Marth and Dalanesca appeared just outside Wyllmochvar’s walls, prompting surprise by some onlookers and a lazy wave from the guards. Marth immediately went up to the gate, where a guard held out his hand in a ‘halt’ fashion. Marth complied, eyeing the guard, waiting for him to say something.

“Halt. You bear the robes of a republican battlemage, yet you carry armour and insignias of other origins. Explain.” The guard looked buff, about an inch taller than Marth himself, and seemed to be an officer of some kind. Marth calmly replied in a formal tone.

“Afternoon, Sergeant. I am Marth Coralax, formerly captain in the expeditionary forces. I’m here to report for debrief following an unsuccessful mission.” To this, the guard perked an eyebrow. He looked at the other guards, who just shrugged.

“And who is your commanding officer?” The guard captain asked, slightly less sure of himself.

“Senator Kavesz Morlaverli orchestrated my mission. I was supposed to report directly to him, but I’m inclined to take it to the attorney general instead. Is Rochla Dritarvje still in office?”

The guard looked a little puzzled, but beside the armour and extra insignias, Marth did indeed appear to be what he claimed to be. Eventually the guard sighed. “She was elected as supreme justice a year ago. The attorney general’s office is currently occupied by Dimitri Sochav. Has a crime been committed?”

Marth held up a hand, indicating that he wanted the sergeant to stop inquiring. “That’s a matter for judicial authorities, not the city guard. I can go myself, or you can escort me.”

The guard looked at his post, which was somewhat understaffed. Customs had the majority of the manpower there, and so the sergeant wound up resigning to his fate. “You may go ahead. Is your companion armed?” he asked, gesturing to Dalanesca.

“To the teeth,” Marth replied flatly. “Why?” The guard sergeant looked thoroughly perplexed at the reply, but there was no law against carrying weapons in the city. In the end, Marth’s reply simply meant that he knew full well how the law worked - and the city guard was not at liberty to stop people who wasn’t carrying contraband. Soon, Marth and Dalanesca were through the gates.

Marth handed the cheque Martin had written up for him. “Hail a gondola and have them take you to the money changer at the harbour. Withdraw half in cash and the rest in value papers. Make a point of using some of those papers to rent the private use of a courier or two at the messenger’s guild, next to the customs house. Send each of them about three days away from the city. Then meet me at the courthouse. If I’m not in the reception, just wait.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned. “See you in a few hours, milady,” he said, walking off to get to work.

Dalanesca could immediately sense that her powers were somewhat diminished as the two appeared in Wyllmochvar.  Upon her ascension, she had been informed that the powers of the divine were quite diluted in Parvpora, mostly due to the fact that most Parvporan citizens did not believe in them.  She had mentally prepared herself for such, but the fact remained that it was still an odd feeling.  

Dalanesca fell into step next to Marth, stopping just behind him at the gate when the guard commanded them to cease further movement.  Marth did not seem worried, so in turn she remained calm as the guard questioned Marth, not paying much mind to her at the current moment.  She could pick up most of what the two were saying, but judged the situation based off of Marth’s body language rather than what was being said.

When she could feel that the subject turned to her, she watched Marth closely to make sure the situation was still under control.  The topic seemed to be whether or not she was armed, and she had a split second where she was worried about whether or not their plans were going to go as expected.  She could see the look of slight confusion crossing the guard’s face, but it seemed that all was well and the two were able to make their way through the city gates.

Holding her hand out, she took the cheque from Marth, tucking into one of the pouches attached at her waist.  She listened closely, taking in each instruction that he gave her.  It was now that she was grateful that she still possessed her skill set from her days as an assassin, as until she tried she was still unsure how powerful her magic would actually be while they were in Wyllmochvar.  The instructions that he gave her seemed simple enough, and she nodded, giving Marth a smile.  “Understood,” she said, smiling as he kissed her cheek.  “Until then, love,” she said, turning to walk towards an area in which she could catch a ride with a gondola.

