Fate - First Reply Blades Crossed

[Keia Merrenia]

If they fall for it it might take out two or three of them. That Cerberus and the knight might be able to kill it, but the assassins won't be ready for it. I'd say we've bought another hour head start by sending it upstream."

That sounded about right to her. She remembered that the knight, without the help of his dog had handled one of her necromanced human centipedes, and walked away pretty unscathed. She had a very creative imagination when it came to making things that weren’t really alive but weren’t really dead either. But he had handled that and a number of other monstrosities she had made. “Yes, that sounds pretty accurate to me.”

"Let's leave the stream here and start heading through the woods. If the troll didn't see our tracks leaving the stream then the assassins will definitely have a hard time finding us. Rub that potion on your feet and we'll get going."
He also produced another potion and rubbed the substance on the bottoms of his boots. As soon as she was ready he took her by the hand again and led the way through the thick forest, following game trails as much as possible and avoiding open areas.

He also had to admit that he liked the feel of her hand in his. He normally didn't feel anything, and he couldn't tell if he felt anything now, but he couldn't explain why he was so protective of her.

She nodded in acknowledgment and obediently followed. She had to trust him here, she had to, and she had to hope that she wouldn’t be betrayed. She followed close behind him after applying the potion to her feet as instructed. “If they do find our trail again, how long do you suppose it will take for them to catch up?”

 

[Christian Vide]

“If they do find our trail again, how long do you suppose it will take for them to catch up?”

He did some quick calculating, "With the hour we just bought they will be hard pressed to catch up, if we keep moving at the same rate we have been we stand a good chance of keeping our lead. If the assassins are a close team and one of them is wounded then they will either be slowed down or they will split up. The knight is likely to be dogmatic in his pursuit and won't stand for any delays provided they teamed up at all and would likely keep going no matter what unless the troll manages to wound the Cerberus..."
He was rambling very technically now and running down the list possibilities.
"Ultimately, they are only likely to catch up if we are forced to stop for any longer than an hour."

He led them through some pretty rough terrain to keep their passage as low profile as possible. He was attentive to her and the area around them, alert for any possible threat, but even so he risked breaking the silence to ask a question.
"You're magic isn't at full strength, is it? Tell me what you need."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He did some quick calculating, "With the hour we just bought they will be hard pressed to catch up, if we keep moving at the same rate we have been we stand a good chance of keeping our lead. If the assassins are a close team and one of them is wounded then they will either be slowed down or they will split up. The knight is likely to be dogmatic in his pursuit and won't stand for any delays provided they teamed up at all and would likely keep going no matter what unless the troll manages to wound the Cerberus..."
He was rambling very technically now and running down the list possibilities.
"Ultimately, they are only likely to catch up if we are forced to stop for any longer than an hour."

She again, nodded her understanding, her neck muscles were starting to get sore from the amount of nodding she’d been doing. Of course, she was comfortable with staying silent and listening.

"You're magic isn't at full strength, is it? Tell me what you need."

This question made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want this knowledge to make him leave her behind or betray her, but she remembered the contract and knew that even though he was an assassin, or especially because that’s what he was, he wouldn’t go back on the contract. So with a sigh, she confessed.

“I... eat souls. I find someone or something that is dying and consume their life force which in turn allows me to make animate but not really living creatures. In short, my necromancy relies on the consumption of life.”

 

[Christian Vide]

“I... eat souls. I find someone or something that is dying and consume their life force which in turn allows me to make animate but not really living creatures. In short, my necromancy relies on the consumption of life.”

Necromancy, but with an odd condition. In order for her to raise any dead she has to first harvest the life force of the dying, she couldn't just go into a graveyard and start from scratch she had to start the killing before she even has an army yet.
But, the conditions for restoring her strength were simple enough. He picked up a rock from the path and threw it into a tree, there was a squeak and a squirrel fell from the branches.
"It's probably not enough, but there's plenty more in this forest."

