"Brother, are you around?" Arli's voice speaks out of the comms waking Orthos up
"Yes, im around, am i needed?"
"There is someone at the inn who wishes to speak with you" Arli continues
Orthos steps out, walking slowly on the streets of Silvermoon City. It is very late at night, so late that Murder Row looks darker than ever.
The arcane light sweeps silently, barely putting out any effort to divulge the rustle that lurks in the darkest of corners.
A cold laughter makes Orthos stop and reach his dagger as his eyes glow greener.
"Don't they ever stop?" Orthos tells himself realizing that the rogue trainer is pushing the poor apprentices beyond their limits with an wicked delight in mocking their every mistake.
He straightens up before stepping into Silvermoon Inn to meet Arli and Lady Fireleaf.
Arli turns to Orthos as he walks in “Brother, Lady Fireleaf wants to talk with you”.
“Let’s have a sit, shall we…Orthos ?” Lady Fireleaf steps from behind Arli with a wicked smile on her face.
They sit at the table. None of them order anything, since this was not a social talk, this was just business.
“I believe that Arli told you about the mission I have for you”
“With little details im afraid “Orthos replies
“There is going to be a meeting involving all noblemen in Silvermoon City. I want to know if any information comes out of that meeting”.
“Again these are little details. We need to be there so that we know what information we’re looking for”. Orthos smiled
“Under no circumstances you’ll be there, Orthos “ Lady Fireleaf smirked at him “and don’t think of spying on us, it’s a small room with no windows and a single door that will be well guarded”.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. If we are to succeed in this task we must know what the meeting is about” Arli insists further
“If not, how are we to know what to look for?” Orthos adds.
Lady Fireleaf sits back, amused by the naïve attempt of the two rogues to use her to gather information on Silvermoon houses.
“Just know that will be something without precedent”
Orthos turns to look at Arli. They exchange looks but no words are spoken as the task is being carefully analyzed in their heads
“We so little information we’ll have to decline this” Orthos tells Ilsinea as he tries to hide the smile on his face.
She sighs, looking disspoainted but surely expecting this. Lady Fireleaf takes out a scroll.
“These are the people im most suspicious of” she adds as she handles Orthos the scroll.
"This will be an easy task for you, im sure you won't have a problem."
Orthos takes the scroll and reads the names written on it. She eyes him coldly waiting for his reply
"Well?"
He passes the scroll to Arli before retrieving it to light it up into a blue flame.
"We will require more money for this!" comes the reply from Orthos and Arli’s face lights up.
"More money, for such a simple task?" Lady Fireleaf asks quite annoyed eyeing Orthos up and down
"With so little information it will not present itself as being so -easy-", Orthos replies as he runs the names in his mind over and over again
Arli stands next to Orthos grining widely and he nods at him.
"We will let you know when it's done..."
The two rogues step up outside Silvermoon Inn as they roll a leaf of bloodthistle neatly. Orthos moves into a dark corner that covers his face completely before he removes his red mask and lights up the thistle.
"This is strange" Orthos speak out to Arli who is standing propped over the wall occasionally sipping from his bourbon.
"Something without precedent..., what does that mean?" Arli returns a confused look to Orhtos as they both try to figure out how to play this task.
"I don't know. If information comes out of the noblemen meeting, than how will we know if what we find out is valid or not?"
Arli shrugs as he takes another smoke keeping an eye out for any bloodknights or worse.
"We approach this the usual way?" Arli asks trying to put some hope into the thick mist that surrounds this task.
"Yes, we get information about everyone on the list, find out who is in debt and would sell information for money, or who is a possible traitor".
"Great, but I'll start tomorrow, i want to catch as much time with Antel as i can"
Orthos smiles amused and stops from giving any mockery to Arli on the subject of his love life.
"we split the list. You take the first half and i will check in on the second half".
Arli nods as he throws out the smoked out thistle and disappears into the shadows "Shadows Protect brother".
[...]
The days pass by. The two rogues sweep through nobleman's homes while their asleep, checking on the registers, and reading their letters. Sometimes the noblemen find them in their homes and call up the guards. But the bloodknights are a lazy bunch, and on almost every occasion they find nothing but a window wide open and a bunch of papers on the floor. But on some occasions they put out quite a fight and nevertheless a chase only to find themselves running into an empty street with only some brooms and cats setting the still night in motion.
"Brother, this is pointless, i found nothing" Arli tells Orthos on a disappointed tone.
