Close to the docks...



  • _A dark haired man steps off the ship onto the docks, immediately catching the attention of the dockmaster. They bicker for a bit before the man finally nods his head, coin is exchanged and he signals his crew to begin unloading the cargo. Twenty people are brought out in chains, a rough split of fifteen men and five women, many of whom bear scars from fighting. They are brought over to the auction block and forced to kneel while they wait for the next auction to start. They're dressed decently and the dark haired man makes the comment of dress well, sell high with a light chuckle. He goes over the proper paperwork with the auctioneer and asks for a decent place to get a drink after months on board. Tucking his copies of invoices into a scrollcase he nods finally and heads off from the docks to wait out the time till the auction can start.

    Coming up the tunnels, a little before the town proper, he looks around Oscura having only been here a few times so far, but already liking the opening market more and more for his trade. He can't help himself, stopping in the middle of the constant foot traffic to look upwards trying to discern where the top of the cavern might be. The next few moments are almost a blur…

    He smacks his neck like a bug has bit him... but he's never known anything to be in the cavern. Looking down at his hand he sees blood and what looks like a thorn of some kind before his vision begins to blur. He tries to cry out, but his voice comes out garbled and low, his throat tightning. He manages a swaying stumbling step, blundering sideways as he watches a dark form coming close to him... details. He'll need details he knows.. not tall, a hair over short almost.. stocky. Very stocky. Black cloak, hood up.. masked? Damn. He's on the ground but he doesn't remember falling. Someone is laughing and saying something about too much to drink. The hooded form is over him now... the black of his cloak seeming to swirl out and around to the corners of his vision, blanking everything from view. All black....

    Those who had been laughing weren't now. They were wondering what just happened. The man had stumbled a bit as if drunk after looking up, and a dark cloaked person had walked up to him, tucking a short stick away below his cloak. Kneeling down over the man... everyone had just assumed to check on him, but now...? They were both gone. He'd lain hands on the fallen man and then they were both just... gone.

    Strange._