Fate - First Reply A Deadly Dance and A Lonely Soul

A 1x1 Roleplay where the first writer to respond can join
Smile still upon her face, Kassa listened raptly to the lyrics sung. It was far from the best voice she had eve heard, but it far from the worst; it appeared then that yes, Len could indeed sing. How strange, she thought, that a warrior such as he could have such gentle talents. Her smile widened, illuminating her features. This Len Dy’t B-taa was so unique, so full of mysteries and surprises.

“Lovely performance, darling,” she purred.

She had begun to draw her hand back when Len caught it, his fingers running over her skin with an affection she didn’t expect. The touch of his hand was warm and strong, belying his icy features. She looked at him in surprise even as a slight blush raced over her cheeks and ears, and again was flooded with confounding emotions. Yet though before she would have drawn back or struck out, this time her fingers curved over his as he spoke words that struck her as deeply true, more profound that he knew.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said in a whisper, as if the quiet atmosphere of the room was not to be disturbed. “But sometimes… I wonder if I’m a person at all. I haven’t been… I think I haven’t been, for many years.” She looked down, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. “I’ve… killed. Len. I’ve cheated, lied, stolen. And enjoyed it. Not just because the Masterful One demanded it, but because it all made me feel strong, controlling others, deciding their fates. It gave me pleasure, vengeance. It took away the weakness and helplessness I felt as my mother died.”

The laughter. The jeering.

The screaming.

Her face turned pale, banishing away the soft rose that had risen. Her other hand rose to her lips as memories she preferred to never have, surfaced bold and brutal. She looked up, her green eyes catching his as her breath halted in her throat. Should she? Yes, but dare she?

She swallowed. “They… hunt me. Witch hunters. I haven’t seen any for a while now, but they look for me. To them, I’m not Kassa Lia. I’m the Darksome One. I’ve been lying low for the moment, but someday they’ll find me again, and I’ll do everything I can to exterminate them,” she said, her voice hardening. Then she grimaced. “You see, Len? I’m not… not as pretty as some people think.”

She sighed. “‘A demon from beneath the rocks’? Well, I know I’m no angel,” she confessed sadly. “And I don’t really want to be either. Demons? I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t deal with mine very well. Not like you, honey.”
 
Len wore the softest of smiles as she gazed up to him, moving his hand to hold her own as he fought back a chuckle at the light rosy color coming to her cheeks. This time, his words had reached her heart. He could see it, the change in her eyes as a bright smile finally illuminated her face in a brilliant manner he'd never seen from the brooding girl before.

"When I was young, I danced and sang to entertain my peers. It was decided by those in power that my dancing should be with a blade in hand. Had it been my own choice, maybe I would have pursued a much different calling..." Len's voice was equally as silken as Kassa's, as though allowing anybody but her to hear his words would be disrespectful or taboo. Still, she belittled herself, mentally berating herself for her past actions and feelings. Stuck in a cycle of regret, 'The Darksome One' would never know contentment until she learned to forgive herself.

"You give me far too much credit, Kassa. To assume that I only killed, only brought suffering out of service to my masters is flattering, but I have been every bit as corrupted as you. At first, I saw my role as a warrior only as a job, but in time the world around me began to blur. Nothing mattered to me except the next victory, the next show of dominance over my enemy."

Even last night, he'd relished in the struggle they'd faced. Looking death in the eyes made him feel alive, and though it would endanger them both he would do it again in the beat of a heart. "I became nothing but a weapon, existing only to kill and destroy whatever I was pointed at. I didn't think twice, I felt no remorse. Does that not make me every bit as deplorable as you?"

She stared up at him as his hand moved her own, placing it on her lap before shifting his palm to rest on the back of her hand. His smile faded slightly, recalling his own weaknesses, his own regrets. Looking back now, he was ashamed of what he'd become by the time his life had come to an end. Kassa spoke of being hunted, of being chased by those who wished her dead.

Len merely moved to lie on his back beside her, a soft sigh leaving his pale lips as he attempted to relax. "Neither of us are clean of sin. That I seem so righteous to you is only because I have nothing left. If there were a way to go back, to spend one more day where I belong... I would let nothing alive stop me." Tucking his hands under his head, he turns to look at her. "You speak ill of yourself freely, unforgiving of your own past. Perhaps I do not bring voice to it, but surely you must know I think the same of myself."

The end of his sentence trailed off.

"I apologize, Kassa. This is a period of great trial for you. You need not listen to my own woes, we should try to get some rest."

Kassa Lia
 
Even the most gallant of men were not immune to remorse and sin. Holding back any words she might speak, Kassa listened to Len as he spoke of a past tainted by blood, guilt, and regret. In the middle of it all, she wondered if anyone might despise him for what he might have done, for acting as a tool as he made it sound like. He spoke of deplorability, and yet as she looked at him se saw only her hero who saved her from the Golden Road cretins, her companion who did not leave her when the Masterful One revealed her to be a most loathsome figure.

Kassa was used to be being alone. Her most reliable companion had been a horse, offering nothing but agreeable silence. Perhaps a snort or two. Everyone else proved to be unreliable at best, and complete betrayers at worst. In time, she had learned to look at everyone with skepticism regarding their loyalty, doubting always their ethics in friendship and supposedly noble comradery. Everyone, she thought, was a monster in some way. Some less than others, but most were worse than a few.

When she had first met Len, she had felt no different. But now, as she looked at him in the dim light and shadows of a long night, she felt nothing but sureness that he would be there, no matter what came. Golden Road ilk, highwaymen, thieves, demons or gods or something else entirely, he would not leave her. Perhaps he was being unwise, even downright foolish when it came to his own safety and wellbeing, but then, wasn’t that the very definition of heroism and selfless courage?

His hand, nestled atop hers, left as Len made to lie on his back. She almost regretted the reassuring touch. He spoke to a great trial for her, and she smiled wearily. He was stupidly gallant.

“You’re so confusing, darling. Isn’t our story about you?”

He was right, though. It was time to rest, and so she laid down beside him, closing her eyes, hoping to reach that dreamless sleep.

The night wore on, passing by in peaceful serenity. Even so all she managed was a restless doze, punctuated by moments of wakefulness. Yet when the morning came and the sun’s bright light shown through the windows and cracks of the ceiling, she felt alert and refreshed. Glad to leave the events of yesterday behind as fading memories, she packed up with a musical hum, feeling more cheerful than usual as she descended into the inn’s dining area.

The breakfast of that morning contained fresh eggs, strips of bacon, and minced potatoes. Already the tantalizing smells of the the special stew and baking bread wafted from the kitchen.

The horses were finely groomed and looked eager to move on, and Kassa stroked her red mare fondly. The beast nickered as she pulled herself into the saddle and smiled at Len and hesitated before speaking.

“I have to… well, thank you, darling. For yesterday.”

She was not used to trusting others. But she trusted him.
 