After two unsuccessful attempts to hail a gondola - thanks in part to her lack of capability to verbally speak Wyllmochvarian - she finally managed to flag one down.  Climbing in, she choppily gave instructions to where she was headed.  It took a few tries, but she was able to explain to the gondolier where she needed to go.

After a short wait and no issues, Dalanesca was able to have the cheque changed for cash and value papers, in the method of which Marth had told her to do so.  It did not take her long to find a message house, and she was able to secure two couriers, sending each of them about three days’ travel away from Wyllmochvar in opposite directions, just as she had been instructed.  She then made her way to the courthouse, entering the reception area.  Aside from a few looks at her out-of-the-ordinary way of dress and non-Wyllmochvarian appearance, she drew no attention - nor did she see Marth.  She sat down on one of the benches scattered throughout the reception area, waiting for him to arrive.

Marth wasted little time getting to Wyllmochvar’s army headquarters, situated directly next to the Mage Academy. With the foot traffic in the area, few offered Marth more than a single glance - when he proceeded inside to speak with a court-martial counsellor, a few questions were asked about the unfamiliar insignias on his robes, but Marth managed to persuade the security guards that it was all just a matter of misinformation in case he was killed in combat. When he announced that he had been MIA for over two years, it did not take long until the current incumbent of the attorney general’s office - essentially chief prosecutor of the court-martial - to ask to do the debriefing personally. So it was that a mere forty-five minutes passed since Marth separated from Dalanesca until he got an audience with the man he wanted to see.

Marth knew that identification, admittance of life (he was presumed dead), and the debrief itself could take hours. Indeed, the identification process alone took an hour. The debrief was the most difficult challenge, however - his possession, his capture by the Fellhunter Fraternity, his exorcism, and his subsequent personal quest was a difficult thing to properly explain. Marth did of course leave out his relationship with one of Canelux’s deities; Wyllmochvarian military personnel was prohibited from having religious obligations. Finally, after more than four hours of intensive questioning, Marth got his verdict: He was stripped of his rank and had to deliver his robes in, as they carried insignias he was no longer permitted to wear. He was, however, not indicted with any crimes until the Fellhunter Fraternity had been consulted, and had freedom of the city - he also got to keep the Dragon Lance. Marth was given a new set of robes - purple with gilded edges - until such a time when his rank could be reassumed. And so, clad in new robes, with his old armour and weapon, he left the attorney general’s office after five gruelling hours of debrief, and saw a welcome sight in the hallway, just as the sun was dipping into the horizon.

Marth went over to Dalanesca and gave her a quick kiss. “Well, they didn’t throw me in prison for desertion, which is good. I can’t leave the city, but I planned for that contingency. Now all we have to do is wait. I assume I’ll be summoned to Kavesz’s office sometime in the morning,” he explained, before yawning rather loudly. “I trust you had no problems dealing with your end, so let’s just find a decent inn and bunker in for the night, hm?” Marth looked positively exhausted. Remaining calm without Dalanesca present had proven a bit difficult, and had required a lot of focus. “I could use some rest,” he added.

Dalanesca felt herself growing a bit impatient as she waited for Marth, but she knew that it would be no fault of his own - she would be surprised if he purposely kept her waiting without there being a damn good reason for it.  Rather than becoming upset at the amount of time she was waiting for him, she sat on the bench, making small conversation with the different people that took up a seat beside her at various points throughout the time.  When she had been left alone again, she found that her hand had drifted to lay over her stomach.

Though she was not visibly pregnant yet (truthfully, Angela had told her that she was no more than a day along), the thought was still bouncing around in her mind, and the hand resting over her stomach seemed to be out of pure instinct rather than anything else.  About the same moment, and elderly woman came and sat next to her.  She gave the woman a soft smile, and the newcomer’s eyes drifted down to her hand on her stomach.

“Having a little one?” she asked, the familiar accent of her voice giving way to Dalanesca that the older woman was from Adeluna.  She broadened her smile a bit and nodded to the woman.

