9ine Chapter 1

Prelude: It was a dank night, the rusty old gutters all dripping with the wetness of fresh rain, the only warmth to be found would be in the arms of a lover or the bottom of a stoneware mug.
That would be where to find the one of a kind Nine, the bottom of the mug of course. The Misty Warf was a rather shitty tavern on a rather shitty dock in a rather deadly part of town.
Nine was sitting at the bar mewing over another mug of shitty ale that he could barely afford.

The economy was down again and the only work he had found as of late was ratting for the deck masters, and a rare bounty for the local cells. Spending his few pence here he had earned for collaring a drunk the other day did not really help his predicament with his bookie, but what the hell, he still has his nine lives…

In she came with the mist of the night tailing her like a horny dog at bay, sweet perfume permeated the air as she passed, and the drunken skulls twisted like old wood as she walked by. The glinting jewelry that covered every appendage would have supported a colony for a year or two, the eyes around roved her body, but not a one was to proud to stare at the precious metals on her frame.
Nine was no less guilty, the first thing he noticed was the stink of her too sweet oils though, his pointy ears twitched under his half bill cap. He turned to drink in the fine glass of water coming toward him. She stopped a few seats short of him and sat her prim ass down at the bar and ordered herself a fine cherry wine, and paid herself despite the numerous offers and bitter rebuttals she received.

Nine could not help but think to himself how much she would regret being here in the first place, but to refuse the offers and to be dressed like a fucking princess on top of it was just plain stupid. Yea she was to the hilts, but not one man in here would grasp a sword for her now, pride, human pride, it made the felinian purr with laughter. He caught himself in his drunkenness occasionally taking a glance around the room to see who was eyeing the lass in the wrong ways. He scratched his ear and wondered to himself why he would even care, but he knew that he couldn’t let a woman be harmed and look himself in the mirror ever again.

He continued to sip at his stinky ale and regret ever coming to this place, but that’s life a bad choice from the pop out. Basting in his self regret and daze he failed to notice that the priss had moved to the stool beside him and was pushing a napkin toward him. After a moment he glanced at the napkin and painted nails that still lay on the edge, in the center it read, “ are you the nine?” he looked up to her radiant blue eyes, his whiskers twitched as he grated out, “ who’s askin?’
She took in a breath, his eyes couldn’t help but slide down and see the way her heavy breasts heaved up and down. The drink had got him good and on edge, but she didn’t seem to notice the slight of eye. “I’ve a job for you.” she slid a pouch toward him, “ an advance, more after you finish the job, here is a note for you to read when your ready.” He pawed the pouch into his lap, and slid the note under his mug.

He turned to say something but she was already getting out of her stool and turning for the door. He watched the sway of her exit and noticed for a moment the carriage waiting for her just outside the tavern. After the door groaned shut he inspected the pouch resting in his lap, glints of gold coins made him purr with a delight he had not know in a long time. He scratched the bar top, and the keeper walked over to him with a look of disdain staining his old face. Nine tossed down two coins from his pouch and rasped out,” a round fer me and me friends.” and he pointed a sharp nail to crowd around, bringing a grin to the keepers face and a cheer from the drunks all around him.

Shortly after his final gulp he struggled drunkenly up the stairs of the common room to the dark hallway leading to his room. He could hear the women of the night plying there trades as he walked by a few of the doors. When he reached his door he put a pointed ear to it, and slipped a curved dagger out of his sleeve as he pushed the door open to the darkness inside.

He shut the door with one hand as he twisted himself toward the corner beside the opening and shoved the dagger under the chin of the surprised drunk that had waited in the dark. The drunks smelly breath hit nine in the face with a puff as he gasped out,” ple, please mister nine, I gots a family to feed, you know?” Nine slid his still dagger wielding hand down the dirty mans shirt and grabbed him by the collar, swung the door open and flung him through the door across the hall.

A scream emitted from the room and nine could see in the candle light escaping, a woman was straddling a man on a weak bed earning her money. The drunk was laid up at the foot of the bed trying to get back to his feet. Nine closed his own door with a slam and bolted it shut. He lit a candle by his bed and pulled his soft leather boots from his feet, and sank back to his pillows unfolding his note from the pretty lady.

