thing to do.

Calandra loitered around for a while, practicing deadly swings of her sword to keep the boredom at bay. Eventually her curiosity became too much and she left about a half an hour early, running at top speed for the city.

It turned out to be a good idea.

What could only be described as a small army surrounded some tiny alleyway, one the daemon had only found because of Loki, who floated just high enough to be seen. Calandra snarled and plucked a deeply serrated dagger out of her boot, as well as drawing her sword.

As angry as she was, the daemon had to be impressed. Auspice made someone mad enough to think they needed an army to kill him? Apparently Calandra had underestimated him.

She dove into the unsuspecting army with a feral growl, laughing aloud as soldiers screamed in pain. They were poorly trained, at least by Calandra's standards and were grossly unprepared for a daemon in bloodlust.

She cut through the men quickly, leaving a bloody trail of pain and death in her wake. Suddenly she broke free, landing in a hunter's crouch about three feet away from a night elf. Auspice, was..Biting his ankle?

Calandra stood with predatory grace, staring down the man with huge, blazing eyes. It simply took all she had to not attack the man then and there; the battle lust was so strong. She was wild-eyed and soaked with blood, her mouth curved into a smile that showed off her elongated teeth quite nicely.

The city fell silent, save the pained and terrified screams of the wounded. Calandra didn't loosen up her stance at all as she spoke, her voice level but strained in an attempt to stay calm. "I've come for the shifter."