The day was bright and refreshingly warm, and the people crowded around him like a ringfort. Not that Avénnian was unaccustomed to crowds, but he could feel the stares penetrating through his cloak.
He first realized that others were noticing him when he caught a young human boy staring. Without meaning to he narrowed his eyes a bit, causing the boy to quickly skulk back to his parents. Though he was dressed in a common fashion with his black pants, white button-up, and dark boots, he still felt as if he stood out from the crowd. It made him slightly uneasy, but he simply continued to walk around as any other would. Avénnian wouldn't fret about it.
After a bit of effort he managed to break through the thick center of the crowd, and emerged where the bustle was gentler. From his position against a wall next to a merchant selling fine silks he watched the numerous folk make their way through the Square while his arms folded over his chest. Children were pulling their parents' sleeves, anxious to reach whatever had caught their eyes. A tall man participated in a small wrestle of words with a very small merchant. The small man held his own pretty well, backing down the taller one until he stormed away in a frustrated manner.
The sounds of the busy center of city commerce blended together to make a single roaring noise. Avénnian usually wasn't much for crowded places, but sometimes he simply enjoyed watching people, just for the pleasure of seeing the tendencies of others that often brought a smile to his face. Most were afoot, and a few were finding difficultly in guiding their stead through the mass. A scrawny little man with a few white patches of hair played a pan flute, rather skillfully, Avénnian thought. His pleasant melody rung over the heads of all in the square.
Feeling that he'd spent enough time stalking the Square, Avénnian stepped forward to leave. It was unfortunate that the direction he was headed would require him to make his way through the thick of the crowd, but he persevered. Food sounds good. Perhaps some venison and cider. There was nothing of particular importance for him to do, as he was simply passing through Lómëdor. He had already decided to leave at the break of day on the morrow, so today he was taking a bit of time to relax.
The light of day was something Lucent cursed upon with a vile tongue. He could never move about the sunlight, for it's warm rays would singe through his pale flesh and leave him but burning ashes in the wind. So he waited. He had a mission to accomplish today, assigned specifically by Xoco. He was to kill an Elf. Not just any Elf, however. No, this Elf was the former Guardian of Holiness. A dire enemy of his master. Lucent knew instantly that this deed would gain him great prestige from Xoco and maybe even a chance to train under the wraith himself. He needed the guidance, and his powers could only be taken so far on his own.
With his mission assigned, Lucent had tracked down this mortal named Avénnian and watched as he entered Lömédor. The darkness of the tree's shadow could only sustain his strength for so long. He could slowly feel his skin give way to even the slightly warm touch of the atmosphere around him. He needed seclusion and fast. His enhanced eyes picked up a woman walking out of her house. The door was open and the inside of her home were exposed to him. The candles were out and the curtains closed. Sweet sanctuary. He sneered as his body turned into a puff of black wisps as he Teleported inside of the woman's house even as she closed the door. He looked around. He was safe, but he wasn't near his target.
Walking upstairs, he parted the curtains in the window upstairs to look across the street. The sun shone through slowly as his skin began to smoke, but he endured the pain long enough to spot the hotel where his accomplice said that Avénnian would be staying. Poof. Another wisp of smoke and he was inside of the top hotel room, overtop of a sleeping young male. The noise of Lucent's Teleportation awoke him and he looked up upon the face of Lucent, before being slaughtered without a second thought. An obstacle in Lucent's way and nothing more. Now, in the sanctity of the shadows, Lucent would await his target to come to him. He only hoped his acquaintance was competent enough to complete his part of the plan. Otherwise the entire mission would be reduced to rubble.
Outside, a man in a dingy brown cloak was pushing through the crowd, grasping a vile of bubbling red liquid in his right palm. He had a wild look about him and seemed to be in quite the hurry. This was Lucent's partner for the mission, Sid. He was a desperate criminal that Lucent had recruited for the mission. He had lured him with promises of power and Sid immediately agreed to help. His only task was to locate Avénnian and give him the vile which contained a sleeping potion. Once knocked out, Sid would bring Avénnian back to his own room and Lucent would complete the mission with a simple bite. As Sid ran through the plan repeatedly through his head, he saw the cloak of Avénnian as he began to break from the crowd.
"Avénnian! Wait, sir, please! I request a word, if I may!" He called through the crowd as he began to make his way towards the Elf.