"Do I have to be here? Go meet your grandpapa or whatever on your own, it's not my problem that this decrepit assembly of mental oddities can not be trusted"
"You are entitled to your opinion Death Dealer, but my ancestor is the founder of the Fin-Limier association, you have him to thank for receiving payment for mass murder and other crimes"
Maliah rolled her eyes, entirely shrouded in her misshapen cloak, appearing as naught but a shadow given physical form, even the assassin associate, current leader of the Fin-Limier, had trouble distinguishing the girl's presence as she just walked beside him.
"In any case, you remember the drill right?
He has not had any interaction with the outside world for well over a hundred years by now, probably more…" the man wore a mask, or rather, it seemed like the mask was wearing him as the mouth and eyes of the inanimate object moved with fluidity, the bodily acts supposed to season his words coming a moment to late, a moment too soon- Never right on time, only barely at best, never at worse.
"I have no speck of a clue what my ancestor is up to in his garden and chamber, and to be frank, I would not bother to check were it not for that deep-pocketed king putting the coins on the table, do you know what is better than money Death Dealer?" he asked, having raised his index finger two minutes prior.
"Killing? Stabbing? Gouging eyes-?"
"More money! Blood-soaked money has that distinct taste against my tongue, more metallic than usual, so sweet…" he flapped the tongue inside his mouth, tapping teeth together in a distinctive manner.
"Oh, old Odicious used to be a fine connoisseur of money, I would dig into my mind if my perception of time was not stunted by so many memories, all jammed together!"
"Get back on track" she recommended, slapping him in the head.
"Ah… The drill, yes, Odicious, is my not-so venerable ancestor, the ringleader laid the foundations of what a fin-limier assassins ought to be, his obsession towards crafting the best killer of all is simply boundless, I am certain that he will be thrilled to meet with you, but if needed, don't hesitate to restrain him…"
They arrived before an old wooden door, seemingly untouched by time despite having stood in place since forsaken times, it was well preserved and constantly tended to, or at least it gave the appearance that it was.
Putting and turning a simple key inside, it opened just like any other mundane door, revealing the other side of it, mouldy, crumbling, bloated by humidity, what laid on the other side was nothing short of a maid's nightmare, the path was barricaded by countless spider webs, which were unfortunately still occupied.
"Dark and damp, just how I like it! Odicious should not be far" the assassin leader stepped forward, straight through obstructions, uncaring as the eight-legged, miniature critters crawled all over him.
Maliah simply followed in silence, listening to the ramblings of the man that was in charge of her paychecks.
"It has been long since a king worthy of such a lofty title has called upon us, and to think that he even knew about old Odicious and our traditions! I was so touched by the efforts that I almost cried, thankfully, I had already done so prior to the meeting, how embarrassing it would have been, hehehah!"
"I must warn you though, my ancestor was always a bit of an odd sort, a little scallywag if you will, if he can remember and still bust down the assassinations move, my economics will see a sharp rise"
He persistently kept on talking as they made their way through ludicrously high, yet terribly cranked passage-ways with populations of squirming insects that seemed to want nothing more than to hold onto Maliah's hair.
Soon after that, they arrived into a small garden that was illuminated by a singular crystal protruding from the ceiling, ending in a sharp point that nearly scratched the ground, hanging as the centerpiece of the pale blue garden, the place was minimalist, just a few bushes and wild flowers, nothing too extraordinary.
What was most captivating was the forcefully soft voice coming from the room right next to it, chanting a lullaby that would be considered deranged even as the lyrics were incomprehensible, spoken in a long lost language.
A tongue that had been left to the side and forgotten after the gift of comprehension had fallen upon Viridis, it was a man's voice, sung without a care, or notice of the two people that had stepped upon his lodgings.
"What does Wanneck want to use this guy for? I don't think the crowned merchant would put any amount of coins on the table for mere intel and some hired-hands, he already has the copper knights at his disposal if he oh-so wished to render a nation to a mound of corpses and ruins" Maliah yawned, ever so calmly pointing a blade at her boss.
The mask contorted into a smile, its cheeks puffing pink like actual skin as the man raised both hands.
"Oh, Death Dealer, you are such a treat! The best woman- Man? I honestly can't even tell even as I am looking straight at you, you are one magnificent murderer! My greatest pride for certain, let me be straightforward with you" leaning forward with a severe delay, his eyes narrowing and twirling as though they were both ocular globes and brows.
"May I tell you a story?"
"Well then, I'll make it short, I, Arleqkin am the current leader of the Fin-Limier, Odicious is the ringleader, our oldest member, although technically speaking, Odicious is also me, for he has once donned the mask, as have all of the leaders, they are all me, and I am all of them"
Maliah just stared at him with a clear lack of interest.
"Just wanted to share that too, because I was hoping you would take up after m-"
"I will not, no way in hell am I putting this garbage on my face, it's clearly fused into your head? Not a fan of this"
He slumped his shoulders five seconds too late.
"To answer your question, King Wanneck is supposedly planning on waging a war, apparently as per the words of Quideos Audit, I am not one to judge but this guy is a nutcase, but no matter, money is money, and Odicious serves no purpose down here!"
He stepped into the ringleader's chamber, a huge man, back humped and covered by a tattered cloak, his skin having turned a distinct blue, like that of a drowned corpse.
"Sweet Holli, rest as I greet our visitors" he spoke in a stifled tone, turning to the two assassins, his face a bright red, a clear view upon the muscles of his face, exposed teeth and permanently wide open eyes, somehow, it was still appearing fresh even after being supposedly locked down here for an absurd amount of time.
Cradling something invisible, he gave them a graceful bow.
"Arleqkin, is that you? And who is this- Ooh! What is this fine gem? Sweet Holli! Look at this assassin, shrouded in mystery! Murderous and without hesitation!
Take a good look my daughter, this is the zenith!"