Torak studied the landscape of Arca. The beautiful, magic inspired architecture of the buildings. The churches, the castle, everything looked so beautiful. And so petty.
It meant nothing. Just someone's thoughts converted to bricks, stones and mortar. No real meaning. Not like you had actually destroyed your own soul to put it into art. That was why killing was an art, a practice, because killing, you can tear your soul apart doing it, but that's what makes it beautiful, because it means that you can put a piece of your soul into doing it, literally.
But, the life of an assassin was behind him. He was a Soot Wolf now. He didn't need the life of an assassin anymore. He could keep the skills. But he wasn't a contract killer anymore. He was a Shadow Wolf. His job was to listen and watch now. He was the listener in the shadows. The eyes in the fog.
He was a Shadow Wolf.
He stood on the roof, feeling proud of himself for once. He was useful to someone, he was an effective and efficient tool for his masters.
He ran across the roof, using his agility and teleporting ability to traverse the rooftops at blinding speed.
He finally stopped after 9 teleports, and landing off the rooftop in an alley.
He saw what he thought was a potential client. A noblewoman, average appearance, frail. He changed his appearance somewhat, trying to avoid looking like a Soot Wolf, and pushed on her shoulder,spinning her around to face him.
"Money, now."
Nothing ever changed around here. The city always looked the same. Same but more boring by the minute. Khanna was already feeling sick of the same day repeating for a whole week. That's how long she was here and that's how long she was feeling like she was a slave again. She didn't miss most of her history, but she did miss the adventuring in th woods and in caves. The good old times.
She was walking down one of the alleys. Sunset was already coloring the buildings in a yellowish tone. She felt sleepy and tired. Like she has been working in a mine, not running around the streets. As she walked she heard a muffled scream. Her senses sharpening and her adrenaline starting to pump. That's all it took to make her totally awake.
The woman was cornered to the wall and a dark figure was obviously robbing her. The woman looked rich and was probably one of the nobles. She was trembling with fear. Khanna didn't really tend to save nobles, but since she was bored to death...
"Very classy. Cornering women in dark corners..." she threw the man a cocky grin, obviously tempting him. Her daggers were ready behind her cloak.
Torak heard the woman approach, and when she spoke, he grinned.
"Class is a pathetic fantasy to order hierarchy in societies which are supposed to be free. It is but a way of organising the subjects of a supposedly unsubjugated society into manageable, stereotypical groups. Class my dear, is nothing." He turned, and smiled at her.
"I think you mean to say, 'very gentlemanly, cornering women in dark corners', am I right ms...?" He flourished his arm in a half bow. He was a man of class. How dare this woman insult him. It wasn't like he spoke like most commoners, or had the limited vocabulary to attain such meaningless and futile pursuits as they did, or to hold conversation with said people.
He was better than them. Much better.
She smiled towards the man. It was obvious that he wasn't an ordinary street thief. There was something in the way he talked and behaved that made him look more like a lord or some noble, than a thief who cornered women in dark alleys.
"Miss Khanna." she smiled, though she was as far away from a miss or a lady as she could be.
She also knew how a well mannered woman should behave. After all, she did spend her whole life in a high society family. She also knew that it wasn't nice keeping a cloak over her head, but there was no chance she would risk her hideout by removing it. There was no need for him,or that noble woman to see her. Speaking of which, even with the chance the lady didn't move and still trembled with fear. Pathetic, she thought with a frown, if that was her, by now she would be halfway through the country.
"Would the gentleman be so kind to let the lady go?" she asked, her words polite but her voice very dangerous and prideful.
"Since you asked so nicely miss Khanna, the lady is free to go." He dropped what little stuff he had taken from her before Khanna had arrived on the floor, for the noblewoman to pick up. Torak eyed Khanna up, sizing her up to him in his head. She didn't seem especially ladylike.
"Now, miss Khanna, please remove your hood..." His tone carried the message of "I will decapitate you if you don't", and he knew he could, his whole armour set was on recall, simply thinking of it would recall the armour, no matter where it was.
"I'm Torak."
She cursed inside her. She didn't want people to see her, especially today. Why hadn't she tied her hair, it will be easy to direct slavers to a girl with long, curly, red hair. Well, she reminded herself she didn't really expected this to happen. Nothing ever happened here. She scolded herself for letting her guard down. But, she still couldn't disobey him with that noble woman so close. He could kill her anytime he wanted. She decided to go on with it, for now.
"A pleasure meeting you." her voice flat, she removed her hood.
Her hands quickly moved back behind her cloak that hid her body, and touched the cold metal of her daggers. She will be ready if he tries something.
Torak processed the information in front of him. His deductive mastery told him that she had weapons on her, although he couldn't tell what. It was clear her arms were behind her back, and not in a militant fashion. In a secretive fashion. The rest of her body language clashed with the hands behind her back.
"Take your hands off whatever weapons you have now. Or I will kill both of you." The woman was cowering in a corner, unable to escape the alley.
"I don't know what weapon you have got your mittens on but take the mittens off the weapons. Stand down."
She inspected him for a few seconds. Khanna was by no means a weapons master, but she knew how to use her daggers very well. She was already seizing up escape routes and was following the noble lady who was still thrashing around the alley, unable to get out. Khanna rolled her eyes at that sight. She slowly moved her hands away from the cold metal and she put them in front of her. Now she didn't really have any plans, she was practically helpless in a dark alley with a person who is much more than an ordinary thief.
"Happy?" she asked with a cocky grin.
"Much better. Thank you." Torak gave her another sycophantic smile. He was finding this fun. He could teleport away. She couldn't.
"Now, I think the lady should go." He stepped to the side of the alley, watching the woman begin to leave.
"Call the guards and I will kill them and you m'lady." His face lost the smile as the woman left, and he snarled at the girl.
"I try and take a few suitable items and you stop me. I have no use for petty material possessions. She doesn't either. I know people who do. They would like it better."
Oh Khanna could take about morals, right and wrong, karmic faith and other nonsense. But at that moment she was sure of only one thing: she was in trouble if she doesn't find a way to escape, or trick him with her cunning mind. Khanna couldn't remember when was the last time she was cornered, usually she had the upperhand in everything she did. She didn't like losing or feeling helpless. That was just how she felt in that moment.
"I don't think it's for you to decide what she needs and what she doesn't" she flashed a brave grin, teasing him.
She didn't know if that was a smart move, but she was amused by her own situation. So, why not try and mingle a little to see where his borders were, and how long will he allow her to tease him with her words and her brave grins.
"She has more than most, that was obvious from her clothing, therefore she no doubt had replacements or money for replacements. I know of friends in dire need of coin or something to sell." He snarled, and willed up the command word for his armour.
"Neros." In a puff of black smoke, the armour materialised on his body, helmet and all. He would look like some demon prince. Hopefully this girl would submit that way.
"I am not playing games, and do not smile." He was only a few feet away from her, but he teleported the distance anyway. He was more intimidating that way.
"Neither am I." She said, looking straight at him, not backing down.
She was way too prideful to let him intimidate her. She spent whole her life as a slave, and has always been ordered around. But now she was free, and there isn't a chance she would let him, as powerful as he is, tell her what to do. Slowly she grinned again, disobeying him, and feeling adrenaline pumping through her body. She was tempting her fate, and she knew it. But what was life without those moments of tempting thrills and risks.
His magical armour just proved her previous point. He wasn't an ordinary street thief, no he was something else entirely. Khanna was absolutely sure that there was more to him, but she couldn't really put her finger on what.
"Do you know who I am girl?" He made his sword materialise. It was brand new. Same enchantments as the old sword, just with a new style. It was a katana style now, with thousand time folded, cold mithril edge. A deadly piece of weaponry.
"I am the Black Skull, an assassin, and I have no qualms about killing you..." He thought about what to do, then made a grab for her neck, attempting to lift her by the throat. He wouldn't strangle her to death. Just enough to make her squeal.
Things couldn't get much worse... Or could they, Khanna thought as his katana sword appeared out of thin air and his hand reached for her neck. She raised her hand, catching his wrist before it reached her throat. It wasn't a firm grip, she just wanted to stop his hand even though he could break her wrist like a twig if he wanted. But she just hoped he wouldn't.
"Why would someone like you steal from nobles?" she asked with a frown still keeping his hand away from her neck. Not like she was truly interested in his story, but was mainly buying time for her to figure out a plan.
"I have my reasons. Now tell me why you interfered. Dodge my question and the guards will be on you like a shot." He had some power in the guard force now, now he was a Soot Wolf anyway.
"I can kill you easily. The guards can play with your body. And don't think of running. I will hunt you." He was boastful, but that was just his personality. He didn't owe this girl any explanation. None whatsoever. And if she thought he wouldn't he would prove it.
"Wouldn't even dream about running away." she said with a small smile.
It would probably be better for her to die then for the guards or slavers to catch her.
"Well, I have a weakness for powerless women being robbed." she said with a grin, but then continued more seriously "Perhaps you can kill me, perhaps you will, but why did you attack a powerless noble woman, of all people. Why not a soldier or a warrior?" now her voice sounded prideful and boastful. Whathever he thought about her, she knew she was now an equal with him.
"You are brave, I give you that. However I have no reason to respect you or answer your questions. This city is under Soot Wolf rule. Everyone here knows it to be true, and any who defy the Soot Wolves and try to uproot us die. That means, you do not defy me." This girl needed to learn her place in Arca, and that lesson was taught through a very painful beating. Torak had learnt that lesson.
"Respect me and it is more than possible we can be friends. Disrespect me or the Soot Wolves however and it will hurt."
"I'm not stupid to try and openly defy you," she said slowly "But don't expect me to obey your every order..." Khanna finished after thinking it through.
Statistically she had no chance to defeat a whole guild. Nor did she want to try. Khanna always knew when she was overpowered by her enemy. That doesn't mean that she'll stop fighting. She will just rethink her choices and probably change her tactics.
"You'll see that I am not exactly what you would call a perfect servant. The role of a ruler fits me much better." she chuckled "But we don't really choose our roles in this world, do we?" she asked the question with another one of her brave smiles.
"No, one has to work to change roles, but we rarely get exactly the role we want. And to rule is to obey the whims of those below you. One has to find the masters that allow us to get stronger, reach our apex. The Soot Wolves give me that. Tell me, who are your superiors?" The question was an odd phrasing of where do you work really, but he wouldn't be surprised if she failed to answer correctly.
"It is good that you are not stupid."
" I get around.." she said "Do jobs other people can't. I have no superiors, I am alone."
And that was the truth. She killed mercenaries and bandits, recovered artifacts from tombs and caves, she even used her magic in order to solve some of the cases she has gotten. It was strange how people looked at her when she told them that what they asked has been fulfilled. They watched her with fear and disguist as they gave her the money. As if she did something horrible. She did, but on their behest, she was just a weapon in their arms. That is why she was always alone, people always blamed the death on the weapon that killed not the mind that controlled the weapon.
"The world lives on a principal, that the strong kill the weak to survive. If they aren't strong enough to defeat you in a fight, they don't deserve to live, and were a burden on the world. It is simple. If an animal is ill, it's group will kill it to function properly. Society cannot function without the weak perishing. It keeps the strong powerful." He smiled at her and made a gesture of friendship.