He continued chucking rocks at small animals with deadly pinpoint accuracy as they walked.
Since they were talking now he decided to not be so deadpan and added some humanity to his face again.
"How did you get a knight with a Cerberus on your trail? You must be in worse straights than me to warrant such a pursuit."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

But, the conditions for restoring her strength were simple enough. He picked up a rock from the path and threw it into a tree, there was a squeak and a squirrel fell from the branches.
"It's probably not enough, but there's plenty more in this forest."

She was caught off guard momentarily. He was taking her admission to being a Necromancer a lot better than she thought. The squirrel, having been recently deceased, was a ripe source of power for her. So, with the minor fanfare of her eyes slightly glowing a shade of green, she consumed the life of the squirrel. Her power was brought up a bit. “Thanks,”

He continued chucking rocks at small animals with deadly pinpoint accuracy as they walked.
Since they were talking now he decided to not be so deadpan and added some humanity to his face again.
"How did you get a knight with a Cerberus on your trail? You must be in worse straights than me to warrant such a pursuit."

She could not deny that she was impressed by his frankly larger than life accuracy with unbalanced stones and able to kill with them without actually using a slingshot or anything to add to it’s velocity. It was mindblowing. On top of that, she was gradually bringing her magic back up to a full tank. Then he asked her about what got the knight to hunt her.

“Well, long story short, a lot of villagers didn’t like my magic, attacked me, I killed them and used their souls to make things. He caught me, locked me away and I escaped.”

 

[Christian Vide]

“Well, long story short, a lot of villagers didn’t like my magic, attacked me, I killed them and used their souls to make things. He caught me, locked me away and I escaped.”

"You killed an entire village or just the majority?
So you're just like me, except you got caught."
He gave her a smirk for show.
He didn't care about the moral quandaries of others and he had none himself. He promised himself he wouldn't kill again for the sake of his cover, but his singular drive has always been survival and if that meant killing a person again to keep from dying then that's simply what had to be done.
But he could recognize that her confession was difficult for her, indicating that she felt strongly about what she did.

He carefully shaped his face to a more gentle and knowing look, and his voice followed suit.
"If it were not time for any of those villagers to die then nothing we could ever do will make them die before their appointed time. And it follows that when it's their time to die that nothing in the world can stop it."
He gripped her hand a little tighter in reassurance.
"If it's safe to assume that the knight knows the nature of your power, then this trail of death we're leaving could buy us a bit more time even if it does confirm our path. You're rebuilding your power so they might move more cautiously in anticipation of an ambush."

He wasn't developing feelings or emotions, he finally decided that wasn't the case. His breeding and training were too complete for that. But he did hypothesize that there was something about her that made him want to pretend for her sake, and he stuck with that theory until he determined what it was about her exactly that had an influence on what he wanted to do.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

You killed an entire village or just the majority?
So you're just like me, except you got caught."
He gave her a smirk for show.
He didn't care about the moral quandaries of others and he had none himself. He promised himself he wouldn't kill again for the sake of his cover, but his singular drive has always been survival and if that meant killing a person again to keep from dying then that's simply what had to be done.
But he could recognize that her confession was difficult for her, indicating that she felt strongly about what she did

"At first only a portion, then their reanimated corpses killed the rest. A few weeks later I attacked another village so that I might make some more... creative, puppets." She said, now that she saw that he wouldn't judge, she'd be happy to tell him the rest. It wasn't difficult for her to say because she regretted it, no, she had no problems with what she had done, she was worried about loosing her only ally. Now that he clearly wasn't bothered by it, she'd be happy to share her story.

If it were not time for any of those villagers to die then nothing we could ever do will make them die before their appointed time. And it follows that when it's their time to die that nothing in the world can stop it."
He gripped her hand a little tighter in reassurance.

So he was under the impression that she felt bad about it. Cute. She gripped his hand back. "I appreciate the reassurance. But there's truly no need. I'm not haunted by my decisions. They have already been made, what is there to regret?"

If it's safe to assume that the knight knows the nature of your power, then this trail of death we're leaving could buy us a bit more time even if it does confirm our path. You're rebuilding your power so they might move more cautiously in anticipation of an ambush."

Of that she was not so sure. The knight is, when angered, akin to a demon. He is more likely to move faster so that he might kill or capture her sooner. And she voiced her concern. "I don't think that's what will happen. I don't know him too well personally, I've spoken with him maybe thrice face to face. But I do know that he's a relentless and dauntless hunter, and whether the corpses will slow him down or not is completely up in the air.

