Elthanael brooded in the corner of the tavern, hood up, shoulders hunched, glass of hard spirits in his hand. Another day of fruitless searching. He took a drink, unsure if it had even been just a day. Dimension hopping wore at his mind, confusing his sense of time.
None of it mattered while Morrigana was missing.
The serving girl brought him another drink, smiling winsomely before leaving him again in the darkness. She was pretty enough, but a year of searching for his cousin dulled anything but his task. Strong drink was the only thing that managed to put him to dreamless sleep.
Voices rose near the bar, drawing the elf's attention. He frowned, staring, not liking the sudden current of violence in the air. El sat up straight, taking a long drink from his first glass.
"You two more seconds before we head outside." A large man with unkempt hair and beard loomed over a slightly smaller, equally unkempt man. He poked a meaty finger into the second man's chest.
The smaller man backed away, hands up, shaking his head. He clearly didn't want anything to do with the big aggressor. Nor did any of the other men near the bar.
"You buncha little girls wanna do this in here?" Aggro asked, moving to loom over his unwilling opponent again. "Might be more fun that way, I guess." He laughed and shoved the other man. The rest of the tavern had fallen quiet, content to watch the spectacle.
The pretty serving girl stepped into the circle, trying to push them apart. The woman behind the bar clenched her fists, ready to step in if the girl couldn't make them back down. "Cool it, guys. No need for violence."
Aggro grabbed the slender girl and shoved her to the side. "You just wait your turn. You can have all you want after I show these cocksuckers what a real man is like."
No one moved or said a word. They were here to drink, maybe find a sexual partner, not deal with a brute ruffian like this man.
Elthanael finished his second drink and rose to his feet. Some eyes turned his way as he left his corner, but most patrons continued to watch Aggro and his posturing.
"It's rather a funny thing," the elf said, pushing his hood back, drawing attention to himself. "Most assholes who try to pick fights have rarely been in them."
Aggro frowned, staring at El as he continued his approach. "What's this? Another girl who wants to get fucked?" The brute threw his head back and laughed at his own joke. "Come get some, hot stuff."
Bystanders cleared a path, some of them smiling as they sized the elf up. El was half Aggro's weight and eight inches shorter, with clean leathers and a long golden braid. All they see is the beauty, not the danger.
Aggro took a step closer, grabbing his crotch, licking his lips. "You oughta be fun."
Elthanael smirked, letting his frustration have its head. "I'll certainly rock your world."
The assassin drew one short sword and closed the distance in a leap. Aggro's eyes widened in surprise and he tried to take a step back, but El was far too fast for him. Six slashes in the first eye blink, eight in the next, then a final slash to slit Aggro's throat.
The tavern stared in hushed reverence, unsure what they'd just seen. The ruffian kicked in death throes, and the elf bent to wipe his blade clean before resheathing it.
"You...that was amazing. Thank you," the serving girl said, blushing, eyes glittering. "What else can you do?"
Elthanael offered her a crooked smile, accepting the invitation. "Let me show you." He wouldn't get much sleep tonight.