"I think we got off to a bad start miss Khanna." He held out his hand for her to shake.
She shaked his arm, slowly, still not sure is he talking for real or is he trying to break her arm. Seeing that her arm was left unharmed she returned the smile. She understood the concept he explained her. And she was mostly agreeing with it. But, for some reason she felt that this man in front of her could kill much easier than she could. She felt more relaxed but her guard was still up. She shoudn't ever put it down, because the biggest troubles come when you're least expecting them.
"Perhaps we did." she said nodding in approval.
"Care to go for a drink? I have money from my side job, money I have no desire to have." Torak could at least offer some courtesy, and they were, stood in an alleyway next to a rather nice tavern. They served good drinks in there.
"It's on me, I have no need for money." He smiled at her and beckoned to the exit of the alley.
"Okay..." she said.
It was a strange thing how roles change. A minute before that they were almost killing each other, but now they were going to a tavern. And he was paying. Since Khanna was broke for the last few days a drink on him was something she couldn't refuse. Yes, the last few days were hard, there wasn't anyone who needed her expertise and she was slowly becoming so poor that she usually stealed the food from the city market.
"What would you like? Just an ale?" He sat down at a table, removing his helmet, the eye enchantment fading out. No more glowing red eyes.
"Something soft, stronger?"
"I'll take a beer." she said, as she sat at the other side of the table.
She watched, interested at his helmet. It was obvious it was enchanted, but she wanted to know what kind of enchantment was used. It could be the.. Stop it. She said to herself to stop staring in the helmet.
"You don't look like you're from around here." she cocked her head, watching him.
"I'm not." He got up, going to get drinks.
He ordered the drinks, and brought them to the table.
"I was raised in Connlaoth, never knew my parents, was raised by a retired Mordecai, and he taught me my sword skills, as well as a few private tutors. He taught me how to judge enemies, how to deduce things about foes from even the smallest detail. Like the weapon earlier. Daggers I believe?"
"Yes..." she smiled and nodded in approval "My best friends."
She thought that was quite impressive, but she would've never told him that. She took her beer and drunk a little bit, thinking about what he said. She knew so little about his past but he wasn't moved by it. Neither are you, a small voice in her head told her. She didn't quite believe in that.
"You see, I've never been exactly normal. I learned to teleport when I was 8. I must have been spotted, cause, you see..." He took a sip of his ale and leaned back.
"One day, a group of mordecai and soldiers arrived at our house, and they killed him for harbouring a practicing mage. Then they came for me. 15 fully armed men is a little too much for a 14 year old boy to handle, so I teleported away." He sat with a smile on his face. He had never come to care for the man who had raised him. He didn't even know the guy's name.
Her beer was in her arm, and she was sipping it slowly. Her hood was back on, because she would make a target if anyone saw her, and her daggers were safely tugged on ger back.
"And you've been alone since then?" she asked him.
Alone wasn't something that was unknown to Khanna, but it still wasn't pleasant for her. But he seemed perfectly fine with that fact.
"Just me. And a few voices in my head in some places, haha." He made it out to be a joke, but it was true. He was a psychopath. He didn't form attachments easily, and the only real one had been Jinai. And she had rejected him, and driven him past the point of caring.
"What about you, where are you from?"
"I am... Not sure." she bit her lip "I have spent my whole life in servitude. I used to serve a Connlaothian noble family. Hard times. I escaped few months ago, never looked back. They're still searching for me all over." she grinned.
"I always outsmart them, or defeat them." her grin widdened.
"Connlaothian nobles are the bane of my existence, stuck up, lowlife aristocrats. I once served several on my travels, became a servant for a while to earn some money. I earned the armour by performing an assassination on the man who employed me as a servant. The young lady who hired me then wanted to bed me, as she had not officially inherited the fortune, and wanted to repay me. I was tempted to kill her, but she proved her own strength by mercilessly killing another servant who had seen me and her meet. I let her live." Torak shrugged as if it meant nothing to him, and took another sip of his drink.
"You surely do have an interesting history" she said
"Mine was filled with those idiot nobles, their stupid clothes, dancing classes and other even less useful events. But that's what I'm doing now, creating my own history.'' she said with a prideful gleam in her eyes.
"Anyways, how did you end up here?"
"I suppose it started in Connlaoth, with these idiot nobles. I was hired to protect the Grand Duke's ceremony from other assassins. I believed I was doing my job, and was hunted by the guards while doing my job, chasing a girl I know to be called Jinai. Anyway, after getting bad rep with the guards, I decided not to go back. They believe me to be the man who killed the last Grand Duke, due to my use of explosive bombs. I came to Arca looking for work." Torak sighed, as if remembering a crush.
"I killed the Canis Dirus, then someone else killed the next one, then I killed the third one. One thing led to another, and I got captured by Soot Wolves. Their methods and ability earned them my respect. I sought out to join them, and have been welcomed into their ranks." He took a large sip of ale, and then put the tankard down.
She looked at him while he talked. It seems like not much things moved him. Khanna was wondering was he always so cold, or did his experiences made him that way. He obviously didn't have a problem to talk about his past, the deaths, the pain. He behaved like he was speaking about someones' else history not his own. Khanna took another sip of her ale.
"And here I thought that this city was going to be calm.." she murmured with a smirk.
"Not with the Soot Wolves around. And there's rumour of a serial killer who disfigures his victims, and plays games with unsuspecting happeners upon his scenes." Torak sat back, still trying to figure out who this man was.
"Peachy." she said with sarcasm.
She did have the tendency to get into those kinds of cities. But the funny thing is that the last week she spent in this city was the quietest one in her life. Khanna knew it wasn't going to last, she was a real magnet for mass murders, bandit raids and supernatural occurances. Guess the last week was a silence beofre the storm. It was about time...
(ooc: this is happening before the game, okay?)
"Hmmm, it is rather sickening... The kills are over the top, even for me..." He wasn't smiling over it, this man killed randomly, not selectively, he didn't even try to make money. He just butchered people.
"On a brighter note, a new doctor opened up a clinic a few weeks ago, Victor Herald, he's absolutely amazing at analysing poisons and other such things. If you ever need a poison broken down and looked at, see him." Torak took another sip of his ale. Nearly all gone.
((OOC: That's a clue for later, to go and get the poison from the church analysed, if you think Khanna will remember))
She pursed her lips thinking about it.
"I prefer the quiet kills," she shrugged with a frown "You're in and you're out, shadowy and silent"
Khanna had her fair share of killings and assassination. She prefered thefts, but sometimes the killings were a part of the task. That's how she thought about them. Messy but necessary.
"Poison doctor? That does sounds ironic" she said "Perhaps I'll check that one out."
She also had her share of killings with poison. Infiltration, a little bit of a deadly poison, and you're out before anyone suspects anything. On those cases she learned how poisons can be useful. She used them even now, usually on her daggers.
(ooc: she'll remember... eventually.)
"He's an odd man, horribly disfigured, but very intelligent. He can concoct an antidote for every non-magical poison you can think of. He's very good." Torak finished off his drink, and placed the tankard on the table.
"I just thought I would tell you. In case you ever need it."
"Fascinating." Khanna said with curiosity.
She took another sip of her beer, and then looked up to him.
"So, it seems you know whats happening around the city. Am I right?"
Khanna could definetely use an ally in a new city. Especially allies who know when slavers or others who are after her come to the city.
"My job is to look and listen to everything going on in the city, I am an information node. I feed back to my superiors on things from the black market to when suspicious or unusual people come into the city." He stated his job honestly to her. She wasn't that bad.
"Well then, I would like to offer you an alliance, of a sort." she said with a smirk "I just need any information about the slavers, if they ever visit the city..."
She was getting tired of her hood, tired of the fact that she always needed to hide and stinky dark alleys. That is why she decided to make this risky move and propose him an alliance.
"An alliance? What's in it for me?" He was interested, but not stupid.
"What can you offer me?"
She took her time and took the last sip of her beer. She looked at him and smiled.
"Depends... What do you want?" she asked him.
"How much would you give to get away from these slavers? They will go to most means to get you back. You are a very valuable investment to them. Unfortunately I'm a good ally. As it were, I'm a better investment. I will kill them for you if you need me to." He couldn't think of what it was he needed, or wanted.
"I would pay any price to get rid of them." she thought about it "But if you kill the first dozen, next time they return doubled... That is how I ended up in this situation. I usually don't run from fights, but right now there is a whole bunch of people investigating and searching for me."
Khanna was never a coward and she never would run if there was even a slightest chance of winning. But the numbers were against her.
"Anyway, the only thing I can hope for, is that after I kill enough of them, they will decide that I'm not worth so many men, and leave me alone. But I doubt that would be anytime soon." she sighed.
"They haven't face someone who can teleport. I can." He smirked and offered his hand in partnership. She could owe him a favour later.
"You can owe me a favour later."
Owing favours wasn't something Khanna liked much. But it seems like it happened very often since she escaped. She slowly nodded, and shaked his hand.
"Okay.. Whenever you need me, I'll be ready to return it." she said "But don't betray me, or try to deceive me, because even if I am a woman I am one hell of a warrior." the look in her eyes was serious but her lips were smirking. She was too strong and prideful to allow anyone to play games with her.
"I may be an assassin, but I keep to my word. Always. It's my own honour and strength at stake." He toyed with a coin, wondering if he wanted to get another ale.
"Good," she said "I would hate to have to kill you." she made a joke.
She knew that her chances with defeating him in a head-to-head battle were slim at best. He was an assassin with a long history of killings and she was just an ex-slave with some talent and wit that stole apples on the market when she didn't have money. She bit her lip, absentmindedly, and looked at him playing with a coin.
"Do you like being an assassin?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"Yes." He answered bluntly.
"Why do you ask?"
She shaked her head.
"No particular reason... But most assassins I've met didn't like their jobs. They just did them because they had no other choice. You're a lot different then them." she said, thinking.
"Honestly, I enjoy killing. It has and always will be my talent. But if you're good at something never do it for free." Torak spoke coldly with a smile.
"But I do not condone murder. Killing is an art, to be practiced when needed or suitable. Butchery of random humans is not good. To kill is to perform life's greatest function. It is to demonstrate oneself strength, your power."
"I do nothing for free... I'm a bit of a gold digger." she smiled, thinking through what he said.
"The goal of every life is death, right? It isn't right or wrong, it just is."
This sounded very dark for Khanna, even if it was the truth. She never had problems killing, but she didn't have any satisfaction from it either. Khanna prefered outsmarting people, defeating them by their own rules. That is when she felt most powerful, looking in the eyes of the loser and knowing that she won.
"Exactly, and our task is to weed out the strong, to make a better world. The weak have no place in society, and are only alive because people feel pity. Pity is not a strong characteristic. Strength comes from many sources, not just a brute. A brute can be weaker than a dwarf."
"Strength is born of will. Those who command must have strength. A cripple who can devise clever tactics is not weak. An assassin is not weak because they command fear. Fear is one of the strongest symptoms of strength, but so is respect. I respect the Soot Wolves."
"That is a wonderfull ideology, but unfortunately things usually don't work that way in the real world...You've seen that noble woman, she had power, status, money, everything she could wish for and yet she was weak. Too weak to even collect her things the way she should." she smiled, putting an emerald that she stole on the table.