"I know, neither did I. Maybe we should just assume that none of the noblemen are selling information"
The two rogues look at one another as they go through the little information they acquired. Moments pass by with no word from one to another. The registers are clean, the letters are useless, most of them speaking of adulterous affairs, and yet... they both have the feeling they missed something.
"There is one thing that keeps on troubling me" Orthos replies to Arli while looking down and trying to make sense of his thoughts.
Arli raises his eyebrow inquisitively at Orthos
"This, magister, has a receipt of selling 50 Plainstriders to Sunfury Society".
"And?" Arli blinks
"Did you see any plainstrider in Quel'Thelas?"
Arli grins. “I will check Silvermoon Registry tonight, and find out where Sunfury Society is located.
[...]
Later that day, they both meet at the Baazar and head towards the Keelen's Trustworthy Tailoring.
"What now?" Orthos asks as they both step into the shadows
"We wait..." Arli replies looking for a place to hide
[...]
"Ahh Magister Suncharger, your presence honors us " The dry skinned warlock exclaimed as he pointed towards the empty chair in front of his desk
"How may we server you?" the warlock continued
The magister put out a fake smile as he graciously sat down on the chair and looked the warlock in the eyes. The leper gnome humbly placed a cup of silverleaf tea on the table in front of the magister, only too terrified to lift his eyes off the ground.
"My servants tell me you need some Plainstriders" the magister continued as he picks up the cup of tea and sips from it.
The warlock smiled wide. The Sunfury Society, the name by which the warlock and his associates go, are a common trade guild to the public eye. Yet they specialize in providing rare and sometimes illegal artifacts in exchange for astronomical prices or good information, and sometimes when the price is right, they even take care of more delicate matters. Sometimes, someone has to die. Sometimes someone has to be intimidated. Sometimes a business has to be sabotaged or a king dethroned. The noblemen contracted the Sunfury on such matters, because people like this warlock don't ask question and not even get their hands dirty. They contract mercenaries who know nothing other than the target and the sum of gold they are to be paid.
"Of course, if the goods are of quality, the Sunfury is always more than happy to trade with you" the warlock continued with the same fake smile on his face.
The magister sips from his cup and then closes to the warlock's ear.
"The noble houses of Quel'thalas have gathered. It was the intention of the ruling personalities of Silvermoon to unify the houses under the name "The Sanguine Assembly". They are to take charge and make it possible for us to grow and reach the glory that was brutally stolen from us".
"Interesting..." the warlock continued “and who runs this ... group?"
"Sunwing, Fireleaf, Sunwhisper and Dawnchaser seem to be the main participants so far that I know of" the magister added while his hands seem to grip the cup of tea harder. "I hope this change in power will not influence our business?"
"Why would it?" the warlock smiled innocently "we're just businessmen after all, and we, pay taxes.[…] Perhaps you could arrange us a meeting with them, magister?"
The magister smiles knowing he can pursue more favors from the Sunfury. "We'll see what i can do".
"Anything more to add?" the warlock asked, waiting for the price the magister is asking in exchange for the meeting with the Sanguine Assembly.
The magister looked around nervous. "Getting you a meeting with them is not gonna be easy you know..." He lets a long pause intentionally
"how much?" the warlock asks.
"Well in addition to the Plainstriders price, i would like a small, meaningless favor".
The warlock picks up a quill and begins to write something on a piece of paper
"My wife, is seeing someone" the magister added clenching his fist
"And how bad does that upset you, magister?" the warlock asks as he lets the quill rest on the table
"Very, very bad" the magister almost groans as he looks the warlock in the eyes.
The warlock points up and one of the leper gnomes runs out with the piece of paper.
"Please, don't be a stranger, magister" The warlock stands and reaches out to shake his hand and with nothing more to say, the nobleman walks out.
[...]
Midday in Silvemroon. The sun gazes warmly over the tall pillars while Lady Fireleaf walks towards the Court of the Sun accompanied by 4 blood knights. Suddenly the wind blows strong, making her stop for a second and the bloodknights reach for their warblades.
She looks around and sighs before she continues to enter the Sunfury Spire and tend to the usual business she tends every day. Later that evening she finds a piece of scroll into her pocket writing the meeting between the Magister and the Sunfury Society. No other details were provided, and the letter is not signed.
She reads it carefully and mumbles out some incoherent words that turns the letter into ash instantly.
“Good” she whispers as she points at a bloodknight who hurries to bow before her.
[…]
“Bring him to me”. She turns her back to the bloodkngiht which runs out and calls for other two guards to assist him.
