"Another Cup?" (Open)

The doors of the tavern blew open, and a heavy chill wafted to the far corners of the building. Drethiel, pale with near-shoulder-length dark hair entered the tavern with a smile on his face. As he looked around with his icy blue eyes, he caught a few baffled glances from the patrons. His smile twisted into a smirk as he chuckled to himself. They probably think I'm insane due to my type of dress, he thought. Contrary to everyone here it seemed, Dreth enjoyed the cold. More than that, he reveled in it. Therefore he wore only a satin white tunic of sorts, and white pants of a thin material - not exactly made for winter according to most people's standards. His cloak, he did not even bother to wear, but he kept it bundled under his arm. He noticed a long table was occupied by a single man with a look of sheer boredom on his face. Deciding right then that he had found his table to join, he began to walk towards him, his bare feet moving lightly and only making a sound when the silvery chains on his left foot shifted. 

He gave a friendly smile to the fellow at the table, and greeted him as such. "Well hello there." Pulling out a chair, he raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. "Surely there is room for one more at your table, what with your limited space..." He laughed airily, and his wings shot out behind him in one graceful movement. Immediately they turned into a shimmering frost that floated midair, and then descended into a pile of snow that melted quickly. "But really..." he continued, draping his white cloak over the chair and then sitting down across from the stranger. "You don't mind, do you? It must be awfully lonely here on such a cold, brisk winter's night." He gave a grin, lined with only a touch of wickedness.

"My name is Drethiel. I hope you don't mind the chill, because I'm as cold as they get. Now... who might you be?"

Drethiel's face lit up in a smile. "Oh, really? How odd! Hahaha!" He laughed and gazed into the man's eyes with light curiosity. "Is it strange to be out so late, here? I don't exactly have a curfew... any time is a great time for a leisurely trudge in the snowdrifts, in my opinion." Especially when you're in spirit form looking to find your frozen vessel body before it's too late. He thought to himself, tightening his smile a tad. That was a close one indeed. Had I waited any longer, I would have had to find another... and I quite like this appearance. Thankfully, when his body was slumped against the Rosewood Basilica, it was hidden by the massive banks of snow and preserved for as long as he needed it to be. 

"So tell me, Hunter. Have you seen any other angels around this place?" He asked in a smoothed over tone. "I'm quite curious to know if any similar to my kin are out and about this evening. As for a drink..." He paused, folding his hands together on the table. Everything was being served hot, wasn't it? That simply wouldn't do. "Do they serve anything cold, or at least room temperature in this weather?" He ended his question with a sheepish inflection, trying to make it known that he wasn't familiar with the place. "This is my first time in the tavern, I'll have you know."

He inwardly hoped that Hunter would know of Valourie and her whereabouts, so he could do his best to avoid an encounter with her at all costs. If it were to happen, that would make for quite a show for the tavern patrons tonight.

Drethiel ran his hands through his hair, and then let it fall naturally. "Hmm, I see, I see. And what danger do you think I would encounter out there? Anything specific that I should be keeping my eyes peeled for?" Dreth's smile continued and then fell short at the mention of Valourie. "What?" He droned darkly. Don't panic, Dreth. Just because he's seen her around, doesn't mean she's nearby right now. He took a deep breath, and returned the airy carefree manner to his voice, choking back his inner fear. "What kind of favours do you need done, Hunter? It must be handy to have someone in debt to you..." His eyes wandered to the bartender standing by their table, and looked up at him, smiling. I'll have a glass of water, please... he thought clearly. The bartender looked slightly alarmed, but nodded quickly and hurried off to fulfill Dreth's order.

Turning his attention back to Hunter, he spoke again. "Say... do you want some ice for your juice?" He smirked lightly. "Watch this, I have this neat little trick that I do." As the water was brought back to the table, Dreth thanked the man and tossed him a few coins. He made eye contact with Hunter, grabbed hold of the glass, and tossed its contents up towards the ceiling. With his other hand, he waved up towards the water droplets, and they instantly solidified into ice. When they fell, he caught them back in the glass they came from, and reached over to put a handful in Hunter's juice. After that, he popped a few droplets into his mouth, and crunched on them, speaking as he chewed.

"I have a few more party tricks I could show you, so long as you promise not to mention me to Valourie. What do you say? Her and I just don't get along, and our past interactions make me wish to never run into her again... so mean." He said in an overly sad tone. "But anyway. Tell me about yourself, lad. What's your story, what are you all about?" His voice perked up again and he rested his head in his hands, smiling at Hunter from across the table.

Drethiel's face grew blank. Hmm. No sweet talking here. He tapped his fingers nervously on the table, looking down at them, then back at Hunter, pursing his lips.

"Are you collecting favours from angels, sir? What is it that you want from me?" He stared into his eyes, and in that moment his fear was known. A slight tremble shook through him like a shiver. "She was after me. But I managed to lose her." He stated simply, refusing to elaborate unless provoked.


And it was terrifying. He continued in his head.