"She had no will to defend herself, she just waited for you to rob her or even kill her. She didn't think, even with all her expensive education, she couldn't think of any plan to escape you. All she could do is helplessly scream for help. Lucky her I was passing through." she smirked, looking at the jewel.
"But you took pity on her. Why? If you agree with that, why didn't you let me finish taking things she didn't need? What use are material pleasantries? They mean nothing. Legacy is everything. It is better to leave an everlasting mark than to spend life seeking trivial pursuits."
He nodded to the helmet.
"This armour, and the name attached to the armour will be my legacy. Once it was a material item. Now it is my legacy. My name will forever be attached to this armour. It is my defining feature."
"I was bored. I have little interest in saving nobles, but I needed something exciting to get my adrenaline pumping. Because, this city was killing me with it's quietness." she told him sincerely "You like killing people and I like tempting my fate, risking my life and excitement." she shrugged.
"My legacy is still just a blank paper.. Not for long, hopefully." she smiled.
"These slavers... Fancy helping me kill them?" He smiled at the prospect. He would kill anyone who tried to kill his new friend. He was that sort of person.
"You can start making a legacy for yourself. First thing is that you need something unique..."
"I am always up for a slaver hunt." she smiled "But I hardly have anything unique, or that stands out." she smiled. Khanna was glad that they understood each other. It wasn't everyday that she met someone with similar opinions as hers.
"Well we need to get you something. You like daggers, yes?" He smiled back at her. There was a good blacksmith locally, who constructed beautifully intricate weapons. No two were the same unless he desired them to be.
"I know the local blacksmith, he crafts gorgeous weapons, he made my sword in fact. He will help you make it YOURS."
"Hmm, there goes my emerald." she said looking in the large jewel in her hand. Weapons are expensive.
"But yes, I do need a new set od daggers." she remembered the way her daggers are. Still usable, but definitely not the prettiest in world.
"He owes me a rather big favour, because his forge was going to be destroyed by some gang members, and I was tailing them, so I killed them before they could do it." He beckoned for her to put the emerald away. He wouldn't ask anything in return for helping this girl make a legacy for herself.
"So once we have done that, if you want, we can go to a friend of mine, who is an amazing enchanter, did my armour for me. We can make them more unique."
Her grin widdened, as she returned the jewel in her coin purse.
"Yes, this hardly looks as an armour." she said looking at her black clothes.
"But you are aware that I have no means to repay you. Only way I could do that would be by sharing my skills and knowlege with you, when you need it."
What he was doing for her was unlike anything anyone has ever done for her. At least she could promise him help if he needed it.
"I only ask a favour for killing these slavers. I will not butcher them for nothing. The armour and weapons, however, that is my gift for your legacy, I do not want to be repaid. Just remember me when you tell your children of your adventures." He smiled. He wasn't usually this generous. But this woman suited him. They thought similarly and for that she deserved a drink and a legacy of her own.
She nodded, wholeheartedly and smiled.
"Then let's start making my legacy." she sounded childishly excited, but she didn't care. She will, after whole these years, get her own history. Something to live and die for, she thought with a smile. And, on the end, the man she least expected it from will help her in that. Maybe they were even more similar then she previously thought.
"Let's go then." He stood up, picking up his helmet, when the most annoying thing happened.
A gang of five people, heavily armed came in, their eyes darting from place to place.
"Those the slavers?" Torak noticed he was inching to draw his sword, but the blood wolves in the corner clocked Torak and the slavers, and it was clear what was going to happen.
"This is bad." she said with an intensive frown. She was wearing a hood, but there was no chance they wouldn't recognize her. The leader was someone she knew, a friend when she was a little girl. His face had a big, pinkish scar over his left cheek. That was a gift from Khanna.
"Yes, that's them. And we should keep our weapons at ready." she said with a dark voice, slowly grasping for the cold metal.
"Let my friends deal with this group. I doubt this is all of them." He nodded to the Blood Wolves in the corner, signalling that he owed them a favour.
They rose, and immediately drew weapons, and so did 6 other Blood Wolves in the bar, leading them outside. The Bloods hated him, yes, but they were like him, they wanted the satisfaction of the kill. They wouldn't allow him to be killed by someone that wasn't a Blood Wolf.
"There we go. Now grab my arm. We're going outside again. And before you say anything, yes, I know that is the only entrance and exit."
"There will probably be more of them, outside the city or near the tavern." she said and took his hand, without hesitation "Lead the way."
She put her head down, letting the hood completely hide her face, just in case someone manages to get away from the Blood Wolves, which she doubted.
He teleported inside the bar, and as soon as they were outside, the Bloods left, and let them deal with the slavers.
"Thank you gents." He drew his sword.
"Bring it."
She smiled towards the slavers while taking off her hood. She drew her daggers.
"Let's do this." she said, easily avoiding the first attacker and kicking him in his stomach, and sliting his throat on the place his armour was the weakest.
Night was already deep and the moonlight was shining over the shapes of buildings. Not that Khanna really had the time to watch the scenery. One of the bigger slavers, with a big mace rushed towards her, she was faster and much more agile. And with one swift move she passed by him, backstabbing him.
Torak put his helmet on.
"Die, scum." He teleported behind one, stabbing him in the side.
He then teleported again and landed on one, his sword going straight into the man's skull.
"Haha, so pathetically wea-" He didn't finish hi ssentence before the warhammer struck him in the side.
She was in a middle of stabbing a slaver when she saw him being hit by a warhammer. She threw one of her daggers with precision and straight through the helmet and head of the slaver. He and his warhammer fell to the ground.
"Insulting the enemies, you do that after the battle." she told him, with a smirk. Slitting the throat of a slaver near her in a fast move, she came next to him and offered him her hand in order to help him get up.
He took her hand, but he saw the big man with the scar start a swing and instead pulled her down level with him, before teleporting them upright.
"Always make sure you got them all." He aimed his wrist crossbow at the mans head, and fired.
Khanna felt dizzy.
"Too much teleporting." she said touching her forehead.
The crossbow went into the the slavers' shoulder, wounding him before he could move fast enough. He was straight ahead of her. He was the man she knew, she spent all her childhood with him. Last time she saw him, she hesitated. This time, she won't.
She took the dagger from the other slavers' head. Khanna ran forward only to be stopped with his sword. She kicked him in the stomach, and started a fast dual attack. He left a few bloody scratches on her face, but she returned the favour. After a minute, she saw an opening and used it. Her sword slid into his armour with a sound and he fell down to the ground.
Khanna wiped her blood from her face.
"I'll deal with the rest of them if they come along." Torak looked over her to make sure she was ok.
"You ok?" He just wanted to be sure that she was ok.
"I think we got them all, for now." she said.
"Yes, nothing serious, it's just my face." the wounds were painful and itchy, but they weren't anything serious. "Are you ok? That warhammer hit wasn't gentle.."
Torak reached under the armour and pressed, feeling a broken bone snap into place. It would heal. Jinai had gotten him smashed into a wall by a mace wielding guard. He had suffered worse.
"I'll be fine... Shall we go and get those daggers?" He smiled at her, albeit weakly.
"Yeah, let's go." she glanced at him, a bit worried. It was obvious that he was wounded.
The blood dripping from a wound on her face was annoying and she constantly wiped her with her hand.
"Show the way." she said with a small smile.
"Of course." He winced as he walked, but soon got used to the pain.
"When you meet him, do not ask about his name. Seriously, just don't. He hates it." Torak spoke as they wandered the streets.
She was removing the hardened blood from her face. There was also some blood in her hair, which annoyed her, because the color was almost identical.
"Why? Is his name that bad?" she asked with a grin.
"With a name like his, you would be ashamed too." Torak snickered at the thought of it. It was terribly funny to him.
"Trust me, when you have got the daggers, rip it out of him, but not before, ok?"
She beamed up to him with a smile.
"Excellent idea!" she told him "Will you get any upgrades with your armour?" Khanna asked.
"I'm gonna get this dent fixed up, possibly get another enchantment on my armour. You need to think about what enchantments you'll get." He could feel the dent on his side.
"And just saying, his name is Lester, Moe. Swap it and that's his name."
She stopped and started laughing in the middle of the street.
"I think I understand why someone would try to attack him." she joked and wiped the tears from laughing "I would be embarassed with that name too... Anyway about the enchantments, does he have any magic amplifiers?" she asked him. By now, Khanna didn't use her magic here, but who knows when it may come in handy.
"I had my armour enchanted to dull magic, so he might be able to get your daggers to absorb magic, or your armour. You need some armour..." He hadn't actually seen the armour this guy made. Only the weapons.
"And you, his wife's maiden name was Dover, first name Eileen. They're an unlucky pair."
"Wow, it's a real miracle they are still together with those kinds of names..." she smiled brightly "Anyway I need some amplifiers for my illusion magic. It gets useful when I need to be invisible but is very hard to hold on very long. If I had an amplifier, it would last much longer." she told him.
"Plus I am not really picky with the armours. I have no particular use of it, because I never get hit anywhere on my body, usually just my face." she trailed her finger on a painful place on her cheekbone.
They arrived at the blacksmith's fairly quickly.
"Torak! What can ah' do for ya'? And the wee lassie 'ere... Miss..." The blacksmith bowed courteously.
"Khanna, she'd like to forge a pair of unique daggers. Consider it the favour you owe me." Torak smiled at him.
Khanna was a little surprised by the blacksmith, but quickly recovered and sticked a polite smile on her face. She bit her lip.
"Are you really sure you want to use your favour on my daggers and equipment?" she asked him very quietly.
"All legacies start with the generosity of a like minded person." He whispered back.
"Now lass, do ya' want 'em made o' steel, mithril, or daemonite? Ol' Torak can explain tha' differences." He pulled out a bar of each material, and Torak prepared to explain the properties.
"Steel, high grade, nothing special, just strong, cutting stuff. Mithril, the metal of holiness. Contains anti-demon properties, and can be easily enchanted by holy magic. Slightly weaker, but exponentially lighter. Daemonite, demon metal. Easy to enchant with dark magics, stronger, but the heaviest of the three. My armour is a daemonite, mithril alloy. It is very flexible stuff."
"I am phisically not really strong and can't work with too heavy materials. I usually rely on speed. So I think that perhaps mithril would be the best choice for my daggers." she did have dealings with the undead and some holy magics could be very useful to her in the future. But Khanna wasn't really into holy magics, they were usually useless in her missions. She tried to take the bar of daemonite, but unsuccsesfuly. She could barely lift it from the table.
The blacksmith took the steal and daemonite bars back and brought out 3 more mithril bars.
"Lets get started."
And for the next three hours, they followed every instruction given, with full design input from Khanna.
At the end two beautifully crafter daggers with matching sheathes laid in front of Khanna.
"Next step. Names for them. My sword is Sirkos, Voraxian for stealth. What are you going to call the daggers?"
"The last two of my daggers were called Serpent and Revenge... These two will be called Shadow and Destruction." she said, biting her lip and thinking is it a good choice.
She was astonished by all the work they made. The daggers looked perfect for her, elegant but obviously sharp and deadly. Khanna adored them already and couldn't wait to try them out in a real fight.
