Dark Hearts Gamble {Mature Themes}

[Naghaz Sathrak]

<div align="center"><b> Chapter 1 </b><div align="center"><b>Two Birds, One Stone</b> <div align="center">1 <div align="center">   <div align="left">Late morning sunlight crept through the ragged roll of dusty cloth pinned against the window sill.  The heat of the day had already begun infiltrating the room creating a thick, humid air that swelled the antique support beams of the inn, birthing an aroma of wet wood and varnish.  Malos sat up slowly, his head swimming and his eyelids heavy.  Shifting his weight carefully, the Tier'Dal propped his back against the wall behind the bed and pawed at his swollen eyes. <div align="left">  <div align="left">The room was a mess.  Empty bottles of cheap wine, broken glassware and the now fetid remains of some late night dish brought a sudden rush of memories to Malos's mind.  As if suddenly aware he was not alone, the Tier'Dal slowly turned his head towards the naked form of his bedmate.  She was rather attractive, if out of shape, and human.  Her blond hair fell in a tangled mess across her face and shoulders, the rest of her body seemingly mummified in a twisted labyrinth of dirty sheets.  Malos had little actual memory of the night, but he knew from experience how it had likely played out.  He did remember the girl, her name was Helenia, and she was a waitress from some hole in the wall pub in South Freeport.  She was also married to a militia guard, and had two brats all of which were likely worked into a frenzy by now, due to her absence.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">Malos carefully freed his leg from Helenia's tangled grip and twisted up and off the bed.  His head swam and his mouth tasted like plant root.  Searching the room for his pack, the Tier'Dal freed a waterskin from its side pouch and pulled a series of deep gulps.    Stretching the tightness from his sinewy frame the young elf canvassed the floor picking up various articles of clothing.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">As he dressed Malos peeked carefully through one of the wide gaps between the drape and window.  The street was busy, with mid-day vendors furiously placing their goods on display, often pausing only to bark at one another in tiny territorial disputes.  It was time to return home, Malos thought to himself, he needed to bathe and re-supply himself before meeting his employer in Neriak.  Moving cautiously back towards the bed, Malos perched himself precariously on the edge, careful not to shake his slumbering partner.  He watched as her shoulders raised and lowered in hypnotic rhythm.  Malos gently caressed Helenia's forehead, pushing back the golden tangles from her eyes.  He rested his hand there for a moment, moving only his thumb in a gentle caress.  They had enjoyed the evening, and she was certainly a beauty.    "Dear Helenia..." Malos purred, "It is late in the morning my dear".  She began to open her eyes and then clamped them shut as the mid morning light assaulted her senses.  Blushing furiously, she twisted away from Malos in an effort to avoid the light and hide any morning imperfections he may see.    "How late?" she croaked.  "Quite" Malos replied with a slight grin. "Oh dear, I'll never catch the end of this!" Helenia sighed deeply.  "My husband will look to beat me for this.  Do you have any good stories I could use?" She began to retrieve her legs from the sheets all while pulling them tight to her frame.  Malos smiled dangerously at her sudden humility.  Noticing the look, Helenia grinned herself. "What am I hiding I suppose eh?"  She looked about the room and Malos, reading her thoughts, presented her with a glass of water.    "I don't know many good stories, at least none that would work for a woman." Malos teased.  "I don't think it will matter though, in the grand scheme of things."  Malos sat back next to Helenia and resumed caressing her hair.  She was sitting up now, taking long drafts from the waterskin.    "I know a man that frequents your establishment, and he has already taken care of any concerns you have over your husband or your family" Malos's face was gentle, endearing.  Helenia gazed up, deep into the Tier'Dal's exotic purple eyes.</div>   </div>"How so?" She asked, the melody of her voice beginning to return.  Helenia snuggled a bit closer to Malos, allowing his hands to casually comfort her head while she nursed her water.</div> </div>"You and he have old business; apparently you saw something you should not have.  I assume he wants to ensure that secret remains uncovered." </div> </div>Helenia's body grew stiff, and she pulled back away from Malos to stare at him directly.  "Wha.."</div> </div>A sudden movement, too quick to catch.  Helenia's voice cut out, her mouth filling with the taste of copper and her vision dimmed.  The room darkened, and a high pitched keen was sounding somewhere in her mind. She slowly raised a trembling hand to her throat.  Warm blood pulsed through a fine slit stretched deep and clean from right to left.  Her eyes bore into Malos, searching for some answer.  </div> </div>The Tier'Dal gazed back at her, his eyes still flirting, still alive, his smile enchanting.  "Rest well dear Helenia..." Malos toyed.  He reached up and wiped the bloodied dagger across the sheets still clinging to her body.  </div> Taking a moment to watch the last vestige of light extiguish from Helenia's hazel eyes, he gathered his things and carefully left the room.  The Inn was mostly vacant now, with only servants left cleaning the common areas.  Keeping to the shadows Malos deftly avoided any contact and quietly exited onto the streets of Freeport.  