“I am,” she said, with a smile. “Have only just found out,” she said, laughing a bit nervously.  The old woman smiled at her and lay her hand on her shoulder.

“Child, I can see that you’re nervous - but you’ve nothing to worry about.  I can tell just from looking at you that you’re fit to be a mother - this little one is going to have a life of love,” she said, and got up.  The old woman walked away just as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving Dalanesca with a sense of calm.

She sat back, watching the traffic in and out of the court house, her mind drifting to the life with Marth that lay ahead of her.  She was in a bit of a dream like state when he arrived, coming out of her reverie as he gave her a quick kiss.  “I’m glad to see you’ve not been incarcerated,” she said, with a raised eyebrow - she had been unaware that there had been a chance of that.  Granted, she would have easily been able to get him out - her powers were weakened, not gone - but she knew that would have completely thrown off their plans.  

“I had no problems with the tasks you gave me,” she said, fishing in her pouch for the remainder of the hanged monies to give to him.  “Here,” she said, pressing them into his hands.  “You’ve changed,” she said, taking in the appearance of his new clothing.  “Ah well,” she said, with a bit of a smile.

“Sleep sounds lovely,” she said.  “I’ve taken in an awful lot of information in the past day or so, and I wouldn’t mind shutting my mind off for a bit,” she added.  “Lead the way to an inn, if you would?  I’m sure you’re more familiar with the territory than I am,” she said, though one of her hands trailed down his arm slightly.  “Though.. Just how tired are you?” she said, with a bit of quirked eyebrow.  She was tired, but being in the same room as Marth and a bed seemed to be rather detrimental to her getting any sleep.  If he was up for it, she had a feeling that the two of them would have a bit of a romp before bed - but if not, she would be completely content curling up beside him if nothing than to be near him.

Marth smirked as Dalanesca asked him just how tired he was. “Oh, I am certain i can muster some energy still,” he said, subtly giving Dalanesca’s backside a squeeze. “There’s a large number of good inns nearby, often frequented by officers or wealthy students,” he said, grabbing Dalanesca’s arm and leading the way to one he had visited often while he was still a student. “At least now sex can’t offer us any more surprises,” he joked as they went along, crossing a bridge where three gondoliers were arguing loudly over who had the right of way.

After a few minutes, they came to a large building, which looked something like a villa. Marth led Dalanesca in, and proceeded to rent a room from the tavernkeep - someone Marth was not familiar with. Marth ordered a bottle of wine and a tray of fruit to bring up to the room, deciding he didn’t want to stick around for long enough for the students in the place to start asking him questions.

When the two were finally in their room, Marth shed his weapon and armour. The room was spacious, with a king-sized bed, a bath tub with a tap, a vanity for grooming and a number of other comforts - there was also a bookshelf with a number of Wyllmochvar’s currently best-selling tomes, which ironically enough was mostly romance novels. He went over to the table and poured two glasses of wine. “To you,” he said, raising the glass. “The sexiest of the triune,” he continued with a grin, taking a few healthy sips of the glass.

Once the glass was empty, Marth proceeded to wrap his arms around Dalanesca, smiling. “So… How about that recreational activity,” he said with a smirk, his hands gliding down to Dalanesca’s backside again. He leaned in to give her a kiss, after which he whispered in her ear. “I’d like you to resist a bit,” he said, before going into character.

His hands grasped Dalanesca’s, and he began pushing her towards the bed, procuring from a pouch on his belt a pair of handcuffs. There was a bit of a struggle, but Marth eventually got Dalanesca over to the bed, cuffing her hands to a bedpost, before stripping her of her armour and whatever was beneath. What followed was an hour or so of pretty intense lovemaking, fortunately in the privacy of a sound-proofed room.

