Edits: 1
Waking up in the mornings was always a bitch, and to Talia waking up at one in the afternoon still counted as morning. When one bleary eye managed to open she was already well aware of the sun peeking through the slats in the window shade which was mostly broken to begin with. She groaned, rubbing her face and attempting to piece herself back together.
She had challenged Astor to get her drunk and so he did, or at least he got her filled up with some semi-fine ale. Her head wasn't splitting per say, but she was coming to terms with the fact that her limits had been tested. She sat up from the crikety bed, cracking her neck, knuckles, back, knees, and elbows in her normal morning ritual. Once she was loosened up she rose from the strained bedframe to stretch and finish waking up. She hated the way the sun felt against her skin, warming her up even more.
Once she was finished acknowledging her hatred for daylight she took a moment to look around the room. It was the same one she always stayed in; Astor kept it reserved for her at all times so it never changed. The bed was a typical hay bed with some sheets she had brought to keep there. It had one dingy pillow and blanket, nothing more. The room also had a desk, chair, and small closet in it where she could store her things. In all the years she had served Hephatus she had only stayed in Kvark a small number of times, she was certain she could count each one on her hand. Yet, as with most places, she preferred to keep it in perfect shape for any time she could happen through. Oddly enough her travels brought her to the badlands often enough to make it worth it.
While moving about her room she noted that Astor was sprawled on her chair leaned back against the closet. She cocked an eyebrow as she observed him, feet in the air and head against the ground with an empty mug of ale in his hand. He looked a fool; his mouth hung open with a line of drool slowly flowing down his face and pooling on the floor by his hair. How did a human in his condition manage to fall asleep in such a position? And why had he tried to keep up with her drinking? She took a moment just to ensure he was still breathing.
With a sigh of relief after his chest rose and fell a few times she contemplated waking him and making him leave; though considering the state of him and his establishment she doubted he'd bother her at all. In fact she was certain not a single other living soul was in the building, it was odd but she wasn't terribly worried after hearing about the state of the town overall. If he was closing down the people had to know he didn't have anything left.
Talia eyed him warily, he was certainly very unconscious, not even a snore escaped him. Instead of leaving him to suffer on the floor she scooped him up casually and carried him down the stairs to his own room. He would likely thank her at some point if he survived his dalliances into his own alcohol supply. She was uncertain how he would fare, as she lifted him up he felt like nothing more than a feather to her.
His room was tiny, nothing but a bed and a dresser occupying the painfully small space. She laid him down on the mussed blankets and checked his pulse just to be sure he truly was still alive. After that she slipped him a few more gold coins for good luck and made her way back to her room. She was monster certainly, but Astor had been loyal, friendly, and helpful to her throughout the years. She could afford him some level of kindness even if he wouldn't live long to enjoy it.
Once back in her room she attempted to secure the blinds a bit better to block out the sun. She wanted to sleep some more, perhaps spend a day recouping from the hardship of riding and working so long. Yet no matter how many times she laid down and curled up within her nest of blankets she couldn't quiet her mind or still her heart.
"Damn, I wonder if it's because I drank too much.." She rubbed her arms with a wince and a groan. What else could she do in such a dump of a town? She didn't want to deal with the locals and there were no extra curriculars to dabble in such as swimming or a nice fancy bath house. What she wouldn't give for a dwarven built bathing pool, heated, clean, relaxing. Her sore muscles could certainly appreciate such a marvel. Perhaps she would get the chance to travel to a dwarven bathhouse once the mission was officially over. Just the idea had her relaxing.
She sat back on her bed and pulled her bag out from under it. She didn't remember getting it off the back of her saddle but considering it was what she normally did she had to figure in a drunken haze she brought it in before passing out.
Within the bag was her mask, tools, extra clothes, and her small goddess statuette which she always traveled with. Praying to the statuette often yielded further instruction or possible warnings, the small figure acted as a medium for conversing with the goddess. Hephatus didn't always answer, Talia wasn't sure how the deity would pick and choose what prayers to answer and which to ignore. Sometimes Hephatus's will could be felt in driving feelings such as great fear, urgency, heightened awareness, or even anger and bloodlust. For communication it wasn't the best route to take but Talia had to wonder if her anxiety was a message or simply her nerves.
She sat the statuette on the desk, rubbing her fingers over the crudely carved face of the goddess. She had never seen Hephatus but most depictions showed her in a dress that was cut high in the front and trailed behind her, although a skirt may have been a more appropriate description. She often wore knee high boots and some sort of skintight pants which allowed her to move freely without fear of exposure. She was often depicted in a button up shirt with a tight leather low-cut vest that rest over top of it drawing attention to her beautiful curves.
Hephatus also had four arms instead of two, though this was often a topic of debate amongst her devout followers. In her left eye there could be seen either a spider web pattern or a cracked glass-like pattern depending on the descriptee's ideals. She had long hair, though Talia had only ever seen it in a loose flowing style or braided back if she were ready for battle.
As she continued to study the statuette she debated on what her next move would be. She had been 'active-duty' for months, never spending more than a few days in any once place. She hadn't been back to the den in months, every job had come while travelling home and Nazir made it clear to accept all jobs possible. Picking a time to 'take a break' was informal. She would have to return before she could officially tell him she was going to be off duty for a few weeks, perhaps a month or more if she were lucky. She wanted to make her way north again, hitting up the hot springs and geysers of the Marimoor Kingdom's flatlands and valleys. There were fine spas there, hunting, good eateries, and several other interesting places she wanted to explore.
Nico would also have to take time off, as her partner he would work with her and vacation with her. The last time she had taken time off he spent the majority of his time working with his spells and studying abroad. She smiled as she recalled her berating of him, asking him if he knew what a vacation was for. But he enjoyed it. The more she thought about it the more she knew she was going to take a significant amount of time off once they returned. She couldn't wait for a spa day and she hoped he would share her sentiment in that regard.