 

[Christian Vide]

"At first only a portion, then their reanimated corpses killed the rest. A few weeks later I attacked another village so that I might make some more... creative, puppets."
"I appreciate the reassurance. But there's truly no need. I'm not haunted by my decisions. They have already been made, what is there to regret?"

He had misread her, that was new. Her hesitancy to tell him of her powers had nothing to do with guilt. If that wasn't it then what was it?
He let it go for now, it was a minor detail.
He looked at her and quirked an eyebrow at her, "Really? Good, I'm glad you're not conflicted. When life is short as it is it's a waste of time to spend it on feeling sorry for yourself. I know about killing, but I know nothing of the feelings some people build around it."

"I don't think that's what will happen. I don't know him too well personally, I've spoken with him maybe thrice face to face. But I do know that he's a relentless and dauntless hunter, and whether the corpses will slow him down or not is completely up in the air."

He was thoughtful as they continued to walk hand in hand, or at least he pretended to be.
"That's another possibility, but also in our favor if he becomes more frantic, desperate, or determined to catch up with us. After running himself hard enough to catch up with you in the village, to run himself that hard again will only tire him and his hound out even more. We have the advantage with you having a full nights rest and your powers restored, him pushing his humanoid limits and potentially having fought a troll."
He smiled at her again, "By the time he catches up with us we could run circles around him. I've killed many knights and paladins before, they are nothing if not predictable by their very nature."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He had misread her, that was new. Her hesitancy to tell him of her powers had nothing to do with guilt. If that wasn't it then what was it?
He let it go for now, it was a minor detail.
He looked at her and quirked an eyebrow at her, "Really? Good, I'm glad you're not conflicted. When life is short as it is it's a waste of time to spend it on feeling sorry for yourself. I know about killing, but I know nothing of the feelings some people build around it."

“I’ve long been void of guilt. Regret, maybe, but not guilt. So what exactly are you? An assassin hiding from a rival group or a former Assassin hiding from his former group? A spy perhaps? Very few people have your skill set so far as I’m aware, and it’s usually reserved for those people who engage in clandestine acts.”

He was thoughtful as they continued to walk hand in hand, or at least he pretended to be.
"That's another possibility, but also in our favor if he becomes more frantic, desperate, or determined to catch up with us. After running himself hard enough to catch up with you in the village, to run himself that hard again will only tire him and his hound out even more. We have the advantage with you having a full nights rest and your powers restored, him pushing his humanoid limits and potentially having fought a troll."
He smiled at her again, "By the time he catches up with us we could run circles around him. I've killed many knights and paladins before, they are nothing if not predictable by their very nature."

“That May hold true for most knights but this one is not in that little group. He was killing vampires from the ripe age of thirteen if I’m not mistaken. He’s not as predictable as most knights, I can tell you that much. He may be more tired after chasing us down and that troll, that is liable to hold true, but he is no idiot, I highly doubt he will run himself ragged trying to catch up with us. But that will likely buy us time. But what about those assassins on our tail, a trail of dead things so densely packed isn’t something easily missed. Won’t they follow us, and catch up more easily?”

 

[Christian Vide]

“That May hold true for most knights but this one is not in that little group. He was killing vampires from the ripe age of thirteen if I’m not mistaken. He’s not as predictable as most knights, I can tell you that much. He may be more tired after chasing us down and that troll, that is liable to hold true, but he is no idiot, I highly doubt he will run himself ragged trying to catch up with us. But that will likely buy us time. But what about those assassins on our tail, a trail of dead things so densely packed isn’t something easily missed. Won’t they follow us, and catch up more easily?”

He shrugged, "Well, you know him best. I can only account for the probabilities and factors and make accurate predictions. Even if he IS an extraordinary knight, I'm confident that I can handle him if it came down to it."
He went on, "As for the assassins, if they're good enough to find our trail at all it won't make any difference whether we leave evidence or not."