[Naghaz Sathrak]

<div align="center"><b>2</b> <div align="left">The Brass Hookah was crowded.  Most of the more prominent cushions were taken with only a few of the more out of the way spots left unoccupied.  A well dressed doorman greeted the Tier'Dal with a welcome smile and pointed towards a selection of luxurious blue and gold cushions set in the backroom.  Malos took his time walking thru the Shisha lounge taking in the sights, sounds and exotic smells of the room.  There was good smoke in this house, certainly the best in South Freeport.  The overall layout of the bar was good as well, allowing for social patrons to be social without forcing it.  The walls and floors were well appointed and everything about the place exuded luxury, something Malos relished.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">After swatting and prepping his cushion the young Tier'Dal sat back comfortably and unbuckled his saber and dagger. Pulling the weapon belt free he laid it openly on the floor next to him.  It was uncommon in Freeport to keep your weapons in a lounge, but Malos welcomed the sentiment as smuggled daggers always made for a less comfortable engagement.  The pipe in front of him was already warmed and filled with a rare tobacco leaking an aroma of vanilla and dark cocoa.  Malos rubbed his hands together warmly and let his eyes wander about the bar.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">Two extremely well dressed Tier'Dal females immediately caught his eye.  They had the look of aristocratic grace but that was often an illusion of days long gone.  Regardless, they were well into conversation with one another and Malos was unable to catch either of their eyes.  Like a cartographer plotting some great expanse, he continued scrutinizing the lounge, taking mental appraisal of each and every female within.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">A well dressed server came up to him then, and inquired as to his needs.  Malos ordered  spiced rum and cold water for both himself and his tardy companion.  As if on cue, the long legged, over-weight human known as Belder ducked under the front door and seeing Malos, immediately made his way towards the back.  <div align="left">  <div align="left">"Rude dolt..." Malos said under his breath.  "Belder, my old comrade!" he trumpeted aloud applying an overly happy visage.  "How have you been?"  Malos stood and prepared himself for the dramatic and generally uncomfortable ‘bear hug' that would follow; some odd remnant of Belder's Halosian heritage.  <div align="left">  "Good Kalthis..." the barbarian boomed "too long since we last shared bread and drink!"   Belder Boresguard, second son of Haladin Belder Boresguard was a wretched beast of a barbarian.  His long auburn hair fell in greasy chunks across his broad, pale skull.  A stressed tiara of some cheap metal was stretched tight across his forehead doing its best to prevent the massive tangles from falling down into his bloated face.  The man was large, even by barbaric standards yet most of his girth could be attributed to long legs, and layer after layer of atrophied muscle, now replaced by ale and pork infused fat.    Malos had met Belder at a gabling table in Northern Freeport two years earlier.  The Barbarian had been working as first mate on the "Deadric Challenge" a pirate hunting ship masked as a merchant carrier.  Belder was in better shape then, but not by much, and had an affinity to gambling and alcohol that rivaled dwarven legends.  Malos was working a mark at the time and was registered as a deckhand under the name Kalthis Dand'Thor.  Dark Elves were seldom trusted, but Malos always found it easier to use light elf sounding names when working undercover as it helped break through the racism.   Belder became endeared to Malos during a particularly nasty battle with a set of Ogre pirates that left a good number of crewmen dead.  Malos had sat most of the fight out, waiting in a dark corner until a certain outcome could be determined when Belder fell thru the portside deck hole, hitting Malos and accidentally yanking him from his refuge.  Now in the open, Malos fought hard and dispatched the two Ogres who pursued the fallen Barbarian.  Never one to miss an opportunity, Malos used the event to secure Belder as a pawn, a move that had paid off many times over.    As the son of a tribe leader Belder had more than a few lofty contacts in Freeport and Queynos.  But as a wealthy gambler and a drunk, Belder had friends and influences all over from Maj'Dul to the back alleys of Scaleyard.  If Malos needed a bouncer to look the other way, Belder was his man, if Malos needed a bartender or innkeeper to secure a certain cocktail or room, Belder was his man.  