Chapter 1,

The morning light came to quickly for his liking and his head pounded like the hammer of the smith down the dirt street. The slivers of light caught the dust floating in the ill kempt room that he had called home for the past few months. His paws rested on his chest still griping the note from the pretty lady. He glanced down to read it again, “Nine, these are my requests of you. The love of my life has gone missing, its been a week now he had traveled to a nearby village to buy goods for our store front. The guards found his carriage a few miles from the gates of town ransacked with no sign of him. The magistrate pointed me in your direction with word that you were my best hope in dealing with the heathens in this city. Please aid me in my search. Find him, or at least find his body so I can reconcile with my own mind.”
Nine neatly folded the note up and slid it into the hidden pocket in his right boot next to a hidden dagger. Slowly he pulled him self out of bed and dressed, he took a glance in the mirror and looked over his scarred face and calico fur that ran from his hairline to the middle of his chest. He was a one of a kind, a strange and tragic union of an Elvin princess and a felinian barbarian. His home was once the misty forests of the northern country, however he was shunned by both of his parent races, the elves took him in and raised him to adulthood. They trained him in their ancient combat arts, gave him the tools necessary to survive and sent him packing as soon as his mother passed on to the nether.

He stopped reminiscing and slipped into his supple chain mail shirt and pulled his black long sleeve shirt over top of that . He reached under his bed and pulled out a flat long case covered in strange runes, it had no lock to be seen. However he felt for the fool brave enough to open the case. Nine muttered some strange words and passed a clawed hand over the face of the case, and slowly opened the lid. He pulled out a few items including some vials of a greenish liquid, a thin sword in a black sheath with a strap that would run from his shoulder to his belt, and a twin pair of wicked looking black scythes. He armed himself and finally donned his brown traveling cloak. Pushed his case back under his bed, took a final look around and left for the common room. Nine took a stool at the end of the bar nearest the door, the keeper happily strolled over to him with a look that could have sold a rat a cat. “How you doing this fine morning mister Nine?’ asked the keeper with a smile in his voice. Nine looked up at him with blood shot eyes and a hangover hidden behind them, “ a little misty from the revelries of last night, but in fine shape none the less.” he rasped out to the keeper. “ Spot o’ the healing tea for you and maybe a little mush to hush the growl?’ the keeper asked. Nine nodded his head in agreement and rested his head in his paws.

A few twitches of a whisker later the keeper brought over his food and tea, “ that will be three pence for the meal and a silver for the door you threw old drew through last night.” Nine shook his head, but laid the payment out, sipped his tea and ate his mush. After awhile he had finished his meal and stood to take his leave. He waved a paw to the keeper, who smiled and nodded dumbly as Nine walked through the door to the inn.

A warm sun on a cold day greeted Nine as he put boot to dirt, his thoughts were on the job as he rounded the corner of the inn and stepped into the shadowy alley that would take him to a red door. His steps were brisk and three turns later he knocked a pattern out on the red wood. A panel in the door slid and pair of squinting eyes peered out, after a string of muttered comments the door swung outward a puff of smoke from the interior followed the swing. Nine stepped through the fog,” is he in?” Nine asked the doorman, “ course, where else would he be?’ the doorman huffed at him.
Nine hated dealing with these people, but they put bread on his table at times. The thieves guild of Namir had a reputable past, and were the first to seek out the strange feline man sleeping in the dark alleys when he had first arrived here. He knew if anyone was going to know about the missing merchant this was his best chance, that is if of course Namir was to blame for the disappearance.

He made his way up a twisty flight of stairs to another door, this one painted blue, again he rapped out a pattern and this time a voice yelled out, “enter’. Nine pushed the door open, behind a fine hand crafted desk in the center of the room sat a bald man, his ears, nose, and lower lip were pierced with golden rings. His fingers were covered with jeweled rings, and bracelets were on both wrists. Some of the jewelry glowed with more then the light from the hearth.

Nine bowed slightly to the man, “ Jainus, its been awhile.” the man lifted his gaze toward Nine, “ How ye been cat?’ the guild master asked friendly. Nine shrugged, Jainus rolled his eyes a little, “ always a mystery with you boy.” Jainus stood and walked over to the hearth, “ so what brings you here, I know I didn’t.”
Nine turned slightly, “ I am looking for some information about a missing man, my client feels that mayhap someone in town is to blame.” Jainus perked up for a moment and turned to him, “ I have no hits out on anyone right now.” he walked back to his desk and took a seat, “ but for a price I will try to dig up something for you.” Nine was shaking his head before the words even finished flowing out of Jainus’s mouth. “ I got this, thank you for your time Jainus always a pleasure.”

Nine turned for the door, “ if you change your mind you know where to find me old friend.” Nine nodded and took leave of the guild. His thoughts were bitter, some gut feeling was telling him that he might have bit the boot in going there for help. He brushed the shade off his shoulder and made his way toward the golden side of town. His next attempt would be to shadow the lass for a bit and see if any hints came in that form.

He finally tracked down her store front as subtly as he could, for he didn’t even know her name or what her wares were. A bartender, turning out to be her cousin and knowing the situation had taking Nine into the storeroom and gave him the location and spoke a little of the disappearance and events leading up to her husband leaving town. It all seemed right, so that did not help Nine out at all. So Nine decided to follow her for the day and see if anything seemed amiss.