B-taa was sure that lesser men would feel ashamed opening themselves so willingly to another as he was doing with Kassa, exposing his woes and insecurities to her, ripe for judgment and ridicule. Yet Len felt no shame in what he spoke to her. They had both bore their souls to each other now, more or less. He trusted Kassa not to prey on his trust just as he had spared her own. Of course, he had opinions on this "Masterful One" that she had bound herself to. If it had been up to him, he would have drawn arms against the foul being right then and there, despite the obvious dangers such an action would spell.

But it was not his battle to fight. The Masterful One was Kassa's burden to bear, and should she wish to be free of it, she would need to do so with her own strength. It was a strength that she very much had, but would she be able to find it? That was a question that Len could find no answer to, nor was it an answer he would seek. When the time came for her will to be truly tested, Len had faith that she would pass whatever trial found her path.

As she lay down at last her mind seemed to be far more at ease, the storm brewing in her eyes calmed, at least for now. "My story ended long ago, Kassa. This is your time, and I am eager to see the next chapter." He reached over, taking her hand once more as she rested beside him. Yes, he was confusing, even to himself. No matter how unreasonable his actions were, however, they stayed true to who he was. That was what mattered more than anything else.

He fell asleep that night with a smile on his face, looking not backwards to the past, but forwards to the future. Not his future, but hers. All that he desired for himself was to see the place he cherished most one final time, no matter what state it may be in. After that, nothing else would truly matter.

When dawn broke and filled the shoddy windows of their room, Len felt more rested than he had in a very long time. His mind was clear, eyes wide and focused. His skin burned with the desire to strike forth and seize the goals that both he and his companion had set for themselves. Kassa looked to already be up and about, dressing and preparing for the inevitably long day ahead of them. Len was more than happy to join her for the delicious breakfast provided; it more than made up for the shabby room they'd been confined to.

When at last the both of them were mounted once more, Kassa piped up in gratitude. Len buckled his coat to hide his chest, bringing the cowl up over his head once more to hide his appearance the best he could before turning to her with a smile. "Don't linger on it. I'd do it all again, really."

They were off, back on their long journey to Alliria. With any luck, there would be no further roadblocks or attempted murders in the way of their progress. Still, now that he knew the Golden Road was seeking to have him dead, he had to expect that more fights would come.

The day was warm, and in all the clothes he wore to hide his pale skin he was already growing just as hot as he often was in the armor he'd since lost. Looking over to Kassa as they thundered down the path, he queried, "You didn't seem to keen when I said we were heading to this 'Alliria'. Is it a bad place? Somewhere we won't be welcomed?" She hadn't elaborated, and he found himself increasingly curious.

Kassa Lia
 
Ahead of them, the path was straight and clear. Unspoiled by crowds or cities, marked only by a few small farmsteads, the Aberresai Savannah welcomed the two of them into its verdant depths. As the horses galloped or trotted across the flowing grass, they would see herds of deer, wild horses, bison, prairie dogs, and more. Most fled beyond clear sight, but a few, such as the formidable and fearless aurochs, let them pass by quite close. It was a peaceful paradise for such animals and Kassa enjoyed the scenery. What was more, she found herself enjoying the company.

Most other people annoyed her to no end, with their selfishness and greed. Though she rarely admitted it to herself, their flaws often reminded her of her own faults, and that irked her. She hated to think about her own innumerable sins, which would surely lead to her eventual downfall. The Masterful One and His eerie meetings never failed to remind her of that, and though He deigned not to mention it with Len nearby, the thought remained with her always. One day, she would fall, and would not rise.

So when Len questioned her about Alliria, it drew her thoughts to other things, and she welcomed it. She didn’t answer immediately, recalling with as much detail as she could the features of the city, both its boastful riches and its dark secrets. Every city had them, but with such a prized city like Alliria, it was doubly so.

“It’s not a terrible place,” she finally said. “It’s a nice enough city for the wealthy and the well-to-do, though I suppose that’s true for any civilization.” She leaned over her horse’s withers, casting a scrutinizing gaze at Len in his coat and cowled features. “On the contrary, darling, it might be the only place we’ll be welcomed so much. It’s full of a lot of different people of all races, so maybe even you might not need to wear that ugly getup.” She straightened, tossing a lock of disarrayed hair over her shoulders. What she didn’t tell him was that Alliria was likely built over those Trees he spoke of. Alliria might be all there was to see of his past life, an insult to what once stood so proudly there.

The sun rose high and bright over them, and its rays had just begun to brush the horizon’s edge in hues of gold and dusky red when Kassa slowed her horse to brisk canter. Up ahead was a prominent cabin, very elegant built of fine wood and painted stone. It was long but squat, and a sign over two short double doors had no words but a pictogram; a flat circle with triple-curved lines above it.

“They call that the Crystal Springs,” Kassa said to Len, giving him a smile. “It’s a hot spring built underground. Rumor says it always runs clear and clean. Expensive…” she admitted, even as her eyes brightened with good humor, “but… may I comment you smell again?”

The doors to the cabin swung open before they’d even reached it, revealing a pair of attendants who offered them a welcoming smile.
 
A sense of relief washed over the pale-skinned relic of the past as the warm air of the savannah filled his pores once more, the sounds of any civilization fading behind him at last. These plains had once been his home, and while much had changed the air was still the same, the sun and the sky had not left him in his absence. When it was just him and the world around him, he was far more content than when he was in a place so obviously beyond his own world.

Of course, he was not alone on this journey. Kassa Lia had been his traveling companion up until the end of yesterday, but dawn had woken them this morning as something else. Now, they departed back into the warm suns of the Aberresai as friends. Len had almost forgotten what it felt like to have that level of trust in somebody. Although their union was young, the previous day had forged a bond between them that would not be easily shattered or frayed. Both were aware of the inevitability of their demise, likely quickened by the path they walked, but at least now they knew they would not fall alone.

"So, it is a city teeming with life, a cornerstone of this day's civilization..." Len more murmured to himself than to Kassa as he looked forward, gripping his reins. To think such a large and important place now sat where his trees stood, or perhaps had stood... "Even if my home is there no longer, I wish to see this Alliria. To see if it upholds what we stood for. What I fought and died for." Even if the trees were gone, it was possible the Aberrant City itself still existed somewhere, lost and abandoned. If there was anything at all left, Len would find it.

At her jab towards the coat he wrapped tightly around himself, he shot her a playful smirk. "You've gotten too used to me walking around without a shirt on. I've gone and spoiled you so quickly." The old warrior was aware of his physique, and that Kassa had... appreciated it... briefly when he wasn't looking from time to time. He couldn't resist teasing her a bit. "But it will be nice to find a more appropriate outfit, perhaps a new set of armor to wear."

In the approaching distance was an extravagant cabin, not oversized but with no small amount of decorations and style that spoke to money and luxury. Strangely, Len could have sworn he saw steam rising from the roof. It didn't look like the kind of smoke that would come from a fire...

Hot springs. And Kassa seemed more than interested in a good soak. Again Len would laugh at her implication. "Yet another excuse to get me undressed, but I relent, a bath does sound divine, especially in this heat." He offered a wink as he pulled his horse in beside the cabin, hitching it to the posts buried in the ground outside and patting the side of its neck with a soft comforting hum.