Indeed, even some of the formidable Freeport militia owed Belder a favor or two. On and on went the list, and in the end Malos had parlayed a single act of misconceived selflessness into a lifetime of help.    Belder looked quizzically at the overstuffed pillows surrounding their Hookah table.  Malos was working hard to hide his annoyance but there were limits even to his acting.  "You sit on them..." Malos said plainly, "like so." The dark elf arched his back and neck towards his backside and grinned sarcastically.    "Bah!" boomed Belder, "I've not got the spindly [I cannot control my vocabulary] of an elfer!"  Taking his time, the massive brute finally rested his overstuffed frame on the pillows beneath him.  Wiping sweat from his brow, Belder looked hungrily at the small glass of rum sitting before him.    "For me?" he stated presumptuously.  "Who else?" Malos replied and then looked around the room hoping the young ladies he had earlier noted were not suddenly paying attention to him.   "Don't they mugs in this joint?" Belder laughed.  "A thimble ain't enough for a man of my veteran experience!"    Malos battled hard not to roll his eyes.  "Yes, well this establishment has other things to enjoy."  He motioned towards the ornate gold and emerald hookah setting warmly in the center of the table.    Belder wrinkled his nose and brought his massive hands up in disapproval.  "Oh no, I've had experience with pipeweed before and it ain't pretty!" </div>"A succubus princess lying at your feet could not make anything about you pretty Malos thought keenly.  </div> </div>"Suit yourself" he said instead, using a jovial tone.  </div>"So what have you been up to Kal'?" Belder was removing a shoe, and the tragic odor was impeding the Tier'Dal's enjoyment of his smoke.</div> </div>"I'll be leaving for Neriak in the morning" Malos said plainly.  "I have a contact there that ensures work for able sword arms.  Something about hunting down traitors, or Tier'Dal who embrace the politics of Queynos."</div> </div>Belder frowned, his massive forehead drenched with sweat giving way to fold after fold of skin creating odd eddies trapping the moisture.  Malos had to look away.  </div> </div>"You never been one to get involved in pol'tics Kal.  What's this all about?" Belder attempted to shift his weight towards Malos but lost his balance on the pillow.  Not wanting to make a scene, the barbarian gritted his teeth and forced himself to settle half on, half off the pillow in the most uncomfortable pose of feigned comfort one had ever seen.</div> "It has nothing to do with politics. I couldn't care less what allegiance these fools show.  It's about payment. This contact supposedly has very deep pockets and is allegedly backed by both Christanos and De'Lere. " "Deep pockets alright..."Belder shifted back onto the pillow.  "You certain this isn't just a rumor?"   "No, I can't be certain." Malos said flatly.  "But I'm working on confirmation.  Regardless I'm heading to Neriak, I've got a bit of wanderlust about the place and feel a need to see it with my own eyes." "Just watch yerself over there Kal, them darkies ain't like you, they got black hearts and blacker souls.  They catch wind of yer light hearted humor and they may feed you to the dead".   Malos looked at Belder closely, he could almost pity the man for his ignorance.  Almost.  "I'll be careful old friend..." Malos choose his words carefully for effect "if I feel I'm in danger I'll be sure to clear out!" "Good!"  Replied Belder with a boom and he reached across the table slapping gently at Malos shoulder.   "I need you to do me a favor though Belder..." Malos took on a suddenly serious tone.  "Last night at the Wharf Rat I overheard a rather heated conversation between the Militia guardsman you had an altercation with last month, the one from the gambling house.  He was arguing with a woman, possibly his wife, and really getting physical with her.  I'd have stepped in myself but he's a far larger man than myself and I was unarmed."  Malos watched Belder carefully.  His eyes were tightening, and the bit of face structure uncovered by fat near his temple was tightening in anger.  Malos knew Belder well, one thing the brute could not abide was a man abusing a woman."The conversation got pretty nasty, and I worry that he may have done something dire!"  Malos lowered his voice dramatically adding to the theatrics.  "I had hoped you would check it out." "You're darn right I will!" Belder was visibly angry.  The big man chewed on the inside of his cheek and his face reddened.  "That son of a wench almost caught my ire when he accused me of cheating!  This time I'll make sure he knows his place!"   "I knew I could count on you Belder." Malos purred.   "What is the woman's name Kal, so I can check on her?" "Helenia" Malos replied with a smile.