“I’ve long been void of guilt. Regret, maybe, but not guilt. So what exactly are you? An assassin hiding from a rival group or a former Assassin hiding from his former group? A spy perhaps? Very few people have your skill set so far as I’m aware, and it’s usually reserved for those people who engage in clandestine acts.”

"All of the above I suppose, and more. I'm wanted by my family, every other assassins guild, and every legal organization that knows of my existence. I killed people as an assassin, and I killed assassins as a person."
He stopped and looked back at her, his face once more devoid of emotion. "That's all there is to know about me. I kill, I've killed my whole life, I'm good at killing some say I'm the best, I can kill quietly or loudly, with poison or a rock, whether I'm there or not when they die."
He blinked and some life returned to his face, though his expression was calculating.
"Speaking of which, I'm going to start setting up traps whenever we stop."

He finally let go of her hand (their grip was getting kinda hot and slick) and began foraging around in the brush with a knife in hand.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He shrugged, "Well, you know him best. I can only account for the probabilities and factors and make accurate predictions. Even if he IS an extraordinary knight, I'm confident that I can handle him if it came down to it."
He went on, "As for the assassins, if they're good enough to find our trail at all it won't make any difference whether we leave evidence or not."

She didn’t reply, there was nothing to add really. She continued to walk along with him.

"All of the above I suppose, and more. I'm wanted by my family, every other assassins guild, and every legal organization that knows of my existence. I killed people as an assassin, and I killed assassins as a person."
He stopped and looked back at her, his face once more devoid of emotion. "That's all there is to know about me. I kill, I've killed my whole life, I'm good at killing some say I'm the best, I can kill quietly or loudly, with poison or a rock, whether I'm there or not when they die."
He blinked and some life returned to his face, though his expression was calculating.
"Speaking of which, I'm going to start setting up traps whenever we stop."

He finally let go of her hand (their grip was getting kinda hot and slick) and began foraging around in the brush with a knife in hand.

When their hands broke apart she didn’t know how to react, whether she should feel embarrassed or otherwise. “Sounds like a plan.”

Just then the sky was split by lightning. She had no idea how long it would be before it started pouring.

 

[Christian Vide]

He looked up as the sky lit up above them. At first he half suspected it to be a magic user altering the weather and the next strike would target them, but he realized that the clouds had been moving in while they traveled through the forest and they hadn't had a clear view of the sky for a while.
The clouds were black and angry, even sheltered in the forest it would be a downpour... and that meant their tracks would be washed away...

He stood up from the trap he was making and smiled at Keia, "Seems luck is with us! Even if they decide to travel through the rain they will never be able to find us once the rain claims our tracks." He spoke as if he too intended to travel through the coming storm. As he added the last touches to his pitfall traps he went back to Keia, but he seemed to reconsider, even with his shirt and cloak she wouldn't be warm enough once the water soaked through.
"We'll go as far as we can before the rain starts, then we'll find shelter."
He took her hand once again and led the way, he took them on an erratic rout never going one direction for more than five steps and sometimes crossing their previous path.

The wind was picking up as they came across another stream, the sky was dark and threatening while the trees waved above them and they would feel a random drop from time to time. After traveling down the stream for a good distance and exiting at a steep bank Bruce began looking for someplace to take shelter.
A proper shelter couldn't be found fast enough and it began to pour on them, thunder and lightning made a cacophonous symphony above their heads while the rain drenched them.

He finally found an ancient twisted oak with a small space in its thick trunk just barely big enough for two.
He helped her inside first before squeezing in beside her. They were both wet and soaked to the bone.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He stood up from the trap he was making and smiled at Keia, "Seems luck is with us! Even if they decide to travel through the rain they will never be able to find us once the rain claims our tracks." He spoke as if he too intended to travel through the coming storm. As he added the last touches to his pitfall traps he went back to Keia, but he seemed to reconsider, even with his shirt and cloak she wouldn't be warm enough once the water soaked through.
"We'll go as far as we can before the rain starts, then we'll find shelter."
He took her hand once again and led the way, he took them on an erratic rout never going one direction for more than five steps and sometimes crossing their previous path.