"By the time we get to Alliria, I'll owe you a fortune, it seems."

Kassa Lia
 
Under Len’s teasing, Kassa gave a rare ring of laughter. But even as the sound lingered, she turned her face slightly aside as she felt a rush of heat slide up her cheeks. It was rather true. What woman couldn’t notice a fit shape such as the Vanguard’s? Caught off guard, even by her own private confessions, she felt embarrassed and was quite loathe to have Len see it. As they hitched their horses, she sent him a glare, though try as she might, it didn’t have much of an angry quality.

“Yet another excuse to get me undressed…”

“Oh, stop it,” she muttered as the attendants at the doors laughed. Too late to hide another blush she spun around to lead the way into the cabin. She looked over her shoulder at Len and managed a smirk, a much more comfortable expression. “You already owe me quite a bit of gold, darling. If you’re good, I’ll consider waving some of it.” To be honest, she’d nearly forgotten all about the money.

The cabin was quite warm as they stepped inside. There were a few modest, wooden tables and chairs decorated with polished white candles and flickering lanterns, though they were largely unoccupied. There was a tiny bar that seemed to specialize in fine wines and tea, and up ahead there was a doorway lined in finely carved marble with stairs that led not forward, but down. There were also clever little slits in the floor for ventilation, allowing wisps of steam to flow into the cabin and through the roof.

A young, comely looking man came around the bar and smiled at them. “Just two?” he asked. “You’ll be alone. It’s been a slow day.”

“Just two, and good,” Kassa said brusquely. “We all could use some slow days.” She dug around in her satchel, and brought out a few gold coins which she dropped into the man’s outstretched hand. He counted them silently and tilted his head to the marble entrance, gesturing them to go on ahead.

The stairs were let with small torches, carefully carved in an easy, gradual slant in consideration for the lame or elderly. When it finally opened up into a spacious cavern, a marvelous sight awaited them.

The springs, clear as glass and the source of the steam, glittered under the reflected light, was rimmed with black marbled that held a tint of rainbow polished. It was perfectly round, deep, and radiated heat. It was ringed with other separate pools, but this, though attractive enough, was not what made the place beautiful.

Crystals, of all colors and shapes, flowed upward in long spires from the ground and glorious stalactites from the ceiling. In small and large clusters they populated the hot springs, glittering with magical and natural light. Some were carved in fantastical shapes or mythical beasts; others held ancient runes, elegantly written across their translucent surfaces.

There were robes and towels sitting on a stone bench, ready to use. Kassa placed her hands on her hips and frowned at the Vanguard.

“Len, darling. Will you turn around?”
 
The laugh rang through Len's ears much more powerfully than he'd imagined; it was such a breath of fresh air to see Kassa acting happy and optimistic, especially in contrast to the dark and grim events that had transpired just the previous day, in that cursed house of death she'd taken him to. The giggle from her lips made his smile grow even wider, and if he was being entirely honest with himself, he didn't mind a bit if she admired his from. He'd been trained to be unfeeling and uncaring for so long, that to have somebody visibly attracted to him felt absolutely invigorating.

B-taa flashed another small smile from underneath his hood, this time to the attendants waiting at the door as they slid off of their horses. He'd accrued a good deal of debt with Kassa indeed, and he was beholden to pay it off in full, whether that be through monetary means or otherwise. Still, she didn't seem entirely worried about the cost of treating him, which both baffled and flattered him. "I'm going to have to do something for you sooner or later. You've been so kind to me..." He mumbled as the door was opened politely by the attendants and they were allowed in.

The inside of the building was every bit as overtly elaborate as the exterior. There wasn't anything too outlandish in the way of furniture, save for some candle-laden tables and a bar, but it was the detail etched into everything that spoke of sophistication, of luxury; The carved marble, expensive drinks, and the soft scent from the candles drew him in, reminded him of the lavish palaces that once housed the noble and wealthy of the Aberrant.

When the young man appears to greet them, Len offers a polite bow as Kassa addresses him. It really didn't make much difference how many people were in the spring. B-taa had already established a disregard for common modesty, but he would understand if Kassa preferred they were alone. Thankfully it seemed they had chosen an opportune time for privacy's sake.

Without a word, Len followed his companion through the doors leading to the springs, pulling down the hood that hid his face to better beat witness to the spectacle that awaited him behind it. It was as though they had carved out the inside of a massive crystal; Len found it difficult to spot any surface that didn't shimmer in the dim light that set the mood within the beautiful room. Visages of great beasts were accompanied with many runes, as old as the stones themselves. Some of them caught Len's eye, sparking a familiarity in his brain. This place would have been near where his Kingdom once stood... he wondered if this could have been some small remnant? Unlikely... Still, it was humorous that the spring itself was a footnote.

Nevertheless, they'd come here for those rumbling waters. Already Len shrugged the jacket off of his shoulders, leaving him barechested. Kassa seemed to hesitate though. It took a moment after she asked before Len realized the reason and he averted his gaze. "If that is your wish, Kassa." He turned his back to her as he set about removing his own trousers, not sharing such shyness. "I do hope you didn't take my teasing in earnest. I have no problem with you seeing me, Kassa. I take it as a compliment."

Kassa Lia
 
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A compliment? Kassa rolled her eyes as Len turned around, but secretly reckoned the Vanguard likely received many such “compliments” in his earlier days. And would even now, despite his pale skin. She too turned her back to him, but not before she once again noticed his tall body and the fit, tight musculature of his form. Unbidden, a wonder of how many women he may have had the pleasure of sleeping with came to her. It was probably many. A lot. Who could deny someone like him? Kassa assured herself she didn’t really care, yet felt her face turn red again. Damnit, what was wrong with her?

She undressed with a small bit of nervousness, looking up now and again to make sure Len kept a respectful distance. She folded her clothes with military precision, setting the folds down in neat squares on a oblong stone before finally making her way to the edge of the central spring. She looked down at herself, seeing her transparent reflection in the shimmering waters.

Kassa knew she was pretty, but she never paid that much mind, nor did she know just how pretty she was. Not a single mark marred her fair skin or altered her slight body. Her flattering curves and deceptively delicate features were now on full display, no longer hidden by robes or any other attire. She brushed her auburn hair back from her shoulders as she stepped slowly into the water, testing its temperature. It was hot, almost uncomfortably, but only at first. As she submerged herself chest deep in the pool, the heat became utterly delicious and relaxing.

It was likely the clear waters couldn’t hide either of their bodies beyond the blur caused by the water’s simple nature. In any other instance Kassa would have felt too cautious and even embarrassed, but somehow, it didn’t matter so much with the heat of the pool washing away her tension. For a moment, she felt almost carefree, released of thoughts of duty and responsibility and the sins that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Even when they came back in a wave of dark guilt, she couldn’t escape the soothing warmth.