The next morning, things went more or less as Marth expected them to. He got up in time to enjoy a bit of wine and fruit left over from the previous night before a knock could be heard on the door. “Marth Coralax. Senator Kavesz Morlaverli requests your presence,” said a gruff voice from the other side of the door. Marth leant over to Dalanesca and gave her a quick kiss. “Play along,” he said, softly. “One moment!” he said, grabbing his trousers, shirt, robes, and belt, and putting them on in something of a hurry. While he did so, he looked at Dalanesca, mouthing three words - one night stand. Waiting for Dalanesca to grab her stuff, he eventually opened the door, to face a young, neatly groomed, black-haired mage in official-looking clothes. “Hang on a second,” he said to the man. He then turned to Dalanesca, looking angry. “Come on, woman, get out of here! We’re done!” He gave her a slap on the ass as she left the room, chuckling. Keep tabs on this guy, he thought to himself as he watched her leave. “Alright, give me a moment to suit up properly,” he said.

A few minutes later, Marth Coralax followed the young mage towards the senatorial quarter, preparing for what he figured would be the most delicate and perhaps perilous part of his plan.

Dalanesca found herself pleased that Marth understood why she asked just how tired he was, and that he seemed to be quite on the same page that she was.  She giggled softly as he grabbed her arm and tugged her along with him.  She assumed they were heading to an inn, and when they approached the villa-esque structure that seemed to be the destination that Marth had in mind, she raised her eyebrows.  It was much nicer than the inns she was used to in Canelux - but Wyllmochvar seemed to be a fairly sophisticated city compared to Adeluna and the areas that she was used to.

She stood back behind Marth as he secured them a room as well as fruit and wine to take with them.  She smiled internally, remembering how she had drunk quite a bit of wine the first night she had met Marth - nothing had come about that evening, but it was the start of something all together incredible for her - that journey had placed her where she now stood, and she was grateful for that.  Her ascension had followed that - and Marth had been there every step of the way with her. 

When they reached the room and Marth poured the two glasses of wine, she gladly took one, taking a small sip.  Her face reddened slightly at his comment of her being the sexiest triune of them all, and she gave him a knowing glance.  “No need to flatter me, Marth… you know I’ll be yours soon regardless,” she said, a sassy tone overtaking her words.  As he approached her to wrap his arms around her, she set down her glass although it was not empty yet, and allowed him to snake his arms about her form.  She pressed her body gently into his as his hands lowered, her lips meeting his kiss with passion and intensity.  When he pulled away and whispered his request into her ear, she gave him one quick wink before making an attempt to get away from him.

She let out a shriek as Marth’s strength pulled her back, pushing her towards the bed.  Of course, even in her weakened state due to Parvporan disbelief, she would have been able to overpower him - but what would be the fun in that? She put on her best show, allowing Marth to overpower her and cuff her to the bed.  She struggled weakly against him as he removed her armor and clothing, internally enjoying every second of it.

The knock on the door the next morning startled her - she had still been asleep when he had slipped out of bed to have a bit of the fruit and wine.  She shot up, staring at him with a small bit of worry on her face.  She remained quiet, but her expression was filled with the question of what the hell?  As he mouthed his explanation to her, she nodded in understanding, and pulled on enough of her belongings so that she would not be completely exposed to the man outside of the door.  Managing to pull on at least her clothing and one of her skirts, she gathered up the rest of her things and began to play along.  “Hmph,” she said, strutting past him, giving a playful yelp and a small jump as he slapped her rear. “You Wyllmochvar men, all the same,” she said, putting on a thick Adelunian accent - much different from her normal way of speaking.  As she walked out of the room, she caught Marth’s thoughts - they were scrambled, but she could tell that he wanted her to watch this man

She sauntered past the mage outside the door as she left, eyeing him up and down suggestively.  “You find me later if you need some company,” she said, the accent carrying on.  She knew Marth would understand that it was all a part of her act, but she still felt odd speaking to anyone other than Marth with that sort of air.  She hurried down the hall, ducking into an empty room when she was sure that no one was looking.  She quickly got the rest of her clothing on, and tied her hair back in a loose strap of leather that she had in her belt pouch.  Listening closely, she could hear Marth and the mage departing.