The blacksmith said to wait a second and brought out some light armour for Khanna, in the same style as the daggers, as well as Torak's repaired armour.
"That'll fit you perfectly." He smiled at his own handiwork, and then left her to try it on. Torak put his armour back on, not afraid to undress somewhat to get it on.
"Much better. No dents or chips. Completely redone."
While Torak had no problem with taking off some parts of his armour and clothing, Khanna went to a different room in order to try her new armour. She felt almost childish as she tried to put on a new, dark dyed, light armour. She looked herself in a somewhat dirty mirror on the edge of the room. The armour was a perfect fit, and it would probably be very hard to spot in dark. She smiled to herself happily.
Torak took some time to let her fit her new armour, then walked in.
"Do you like it?" He leaned against the doorway to the room, smiling.
She turned around and smiled cheerfully.
"You look amazing." she said honestly. "What about me? Does it look better then before,?" she turned around smiling.
"Stunning." He gave her a cheeky wink, before standing up straight, and offering his hand.
"Shall we kill some slavers? I call dibs on the group wandering the market square outside." Torak wasn't lying, a group of 20 men were wandering the market square, in the same armour as the last group.
"The group wandering outside is all mine."
She accepted his hand and smiled.
"Thank you... But won't you allow me to assist you?" she asked, worried. Khanna was perfectly aware of the fact that he was injured. She didn't know how badly, but she knew that he was. Plus, she was itching eith excitement. She wanted to try out her new daggers.
"Oh, fine, a smile like that will convince me..." He let his humanity show through for once. He was disturbed, yes, but still human.
"Let's get 'em." He put his helmet on and activated the voice enchantment.
"The Black Skull has a quarrel with these slavers."
She smiled once again, glad that she was able to convince him. Khanna quickly nodded and tied her messy hair into a bun. She made a personal note that it could be better for her to cut her hair.
"Let's go and kill some slavers." her voice now became more cocky and tempting. On her face was one of her prideful smiles. "And try our new equipment."
Torak drew his sword and led the way out side.
"We have one Khanna here, I believe we have some searching slavers? Ah, we do! Excellent." Torak teleported into the group, his frenzied blows just being puffs of smoke. It was scary, even for him.
Khannas' smile widened as she stood near many slavers. This will be fun, she thought.
She didn't need long to get used to her new daggers. They were so light, and so sharp. They could actually cut trough the harder parts of slavers' armours. Her armour was easily following her movements.
The first two attackers were both attacking at the same time. She used the first one to jump off him and strike the second one with her dagger in the head. The remaining slaver was on the ground, unable to reach his sword. Khanna took her dagger and slit his throat. Then, she looked up to Torak who looked like he had no trouble...
Torak had his group of slavers down, and the last one begging for mercy.
"You wouldn't have given my friend any. No matter how hard she begged." Then, in one swift, gruesome moment, decapitated the man. His head rolled in one direction, while his body slumped over.
Khanna continued killing her group of slavers with a lot of success. Only three more to go on her side. She basically finished them by dirty tricks. They would fall to the ground, lose their weapons in the air, or just couldn't see her anymore. One by one, they died. The first one was left one-handed and backstabbed. The second one lost his head, literaly, it rolled over to a wall. And she slit the throat of the third one.
"I finished first!" she grinned.
Torak looked at another group of slavers who apparently wanted to get a piece.
"Leave one alive." Torak shot three of them down with his crossbow bracer and then teleported in to kill some more.
She nodded and ran forth.
In order to insure that she keeps one of them alive, she had a small plan. Khanna dodged the first attacker, throwing his sword a few meters away from them. Then she came behind him and broke his leg. It was probably bad and painful as the slaver yelled. She continued onto the next one with a grin. The second one was rather clumsy because of his gigantic size, but his attacks were strong and vicious.
Dodging the first of his clumsy hits she jumped over him in a fast motion and stuck both of her daggers deep into his skull.
Torak dragged the man with the broken leg to his feet, and snapped his arm. He wouldn't forget this.
"I need you to deliver a very important message to your employers. Leave. Khanna. Alone. Warn them that if they don't I will hunt them down and kill them all." He punched the man in the stomach, then threw him into the mud.
"You done Khanna?"
"Yes, I think." she said watching at more than a dozen bodies scattered around. "I suppose your friends will take care of this mess we made?"
She was feeling tired after everything that has happened in the last ten or so hours.
"No, the guards will. Lets go before we have them to deal with." Torak offered his arm one last time.
"Lets sleep for tonight, we'll sort your enchantments in the morning."2
She took his hand and nodded. Khanna felt like she could pass out anytime now.
"Oh wait... I should search their bodies, I don't have a place to stay, and perhaps they have some money on them..." she yawned, clearly tired.
"Good idea. If you find anything other than money, I will give that to the pups." Torak knelt down and picked up a small lock pick, something the Wolves could always make use of.
Khanna knelt to the ground, very fastly searching through the bodies. One of the headless bodies had a coin purse. She happily opened it and took three golden coins. Almost enough for a warm night in a tavern. The previous places she has been staying were usually abandoned old houses without any furniture, so a night in a bed, instead a floor was a big improvement.
While searching one of the other bodies, Khanna found a simple letter. She curiously opened it, only to find a drawn picture of her and her basic information.
"This is so not how I look." Khanna said criticaly and yawned.
"I don't know... Maybe if that guy smashed your face in with his war hammer, haha!" He picked up a ruby off one of the guys.
"Now this is good!" He stashed it in his pocket, trying to make sure Khanna didn't notice it.
"One of these guys had a crossbow bolt fitted for the same crossbows the Blood Wolves use, but other than that, the pups are out of luck." Torak sighed and kicked the body of man which had nothing but clothes and poor quality blunt weapons.
"Nothing here either... Just some useless stuff." she frowned "They barely had any money."
Crossing her arms she looked through the pile of bodies. She flipped a few golden coins in her hand.
"Good thing I took that emerald from the noble." she murmured angrily. They barely found anything, except her baddly drawn picture.
Torak produced a few coins from his coin purse, and handed them to her.
"Here you go. I have no use for money." Torak kept his helmet on, not wanting anyone to recognise him. He kept his armour off during Wolf work. It made it easier for him.
"Yeah, thanks."she said sadlybecause she had no way of returning the favour
"Shall we go?" Khanna asked puttin up a fake smile.
"Yeah, lets." Torak began to walk in the direction of the nearest inn.
"I'll go down to my wolf quarters for tonight, I'll pick you up in the morning and we can go to the enchanter."
"Yeah, it's a deal." she said.
Perhaps she could do some research in the inn or taverns before she rents a room for herself. Maybe she could even find someone with an offer for a job, with a rich bounty, preferably.
"Good." Torak walked her to the front of the inn round the corner.
"Goodnight Khanna. I will see you tomorrow." Torak waved goodbye and began to walk away.
She but her lip and shook her head. Too much teleporting for one day.
"Goodnight." she said, barely audible, but he was already walking away. Khanna crossed her arms and once again shook her head before opening the inns door.
Torak slept that night, his dreams strange to him. No one died. No one was injured. Peacefulness ensued. It was calm. He felt out of place. Very out of place.
He woke up the following morning feeling rather humane. He wouldn't mug anyone. Not today.
Khanna didn't have any luck with her jobs. The first of her possible employers was a blind farmer who needed someone to chop his woods. That wasn't Khannas cup of tea, so she refued. The second one looked as a promising adventure, up untill the moment her employer asked her to spend the night. Khanna broke his arm just in case he get some ideas. She stole some money from a few drunken men and went to her room. Exhausted and irritated Khanna fastly fell asleep into a dark and dreamless sleep.
Torak came to the front of the inn by walking, not wearing his armour today, hoping she would recognise him.
He stood around, waiting for Khanna to come outside.
((OOC: Start a fight or something, lol))
Khanna woke up early and now was standing at the bar of the inn and drinking her morning beer. It was quiet with just a few customers sitting at their tables and talking. Well, the peace Khanna enjoyed so much didn't last long. A man, surrounded with five large guardians, tapped her shoulder.
"Remember me?" The sleezeball from yesterday. He looked almighty now but yesterday when she broke his arm he was pittyful.
"Ah, yes, you're the one with the girly scream." she said with a cocky smile. He looked furious as his guardians prepared to attack.
"You will pay for that." he said, red with anger, signaling his guardians.
Khanna was very nasty when someone interrupts her morning drink. It was about to become loud.
(ooc: more poor souls for the slaughter... there you go xD)
Two Blood Wolves in the corner recognised the mercenaries and were here off duty. They had been told that they wanted to kill Torak, and that it should not be allowed. So the stood up, crossbows in hand, and fired on the men, one bolt going through the armour of two men.
Torak heard the shooting and rushed in to see what was happening.
The guardians were very good equipped, many times better than slavers, and Khanna felt better at the thought of ransacking through their coin purses. The mace guardian swinged ar her with force and speed, missing her by an inch but ruining the beautiful bar table she was sitting at. She took one of her daggers knocking him out cold in he head. The second was an archer, who was obviously ill-equiped to fight with her in a crowded inn. She easily backstabbed him, while kicking the guardian with a large sword. She cut his throat in a swift and painless move. Three down, two to go.
Torak simply walked up behind one of them and snapped his neck, turning his head a clean 180 with a sickening crunch, and he dropped to the floor immediately.
Then Torak turned the other one around, took out his knife and rammed it into the guys throat. It was way too early for this sort of fight, so he wanted to end it early.
Seeing Torak she waved, finishing off her beer. That little slug that hired those guardians ran away before she had the time to kill him. Next time she will be faster.
"Good morning... Just making a few friends." she said, taking a nice and unusually full coin purse from one of the bodies.
"Right... We should get going, before you actually make me feel some emotion other than half hearted disinterest on this subject..." Torak's voice was toneless as he spoke, his recent attitude haunting him.
She raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.
"Okay let's go." she said immitating his tone. Something was wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it.
He walked silently, not speaking at all to Khanna, for the whole hour they walked.
"Here we are. Go in, ask for the enchantments you want, say that Torak will repay the favour, then we can part ways." Torak was trying to disconnect only because he could feel his mind changing, becoming more humane by the second.
Khanna narrowed her eyes. That was the quietest walk she ever had in her life. Also the most uncomfortable.
"What is going on?" her voice was icy and questionative. She crossed her arms and leaned on the door. It was clear that she expected an answer.
"Nothing. I just don't feel right." Torak answered bluntly. He didn't want to say that he felt human for once. He didn't like the feeling.
She bit her lip, thinking. That wasn't it.
"It is obviously something, you are not the kind of person who changes his moods like this because of nothing." perhaps it was wrong to push him today but Khanna beleived that whatever was wrong she could help with it.
"It's not up for discussion. I'm just not feeling right today." He opened the door and beckoned her in.
"Just say it's from me."
Khanna gave him one of the this-isn't-over looks as she entered the small shop. An old woman was standing behind the counter.
"How can I help you." the woman asked with a smile.
"I need armour enchantments." she said as if it wasn't obvious "Magic amplifiers."
The woman begun working.
Torak was approached by his contact in the Blue Skull gang, and had a small conversation, just to inform him of a power shift. He was now in charge. Damn.