“Come on in, Len,” she said, her smile brilliant on her face. “Mmm, I already feel clean,” she sighed as she tiled her head back, moving to the edge to rest her back against.

She let her eyes wander around the cave, resting on the strange runes that littered the surface of the many crystals and glittering spires. Some of them were curving elegancy; others were harsh, cut jagged and sharp. “Can you read any of that, darling? I recognize a few, but some of it is strange even to me.”
 
There was silence behind him, no response offered to his admission. That was fine, of course. The important thing was that his words be heard. Still he swore he could feel the heat of her eyes on his back. Did she think him ingenuine, he wondered? Did his words ring as some bumbling attempt at coddling or flirtation? Despite what Kassa thought about the strange fellow, his service as a warrior had left him sworn to complete celibacy when his training was complete. While he had spent some quality time with his lover Yura before then, his initiation as Warrior had been the last time he had been allowed to see her.

The lingering questions of what had happened to the woman who'd been his first love still ate away at him sometimes, in the dead of night while he tried to sleep. He remembered the snow, the torchlight against her skin and the words she'd said. Never be forgotten. Len had failed that task, but he would not die again so easily. This time, he would grant Yura's wish. Maybe that was why he was so determined to persist.

Maybe....

As much as Len would like to be able to claim such abstinence was always easy, the healthy man of course felt temptation, often times it was a battle unto itself to fight such urges. Even now he found himself curious, no small part of him wishing to turn and see Kassa in her full splendor. Of course, respect took precedence over desire. Never would he lose control of himself to such base urges.

So when she at last called for him to turn around, just as bare as she as he approached the edge of the water, he only briefly looked over her, most of her body blurred by the ripples of the surface, albeit obviously divine in her beauty. The only parts of her that were truly exposed were her shoulders and the valley of her chest. B-taa averted his gaze and stretched before stepping into the piping hot waters of the spring, a deep breath escaping his lungs as he sank in beside her. His own body stuck out much more under the water with its bright color, but Len was far too distracted by the pleasurable heat to be modest.

"Yes, after the days we've had, this is incredible..." It was almost a moan from his mouth, closed eyes opening just enough to look over at the odd little characters that dotted the walls. "Forgive me, there is so much more here to look at then those silly little runes." It was oddly to the point, but Len was only partially referring to her...

"They are familiar. Not unlike the language of the Aberrant, and yet different somehow..." He mused. "I suppose it could just be a fuzzy memory..." No, when he ignored the gorgeous creature across from him and squinted... "May someday our redemption be found, salvation from the sins we commit. Small moments of peace in a world dying around us, the waters remain."

Sure sounded like something his people would write, although the Aberrants that he knew were never particularly concerned with sin... "I miss my home, but at the same time I do not. I left so little behind, but it was all that I knew, all that I had. Now all that I have is you, my friend."

Kassa Lia
 
It certainly wasn’t easy to distract her eyes away from Len, but somehow Kassa managed to keep her gaze on the many crystals and carved fascinations surrounding the pool. Only when her companion settled into the water did she look at him again. He was quite a sight just then; the ghostly pallor of his skin shone in the shadows of the underground cave, reflecting the light the crystals emitted from the small torches provided. He looked inhuman, but not horrific in any way. He looked, Kassa thought, like an apparition of some kind of spirit.

Of course, there were many kinds of spirits, and even poltergeists could imitate beauty. She smiled at the thought, at her own foolishness that wanted to wholly trust in Len Dy’t B-taa. But when he talked and acted as he did, it was difficult to ignore all his outer virtues and forget that such trust would be ill placed. It had always been before; why would it be different now? He had already admitted to the existence of his own sins, and she herself knew that she neither wanted nor deserved a gallant knight.

She looked at the strange, archaic letters scattered over the crystals. They meandered not only on those shining surfaces but also roamed up the cave, touching the irregular ceiling. Some even flowed across the floor in flowing rivers, faded by the feet of many visitors. She studied them curiously. Her senses and magical sight couldn’t detect anything malicious about them, and yet…

It seemed Len knew more than she did this time, and she cocked an eyebrow at the quote he recited. It was very poetic and somewhat sad. She wondered what sort of sins the original writers committed, and if they ever found their redemption.

“Now all that I have is you, my friend.”

She smiled. “How terrible that must be.” She tilted her head. “There might not be so much of your past home left, but that doesn’t mean we won’t find anything. There are always signs left behind, remnants of past things lying around. And even if there isn’t anything… why, I daresay rebuilding your life might be most exciting. You get to start over, new. Sometimes I wish I had that chance,” she confessed.

Not sometimes, though. Most of the time. Frequently she wished she had never cast the spells and unlocked the barrier that had kept the Masterful One away from the lives that he now held sway over. It had been only a small fragment of time before she had realized that binding herself to his power and creating the pact was not worth the price she would pay when all was said and done.

It might have been different, everything might have been different, if she wanted justice and acted out of righteous anger. But she didn’t want justice. She wanted revenge, and had acted out of grievous rage.

“Len,” she said his name hesitantly. “What do you regret most? That you can remember? I mean, if that’s too much to ask, just tell me and we can change the subject.”
 
That either of them trusted the other was foolish and naive, having only known one another for less than an entire week. Indeed, the chance encounter on the streets of Maraan had led the two of them down a steep path that now saw them bare of flesh and confiding in each other with feelings deep and hidden. The trust that they held was foolish, yes, but it was also pure, untainted.

Well, untainted save for the readily apparent sexual tension that was growing between them, but that would have to be addressed when the time was right if such a time came. That, like everything else that the pair had been met with, was all up to the hand of fate itself. A cursed woman with a history of bloodshed and misery and a relic of the past with no remaining sense of identity, odd bedfellows, and yet they had both come to lean on the other over the course of the last few days.

If it had been Len's old self, If Kassa had met the Grand Terios that B-taa had once been... Would she have thought the same? The unfeeling machine of nerve and muscle that he'd once been in service to those who gave him orders was still hidden within him somewhere, deep and buried, but Len no longer had any desire to restrain himself. That was why he'd buried his own blade within himself all that time ago; to taste freedom, to feel the chains unwrap from his wrists and bind him no longer.

This freedom... he was living it now in a way, traveling with Kassa with no real purpose in mind save some vague goal of finding what was once precious to him. This odd cave, this spring, while he didn't say it outright to Kassa, he knew that it was built by his own people. The words etched on the walls all but confirmed it. At the same time, no such spring had existed when he had passed, and very few facilities were permitted to be constructed outside of the great city. That meant this had been constructed after his death.

So what were these sins? What had his people done? And what of the city?

Questions that he knew had no easy answer. Far from any point in pondering them right now, not when he had the present to live in, when he had somebody else to trust beside himself for the first time in his long life. "It is not for nostalgia or for belonging that I seek my past, Kassa. Even if I were to find the city I once lived in, and it was still teeming with the life of the Aberrant, I doubt I would have much desire to live amongst them."