Enough of her divine magic still worked where she was able to shroud herself with the few shadows in the morning, and follow the two from a way back without being noticed.

Marth never once looked back as he accompanied the young mage to Kavesz’s office - though ‘office’ didn’t quite to the senator’s working quarters justice. It was essentially a mansion, though more or less public domain and plastered with flags and such, denominators of his rank and status. “I see the Dragonlord remains as humble and subtle as ever,” Marth said in a sarcastic, joking tone. The young mage eyed him with some hostility. “He’s a senator of the Republic of Wyllmochvar, sir, and will not stand for your insolence.” This flared some anger in Marth - even at a distance, Dalanesca would be able to sense it. As it happened, even the young mage did, for the pressure that Marth exerted on the atmosphere was unmistakably draconic. He stood still, looking at the young mage with eyes filled with fury, black slits against a molten background. “You listen to me, pup. I have known Kavesz Morlaverli since before you suckled on your mother’s tit. If you presume to tell me who the Dragonlord is one more time, I will make you intimately familiar with the magic school he perfected. Understood!?” The young mage, as well as a number of people in the immediate vicinity, looked at Marth in shock. Clearly, the senator had not deigned to share Marth’s identity and history with his aide, something Marth took as a good sign. Marth proceeded to step inside the mansion, regardless of the young man’s instruction.

Just from looking at the interior, marth could immediately deduce where Kavesz had his office. The Dragonlord had always kept his arsenal and library close, and since no rooms on the first floor seemed fit for such a purpose, Marth headed upstairs, with Kavesz’s aide following suit, protesting - albeit more weakly than before. Marth headed for the wing of the mansion with the better view of the mountains, spotted the library, and noticed that the ideal room was right next to it. He knocked twice on the door, and walked straight in.

“Ah, Marth. I’m sorry for summoning you in this manner, but I heard you survived. I had to see it with my own eyes, I scarce believed it.” The aging mage walked towards Marth with a smile, his long white robes flowing behind him as he approached his pupil for a hug. Marth returned the gesture, playing his part as best he could. The aging man addressed his aide, who by now had zero idea what was going on. “Thank you, Zvar, you may resume your other duties.” The young man - Zvar - seemed ready to object, but eventually sighed, made a bow, and closed the door. Kavesz gestured at the east opposite his own at his office desk. “Please, sit. And do tell me how you lived through that horrible event. We found so many corpses, we assumed you were already dead in the desert.” Marth took his seat, and smiled, as if tired. “Well,” he began, sounding as though he mostly just wanted to lie down and rest. “It is the weirdest thing. All I remember is leaving the desert… And after that… Nothing,” he said, putting on an almost convincing smile. The Dragonlord perked an eyebrow, and continued his questioning.

Two hours later, Marth walked out of Kavesz’s offices, satisfied with his performance. He had confidence that Kavesz believed Marth was hiding something, and he was also confident Kavesz didn’t quite know how much he knew. And so it was that Marth stepped into the sun, blinking, eyeing the area to see if he could find Dalanesca.

Dalanesca felt her skin prickle as she followed closely behind Marth and the mage, their mental connection allowing her to feel a burst of heat from the anger that had flared up within him.  She could not see his face, but she was certain that the young mage he was with had said something to upset him.  She did not come to action, rather staying back and keeping herself out of sight as she had been doing, keeping herself on slightly higher alert.  The energy that she felt from Marth was not energy from Reaver, but rather whatever draconic force had awakened in him after their last outing.  

As the pair entered the mansion, she slipped in swiftly after them, still shrouded from sight.  She knew Marth would most likely be able to detect her presence as the two had such a strong connection, but she was confident that the young mage would have no idea she was present - she was quite thankful that her abilities hadn’t been completely taken away, only made less powerful.  Having had no talent for magic before her ascension, she would have been up a creek had she not had her divinity.