"And you expect me to run the gang?! If they're so pathetic as to have me in command, wipe them out! Send in the Bloods to wipe them out! We're at the peak opportunity!" He realised he was shouting at the guy.
"Look. I will tell them that there is a huge pickup we need to make at the warehouse, and will say that the pickup needs whoever is left. You hide the Bloods around the pickup point and have them ready, and we can wipe the fuckers out!"
When the enchantments were done, Khanna stepped outside only to hear a conversation between Torak and an unknown man. She hid behind one of the walls so that she could hear what they were saying. The conversation was obviously about a gang fight. Khanna thought about it a few seconds, and it seemed like his mood wasn't an better. He yelled and was obviously not satisfied. She came out of her hideout and walked up to him. She nodded towards the man.
"Hello." she cocked her head, studying him.
Khanna came round the corner, and Torak nodded the man away.
"Look, Joseph, I am not able to talk right now, I will discuss the plan later." Torak watched him go, then turned to look at Khanna.
"How much exactly did you hear?"
She shrugged, seeing no point in lying to him.
"Everything."
She was always good at eavesdropping and always seemed to run in the best conversations.
"Well forget you heard it, not your business." Torak grumbled a little as he thought.
"You get your enchantments?"
"Yes." She said with an icy tone. Two can play that game.
"You don't have to worry about me ruining your precious plans." she crossed her arms, obviously insulted.
"Good. These plans are vital. The Blue Skulls are a thorn in my side. They cause the Wolves a big problem, and my job is to stop them. I was originally trying to gather information on them, stop their business operations interfering with the Wolves, but their plans are mine now, and that means they can be destroyed." Torak spoke with cold indifference.
"Oh, so you will destroy them..." she said inrigued "Can I come?"
She needed something else to do, not only sit in the inn. She needed a good fight.
"The Bloods will do that, however I need to arrange it. So you have to stay out the way. The Bloods may kill you if you aren't careful." Torak warned and began to walk off, his generosity spent.
"Like they could kill me." she murmured pridefully. Why was he now behaving like she was a child. She could survive even without his help, she did for the last four months.
"But I can help." she said trying to keep up with him "I could be in and out in seconds, and they would all be dead. Plus you wouldn't need to risk your friends." she said with a cocky grin.
"This is a Soot Wolf matter, leave us to our work. The Bloods have been waiting for a while to eliminate the gang that killed 20 of their men. I think they deserve this kill. Besides, the runt with the bodyguards in the bar earlier should be the focus of your attention. Make him run back home." Torak looked up at the sky, expecting to see some form of sunlight, but the light grey clouds shielded the world from it.
"Now I don't know why you are still hanging around?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Fine. I leave you to your genius planning." she said, slowly backing off "I have enough problems with the guy from the bar." Khanna murmured with concern. She put on her hood and slowly started walking in the opposite direction.
"Fine..." Torak turned to walk down the street and spotted the crossbowman on the rooftop.
"Khanna, duck!" Torak shouted, before running into an alley. He would kill these damn slavers at least.
He summoned the whole armour set to him, as well as sword, and hid in the alley for a second, waiting to strike. Then he teleported.
The assassin was already gone.
"Damn." she cursed "That was fast."
If Torak hadn't told her to move, that arrow now stuck in the ground, would have probably ended in her heart. She ran upstairs to the rooftop, only to see him standing in full armour.
"They're back." she said, crossing her arms.
Torak heard a small whoosh that he identified immediately, and felt the blade in his back.
"You're mine you teleporting son of a bitch!" Torak turned and grabbed the red armoured assassin, and teleported with him.
He had no idea where he had put himself, and as soon as they landed, they threw a few punches, before teleporting again, by this guy's will.
It all happened too fast for Khanna to follow. The assassin in a red armour appeared and before Khanna could warn Torak about him, they were both gone, just vanished. She narrowed her eyes, must've been they teleported. She was a bit irritated, because tehnically it was her kill not his.
"I'll just wait here." she said to herself and sat down on the ground, her back on the cold wall.
Torak tried to fight, but the blade in his back made his life much more difficult. The loss came when he threw a poorly aimed punch, and the guy drew the dagger across Torak's back. But the guy didn't kill him. Rather, the girl didn't.
"Who are you? Ungh..." Torak felt the girl pick him up and teleport several times.
"Your friend is pathetic." The woman held the knife to Torak's throat, and put him between the two women.
She was impatient. It has been a few minutes and Khanna begun to worry. She stood up from her place near the wall and started walking around the roof. The clouds now looked even more dark then earlier. It was surely going to rain soon. She tried to remember the way the assassin looked like, but they had such an short encounter. Then something struck her, the assassin was way too slim and curvy to be a man. The height was high enough but the body shape just didn't fit. Then she remembered the armour - red colour. Khanna gasped.
"They're back."
They teleported to where Khanna was and Torak sat there, looking expectantly at Khanna.
"You owe me a favour Khanna, and now would be a good time to collect!" Torak growled through his helmet.
"Ohhh, sweetie, shush, the adults are talking..." Torak felt his helmet come off and opened his eyes to see Khanna stood not too far in front of him.
"Don't struggle, wouldn't want my knife to slip now, would we? Is this your new boyfriend Khanna?"
It took a moment for Khanna to adapt to the picture. Katya stood in front of her, beautiful as always with a charming smile.
"Him? Come on now Katya you know me better than that." she gave her a beautiful smile and took her hood off "You know I like the rich kind." she glanced fastly towards Torak, her look clearly telling him to shut up and let her deal with the situation. She returned the look on Katya before anyone noticed.
"So, how are the girls doing, since I left?"
"Oh... That... Well they're all dead now, thanks to your little antics and shenanigans. He's got a lovely suit..." Torak tried to avoid saying something but didn't.
"Aha, you see, I have to go now, I have important business to take care of... How about I just leave you girls to it?" He flashed Khanna a look that said "bullshit am I leaving this crazy bitch alive", or something along those lines.
"Awww, is the itty bitty Black Skull assassin getting annoyed? Let me kiss it better." She gave Torak a rather incapacitating kiss. A poisoned one anyway. He felt his limbs go limp and his body become paralytic.
"Ooops..."
Khanna knew that poison. She used it quite frequently when working on the missions with the girls. She was usually playing the bait, smiling and talking to the victim, slowly seducting him. Then she would give him the kiss and he would be vulnerable for the other girls to kill. It would hurt a bit, but he should've kept his mouth shut when she told him to.
"Come on, it was two months ago. Ancient history." Khanna gave a mirroring smile "Besides, he isn't worth your time, I'm the one you want." she told.
"No, but I'm not playing. You will die. And he will do it for me. Won't you sweetheart?" She let Torak slump to the floor, where he slowly rose to his feet, and felt himself moving against his own will.
"No..." Torak drew his sword as he stepped forward.
"You see, when you ruined us, I found out that if heated, the poison transmutes into a very powerful controlling agent. He bends to my will. Kill her." Torak stumbled forward, his mind fighting the chemical.
Khanna looked seriously concerned. If they continued this fight, it would probably mean the death of one of them. She could use only one weapon against her former friend, she could offer her something, the only thing she had. Herself.
"And what do you gain from that? Look at the girls. The whole guild is in ruins and killing me won't help the case." she said bravely "I can help, if you back away the assassin I will belong to you again." her voice sounded shaky on the end.
"The girls are dead and the guild is ruined. No way of bringing it back. Instead I'm out for revenge, going private like our mutual friend her. Kill." Torak couldn't stop himself taking a powerful swing with his sword. He didn't want to kill her. But he had no choice.
"And from what I know of the Black Skull here, you two won't get along very well... Is it true you killed a child Black Skull? A twelve year old boy pushed from the top of a church? I heard that was you..." Torak's will broke, the fact being revealed. No-one should have known that. No-one.
She easily dodged the attack. But Katya words made her stop. Khanna looked to him for a clue or an straight answer. But the look on his face told her everything she needed to know. He seemed broken, he didn't seem willing to fight the posion controlling him. Khanna had no idea what to do.
"Torak, listen to me. It's not the time for guilts from the past. Get a grip or that same past will be the end of you." she told him serously.
"Torak isn't home right now..." Torak's mind went back to the White Mask personality, and was simply too insane to be controlled.
"Obey me Torak! Kill Khanna." Torak took off the armour, and clicked his fingers, the White Mask appearing on his face.
"I can take a message for him if you'd like! Hahahaha!" He drew a small, intricately made ceremonial knife from his trouser leg.
Khanna cursed under her breath. The last thing she needed was for him to turn into someone else. Now, of all the times. She started calculating in her head. Perhaps she could knock him out with a punch. Though she doubted she could do that, she wasn't to one to rely on strenght.
"I'm sorry I don't believe we have met." she gave him a cocky grin and took both of her daggers in her hands. This was going to be a fight to remember.
"You blame Torak for those murders, but it was me. I am the White Mask. At your service." The White Mask teleported a rapids succession of four places, plus his original, and went to stab her with the knife.
Until he felt the blade slip between his ribs. His own sword.
He stumbled backwards, with Katya stood looking rather scared.
"She's my kill!"
Everything happened so fast that Khanna barely had time to move. She clearly saw him teleport on multiple places at once, but she didn't expect Katya in her calculations. Khanna stood there wide-eyed and feeling very much stupid. She could've ran for her life and now she would be in a safe distance. But no, she stayed because he was hurt. Damn, these friendships and emotions were making her an easy target. Finally she decided, she owed him and the least thing she could do is try and save hs life.
"Just like old times." she murmured preparing herself.
"Well done." His voice wavered slightly as he pulled the sword out.
"No-one stabs Torak, except Torak." He muttered the command word, and as the armour teleported, he did so too.
"Wow, a tough one."
That was it, no more hesitating. She attacked Katya with a fast and flurry attack, but she fastly dodged it and jumped a few meters away, taking her sword from her back. It was just like old times. Katya swinged at her a few times, but Khanna managed to dodge most of the blade. But, yet again her face got a few scratches. Khanna attacked her again, kicking her in the stomach.
"That's for trying to kill me."
Torak looked a Katya briefly. This girl was his kill. As soon as Khanna's leg came down from the kick, Torak teleported in front of Katya, and picked her up by her throat.
"No-one controls me through trickery. They die first..." Torak let her drop to her feet before releasing a HUGE flurry of blows, punches and kicks, that seemed to strike at lightning speed. Katya blocked them but the distraction of a teleport for either of them left a clear opening with the rate of attack.
Both assassins drew swords at the same time, and proceeded to engage in a stalemate sword fight, with blows and parries on both sides leaving no effect.
"My equal... Finally..."
Khanna couldn't do much, except watch and wait for someone to make a mistake for her to jump in. She knew that Katya was the best swordsman she ever knew, but then again, Torak was just as good, if not better. This was a fight in which Khanna wouldn't know on who to bet. One of Katyas girls took a crossbow and aimed at Torak, because he was starting to get an obvious advantage. In the second the arrow was fired, Khanna threw one of her daggers, breaking the arrow and into the womans throat. She started to choke on her own blood, while falling on the ground. Khanna resumed her attention to Torak and Katya.
Torak grabbed Katya's shoulder, and flipped over it, using his relatively light weight to do it. Katya was a bit slow to react but not slow enough to get a shot. Slow enough for Torak to shoot an assassin creeping up on Khanna.