Len would cup his hands in the water, taking handfuls and pouring them over his head with a small sigh of contentment. The heat ate away at every ounce of stress that had built up in him as of late. "I just want to know that in the end, all of my work meant something. That I left some sort of legacy behind. I gave up a normal life for servitude, spent the majority of my time bending over backward for those in command of me. I knew no love, no friendship, no mercy. If I could change anything, I would live for myself. I would fight for my own freedoms."

So engaged in the conversation they were sharing, the two wouldn't notice the change in the air around them, several of the shapes in the walls of the spring emitting something other than air, a gas slowly beginning to fill the chamber that would make the both of them heady and groggy.

Kassa Lia
 
Throughout her life, Kassa had learned that to trust others was folly. She had learned that donating part of her life to others was a waste, that every person of all sorts and kind were cruel, greedy monsters on varying levels. Kindness and altruism were as rare as fire opals, and even when given were flawed with selfish desires. She thought of this, of her past experiences, of abandonment and disappointment. A bitter taste rose in her mouth. Why should this Len Dy’t B-taa be any different from the men and women who sought at most to use her?

Abruptly, a new feeling beside the bitterness rose, a feeling of hot misery and resent that might bring any other woman to tears. Kassa had never had a friend before, and even her childhood was lonely and, as fate demanded, brutally short. As she looked at the strange, pale man across from her, she wanted nothing more than the be able to fully trust him, to know that he truly was different.

Wanted, and knowing she couldn’t.

He had done so much, and might do more, yet none of it mattered if he turned out to be the same as any human who had ever lived. If he was as vulnerable to fraudulent corruption as they. And she was afraid, almost terrified, that she was going to be let down by him as she had been by ever other person preceding him.

She stared at him as he spoke, cleverly avoiding any direct reply to her question while answering it all the same. The water glittered over his pale skin and reflected light of his silvery hair. His admirable musculature and fit form again caught her attention; more than one today she found herself thinking he was, yes, very handsome. This infuriated her. Was she no different than a smitten woman when encountering an attractive male?

She didn’t notice the gas spreading around them. If it had been a magical spell, she would have sensed its evil presence and known its intent. As it was, she thought she was merely being distracted by Len’s appealing figure. She glared at him for a moment before reminding herself that he couldn’t be blamed for how he looked.

“No love, friendship, or mercy,” she repeated. She paused, letting the words hang in the air like a condemnation of all things good. “What changed you, darling?” sha sked suddenly. “You slew yourself and they brought you back for some reason, but what drove you to that?”

She yawned, suddenly feeling more relaxed and tired than ever. The last few hours must have been more demanding than she’d thought. “Ugh, sorry, dear...” It felt suddenly difficult, almost too much effort, to breathe. She leaned back against the edge of the pool, her eyes sliding closed.
 
The turmoils that swirled within both of them were arguably parallel with one another. Of course, Len wanted to put his entire and complete trust in Kassa Lia. To have a connection so genuine, so pure was one of the reasons he'd craved this freedom. It would be the ultimate stand against the loneliness and isolation that had ruled his life up until this point. It was not that simple, though. The two of them came quite literally from different worlds, one from the distant past and one from the present. How could she ever understand how he felt? How could she understand how much these small moments meant to him?

And Gods she was beautiful too. Len saw as plain as day the attraction between them. Kassa struggled not to display it, but Len had seen her eyes on him, the way she stole glances at his body when she thought he couldn't see. Len knew because he'd been doing the same thing, admiring her when weakness took hold. It was far more than a physical attraction though, at least for him. Kassa was, whether she saw it or not, a warrior. She was a determined spirit with the spirit of a raging fire, forging onwards despite all of the wrongs and evils committed against her.

Len didn't see the problem with the two of them being so simple, a pair who found attraction in one another. Certainly, it was that easy for him in the past. Even so, something held her back, and Len himself thought it unwise to press her, lest he push her away. It was that fear of repelling her that caused his answers to be as non-committal, as vague as they were. Vauge or not, this answer was the truth"My own was the first life I'd taken because I chose to, not because I was ordered to. It was the first time I'd ever dared disobey orders."

B-taa took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing but found when he opened his eyes that she'd sunk back against the wall of the pool and her eyes had slid shut. "Kassa...?" he murmured, in a voice that was decidedly more slurred than he'd expected. Now that he thought about it, he was rather sleepy. The waters seemed to rise up his body, engulfing him completely. In reality, he too had begun to sink under the water, the gas flowing into the chamber knocking the both of them unconscious.



...Dry. Like sand. The first thing he could feel was how dry his mouth was, devoid of any hint of moisture. His lips smacked together in protest, brow creasing as he brought his hand to his mouth. Except it didn't come. Again, he flexed his wrist but to no avail. Finally his eyes shot open as he realized he was bound, and the reality of the cold mat against his back hit him.

He was still in the Hot Spring building, that much he could tell by the air. It wasn't the room with the Springs though, it was smaller, barely lit save for two torches on opposite walls and the light that peeked under a door across the room. His wrists were tied together above his head with a thick rope, and a strange hard sleeve covered his hands to prevent him from using his fingers. His legs were bound as well but each ankle was individually tied to an anchor point on the floor, rather than being tied together.

His body was still completely exposed, and the cold air of this room caused his flesh to go into small bumps. Clearly, this place was far more insidious than either of them had suspected; he'd no idea whether whoever owned this establishment knew of who they were or if this was a random targeting, but putting him on display like this was something he silently swore they would regret.

Kassa.

What about Kassa?

At least his head wasn't restrained, whipping his head to look around the dark, empty room, he saw her beside him bound in the same fashion, lying bare on a green mat of some sort, the dim glow of the torches illuminating her body. She was breathing; he could see the rise and fall of her stomach...

"Kassa! Wake up!"

Kassa Lia
 
As always, Kassa Lia did not dream. No sound, no sights or smells – only an endless, dark void that swept her into worlds she never remembered. She slept quietly this time, almost peacefully, wrapped in warmth and the company of someone she had grown, perhaps, too much affection for.

So it was until that warmth was shattered by the sound of a voice. Len’s voice. Her eyes snapped open, and all her reflexes shot into action, demanded that she was on her feet, ready to fight or flee. But neither was given to her; instead, she found her legs apart and staked to the floor. Her arms were tied above her together. This was horrible enough until she found that she was clad only by air. Air that before was comforting and relaxing before was now suffocating. She strained against her bonds, the mat shifting underneath as she tried to break them… to no avail.

Immediately, she tried to call on her magic, the power she had bargained away her soul for. Only it didn’t come. Perhaps it was whatever had driven them to a drugged sleep, or the runes she spied painted on the walls around them, or the bonds at her arms that glowed with a deadly light. Perhaps it was all of this combined that denied her the powers she relied on.

The powers that had saved her so often was out of her reach, and a cold chill raced through her veins as she slowly realized the truth.

She was helpless. She tried hard to fight down the panic that threatened to choke her as she managed to turn her head around, to see Len in much the same state as she. Suddenly, the Vanguard didn’t look so strong now. He looked vulnerable; a victim put on humiliating display. And she knew she likely looked the same.