When Marth entered the room that she assumed was Kavesz’s office, she stayed outside.  She could hear well enough, even with the wall and door muffling their voices.  This part of the plan was not hers to partake in - she was to stand by in case she was needed but there was no action for her to take just yet.  Still invisible to the young mage that had been sent out of the room, she leaned against the opposite wall, waiting.  The young mage muttered something under his breath before taking off down the hall.

Time passed, and then more time passed.  Dalanesca listened on and off to the discussion that was happening within the office.  Eventually, she sat down on the floor - still waiting.  After quite some time, it sounded like the conversation was wrapping up.  Dalanesca quickly hurried off and slipped back outside of the mansion in which Kavesz’s office was.  She found a small courtyard not far whatsoever from the area, where the exit of the mansion was in view, and sat down upon a bench that happened to be free of any people resting.  When she was sure that there was noone around to view the action, she let down her facade and became visible once more.  She sat back, and awaited Marth’s exit. 

She did not have to wait much longer, when she saw her companion’s figure step out of the mansion.  When she was sure he wasn’t being followed by anyone, she pulled her hood up stood up, walking towards him at a quick pace - wearing the hood was a precautionary measure in case the young mage were to appear.  “Productive meeting?” she asked, as she reached him.  She had heard a great deal of what was spoken, but had not paid too close of attention to it.  She stood up on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, her hand lingering on his arm briefly.  “What’s our next move?”

Marth eventually spotted a hooded character head briskly towards him. While he could not see the character’s face, the armour - or rather, the curves beneath it - was familiar to him, as was her voice. At the question of productivity, Marth nodded with a small smile. “He didn’t believe a word I said. Which was the plan. With any luck, he’ll send someone to keep track of me,” he said, returning the kiss on the cheek before gently grabbing Dalanesca’s arm and leading her into an alleyway.

Marth’s expression as he explained the next stage of the plan was determined, stoic. “Our next move,” Marth said - clearly not entirely comfortable with it - “Requires you to open your old toolbox, so to speak,” he continued. He began pacing back and forth as he provided his reasoning, which was seemingly more to reassure himself than elucidate Dalanesca. “Kavesz is too strong. Taking him head-on in any way is tantamount to suicide. And we don’t know who else might be involved yet - killing him might just paint an enormous bulls-eye on our backs.” Marth looked positively disgusted at the idea that followed. “So we must drain his authority. Damage his gravitas. If you could…” Marth took a brief pause, but to his credit, did not sugar-coat the matter. “Assassinate his aide, that should do it. Stab wound to the gut. If his students cannot defend themselves from a simple knife-wielding thief in an alley, his ability as a teacher - and possibly his own magic - will be called into question. A serious thing, here in Wyllmochvar,” he said, rubbing his head. “I know it’s a terrible thing to contemplate, milady, but that man is not an innocent in this,” Marth said - but again, it seemed like he was talking more to himself than Dalanesca. Eventually, however, he managed to settle down, taking a seat on the ground in the alley.

“I will have to get dirty too,” Marth continued, clearly not liking this next part of the plan, either. “I must take some of our remaining money and head to magisters and senators in the city I know are corrupt. I have a few in mind, people with reason to hate demons,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “I won’t like it one bit, but I’ll do it if it means getting a player like Kavesz swept off the board. Odds are, he’ll have the locations of other shards, too,” he said, getting up again. “We can meet up back at the tavern in four hour’s time,” he said, smiling weakly. “Something tells me we’ll both need some company and comfort once our missions are done,” he concluded.

Dalanesca was glad that she had approached Marth in an acceptable manner this time - she recalled, in Egjora, having accidentally snuck up on him, and he had not been overly pleased with that.  Though she did balance him out, he was still quite jumpy - and especially with her powers being dampened, she did not want to take any chances on something worse happening if he were to get startled.  She moved with him willingly as he pulled her into an alleyway, clearly understanding that they needed to be out of sight for whatever it was that Marth was going to want to discuss with her.