When had dealt with rain before, but not to this extent. The idea that it would cover their tracks was something that made her feel much safer. She hadn’t been in such a downpour though, and it restricted her vision far too much, and made her hair stick to her head, and in her eyes. She walked with him, his hand leading her, and she was beginning to find that hand quite comforting. His strange route seemed a bit excessive, but he was the master of the chase, and she trusted him by then.

The wind was picking up as they came across another stream, the sky was dark and threatening while the trees waved above them and they would feel a random drop from time to time. After traveling down the stream for a good distance and exiting at a steep bank Bruce began looking for someplace to take shelter.
A proper shelter couldn't be found fast enough and it began to pour on them, thunder and lightning made a cacophonous symphony above their heads while the rain drenched them.

He finally found an ancient twisted oak with a small space in its thick trunk just barely big enough for two.
He helped her inside first before squeezing in beside her. They were both wet and soaked to the bone.

Shelter was difficult to find, but it was found eventually. And she squeezed into the little oak niche. Bruce squeezed in after her, which resulted in her being pressed into his side so that she and him could occupy the same space. They were bothe very wet, and very cold, but things eventually warmed up after some time. So, to get more comfortable, she laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, the storm could last a long time, and it was a better chance than any to catch some sleep.

 

[Christian Vide]

He squeezed in beside her and immediately was aware of how wet and cold she was. Since they were planning on staying here till the storm passed he took off his cloak and put it around both of them.
It wasn't an ideal situation, it would have been better if they could have found a place where they could build a fire to stay warm, but no such place could be found.
Sharing their body heat was the next best thing, pressed close together he was practically covering her like a blanket with his body, his arms around her with the cloak.

As they began to warm up again and get more comfortable he felt her head rest against his shoulder, for a minute he was startled, thinking something struck her and she had died without him noticing!
But he realized that she was only sleeping.
He stared down at her for a long moment, his eyes searching, trying to determine how he's supposed to feel in this moment, trying to determine what made her special.
After a while he gave up and stared out at the rain instead, somehow keeping watch even though the rain made it difficult to see more than five feet into it, and the storm made hearing anything else difficult.

He kept his breathing steady, allowing his body to simply generate heat to keep his charge warm. Even damp she managed to smell good.
After about thirty minutes he reached into his bag and pulled out some bread and cheese, turning to her he gently touched her cheek to wake her and wordlessly offered the food.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

He kept his breathing steady, allowing his body to simply generate heat to keep his charge warm. Even damp she managed to smell good.
After about thirty minutes he reached into his bag and pulled out some bread and cheese, turning to her he gently touched her cheek to wake her and wordlessly offered the food.

The gentle poke to her cheek woke her up, and her eyes fluttered open to see the offered food. She took the bread and the cheese, tore each in half, and gave half back to him, he needed food too. She said, “thank you” before sinking her teeth into her bread and cheese. She didn’t move her head, she was just too warm right there to want to move.

She ate slowly, and when she was done just burrowed further into his side.

 

[Christian Vide]

He accepted the portion and ate with her, even though his body didn't need it. He had gotten used to eating more than one meal a day because that's what normal people did and he was disguised as a normal person, though he normally had a simple breakfast and didn't eat again till he ate breakfast the next day.

Keia still didn't move and after she was done eating seemed like she was going to fall asleep again, but he wanted to ask...
"Is my shoulder really so comfortable?"
He spoke just barely loud enough to be heard over the storm.
He had a pretty fair awareness of what goes on in his body, and his muscles were usually taught as a bowstring, always prepared for action. He had adjusted his shoulder so she didn't rest on his clavicle, but he couldn't imagine his muscles being a comfortable pillow... More like a steel trap.
"I have no complaint, but I can fold up my cloak as a pillow if you prefer..."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

Keia still didn't move and after she was done eating seemed like she was going to fall asleep again, but he wanted to ask...
"Is my shoulder really so comfortable?"
He spoke just barely loud enough to be heard over the storm.
He had a pretty fair awareness of what goes on in his body, and his muscles were usually taught as a bowstring, always prepared for action. He had adjusted his shoulder so she didn't rest on his clavicle, but he couldn't imagine his muscles being a comfortable pillow... More like a steel trap.
"I have no complaint, but I can fold up my cloak as a pillow if you prefer..."