The delay almost got Torak killed. He spun round to a down blow, that landed on the shoulder plates on his armour, which, luckily, only dented.
Torak was about to take a swing, but he noticed the sword at his throat.
"One day maybe sweetheart, but not today..."
"Exactly my thoughts." with a grin, Khanna was now holding a crossbow, only a meter behind Katyas back. Katya didn't pay attention to her, and it was her mistake that Khanna even got the chance to get the crossbow.
"If you try to kill him you're dead. If you try to attack me you are dead." she gave another cocky smile "Every possible option ends the same - with your death. So, will you lower your sword or should I fire?"
"Hah!" Katya teleported instantly, holding Torak by the back of his chestplate.
Torak nodded at Khanna and smiled. He nudged a stone off the roof and it landed. Torak looked at Khanna and the stone intermittently. His helmet eyes grew brighter somewhat as he grinned at his plan.
"Sweetheart... I'm a bit harder than that." Torak's mind immediately made his hands grab the most distracting part of Katya it could reach. So his hand went on her ass, and he teleported, having Katya's back to Khanna, hoping she would take the shot now.
Khanna was ready when Torak teleported him and Katya. And she took the shot, the arrow bursting through Katyas throat with precision. The blood splattered around in drops as she choked on her own blood, trying to remove the arrow.
"Done and done." she said proudly with a grin. "You can finish her off if you want."
Torak knelt down as she laid dying beside him.
"Let this be a lesson. Don't. Fuck. With Torak." He plunged his sword into her chest and gave her a rather passionate kiss.
"Where's your controlling agent now? Sweetheart." Torak wrenched his sword out, making it twist and turn carelessly.
"Well now that's over I suppose I have some explaining to do- Don't even think about it, or you'll end up like her." Torak changed who he was speaking to and looked over at the young girl about to throw a magic bolt. He had sensed her make it, which was in part due to training.
She looked at the dead body of her former friend. It wasn't so much sadness in her eyes but there was a lot of irritation and silenced anger. Why was Katya stupid enough to attack her even when she had the chance to flee? The girl with a magic bolt a few meters away was hesitating to attack.
"Don't hesitate." Khanna said and threw a magic bolt at the girl, strong enough to make her pass out, but not strong enough to kill her.
"So. Like I was saying, I take it I have a lot of explaining to do? Especially over what this girl knew. How did she find out it was me?..." Torak looked at the corpse intently.
"I wonder who else knows..."
"Yeah.. You do owe me some explanations." she said, crossing her arms. She too was wondering how the girls found out where she was and how they knew about Torak.
"I'm listening." she sat on the ground, her back on the wall. She didn't look at Torak, she was inspecting her crossbow.
"It's hard to explain... I suppose I should start back at the root of the issue." Torak sat down as well, removing his helmet and sighing.
"When I was in Reajh, protecting the Grand Duke's ceremony, I chased another assassin, Jinai across the city. Recently, she came to Arca. You should have noticed by now that I am not 'humane', I am cold. Usually." Torak traced a symbol with his dagger.
"She came to Arca, and I realised what I felt, that I loved her. I did at the time anyway. She hated me. Understandably. I tried to kill her several times in Reajh." He put the dagger down and tried to maintain a deathly cold attitude.
"I helped her several times and she rejected me. She showed me that I have emotions, that I can be 'human', not the cold assassin I have been all my life. She rejected me, and in that moment, I felt so many emotions, heartbreak, anger, jealousy, upset. That broke me. And it released the creature underneath, the White Mask." Torak stabbed the dagger into the surface beneath him.
"The White Mask is truly emotionless. Cold, more so than me. He killed 4 people, one of which was a small child. Jinai brought me back around and left. I haven't thought about it since."
"The reason I haven't been talkative or generous like yesterday is because I can feel my emotions creeping up on me. I can feel myself becoming humane around you. I refuse to let the White Mask kill anyone."
She stopped playing with the crossbow and looked at him.
"But you can't stop feeling, just because you hate the pain." she said seriously "If you continue supressing everything you feel, you and the White Mask will become one and the same, there won't be anything that makes you different from a cold and emotionless killer who doesn't care about anything."
"Emotions are what makes us human. There is no happiness without sadness, no love without hate. You can't ignore feeling human just because it might hurt. All you can do is just let go." she told him, inspecting the sharpness of an arrow with her finger "Plus, I am no expert on love and relationships but all you can do when you are hurt is wait for the pain to fade away, there is no secret formula that'll make you feel better. But locking away all your emotions certainly isn't the right choice."
"You're telling me to let it catch up with me? It's not just a switch I can flick... I have to let them catch up with me, not just release." Torak sighed.
"If I let them catch up with me, swear to Angsar that you will kill me if I get out of hand. Promise me?"
"You won't get out of hand.. Trust yourself a bit." she said.
"There is no need for me to promise you that, because everything will be okay." her lips curled in a reassuring smile.
"I'm probably going to regret this in the morning... Or whenever you're stood next to me." Torak teleported over to Khanna and kissed her, holding it for a few seconds.
((OOC: Kill Torak. Do it. Slap him to death.))
Khanna didn't need long to see what's going on. She pushed him away and slapped him strong enough to make her own hand hurt.
"What are you doing?!" she asked, holding her painful hand with a confused look on her face.
(OOC: I believe Khanna fully intends to.)
"Letting my emotions catch up with me." Torak's face had a bright red hand mark on it, but he didn't care.
"That was one of many."
There was now a bigger chance for Torak to die from the hand of Khanna then from the any other of his enemies. She blushed with a frown, her hand still in pain.
"You can't do it so... So out of the blue!" she threw her hands in the air.
"Just because you don't have quick enough reactions..." He laughed the stinging sensation away.
"You had more than enough time to react. But you didn't move, you just took it. Suggests you wanted it to me." However human Torak was feeling, toying with people's emotions was always fun.
"I just didn't know how to react... You surprised me." she said crossing her arms with an angry expression.
"Anyway I have umm stuff to do." Khanna said, trying to change the subject.
"Of course. Stuff. Would that be a euphemism for me?" He laughed again and stood up, offering her a hand up.
"I'm joking, lighten up!"
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Not funny."
Khanna took his hand to help her up,
"Holding my hand now? Aren't you sweet." He knew he'd get another slap if he kept going but he found it funny.
"Jerk." she said, kicking his leg hard, and letting go of his hand. She wanted to slap him again but her hand was still in pain.
"And I am not sweet!" Khanna told him and got up without his help.
"No, you're more sour... With a sweet core, haha! You won't slap me again, I doubt it." He grinned in open invitation. He might have been a bit sick for enjoying being slapped.
"You enjoy making fun of me." she said throwing her hands up "I can't believe this." she murmured, her arms still crossed. Khanna had no intention of returning his grin.
"I am so glad you find me amusing." she said with sarcasm.
"I'm joking Khanna. You're just being bitter over the kiss." Torak dropped it, getting the feeling he would lose vital male exclusive extremities if he continued.
"Where to?"
"I have someone to kill today, as planned." she said seriously "And I'm not bitter over... Over that." Khanna finished.
"I suppose I'll try and find some info on him.." she murmured, thinking about it "Stupid rapist." Khanna cursed him with a passionate rage.
Torak smiled at going back to his profession.
"I'll see what info the Shadow Wolves can gather on him. Meet you at the tavern later?"
"Sure thing, I'll be waiting." she said casually.
"Oh, and one more thing. Did you recognize the organization his guardians were into? I didn't recognize the armours." she said with a frown.
"Small mercenary gang known as the Shades, well armed, rather expensive group of mercs. Not very talented though."
"I knew he was some puffed up idiot noble the moment I laid my eyes on him." she said putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, well.. Anyways I'll meet you in the tavern when you finish your investigation. I'll see and gather some info among drunken people." and steal something from them, she smiled.
"Yep. See you later, Bittersweet." He waved and walked off.
She thought about the nickname all the way to the tavern. What kind of stupid nickname was that, anyway? It didn't fit her at all.
As she entered the tavern, the smell of alcohol and vomit made her hesitate at the door. It was a little after noon and the people here were already drunk. She rolled her eyes at the words few of them said after her and went straight to the bar.
"I need some info." she told the bartender with a charming smile.
Torak had a much more straight forward success.
He managed to find out where this guy was from, his name and a few other minor details.
He even managed to organise the Blue Skulls annihilation.
Khanna was drinking her beer and trying to ignore the bartender who has been talking about her for the last half an hour. Flirting for information was never an easy task. She was slowly losing her patience with the bartender and hoped that Torak was more successful then she was. She gritted her teeth but gave another smile to the bartender who continued talking about her beauty and other things Khanna couldn't listen to anymore. Hurry up Torak, she thought, before I snap his neck.
Torak arrived at the bar roughly half an hour later.
"This girl giving you trouble John? She's good, don't worry." Torak smiled at Khanna.
"Found out where he is staying. And what he's been doing. Or rather, who. Our mutual friend, Katya."
"Wonderful... I already broke his arm yesterday, this time I might brake something else." she said with a cocky grin.
She reverted her attention from Torak to the bartender, John.
"Thanks for the free drink." she shot him a pretty smile and got up. "Let's go." Khanna told Torak.
"Yep. He'll be expecting Katya later... So it's a good thing I had a friend collect her armour... Cause you're going in." Torak smiled grimly at her.
"Sorry, but it's the best way to do it. I don't expect you to do anything, just go in, flirt a bit, and give me some time to get to the scene. I have to oversee the Skull annihilation. Just stall. Do whatever you have to. If you can DEFINITELY kill him, then take the chance, but if there is even the slight chance he will bolt, carry on stalling. I want to be there to make sure he doesn't pull a fast one."
"Sure.. I'm used to having these kinds of tasks." she said, nodding.
"I'm gonna sweep that slimy bastard off his feet.. And then I'm going to kill him." she was sure of it "I am sure he won't be able to slip past me."
"Excellent. Just don't blow your cover." Torak handed her a small gem, a jet black diamond.
"If you need a quick escape, drop it on the floor, and shout 'darkness'. It will release a very thick, dense cloud of smoke. Don't breathe in the smoke, it will knock you out."
She nodded.
"I understand.. And don't worry about the cover, I'll handle it." she told him and took the diamond in her hand, with obvious interest.
"When do we start?" she asked with an excited smile.
"Well, the man I questioned said that the guy comes in for the evenings. So if you went now, and let them know Katya is here to see him, they'll let you in. He is staying at the Vipers Pit." Torak smiled, having given her all the information.
"Okay then. Let's go and finish this." even though she gave him a smile, she was feeling insecure. Will she be able to pull this off? She could only hope she can, because she had little choice now. Plus, she wanted to do the kill herself, not let Torak or his friends kill him. Her seduction skills were often used when she was working along with Katya and her girls so she should have no trouble with that part of the task.
"Hey, before you go..." Torak smiled sweetly at her. Not a sarcastic sweetly. A kind sweetly.
"Good luck. Don't get yourself killed. I might get sad..."
She gave him a gentle smile.
"I'll try not to... For both of our sakes." Khanna said and walked away.
"How many men did we lose?" Torak observed the scene of bodies, trying to avoid thinking deeply about it. He refused to let the White Mask gain the upper hand.