Her expression remained emotionless throughout Marth’s explanation.  She did not nod, nor did she speak, as he explained to her what he was going to ask of her.  Instead, her face remained a blank slate.  The only reaction she offered was a double blink as he mentioned assassination.  She had been quite sure that this was what Marth was getting at, but hearing him say it was something all together different.  She still remained silent as he concluded his explanation, moving on to what he would need to do.  

When Marth finished his explanation, concluding with how they would meet at the tavern in four hours, she finally spoke.  “Okay,” she said, and there was absolutely no hesitation to be heard in her voice.  She had no reason to doubt Marth - she knew that he would not ask her to undertake such a task if there was no reason for it.  His explanation of why these people were not good was unnecessary, as it was part of her divine will to be able to sense these things.  Dampened or not, her powers still allowed her to see this.  “I love you,” she said, and kissed him quickly, before walking swiftly away from him and out of the alley, intent on carrying out the task that he asked of her.

-

It did not take her long to track down the senator’s aide.  He was walking not far from where they were, having left the senator’s office in a huff when he had been asked to leave during Marth’s ‘visit.’  With a bit of extra help from her few abilities, she found him in no time, exiting an inn where he had just eaten a light lunch.  She stalked him for a while, until he had  turned down an alley in what she assumed was a shortcut to get back to the senator’s mansion.  

She managed to sneak up behind him, pulling her hood down and letting her hair spill in loose waves around her shoulder.  “I recognize you from earlier today,” she called out to him, donning the same accent she had put on earlier in the day.  Given the statement she had given him during their previous meeting, it would not seem all that unusual to the aide.  “How fortunate fate has been this day, to bring me to you once more,” she said, the sultry tone of her voice lowering even further.  

The aide turned quickly to look at her, his eyes narrowing when he saw who it was.  “Nice to see you out of the company of suspected criminals,” he said, the tone of his voice giving way to darker thoughts.  Dalanesca felt a sudden surge of anger at the negative words he spoke about her betrothed, but did not give way to such feelings.  He took a few steps towards her, and she gave him a twisted smile, taking a few steps towards him as well.

“Are you to take me up on the offer of my company?” she asked, the accent never wavering.  The aide gave a bit of a laugh, nodding his head. 

“I suppose I could,” he responded, stopping just inches away from her.  She instinctively readied one of the daggers hidden up her sleeve, ready to strike when the time allowed.  The aide reached his hand out to brush her hair away from her face, and she took this as her opportunity.

“Too late now,” she said, dropping her accent.  The aide’s eyes looked confused, before glossing over completely as she lunged forward with a quick strike to his gut, the blade from her hidden weapon piercing through his stomach and into him.  He let out a gurgled gasp and fell to his knees as the goddess withdrew her blade, quickly stowing it up her sleeve again.  She could feel a surge of adrenaline running through her body, along with something else - something much darker than she could remember feeling at a kill - and it felt great.  

The aide looked at her, before falling sideways onto the pavement, dead within minutes.  Dalanesca looked around to check that there were no witnesses, and looked down at the now-corpse before her.  The wound was too clean to make it look like a simple attack in an alley.  She knelt down next to the body and added a few smaller cuts and punctures from the blade onto his face and forearms, making it look like he had put up much more of a struggle than was actual.

When she was happy with the display left in the alley, she stood, drawing her hood and heading in the direction of the tavern.  Only approximately three hours had passed, so she decided she would find a spot in the tavern and order a glass of wine - it had been a long day, and she most certainly felt as though she deserved it.  She reached the tavern in a matter of minutes, no one even looking up at her when she walked in save the barkeep who took her order when she sat down and delivered it promptly.  She sat at the bar, waiting for Marth to arrive, feeling no remorse for the life that she had just taken and feeling sickeningly pleased at the fact that no one in the establishment was any the wiser.