Crystalline snowflakes fell slowly from the gray sky above Hiadref, creating a fresh layer of powder over the already compacted precipitation on the ground. The trade district was particularly quiet, the colder temperatures keeping most of the Hifae citizens in their homes. Most of the vendors remained open, catering to the few who dared to brave the cold. A figure walked slowly down the main street of the district, fur lined leather boots crunching against the snow. A heavy fur cloak hung from the figure, clinging to an obviously female silhouette. The hood was drawn about the woman's head so as to shield her from the cold.
It did not take much further for the woman to reach her destination. She pushed open the door to a small shop, signage indicating that it sold various books and manuscripts. Upon entrance, a kindly looking man glanced up at her from the shop's counter, offering her a warm smile. He was balding, indicating that he was coming past middle aged, and wore glasses down towards the tip of his slightly crooked nose. "G'day M'lady," he said, the tone of his voice just as kind as his appearance. The rest of his appearance matched that of the Hifae, as was custom - foreigners were not allowed to run businesses within the limits of the city of Hiadref. "Must say I'm a bit surprised to see anyone venture out in this cold and snow!"
The woman lowered her hood, curled crimson locks falling out from their confinement, falling past well past her shoulder blades. "Aye, the air certainly carries a bit of a chill this day," she said, offering the shopkeeper a warm smile in return. "However, I am only in Hiadref for a short time, and I could not pass up the chance to visit this shop. I've heard tell that you manage to acquire many rare… packages, and I happen to be interested in such," she said, the warm smile beginning to fade from her lips, shifting into something a bit more sinister. The man narrowed his eyes at her slightly, as though to scrutinize her.
"You've heard utter rubbish, then, M'lady," he said, rather dismissively. He turned away from her, busying himself with a stack of books. She cleared her throat, however, and he looked up at her once more.
"It's not rubbish, Mordecai," she said, using the shop keepers name. His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, though he was cut short by the woman speaking once more. "Do you remember, some time back, you struck a deal with a woman? She was about my height, but very dark skin and hair? She promised that you would be able to conduct the… business… that you wished, without any interference or chance of being caught?" The man opened his mouth once more to speak, but the red-haired woman merely held up a hand towards him. It was clear within a moment, however, that the gesture alone was not intended to silence him, as tendrils of black shadow materialized, wrapping themselves about the shopkeepers' throat. He made a choking noise and seemed to understand. The woman lowered her hand and the tendrils vanished, leaving the Hifae man clutching at his throat and gasping for breath - however, he remained silent and allowed her to continue speaking.
"I'm just here to… check in on things," she said, her eyes piercing into his own. "Take me to them," she said. The shopkeeper merely stared at her and did not move, until she lifted her hand as though to strangle him once more. He immediately jumped into motion and beckoned for her to follow. She did, and he led her back to the storage area through a door behind the counter. Shelves of books lined the walls, and Mordecai walked up to one in particular. He grabbed one book, pulled out on it slightly, and the bookcase slid to the side, revealing another door. He fished a key out from his waist satchel and unlocked the door. The two stepped inside.
The next scene was far from pleasant. Several girls, most appearing to be of Adelunian origin, were chained to the wall in various states of injury and undress. In the back corner, there lay four or five corpses, each one of another similar looking girl. The corpses appeared to have been there for some time, given the smell and state of decay. "You've been sloppy," the woman said to the shopkeeper, gesturing towards the pile of decomposing bodies. "City guard is on to you - the keeper at the apothecary next store has been able to smell them for days," she said, her nose crinkling up in disgust. "I'm disappointed, Mordecai. You seemed to have potential, but instead, you've wasted the gift my mistress granted me the ability to give you, and now I've had to come back and clean up after you."
The woman waved her hand towards the girls in the room, the same shadowy tendrils snaked their way around the throats of each of the girls chained up, though they seemed to be much more aggressive in their constriction. Within moments, all of the girls went from gasping for breath to lying dead on the floor. She lowered her hand and turned back to Mordecai, whose eyes had widened in utter terror. "You see, that dark skinned woman? My old body. I like this one much, much more. Jazrael, in case you don't remember my name," she said, holding out a hand towards him as if she wanted him to shake it in some ritual of formal introduction. He merely stared at her. "Rude," she muttered and lowered her hand.
"So, last we spoke I told you I would arrive for payment when it suited me. Your operation is no longer sustainable. You see, Lady Dalanesca was able to reap the souls of many ruiners from your work," she began, her explanation coming out as a bit of a tale. "All those men who paid you handsomely to come in and rape them, hurt them.. kill them…" she trailed off, her tongue darting out across her lips, wetting them. "Since you will no longer be able to keep this… business afloat, I've come to collect." Mordecai began to reach for the satchel of coins on his waist. "Not your silver, not your gold… not your rarest manuscript in your inventory," she said. "My mistress requires something much more valuable."
Once more, she raised her hand to Mordecai. This time, however, no tendrils wrapped about the man's neck. Jazrael's eyes turned a deep crimson red, and as she smiled deviously at the man, his skin began to rot much as the discarded corpses of the women in the corner. "She'd much rather have your soul," she said, watching as the man fell to the floor, in a state of decomposition far to advanced for a man who had just been killed.
Satisfied with herself, Jazrael walked back out of the hidden room and out of the shop, exiting back into the falling snow, not bothering to raise her hood this time - her face darkened with the satisfaction of the deed she had just comitted. As she exited, the city guard could be seen in the distance, clearly on their way to investiage the shop she had just exited. She smiled to herself and continued to slowly walk down the road, no real destination in mind.