23 - Fate
by SilkyNoire
"Oy, Mia!" A man's voice called.
She looked over her shoulder at the sound of her name. The strongly-built man, muscles rippling through his thin shirt, was motioning with his head at her. She considered the man telling jokes, who was now telling them to another woman on the other side of him. The rogue sighed sightly, stood up, and walked over to her fellow party member - the fighter. He grinned at her as she sat down.
"So," he began. "Ready to head upstairs?"
The rogue smirked at him. "Why, aren't you eager?" she replied, the flirtation clear in her voice.
She'd known the fighter for a few months, and they'd been on some adventures together. He'd stand in front, gleaming in his metal armour, while she'd sneak around and stab monsters in the back. There were two others in her group - the wizard and the cleric - but they hadn't joined her at this particular tavern. She was pretty sure they weren't dating, so, probably investigating some new rumour.
The fighter leaned back in his chair, the wooden furniture creaking against his weight. "Aren't you?"
The rogue shifted the weight of her backpack as she walked, trying to ease the burden on her right shoulder. She glanced at the fighter ahead of her, losing herself for a moment in the memory of the night before. He'd been fun, and she'd like to spend another night with him when she could.
"Hey," a woman's voice called from her left.
The rogue snapped out of her daydream, nearly tripping over a fallen log on the road. She deftly avoided it at the last second, righted herself, and turned to look at the voice. It was the cleric, a dark-skinned woman somewhat older than herself. The symbol of Eldath - a waterfall plunging into a still pool - adorned her silver breastplate.
"Thinking about Agren?" the cleric said, almost as if she could see right into the rogue's mind.
The rogue thought for a moment, before deciding to tell the truth. "Yeah."
"Are the two of you... you know?" The cleric asked, though she probably already knew.
The rogue nodded wordlessly. She glanced to her right, where the wizard was. He was the opposite of the fighter - shorter, thinner, not nearly as handsome. He wore loose-fitting robes, carried bundles of scrolls in his bag, and had one of those hats that makes everyone think 'yup, that's a wizard'. He was studying a map, but she couldn't see what it was from the angle she was at. It was probably something to do with the old hole in the ground he'd heard about the night before. Hopefully this outing would go as well as the last time.
The rogue dropped to the ground as a magical bolt of flame passed where her head had just been. The wizard was lying still on the ground in a pool of his own blood, a crossbow bolt sticking up from his chest like a grave marker. The fighter was fighting against a big dragonborn with a two-handed greatsword, while the cleric was trying to cast a spell. The sorceress that had just missed her head was casting a new spell. Everything was a blur.
The hole in the ground had really been an old burial site. Or dungeon, or temple, or something, she didn't really care. When they got inside, there had been another adventuring party already present, trying to figure out how to unlock a door. She hadn't quite trusted them, but the wizard did. Once he had unlocked the door, the other rogue had shot him in the chest with his crossbow. She looked down at the corpse of the man, his blood on her dagger.
Shouting and screaming filled the room, and she retreated into a dark corner. When she looked back up, a new man had appeared. A paladin, bearing the symbol of Bane, was pulling his blade from the cleric's chest. On the other side of the room, the sorceress' head was three feet removed from her body, courtesy of the fighter. The two large men circled each other, and the paladin's eyes flashed for a second. They charged at each other, and the fighter was cut down.
Suddenly, the rogue's head was clear. She blinked once, and was consumed by fury. She charged at the paladin with her dagger, screaming out in rage and anger. He didn't seem to care too much, and slightly moved his head to dodge her blade. Not quite enough, as a thin red line appeared on his cheek. The rogue quickly tucked the artifact she had stolen in the attack into her pocket, before the paladin could notice.
When she turned around, she was suddenly gripped by the neck and hoisted into the air. "Look upon me, girl, and see that I have crushed you into dust!" the paladin bellowed at her. He was beginning to look pale.
She kicked and writed, but his grip was iron. "Do you have anything to say before the lord of darkness snuffs you out?" He shouted at her, violence in his voice.
She didn't reply, and tried to free herself from his grasp. He cocked his head, then snapped her neck. She slumped to the ground like a ragdoll.
"It's clear!" The rogue shouted, scanning the dark room with her magical sight. There were a number of humanoid bodies on the ground, still somewhat fresh.
The fighter walked up next to her. "By Tymora, this looks bad," she said with unease."
"Yeah." The rogue simply replied.
The rogue walked up into the field of bodies. There were eight, in total. From a quick glance, seven humans and a dragonborn. No, not seven humans. She walked up to the leather-clad corpse of a woman, and pulled back the hair over her ears. Six humans, a dragonborn, and a half-elf. Crouching above the body, the rogue looked at an armoured man slumped close by. From the veins on his face, he had been poisoned. The rogue looked at the body on the floor again, studying her closely. She was a half-elf, wearing not-too-protective armour, with long hair and beautiful features.
"She looks just like you." The fighter said, calmly.
The rogue didn't think about that. She rummaged through the half-elf's belt, and found the item they were looking for. So much death, for such a small thing.
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