“Why wouldn’t it?” She said with a smile. “I enjoy feeling the strong chest of a man. It’s quite comforting. I don’t know, I suppose it makes me feel safe, while at the sameness time...”

She trailed off. She didn’t finish, and if he were to look, he’d see her pale cheeks had turned red. He probably had figured that she was Kavosh, which left her blush quite obvious on her rather colorless skin. What she was about to say was probably something that made her feel embarrassed for some reason, but if he pressed she’d confess.

 

[Christian Vide]

“Why wouldn’t it?”
“I enjoy feeling the strong chest of a man. It’s quite comforting. I don’t know, I suppose it makes me feel safe, while at the same time...”

Her blush was painfully obvious, and something he had grown used to around the young women of the village that pined after him.
It's not what he would have expected from a necromancer, Kavosh or not. Still, there was that "Something" about her that he still couldn't pin down.
He gazed into her eyes, but no answers could be found there.

He had suspicions about where this was going, and it went beyond logic or even emotion as to why he chose to pursue it. He gently prompted her to go on.
"... At the same time?"

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"... At the same time?"

She had feared he’d ask. So with a deep breath and a sigh she replied, “at the same time it makes me feel as though I can’t escape the man’s strength, which is oddly appealing to me, at least when they aren’t obviously my enemy. It’s an interesting feeling, being in a safety that I can’t escape from, one that could so easily take from me. It’s strange, but in a good way.” She said, her blush darkening. She curled up tighter in embarrassment and looked away to hide her shame, but due to the smallness of their hole, and her unwillingness to leave the comfort of his side until she had to, she couldn’t pull away entirely.

Why was she so nervous around him? She had flirted with everyone she had met, men and women alike, not children though that was too far even for her, heck she had even flirted with the knight while he had hunted her in that old manor. Why was this man so difficult and embarrassing to even talk to about something as simple as how they were laying in a hole during a rainstorm, it should have gone without saying!

She wasn’t sure if she was thankful to be wearing the oversized shirt, or wishing that she wasnt, and wore only her usual halter top to show off her skin. Either way, she was frozen with embarrassment, not the cold around her, which seemed to have gotten much warmer over the past minute or two.

 

[Christian Vide]

“at the same time it makes me feel as though I can’t escape the man’s strength, which is oddly appealing to me, at least when they aren’t obviously my enemy. It’s an interesting feeling, being in a safety that I can’t escape from, one that could so easily take from me. It’s strange, but in a good way.”

He nodded at her explanation, he had expected as much and began summarizing what she said as he heard it.
"You have feelings for me. You don't fear me but you respect me and my power. Correct?"
He shifted a little to face her, and his face came only inches from hers in the cramped quarters.
"I have no capacity for feelings, they trained them out of me when I was a child. But I would willingly choose to pretend for the rest of my life for you, I would willingly choose to protect you at the cost of my own life, I would be content if our contract never ended."

His face was blank again, his eyes boring into her as if they were trying to pull her deepest darkest secrets from her mind with their intensity alone.

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"You have feelings for me. You don't fear me but you respect me and my power. Correct?"

“Partially. It’s too soon to say I have feelings for you, but it’s certainly possible.” She says with a slight shake of her head. “But to say I respect your power, that is definitely true.”

"I have no capacity for feelings, they trained them out of me when I was a child.

She looked up at him sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that Bruce. But perhaps it can be reversed. Perhaps you can have feelings again.”

But I would willingly choose to pretend for the rest of my life for you, I would willingly choose to protect you at the cost of my own life, I would be content if our contract never ended."

“Oh don’t pretend. Then it’s empty, meaningless. But if there is anything that I know for sure is that emotion cannot be destroyed or removed, only suppressed, and with great difficulty.” She gazed calmly back into his own, “trust me on that. Besides. If our contract were to last forever, then I’d need to give you something worth a great deal.”

She got comfortable. “You know, I’ve never lain with anyone before. Noone living that is. It’s nice.”