"None sir. All Bloods alive, one is missing an arm. He put up a good fight though." One was missing an arm. Torak would have to pay the man a visit and apologise personally for the poor planning that caused him to lose his arm. As a leader in an attack, casualties were his responsibility.
"If none of ours were dead, then dispose of the bodies, clear all evidence that we were here, then reassign the Bloods. Try and get them something quiet, at least for now. I have business to attend to." He hoped Khanna would forgive him being late. Perhaps she had gotten him already and was waiting for Torak. Perhaps she was dead.
No, Torak, stop thinking like that, she ain't dead. Not yet, his thoughts rambled on as he walked.
For these kinds of missions, appearances were everything. And since the idiot aka Lord Damien, never saw Katya it wasn't too hard for Khanna to impersonate her. Good thing she had her hood on when she met him the first time. Khanna wore Katyas armour, her hair was nicely loose and falling in curls around her face. The red armour was a nice change from her usually black clothes. The meeting was supposed to happen in a private chamber in one of the bigger taverns in the city.
Khanna entered casually, attracting a few looks from the people. It was clean and more luxurious than any other place in the town. She headed straight to the bar.
"I have a meeting with Lord Damien" she gave a charming smile "Tell him Katya is here." the bartender looked at her a few seconds and then left behind the bar. Before his return, two guardians similar to those from this morning, came and asked her to follow. She was now in front of his room. The two guardians in front weren't about to leave but they opened the door and let her in.
"Miss Katya." she recognized the sleezeballs voice from her side "It is a pleasure of finally meeting you."
"No lord Damien, the pleasure is all mine." she managed to give hm her most charming smile. This was going to be harder then she expected.
"I trust you have honored your part of the agreement?" he gave her a glass of drink "The woman is dead?"
"As per our agreement." she smiled sweetly.
"Good." he said with a flirtatious smile "Then we can go on some more plesant subjects." he was now standing very near to her. Too near for Khanna to feel comfortable. But she didn't do anything but smile.
"Your hair looks like fire." He said, taking one of the curls around his fingers. He came one more step forward and kissed her. She did return it reluctantly, but meanwhile she searched for a dagger on her back. This would all have been much easier if Torak was here, she thought. Where was he?
"You guys really should let me past. I'm not pleasant to deal with when I am angry... You wouldn't like me..." Torak sighed at the men. They were a big problem.
"I have to meet with Lord Damien, it is urgent. No, you cannot know why, it is for his eyes only!" Torak grunted as the men pushed him back.
"Fine, the hard way it is..." Torak stepped back and teleported inside, not realising he was teleporting straight onto a set of stairs down.
He tumbled down the stairs with a metallic clanging, breaking and bruising a lot of stuff.
He sat, dazed for a moment, then got up.
"Katya." He nodded to Khanna, keeping her cover.
"I have an urgent message for you Lord Damien."
Khanna removed her hands from lord Damiens chest. She realized this was probably the most uncomfortable situation she was ever in. Her hair was perhaps a bit ruffled, and if Torak didn't enter the way he did - unexpected - she would've got her dagger and by now it would be somewhere in lord Damiens body. Where, she has yet to decide. She nodded towards Torak, unsure what he'll do.
"What is the matter with this intrusion?" he asked, one if his hands possesively around Khannas waist. She had a flaming desire to brake it and feed it to the idiot, but she was completely silent and didn't make any moves.
"Sir, I've been told to deliver a message. your eyes only m'lord..." Torak produced a piece of parchment with a rather formal letter written on it, it actually being a letter from the Soot Wolves, who owed him a small favour.
"From the Soot Wolves sir... I don't know if this is something the lady needs to read." Torak was trying more to separate the two and distract Damiens eyes, so that Khanna could drive a knife into his skull.
"Hmm I see." Damien said, turning her interest away from Khanna and onto the message. Relieved she took the dagger from her back.
"Remember me?" she said, covering his mouth in a fast move and slitting his throat. It was a clean and fast assassination. She smild to Torak.
"Just in time, I wasn't sure how much longer I would've survived." she said with a grin, removing the hair from her face and fetching few of the valuable items from his clothes that she felt were there while they were kissing.
"I do hope you aren't too em-" Before Torak could finish his sentence, the guards came running down the stairs, weapons drawn.
"Awww, fuck... I told you that you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!" Torak threw a ceramic bomb at them, and it shattered, shredding them to ribbons.
"I do hope he didn't traumatise you with his kissing skills. I bet he was nowhere as good as me..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"No, he was in fact a great kisser." she said with a smirk "I don't think I was ever kissed like that in my whole life."
"How about I give it another try then? Haha..." He smiled at her, rather enjoying this flirting business. He didn't teleport over to her but simply walked over, with an expectant expression.
"I did just help you get that kill after all..."
"Not that I needed your help... I bet you just couldn't wait to see me." she chuckled, looking straight into his eyes.
"Are you kidding, I came head over heels down those stairs... Then I knocked my brain back into place..." He didn't know what he was thinking, or why he was. He just thought. Sweet, happy thoughts.
"I know, but still.. If I had just a moment more I could've took that dagger while kissing him and finish him off without any help." she smiled "Not that I mind that you've come to save me." she said honestly.
"I'm not usually for rescuing damsels in distress." He smirked at his own comment. "But I'll make an exception for you...."
"And besides. Any longer and one of you would have been naked or dead, or, both..."
"Use him and then kill him. That would've been a good idea if he wasn't the slimy bastard he was." she smirked towards him "And, I am not a damsel in distress, I am strong enough to take care of myself." she said proudly. From Khannas point of view the two of them were standing too close for comfort.
"Come on, miss 'I can take care of myself', let's go and find some food. I missed lunch today, so I'm hungry." Torak was odd for having lunch. Three meals a day. Not quite the norm yet.
He patted her shoulder and began to walk towards the exit.
Out of pure hate she knocked the body with her leg and then shouted to Torak.
"Stop making those weird nicknames for me..." she felt her stomaxh grumble "Hey, wait for me!" Khanna said, following him.
He waited for her to catch up, being pretty far up the stairs.
"Come on m'lady, the rest of the house of Slowcoach is up here!" He jested at her, sticking his tongue out.
"Ha ha very funny" Khanna said dryily "And you call yourself a gentleman?" she passed by him in a ladylike manner: small footsteps, her nose high in the clouds. But her appearance was far from a lady, her hair wild and her armour bloody.
"No, I call myself a man. No gentleman here... Why, were you looking for a stuck up nobleman?" Torak smiled as he watched her ass move ahead of him. He tried to be discrete. He was just distracted as he was walking.
"Well right now, a noble could come in handy. I am in a dire need of pickpocketing someone, preferably rich, or I will spend the night on the streets." She said, resuming her 'normal' walk.
"I know somewhere you can stay tonight..." Torak mumbled the words involuntarily, figuring that if he couldn't avoid saying them, he should make them indiscernible.
"I have coin if you want. May as well be generous..."
"What did you say? Oh, the money, well no. Making me take money from you makes me feel bad." she grinned "I would rather earn the money in an honest buisness." Khanna chuckled. Like pickpocketing was an honest buisness. Well, for her it was anyway..
"Please, I insist. Tomorrow you can pickpocket a bunch of drunks." Torak stepped outside and realised why he felt so hungry. It was night time.
"Hmmm, let's go and get dinner then..."
There is a firm rule Khanna believed in: money is not refusable. Plus, he had a point, she will pickpocket someone tomorrow anyway.
"Yes, let's go... I am starving." she said, realizing she hasn't eaten today nor yesterday. The perks of being poor, Khanna sighed.
"Where would you like to go? Anywhere with food, yes, but any place in particular?" Torak held up his coin purse, which was unnaturally full.
"I don't know. It's not like I have eaten in any of those places... I lived off an apple or two I stole from the market." she said "You choose.
"There's a bakery nearby that does nice bread, or we could bugger off to the pub the Wolves own. There's good food there."
"Then to the bar... I think I'll need more than food. I think I need some alcohol." She thought with a finger on her chin. Yes, alcohol is just what she needed to end the day.
"Let's go." Torak led the way to the Wolf pub, about an hour away.
"Just the two of us Boris. Food for now, drinks after..."
"So, tell me how did your operation with the Wolves go?" With her own mission on her mind she almost forgot that he had a gang fight. She was interested in the results and statistics of the fight.
"It went well, I have to pay one Wolf a visit, and accept responsibility for the loss of his arm. It was a result of poor tactical planning, so I need to accept responsibility. And I have to apologise and give him compensation and stuff. Wolf stuff. See if I can find him a way to remain active with the wolves." Torak sighed and shrugged.
"Other than that, the Wolves did fine. Only the Skulls got killed." As far as missions go, it wasn't Torak's worst. But certainly not his best.
"With all that on your mind I doubt you even had time for my mission. You know you didn't have to come, bit you did and I appreciate it." she smiled "And defeating a whole gang is a great feat." Khanna gave him one of her honsestly cheerful smiles. She.was really happy that he managed to pull it off. Not that she ever doubted in his abilities.
"It was the Bloods that did the work, I only organised it." Torak smiled.
"Wow, here's our food!" The man came with food for them, and gave it to them. Torak smiled.
"Enjoy. My treat." Torak nodded.
She couldn't help but smile when she saw food coming her way. It was real food, not some crappy vegetables or apples she ate two days ago. Plus this real food was free.
"Any leads on some jobs?" she asked while eating her bacon. She saw that there was an open place in the tavern, but this wasn't the kind of jobs she was looking for.
"I've heard that there is a guild over in Ketra hiring, Cray Investigations and Assistance? They are essentially mercenaries from what I have heard, but they aren't usual. Apparently the guy that runs it is crazier than this Harbinger guy. Which is a scary concept." Torak was just relaying rumours, he'd never met the guy.
"Interesting... I am probably going to check that one out. " she said "Because nothing ever went wrong when you have a crazy boss leading a bunch of mercenaries." Khanna murmured with sarcasm. Even though it disn't look like it, she was pretty satisfied with how this job seemed, She made a mental note to check it out and apply.
"He's supposed to be smart as hell. Just a little weird. That's what I've heard anyway." Torak looked around, and thought something felt wrong.
"Something feels off. Like someone dangerous is here. Very dangerous." Torak couldn't see anything, so he went back to eating and talking, but he let his senses work a bit more efficiently.
"Now that you've mention it... I have been having this strangest feeling someone is observing us." she said, putting her fork down and slowly looking around "We should act normal, because if there is someone we don't want to alert him." Khanna resumed her eating but sharpened her hearing in order to hear what was going on.
"Yes, let's." Torak looked around. There were several shady looking characters, or odd ones. A demonic armoured man, sat ocross from a man in a weird tribal mask and black cloak, the good Doctor Herald, and a man with purple eyes and the odd look that made Torak think of a dragon. Other than that, he couldn't see anyone.
((OOC: YAY CHARACTER IN-REFERENCES))
She slowly gave Torak a questionative look.
"Well, no one is attacking us yet, so I guess everything is good for now." Khanna said. Though she wasn't sure how long that would last.
(OOC: lol.. because all your characters look so 'normal')
"Yeah." Torak tried to keep quiet without attracting too much attention, making small talk for the rest of the meal.