Drethiel looked away, knowing his weakness had shown. He was thinking of fleeing, when he suddenly heard Hunter's words: 'I want to get away from all this trouble and my past'. Turning away more, pretending to feel hurt, he hid his sly grin. His voice sounded sad, but his thoughts were racing. "Running from the past... I'm not exactly doing that."

I'm just avoiding or getting rid of those who interfere with my agenda. He took a deep breath, and turned back to Hunter. "Listen here, boy." He said softly, adding a pleading look to his eyes. "You say you want to leave it all behind, to move on? The hunter's way must be hard for you... how upsetting...you must be torn." He cooed, reaching out to touch his face. His frigid finger tips brushed against Hunter's cheeks, and for the first time that night, he smiled angelically. "I can help you with that." His voice was a whisper, his blue eyes grew more pale, to a near white. "If it's death you want, I can reward you with a pure one." He slid back into his seat and crossed his arms. "All your wrongdoings... they will mean nothing. Think of it as a clean slate, Hunter. A clean form, in which you can rest peacefully forever with the other souls I've tidied up." 

To the rest of the tavern, they appeared to be saying nothing. Drethiel was quite particular of his privacy, but his illusion could only last for so long. Taking a deep breath, he focused all his energy to make it last just a bit longer.

"Of course, this does not come without a trade. You must earn your purification, and let's be frank... you're not nearly as lethal as your ancestors were." His expression grew serious, indicating that a dire choice was to be made. "Something must be dirty before it is cleaned. I need you to kill, Hunter. Channel your inner bounty hunter. Take your targets out ruthlessly until I'm satisfied with your filth..." his smile twitched slightly. "And I will give you the ultimate favor. Something Valourie never would." The last part, Dreth wasn't so sure of, but he smoothed it over as a white lie anyway. This Hunter person in front of him was human, which meant he could guide him to an afterlife successfully, along with having a mental influence on him until that time came.

He winced slightly as his illusion broke, and he took a few breaths before he started talking again in hushed tones. "The reason Valourie was hunting me down was because she does not approve of my practices, or my methods... she believes I should be punished. But really - not everyone gets the opportunity to die pure and untainted. I'm doing people favours here." He looked up at Hunter expectantly. "Should you decide to agree to this contract of sorts, you will receive a marking that will be removed by me before you die. Should you die with it still on you, all will have failed and I cannot help you. If you're worried about not being able to fulfill my request... trust me. It'll be like second nature to you - sinning, that is."

It always turns out that way.

Closing his eyes, he said one last sentence. "So. Will you become my bounty hunter in return for the peaceful escape of death?"

Drethiel shrugged, and laughed a bit to himself. "I do not jest. It's within my power." Once again, he reached over the table, and lightly tapped Hunter's forehead. "You're a smart one, I see. You think before you jump into things. You have a good head on your shoulders, have some kind of morals set in place... care for your loved ones... value life as to not rush willingly into death..." He seemed to almost be talking to himself, entranced in thought. Retracting his hand, he crossed his arms and frowned as if solving a puzzle, looking up at Hunter with cold eyes to contest with the sharp glare being shot at him. "You are a challenge - that's what you are." He possesses a strong will, and I would have to work hard to break it. Manipulation is what I do. Sometimes relieving someone of their morals and concerns leaves room to develop their most fearsome skills without any barriers. If he is not willing to cooperate, this won't be easy for either of us, and then the whole process will take longer... is it even worth it?

Drethiel then grit his teeth at the thought of Valourie. This man was hard to sell the deal to, and he wasn't vulnerable enough to mark quickly and manipulate from afar. To make things worse, he now knew about his fleeing from the Valkyrie and could tell her of him quick. That would be the worst case scenario. His silver tongue was growing dull, and there was only so much time he was willing to invest in this conversation. What a tricky, stubborn human this one was turning out to be. He gripped the sides of his arms tighter, continuing his dueling stare with Hunter. He had to think quick. He couldn't promise that his loved ones would remain unhurt, for if they threatened Dreth and his plans... nope, that was one thing he wouldn't touch on. That was one thing he'd have to chance. Drethiel spoke up then, remembering a point that Hunter made and trying to buy some time for thought. "What kind of limitations are you talking about? Please... tell me more. Let's talk more about you, I'm quite the blabbermouth." He narrowed his eyes and made a half-hearted smile.

Don't be so quick to call the Valkyrie on me.

"Such hardship you've been through." Dreth stated, holding up his head with one of his hands. "And of course, I've been happy this whole night, whatever are you talking about?" As the next glass of water was placed in front of him, he bypassed the freezing process and took to sipping it normally this time around. "See Hunter, you said it yourself: with your childhood being controlled, look at the power of the warriors that emerged. Isn't that eye-opening, fascinating even?"

Pouting, he sighed. "But perhaps my methods are not for you. I'll tell you what - you want to live a peaceful, and happy life? So be it. Try it out for a while, living with your past, with your demons. Seek me out when they start to destroy you, and I will numb your pain." He took a large mouthful of water, and swallowed. "My offer stands for as long as you live." He bore into Hunter with less enthusiastic eyes, giving off the impression that he was a bit disappointed. If he was lucky, Hunter would sway into cooperation. "I'll willingly discuss this further if you will."