Who had done this? The Golden Road again? By the warm air, by the steam gathering overhead, they were still in the hot springs building. But it was clear the usual tenders and occupants of this corrupted paradise were no longer. Who had taken their place?

This was no simple robbery or assault; they had plenty of time to kill Len and Kassa while the two slept and make away with their belongings. No, this was something much more sinister.

“Len… are you…” she whispered. Her voice cracked, and she shook with more than mere cold. “What’s happening? Where are we?”

Her head turned around, taking in the surroundings, bleak and foreboding. Again she tried to reach her magic. Again, nothing, but the runes and bindings pulsed. Her head swam too. Still, her face twisted in helpless rage. “Let me go! I’ll fucking kill you bastards!”
 
Len was utterly exhausted, and that was something he very rarely experienced...

The two of them had been drugged by the men in the hot springs as they bathed, dragged to a dark room and restrained. They'd intended to kill Len and violate Kassa before likely killing her as well. What had followed was a bloody and dangerously close battle. They'd escaped with their lives, but that was the most damage that Len had taken since his revival, and his body was screaming at him to stop and rest.

Kassa was insistent that they keep moving, however. Having doctored his more serious injuries it seemed she was quite unsettled by the possibility of more foes arriving to avenge their comrades. Without even a moment to let him breathe she'd stormed out of the building, leaving him by the pool where she'd treated him. B-taa could only lay there for a moment, at least until he found the energy to pull himself back to his feet. Every muscle in his body still throbbed and ached, but he no longer felt like he'd been snapped into several pieces.

Wincing, the pale fellow retrieved his trousers, sliding them on slowly enough that he wouldn't hurt himself further, before limping out to follow Kassa outside. She was still seemingly fuming when he joined her, standing a few feet away from the disfigured remains of one of the powerful warriors who'd injured Len. B-taa leaned on the door frame of the entrance, holding his ribs and watching her through glassy eyes.

"I know you want to leave but... I need a minute, Kassa. I'm sorry, I just don't know if I can ride like this."

Len had expected Kassa to be happy that they survived their battle, but instead, she'd been infuriated with him, acting as though it was his fault. Len did feel guilty, and he'd told her as much only for her to rebuke and tell him she could handle it before running out here. It perplexed the Terios to no end; if she was so able to handle it, why the hell did she insist on being so angry? What did she expect from him?

"I... Never said you couldn't handle anything, you know. But if this is nothing you can't handle, I don't understand why you're being so cross with me right now. You're acting erratically, and I'm only trying to help. How have I angered you?"

It was a genuine plea for some sort of correspondence on what was going through her mind. Was she upset he'd seen her body earlier? That couldn't be it. She didn't seem... interested in such things. Even in his past life, Len had difficulty understanding the emotions of a woman. It seemed this life was little different.

But he had to try. They couldn't keep going if she couldn't keep her head on straight.

"Please. Talk to me."

Kassa Lia
 
Acting erratically. Erratically? What did he think she was, some mentally unstable tavern wench? Her face twisted in frustration. One would think she’d already proven herself to be more than that by now! Her teeth clenched as she realized her breathing was irregular, if nothing else, and she struggled to steady it, feeling the air cold and rattling in her lungs. She was much more fatigued than she thought, and at this revelation the weariness she denied swept through her slight body in a wave. Suddenly, she sat down on the porch of the building between Len and the corpse of the warrior. She buried her face in the palms of her hands, willing away the dizziness distorting her vision.

She needed a minute herself. If either of them tried to ride a horse, all they’d get was a fall and a broken back. She groaned quietly, fervently hoping more of those Golden Road brigands weren’t on their way here. She didn’t know everything about the source her powers were derived from, but she was fairly certain it wasn’t an endless well. She wasn’t an endless well.

Len wasn’t an endless well.

“Sorry,” Kassa whispered hoarsely. Then, “Sorry,” she said, louder. “I… I think I need to rest too.” She raised her head a little, her eyes following the movements of the crow feasting on the body. More birds were circling in the air. Normally, she’d burn the body. No evidence. No signs she’d ever been there. But she felt so tired, she really didn’t give a damn.

How have I angered you? It was a good question, and one she didn’t have an answer to. This wasn’t the first time she couldn’t find the right words to express what she felt, and it all began when she met Len. Before, things had been simple. Her life was simple, if not easy. Now it was more than complicated. She bit her lip, afraid to face the truth.

“I’m not angry at you,” she said in a whisper, lamely. “I’m just… I’m… I’m worried about you,” she finally confessed, hating every word. “And… I’m not supposed to be.” She gave a harsh laugh. Oh, the Masterful One would be so displeased if he knew. Perhaps he already did. Perhaps he wasn’t displeased at all. It would give him more reason to…

… well, she didn’t like to think about that.

Len was right, she was acting erratically. She took in a deep breath. “I told you before, I’m the Darksome One. I’m not supposed to worry or care about anyone. It gets in the way. It’s dangerous. It’s a hassle. Now I do care, and… I don’t understand, and I hate it when I don’t understand!” She stopped. Did anything of what she said make any sense?

Probably not.

“I’m… not angry at you. I guess I’m just mad at myself.

“Okay, I’ve talked to you. Are we done now?”

Len Dy't B-taa
 
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Oh.

Len's frown softened, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he realized the hidden weight behind Kassa's words. Sure, his Darksome companion hadn't said anything beyond that she worried, and that she cared, but it was what lie unspoken that left even B-taa to take pause for a moment.

Emotions were... well, they were inescapable. The most wicked of souls could suddenly find themselves saddled with feelings they did not know how to process. To Kassa, who he'd learned was supposed to be under the servitude of some grand, dark power, to find that she had any sort of feelings towards somebody was no doubt troubling.

Len could sympathize. The Terios cherished Kassa very much for all that she'd done for him. There was some part of him, too, that was nervous about the feelings he felt in his chest when she was around. In the week or so they'd been together, they'd been through a year's worth of turbulence. Len trusted Kassa, like he would have trusted any one of his companions back home.

He stepped forward slowly, approaching her.

"Just because you are The Darksome One does not exclude you from feelings, Kassa. You're still a human woman. Even your Masterful One cannot change your heart." Now that she seemed to have calmed herself down to a more reasonable state, Len felt comfortable standing in front of her, although he did need to reach out and hold her shoulder to steady himself a bit. "Kassa... You're all I have, you know..."

He hadn't meant to say that bit aloud, but it had come on its own. Len set his jaw, somewhat apprehensive about elaborating. Would she grow angry again? "You being what you are... doesn't matter to me. You were there for me when I had given up on myself. You've saved me more times than I can count." To her, what she was feeling was a burden. It was easier not to care, and he understood that. "Honestly, if I didn't know well and good and you'd be against it..."

Len shook his head, stumbling a bit and interrupting himself. No, that would be a mistake to say. His head was still so foggy from all that fighting. "What I'm trying to say is that you can't choose whether or not you care about somebody. It's out of our control. Of anybody's control. But I care about you, and I don't see that as a bad thing. I see that as a blessing."

