The Children of the Warp, Skaven Civil War.

A Time To Sew – Pawed by Vang Three Claws:


Sclaw crept along the wall of the narrow passageway hugging the shadows. He was covered from snout to claw in the black tight-fitting garb of his trade. Even the blades of his katana and ninja-to were blackened so as not to betray a hint of his presence. The sewers were quiet and Clan Thunderpaw’s Master Assassin was tense. His quarry was close. He could feel it.

The hairs on the back of Sclaw’s neck stood on end. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. In an instant, a black shape darted out of the shadows from the opposite wall directly at Sclaw. Sclaw’s katana swung high and his ninja-to dove low to parry the incoming flurry of blows from his assailant.

Sclaw replied with his own patterned assault. His katana rolled off of his opponent’s blade to slash at the enemy assassin’s exposed side. His ninja-to rose up from the downward parry to stab at the figure’s chest. The enemy assassin parried each thrust with his eshin fighting claws.

As the exchange continued, Sclaw began to size up his opponent. The figure was clearly an experienced Eshin Assassin. They were also well matched in size and speed, so no advantage to be gained there. Since his opponent was armed with fighting claws, Sclaw had the advantage of a longer reach with his katana. Of course, his opponent would seek to exploit that reach by drawing in close where Sclaw would be unable to use the sword. That was it, indeed thought Sclaw, as he parried another rain of blows and returned in kind.

Sclaw took a half step backwards, giving ground to his opponent. When the Eshinite stepped in to take advantage and press close, Sclaw pushed forward from the balls of his feet and lunged towards his opponent. The two assassins collided, chest to chest. The startled Eshinite glared at Sclaw who grinned in return as he drew the balde of his ninja-to across the Eshinite’s left forearm.

The Eshin Assassin took a quick step back and bowed his head while quickly clamping a paw down on his left arm to staunch the flow of blood.

“Well-well met, Sclaw,” hissed the Eshin Assassin, “it is good-good to see that you-you have not grown weak-soft away from your brother-kin.”

“It would seem that you-you need to get out more, Knifikch,” chuckled Sclaw in return. “I should have cut-slit you-your throat rather than just you-your arm.”

“But then you-you wouldn’t have the joy-pleasure of my company,” snickered Knifikch, “or the loyalty of my clan. You-you have the pay-payment?”

“Of course,” answered Sclaw, retrieving a hefty pouch from a belt concealed within his robes and tossing it at Knifikch.

The Eshin Assassin caught the pouch with his uninjured right paw and tucked it away in the folds of his cloak. “Then-then our business-trade is concluded-done. You-you can tell you-your master that we await his call.”

“Good-good hunting,” offered Sclaw. “Oh, and Knifikch, you-you may want to have that looked at quick-quick or you may lose you-your arm. The poison is slow, but painful and dead-deadly.”

Knifikch turned with a curse and ran down the passageway, away from Sclaw.

Sclaw chuckled to himself and melted back into the shadows.