She was just about to put the statuette back to get some more sleep when a feeling of blind terror gripped her. She grasped at the stone hard, her vision fading in and out as her heart raced. She was glad she was on the bed else she would have collapsed.
"There has been a contract made... A group of dwarves is in dire need of your assistance. You are to ride with great haste to their aide and protect them until I release you or they are returned home." The goddess's voice was stark and shocking to hear, especially because Talia wasn't expecting it. She dropped the stone statuette with a harsh gasp, clutching at her chest with shaking hands as she attempted to recover.
"Wha... Why?!" Hephatus had to know her plans to take a break and relax, why was it now that she wanted something so specific from her? She wasn't an errand girl for pesky dwarves, why did she have to care if they were in danger?
"There are no others near enough... I am sorry my child, I know you are weary but you are my Hound, only you can be trusted to carry out this task. There are great rewards for those who serve me and I can promise you great rewards should you succeed in this. Now quickly, time is of the essence. Do not fail me daughter." Talia knew the goddess would say no more, there was a level of finality in her voice.
"I live to serve..." She groaned, the panic was slowly fading but her heart continued to gallop with the adrenaline of her upcoming mission. She had no time to prepare, no time to plan, and no time to gather what she needed. Her only consolation was that Nico was likely in the same boat, just as hungover as she was and just as rattled. As far as out of the blue orders went, this one would be most interesting.
Without further ado she raced down the stairs and out to the stable, strapping on her belt and knives as she moved. In the stable Jax was standing idly, chewing at some hay left in his feed bag. When he saw her he reared up eagerly, whinnying his greeting as he normally did. Jax was a beast of a horse, built like true charger with thick legs and roped muscles. He was a creamy brownish white in color with a spattering of red that was thickest on his neck and rump. He also had dark black legs and hooves with a mane of salt and pepper with a few random red strands. His face was mostly red with a black nose and dark red rings around his eyes. All in all he was a gorgeous animal capable of extended travel and handling high stress environments.
Quickly she threw her blankets and saddle on him, cinching it up swiftly. She was sorry she didn't have time to properly brush him but she was certain the goddess was not joking when she said time was of the essence. She hoped he would be patient, she would certainly spoil him once she was done with the pesky dwarven issue. With her blankets and saddle properly situated she grabbed her hackamore and tied it onto his head carefully, scratching at his nose gently before patting him on the neck. Leading him outside the stall she eyed the skies for Nico, though the skies remained empty and hazy.
With a sour scowl she mounted Jax. Pointing the stallion out of town she noted the interest the townsfolk were paying her. Their dark eyes were always darting to her, bleak faces wary and hostile. Kicking Jax into a canter she did her best to ignore them as she usually would. She worried they would attempt to accost her or Jax but no one made a move towards her as she left the town limits. Once outside she kicked Jax into his true gallop, a speed so intense she had to buckle down and dig her hands into his mane just to hang on. As a charger-class horse he was capable of incredible speed, hopefully it would be enough as the Goddess's urgency pressed her forward.
The forest flew by as she made her way down the road, weaving through the occasional clumps of traffic that she came across. As Jax surged forward she pushed her magic outwards in an attempt to determine any nearby threats or even if Nico was nearby. She focused her attention all around her only to find nature and other various non-threatening things. She even noted the presence of a few humans, though they were inconsequential to her mission. Not to mention they were growing fewer and farther between the farther from Kvark she got.
"Nico?" She attempted to reach out to her partner telepathically. Nico was rarely far from her side when they were out in the field, she was certain too that he had received the same instructions from Hephatus. Unfortunately she couldn't find him; nor could she spare the energy to reach farther in an effort to do so. She sighed heavily, sucking in every gasp of air as she tried to determine the best plan of action. Hephatus hadn't told her the sort of threat she would be facing; she could only imagine the worst. Would it be mercenaries? Other assassins trained under a different god? Monsters? She was so not recharged enough to deal with true monsters such as golems or corrupted sprites.
The ride continued at high speed but no matter how much ground she managed to cover the urgency never faded, although the sun was well on its way to fading. The forest air started to cool and she could smell the wind driving distant storms ashore. Night was the best time to fight for someone like her, every sense was heightened. It was also the time of Hephatus and her strength. That of course translated to her children's strength.
Talia wasn't certain how long it took before she finally began to feel a change in the air. It was subtle at first, like a snake carefully picking it's way in the grass. She looked around but the quickly passing dark forest yielded no clues, not that she could pick out tiny details at her speed. With all the wind in her ears she couldn't even hear if there was fighting nearby, or if there were normal ambient forest sounds. For all she knew the danger was still far off, perhaps even into the plains. She hoped deep down that they weren't that far off else she'd be clinging to Jax's back like a tick for hours on end.
"Slow... They are near..." The goddess spoke to Talia directly, her voice like a thunderous clap in her mind. Talia pulled Jax's reigns gently despite her urge to react violently, prompting him to drop down to a canter. As his pace slowed she was able to hear the snarls and roars of some sort of creature, or creatures, that were fighting. Along with that she could hear the clashing of metal and the grunting of men struggling to win or at least not to die.
"Crap..." She dismounted Jax after he finally stopped, wrapping the reins around the saddle horn loosely before whistling lowly to him. He turned away and rushed off to hide away until she called again. He would travel far if he needed to, but he would never be so far she couldn't call him back again. With him safe she turned to rush into the battle, hopeful that it would be quick and easy, after she was done fishing the dwarves out of danger she'd finally get to plan her long awaited vacation.