Stepping back, Len pats her shoulder, trying to keep his own balance. His ribs were healing, but they definitely weren't back to normal yet. He needed to lay down, even if only for a few hours. "I'm... sure they have some beds inside. We can reinforce the door and get some sleep."

Kassa Lia
 
For a long moment Kassa didn’t say anything. Not because there was nothing to say, but because there was too much to say, and she didn’t know how to say it. Her mind was a turmoil of confused thoughts and emotions, and a spot of heat among it all spiked when Len touched her shoulders to steady himself. She was rather small in size and was relieved she could provide support. She looked up at him, this mighty Grand Terios, and grew anxious as he looked ready to fall down.

Yes, she was worried about him. Why?

She couldn’t say what flickered through her mind. The majority of her life had been a lonely, sometimes tragic and violent trek. She walked in a sort of solitary confinement, making no friends. She used others for personal gain and often delighted in it. Whether it was simply for money or shelter for a night, other men and women were good only for what they could provide her. Willing or not. Over the years, she had come to believe she was little more than a selfish, vengeful soul. She accepted that.

Then she met Len, who trusted her, defended, her, saved her life. In so little time, she grew to trust him as well. And he said what she feared, and it mirrored some of her own feelings.

He was all she had, too.

“I care about you… I see that as a blessing.”

“I’d hate to see a curse,” she murmured. She flushed a deep red as she turned around, heading inside the building. The hot springs just wasn’t a place for a bath and a warm respite; it was a resort, and surely had beds somewhere.

Once Len was inside with her, she shut the doors and laid her palm against the doorway, murmuring a simple spell she’d learned. A glyph of mystic design appeared on the doors, glowing a pale violent light. It would last only a few days or so before vanishing by itself, but she wagered they would stay that long. In any case, as long as it remained, the doors would stay shut and sealed.

Indicated by a sign with a neat illustration, the beds were situated up a short flight of stairs, set up in separate rooms. Kassa opened one door, revealing a small room with a desk and chair on one side and a bed on the other. The sheets were a deep scarlet, and deliciously soft.

Casting that protection seal had left her dizzy and spent; still she managed a smile at Len. “How long since you slept in a bed like this, darling?”

Len Dy't B-taa
 
Kassa didn't say much in response to him, nor had Len really expected her to. What was important was that she heard it, and judging from the muttered protest and the rush of color to her face, B-taa would say she understood the meaning behind his words. Shuffling past him to re-enter the Springs building, Len felt a little smile lingering on his lips.

She couldn't say it, but he knew what she was feeling. Just knowing though, it brought a warm sensation to his chest. Len never thought anybody would remember his name again, he'd resigned to the fact that he was a relic who would never have a purpose in this new, strange world. Yet, he was growing increasingly certain of something now. It was frightening even to him, but it also send thick lines of excitement up his spine.

Perhaps Len Dy't B-taa's new purpose was Kassa Lia, The Darksome One.

Just as she'd said, something had put her there with him that day. Some unknowable hand of fate had drawn them together. Len had needed somebody in the short term, and Kassa had been there. Now though, it was clear that Kassa needed somebody in the long term. The terrible events of this night had cemented in Len's mind the importance of her, the weight she held in his mind. The dark cloud that hung over her head remained, but when Lia smiled, he saw it flicker, saw it weaken for even the briefest of moments. Could she see it too, he wondered?

As Kassa reinforced her protections on the building, Len set out cleaning the remains of their battle to th ebest of his ability. His body ached, but he wasn't about to sleep in the same building as a bunch of corpses. Luckily, it was done quickly enough, and by the time the pair of them had ascended to the bedrooms they were both quite exhausted.

The rooms, well at least the one Kassa opened, were quite cozy. Not extravagant by any means, but the large bed tucked against the wall practically called it's name with how incredibly soft it looked. Kassa's question was met with a slightly strained laugh, and he walked closer to the bed, leaning slightly onto his companion's shoulder for support.

"The answer to that would be never, Kassa. If my attention is as baleful as you say though, I'm fine sleeping on the floor." He teased. "Either way, I'm not leaving the same room as you. Not a chance." It would practically invite trouble to take his eyes off of her, and Len simply wasn't willing to take the risk.

Staggering forward, the half-dressed Terios sat on the edge of the bed, sighing with breath he didn't know his lungs were holding as he sank into the mattress. Heavenly... "It's like we've finally been rewarded..."

Kassa Lia
 
With such a noble title as the Grand Terios, Kassa was surprised at his answer. To an outsider, his position gave him luxuries and privileges unknown to a simple commoner, and fine beds were unquestionably part of it. It was silly. But that was just it; she was an outsider to Len’s culture, and knew nothing of what a Grand Terios was and what it meant.

Though her body demanded otherwise, she didn’t immediately sit on the inviting bed or the provided chair. She inspected the room first, taking a slow deliberate walk around the small space. At the moment she wasn’t worried about traps or more enemies to face, but it was habit that made her make doubly sure the room was safe and free of hazards. It wasn’t paranoia, but past experience.

She stopped at one side of the room and opened the window, blinking at the bright, focused light of the sun already beginning its evening descent. It was beautiful. The sky was beginning to take on tints of orange and pink streaks. From there you couldn’t see the crows and vultures in the sky, only peaceful skies and a clean land. One would never know the slaughter and evils that had been committed here.

She shut the window and finally turned to face Len.

Not for the first time, she noticed more of his body than was proper. Strong, firm musculature, pale skin that no longer seemed so strange, and a rather handsome face. He looked tired and exhausted now, but that would change with a refreshing sleep.

“I won’t have you sleeping on the floor, darling,” she smiled. She was the Darksome One, sure, but she wasn’t that cruel. She finally sat on the bed beside Len, heaving a relieving sigh. A bed wasn’t much of a reward, she thought, but she’d take it. She glanced at the Grand Terios, wondering at the title again, and resisted the urge to ask. More than likely he just wanted to sleep, and she’d was loathe to keep him awake now.

She closed her eyes, leaning against Len as he had done. She actually felt a little relived he insisted on staying in the same room as she. “My protector,” she teased, sitting up straight again. “Lie down, sweetie. It’s bad to sleep sitting up in a slouch; it kills your back.” She pushed at his chest.

Len Dy't B-taa
 
B-taa watched his dearest friend as she wandered the room, absorbing every inch of the accommodations as though it were vital she forget not one detail. Lia then traveled to the window, staring out into the sunset, deceptively beautiful over such a harsh and unforgiving land. What was she thinking, he wondered? Len's head tilted, mulling over the conversation they'd just had outside, and the one they'd had in the old house, where the Masterful One had confronted them.

The two of them were more alike than he'd ever admitted to her. Len had no place to judge Kassa for obediently serving one who held no love for her. Not when he'd done the very same thing so long ago. Sometimes, when he looked at the woman who'd saved his life, he saw a warrior. Sometimes, he saw a reflection of himself from times past. Right now though... tonight he saw Kassa as simply that. A woman. One who went through the same hardships, and had the same emotions as any other.