 

[Christian Vide]

“Oh don’t pretend. Then it’s empty, meaningless. But if there is anything that I know for sure is that emotion cannot be destroyed or removed, only suppressed, and with great difficulty.”
“trust me on that. Besides. If our contract were to last forever, then I’d need to give you something worth a great deal.”

"I see love as a choice people make. Feelings come and go, like the inspiration of a painter. I don't know why, there's no logic or emotion that's driving me to do so, but I am willing to make that choice.
As for your payment; Your companionship will more than cover it."

“You know, I’ve never lain with anyone before. Noone living that is. It’s nice.”

He shifted back to a comfortable position to stare into the rain, his arms holding her about the waist and shoulders to keep her warm.
"I've only lain with women I was contracted to kill. The clients often specify how they want their enemy to die, and I've always carried them out to the letter."

 

[Keia Merrenia]

"I see love as a choice people make. Feelings come and go, like the inspiration of a painter. I don't know why, there's no logic or emotion that's driving me to do so, but I am willing to make that choice.
As for your payment; Your companionship will more than cover it."

She looked up at him with a sly grin. “Companionship you say. What sort of companionship? Because I can do companionship of all kinds, if that’s what you’re after.”

He shifted back to a comfortable position to stare into the rain, his arms holding her about the waist and shoulders to keep her warm.
"I've only lain with women I was contracted to kill. The clients often specify how they want their enemy to die, and I've always carried them out to the letter."

“Oh? Do tell.” She said. “And give me as many details as you can.”

 

[Christian Vide]

“Companionship you say. What sort of companionship? Because I can do companionship of all kinds, if that’s what you’re after.”

He shrugged, "I'll let you decide."

“Oh? Do tell.”
“And give me as many details as you can.”

He went into his various stories of past missions.
"Most of the time the client had specified conditions under which the victim was to meet their end. One lady was specified to die, but not before she was mercilessly defiled in her own bed. Another was to die of autoerotic asphyxiation. Another was to die by being cut open from a dagger inserted into her sex.
I carried out these fantasies for my clients.
Though there were also some targets I slept with because it was the only way to get close enough to carry out the contract. Once I was required to woo a woman away from her husband before she was to be left broken and crying as I killed her. Or to romance a lady so that she could drop her guard for me to strike. Sometimes I was required to seduce a man's wife away from him and kill her in front of him before killing him as well..."

He spoke nonchalantly about his various acts of slaughter, but he found himself growing curious about her. Pressed up against him he was curious about the distribution of her muscles that he could feel through her clothing, and what kind of life one needed to live in order to develop them.
"What of you? What kills are your most memorable?"

 

[Keia Merrenia]

Most of the time the client had specified conditions under which the victim was to meet their end. One lady was specified to die, but not before she was mercilessly defiled in her own bed.

“Defiled in her own bed you say. Not something I’d complain about too loudly~”

Another was to die of autoerotic asphyxiation.

“Not an uncommon way to die. Never really found that arousing myself.”

Another was to die by being cut open from a dagger inserted into her sex.

She winced in sympathy. “Eeesh. That sounds most unpleasant.”

Though there were also some targets I slept with because it was the only way to get close enough to carry out the contract. Once I was required to woo a woman away from her husband before she was to be left broken and crying as I killed her. Or to romance a lady so that she could drop her guard for me to strike. Sometimes I was required to seduce a man's wife away from him and kill her in front of him before killing him as well..."

“So you’re well acquainted with what makes a woman squirm. Sounds like I found a good man. So what can you do that will make me writhe? I can’t wait to see you use your sexual expertise on me.”

"What of you? What kills are your most memorable?"

She put a knuckle to her chin. “Hmmm. Not so many memorable kills, since I almost never killed them myself. I’ve always had my creations do it. I can describe them though. One was quite magnificent. All of them had tight, charred skin, no face to speak of a mouth filled with long, needle like teeth. One was composed entirely of human torsos, a centipede of them with four heads at each end. Quite marvelous that one.”

“Then there was the spider. Eight human torsos each with their arms and head and connected to their neighbors by their hips, were the leg would come out. There were a number of just really long humanoid ones, reaching three meters in height, a few reached up to eight. Some I gave makeshift bat wings, long, hollowed bones with skin stretched between them. Oh they were beautiful.