Someday Len hoped that she could see herself in that light. She deserved to.

Kassa turned and looked at him, and Len smiled back as she finally relented and moved to sit beside him on the foot of the luxurious mattress. Her body leaned against him and one of his arms wrapped around her, eager to keep her close. She had other ideas though, it seemed, giving him a smirk as she pushed him down onto the bed, leaving him grinning up at her with a smile far too carefree for one who'd nearly died today.

"I certainly try my best." Len spoke up to her, his hands moving to find her arms, fingers dancing along her wrists. This should have felt like an odd position, but it seemed... natural, for some reason. "You've saved me too though, I wouldn't be here without you." B-taa stretched out, letting out a soft, relaxed groan. "When I was Grand Terios, I was little more than a warrior deemed skilled enough to be sent on the most dangerous of assignments. My life was not valued, the only thing that mattered was that I did as I was told."

Len allowed his hands to lower down to hers for a moment. "I firmly believed I did not deserve any happiness, the same way that you feel. But you do. I want to make you happy. I think you deserve that."

Kassa Lia
 
Such a smile on Len’s face gave Kassa pause. It was an expression she rarely saw; usually, the smiles directed at her were either malicious grins or lustful leers. They were never so… innocent. Not to mention the range of other emotions the face could express. Anger. Pain. Sorrow. Regret. Kassa thought she had seen it all, and after a time she had become accustomed to seeing only those. After hardening to them, she had become to believe she didn’t deserve happiness, like every other evil soul.

It was a fact of life, so it didn’t bother her then. But when Len said she did deserve happiness, that he wanted to give her that…

She didn’t know what to say, or how to feel or think.

“You think I deserve happiness?” she repeated, her voice very soft. “Honey, you don’t know me. I want power. I don’t want justice, I want revenge. I don’t want peace, I want war. I will start wars, kill as many people as I want, just to get what I want, whatever it is, whenever I feel. I’ve killed before, darling, and it was only fortune smiling on you that you didn’t become just another victim. And while you have some kind of power yourself, with what I have on my side… you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Her petite form next to his made the statement seem laughable. But the sudden, grim finality in her tone… it was cold certainty, and almost a threat. She paused again, and then slowly laid down next to the Grand Terios, her head turned away from his.

“I’m not as… chivalrous as you are, darling. And I don’t care what you say; you are damn well near knightly. You drive me crazy.” She turned to look at him, and saw once more how wonderfully handsome he was. She didn’t see a weird, pale stranger who might have money anymore. She saw Len Dy’t B-taa. More than that, she saw a man.

She thought she was losing her mind. Perhaps she already had. Either way, she turned on her side, one hand reaching out to trace the contours of his chest. It was tentative, uncertain, daring in a way she had never experienced before.

She didn’t deserve happiness, but he did.

“How do you plan to make me happy, darling?”

Len Dy't B-taa
 
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Len had heard it all from her before at this point. How awful she was, the terrible things she'd done, and all of the sinful motivations and desires swirling within her. He'd heard, but he'd never cared about any of it, not once. Because while Kassa made such bold claims as to how despicable and evil she was at her core, she'd never displayed that to him. The Kassa that Len knew had been nothing but caring and kind towards him.

She may have committed atrocities, but so had he, and these atrocities defined neither of them.

"Kassa..." When she finally finished her final attempt to convince him how unworthy she was, he was only smiling brighter, the sides of his mouth nearly touching his ears as his eyes slid half shut, a small laugh poured from his lips like water. "I was no better than you claim to be. I allowed myself to be a tool for warmongers who sought only to use me to create bloodshed and viscera, and I did so without an ounce of remorse."

She'd reached out with a hand, pressing it lightly against the bare skin of his chest and slowly drawing it across the valleys of his muscles. It felt like fire on his skin, but a fire he wished to bathe himself in. Len brought a hand to her face, his soft palm pressing feather-light against the curve of her jaw. "I've fought in more wars than I care to remember, and I loathe myself to this day. Do you see, Kassa? Neither of us believes that we deserve to be happy, and yet we both believe the other does."

Kassa made Len happy, and while Len wasn't sure she'd admit it, he liked to believe that he had the same effect on her. "I don't see the Darksome One when I look at you. I don't see somebody that I should fear." The hand caressing her jawline slid slowly to the back of her head, his fingers resting in her hair as he slowly leaned forward to press himself into her as they lay together, bringing his chest to hers. "I see a woman. I see a woman who I care very deeply for. Even if only for this moment, Kassa... indulge me. Allow me to treat you as I see you."

The actual moment that he pressed his lips against hers was a blur. Maybe it was nerves, maybe he was still tired from the fight. Either way, he felt the softness of her mouth against his own, and his eyes finally closed as he sank into the moment, into her. This was where he wanted to be, who he wanted to be with.

And Len was happy.

Kassa Lia
 
Again and again he had said it – that he had been a tool, little more than a slave to those higher than him. Used for war and the slaying of others, worthy of neither pity nor forgiveness, let alone happiness. Perhaps it was true, but as Kassa looked at his smiling face and heard his soft laughter, she could not believe the last. Anyone who could smile like that, anyone who could laugh like that, surely deserved happiness. Whatever the case, she thought, what he was then did not define who he was now. Nothing in the past mattered. It never had, and it never should.

As he touched her face, she felt herself redden, a deep blush spreading to her ears and down her throat. Yet it was not a wholly unpleasant feeling, even as it grew as he edged closer to her until their bodies touched. Kassa bit her lip in uncertainty as his fingers nestled in her auburn hair; she had never felt like this before. She felt suddenly scared, fearful of the one who gave her power and introduced her to the joy of spreading fear.

The Masterful One would never approve.

She was about to pull away when Len’s lips found hers.

The consternation and fear didn’t fade away as he kissed her. Rather it spiked into a near-paralyzing terror. Even so, she found herself returning the kiss, her arms wrapping around his muscular body in a sudden wish that wanted him closer and as near to her as possible. Her fingers dug into his back as she realized, at last, that she could no longer deny what she felt for this pale, chivalrous fool.

What was she going to do? She was going to get him killed. And yet she wanted him with her every step of the way – not that he would mind. Not that he would ever agree to leaving her. Not now.

He searched for his Trees. He was hunted by the Golden Road. But she had dangerous goals and enemies too, and in the quiet of the growing night and the silence of the encroaching shadows, she could sense the menace rising. They were safe, but only for now. Once they stepped foot outside, they would once again be on the run from threats that would never leave them be.

“Len…” she whispered his name against his mouth.

You need to leave! she wanted to say. You need to leave me now, she thought wildly. That’s what they all did. Through death or deceit, they left.

“I…” She couldn’t say it. Suppose it was just lust, anyway?

“They all leave me. You can’t leave,” she whispered harshly. “Don’t leave me, ever.”

Len Dy't B-taa
 
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