When they were finished, he tipped the waiter some gold.
"To the bar? Drinks on me."
"I can't refuse a free drink, can I?" she smiled, still feeling a bit uncomfortable because she felt there was at least one pair of eyes on her back. Perhaps they were just waiting for them to make a wrong move?
"I'll take a beer, as always." she said.
"Ok then." Torak felt the watchful eyes leave. He didn't look around for fear of attention, but he felt it was slightly more than one of Zahi's men keeping tabs on him.
"Torak, my friend!" Herald came over and began talking. The horrible disfigurements weirded even Torak out.
"Victor! How are you?"
Khanna bit her lip but said nothing. She was a bit freaked out by the looks of Victor, but kept her face neutral. But she must admit that she was also a bit interested how can someone become like that. She threw a glance towards Torak, who seemed to know the man.
Torak looked over at Khanna.
"Look Victor, I have a friend I'm here with, business only, sorry, I have to. Listen, we'll chat another time, ok Harb?" Torak was slightly weirded out by Victor's random approach.
"Of course." Victor went back to drinking with a few friends, while Torak came over to Khanna, two beers in hand.
"Sorry about that."
"Does it sound weird if I say I just had goosebumps? Because I did and it felt chilly." she shaked her head like she felt cold. She was still weirded out by this friend of his.
"He's no friend of mine, I'll make that clear. I owe him a favour, but he is just creepy... I can imagine him being the kind of guy that plays weird games with peoples minds... So, no, goosebumps aren't weird. Not when it's him." Torak took a sip of his beer, trying to just blank the experience from his mind.
"Let's forget that run in occurred for now..."
"Sure.." she nodded. Khanna really wanted to forget that face but somehow it always seemed to come back.
"So, what are your plans now that you've won that fight and everything?" she asked casually, trying to move her mind from the weird man she just saw.
"Get a new assignment from the powers that be. No doubt they have some other petty job to distract me with." Torak's tone took one of annoyance. Now that he let his emotions run free, he could feel how much the Wolves disliked him.
"You?"
"Nothing special," she shrugged "I'm probably gonna go on a wild rampage and steal some stuff from some rich people. Also check out some possible assigments considering large heaps of money and slim chances of survival." she said matter of factly.
"Promise to come back and visit me?" He gave her a rather pathetic sad look at the idea of going. He would miss her.
"Don't give me that look.. I am still not sure will I find such a job." she smiled reassuringly "And even if I did go, of course I would visit you... If I don't die somewhere along the way." Khanna murmured.
"See that necromancer over there? If you die, I'm getting him to run to the afterlife and bring you back." Torak joked, but he would get upset if she died.
"Don't worry I have no intention of dying just yet." she gave him a cocky grin "Still can't find a valid opponent.." Khanna joked and took a sip of her beer.
"I bet I could kill you if I tried..." He smiled and took a swig of his drink.
"But kill you in what sense, I don't know..."
"But you won't kill me... Am I right?" she smiled "Then you would lose me as your toy and then you would be bored." Khanna joked. She was aware that he could kill her, she was after all a professional thief not a professional fighter.
"Now I have my emotions, doubt I could kill a girl as beautiful as you..." He grinned stupidly. He was normally like this. Not drunk. He couldn't remember the last time he got drunk.
"That's it for the alcohol, no more for you." she said, slowly moving his tankard away from him "It's making you see things." Khanna chuckled.
"Haha, yeah right..." He pulled the tankard back over to himself, laughing.
"You will probably be drunk before me, I'm a heavy weight... And I ain't seeing things."
"Well I don't get drunk at all, I'm completely alcohol-resistant." she said, her voice full of pride. That wasn't the truth, but who cared. She never drunk much, but two or three tankards of beer and she would probably hit the floor.
"You are pretty. Anyone ever told you that?" Torak smiled.
"This is the only time you will ever make me say this stuff voluntarily, so enjoy it."
"Yes, they did, but they usually change their minds when I take out my dagger and kill them." she joked "Anyway, thank you." she smiled.
"I'll be sleeping clutching me sword tonight, haha." He finished his drink off.
"I'm going for another round, you want another round?"
She bit her lip.
"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Khanna smiled "Yeah, sure bring me another beer."
"I'll answer that one in the morning." He went up and brought back another tankard of beer each.
"To friendship." He raised his tankard to her.
"To friendship." she agreed raising her tankard too.
Khanna took a sip, warning herself not to get drunk and watch out what she is saying. She gets very bubbly when drunk.
Torak took down half his drink, feeling a little bit tingly. He might get drunk in two more tankards. Not now though.
"Where you planning to stay tonight? Don't wanna get caught out while Harbinger is prowling."
"I don't really know..." she shrugged "Probably going to sleep on someones roof." Khanna smiled and took a sip of her beer. She didn't mind sleeping on roofs, but sometimes it gets really cold. Still she liked watching the skies.
"The Wolves will turn me away at this time of night, so I need to find somewhere to go." Torak was trying to say that they could share a room. But he wasn't clear on the bit.
"Well we can share a roof if you don't have the money to rent a room." she shrugged, taking another sip of her drink, completely oblivious.
"No, I have money for a room... It will be the last of my money though." He smiled. He'd spent literally all his money on her.
"You know, I've spoiled you, I have spent all my money on you, haha!"
"I am an expensive toy." she joked "I did ask you to return the favour in some way, but you continually refuse me." Khanna shrugged with a smile.
"Ahhh, I don't need money. Not yet." Torak took another sip. "If I ever settle down I will, but I will know when I do."
"There you go, it's solved then." she smiled "You have enough money to rent a room tonight, and for tomorrow you can always rob someone on the street... As for me, I'll be on some roof, if you need me." Khanna chuckled and took another sip of her beer.
"No, you can stay with me for the night. I'm not bad, I promise. I'll behave." Honestly, Torak didn't know if he COULD behave. But he would try.
She narrowed her eyes. He did have a valid solution, it was most certainly much better then spending the night on a cold roof made of stone.
"I guess that would be fine.." she said, thinking "I don't take much space."
"If it's any consolation, I will sleep on the floor." Torak said, his voice more serious.
He finished his second drink, then looked at Khanna.
"One more round?"
"If I drink anymore I think I won't be able to walk." she chuckled. Her vision was already a bit blurry and she begun making decisions she would never make if she was sober - like sleeping in the same room as Torak. But the problem was, she did want another drink. She bit her lip.
"Just one more?" she said with a guilty expression.
"Ok, one more, then we'll go." Torak went and got one more round of drinks.
"Here you go. I will walk you to the inn, don't worry."
"Yeah, thanks.." she smiled and took a sip of her beer.
"Why do you take care of me?" Khanna asked him out of the blue, cocking her head on the side. Somewhere in the sober part of her brain, she blamed the alcohol.
"I don't know. Something to care for once? Something worth caring for..." Torak smiled.
She slowly smiled.
"Thank you.. If anything ever happens I will take care of you, too." Khanna said.
"Thank you... No-one's ever told me that... Not since the guy that raised me died." Torak felt fuzzy inside. It was weird but nice.
"Well, hopefully I won't be killed like that guy." she smiled warmly, taking another sip of beer which probably wasn't the best idea.
"I'll make sure you're not. Come on, lets finish our drinks, and go and bunker down for the night." He held his arm out for her to hook her own round.
"Bottoms up."
She finished her beer and hooked her arm around his. Khanna slowly stood up, a bit unstable on her own feet.
"Yeah, let's go." She said "I knew I shouldn't have accepted that last drink." Khanna mumbled.
"You'll be fine. Come on." He handed a tip to the bartender and led Khanna to the inn. Once they had paid for the night, they went straight in, and Torak went to lay Khanna on the bed.
As he put her to the bed, Khanna yawned. She was cold and tired and could barely keep her eyes open. She slightly moved from the middle of the bed.
"Here.. There is enough space for the both of us." she smiled.
"Oh, thank you." He took off non-essential items of clothing, making sure to stay decent at least.
"Thank you..."
She was already half asleep.
"Mmhm." she slowly mumbled, getting a bit closer to him because she was cold.
Torak didn't move, letting her get comfortable. He didn't sleep, so much as rest, his mind still uncomfortable, his emotions having caught up. He felt better, but strange.
Finally he gave in to his desire, and wrapped an arm around Khanna.
"Goodnight Khanna..."
Khanna didn't dream that night. She didn't dream about her time as a slave nor did she dream about the darkness that usually haunted her dreams. Khanna felt good and warm, and didn't want to wake up. She just hugged something near her and continued to sleep.
Morning finally crept in through the window, and Torak woke up, realising he had drifted off. That wasn't like him. Then again, he was cuddling Khanna. He didn't want to wake up.
He didn't rush Khanna in waking up, he just tried to doze back off.
Khanna woke up, realizing it was already late in the morning. Then she realized there is someone else in the bed, right next to her and that she is snuggled right next to him. She opened her eyes and saw Torak, whose arm was hugging her. Khanna quickly untangled herself from the bed and sat on the edge.
"What happened?" Khanna asked herself, frowning because of the headache.
"You got cold I guess, and you moved closer, so I hugged you and fell asleep. Why, is there a problem?" Torak wasn't suffering too badly. He had a small headache coming on, but nothing as big as Khanna.
She turned towards him, as if trying to figure out if that really happened. Her eyes were narrowed and she was biting her lip, because she could remember almost nothing.
"Okay." Khanna said, turning around and getting up from the bed. Big mistake, she could barely stand, and couldn't make a step forward. She was irritated and sat back down on the bed.
Torak got up, and offered a hand to help her up.
"It seems I'm always helping you around, haha."
She took his hand to help her up.
"Not that I need you to." she said, her voice full of pride.
"You just had trouble standing up, I think you needed it." He smiled, his face smug.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"No, I can stand just fine." Khanna let go of his arm and carefully balanced herself. Perhaps she couldn't move but at least she could stand. She gave him a cocky grin.
"Ok then, I believe you." Torak walked over to the window, and took a small look out.
"More slavers, come look." Torak was going to disprove her. No slavers, but he knew if she tried to walk, she would fall.
"Where?" she asked her heart starting to beat faster. Khanna made a step forward, too fast and too strong, and fell right on her face. She had no strenght to get up.
"You planned this." She said it with a flat voice, her body on the floor. Why did she believe him?
"Yes, I did. Now tell me you can get up." He offered his hand again, hoping she wouldn't slap him.
"You are an evil man." she told him, quite unable to move or do anything else.
"I'll be okay in an hour or so.." Khanna managed to turn and lie on the floor on her back.
"Did you not guess that considering that you met me when I was mugging someone?" He sat down next to her.
"Still wanna see if I can beat that Damien guy at kissing? Haha..." He was playing, but he wouldn't argue if she said yes.
"I was kidding, you know?" she smiled up to him "He was a really bad kisser." she started laughing.
"Hahaha, bet I can beat him easy..." He smiled back at her.
"Nobles always seem to be terrible once they hit 20. They just lose all ability to kiss, all of it."
"Oh, is that experience talking?" she smiled "You seem very acquainted with nobles... Probably ladies, am I right??" Khanna raised her eyebrow with a smirk.
"Yes, unfortunately, they were all crap. Well, compared to the kiss I took the other day." He smirked back, with it slowly turning to a mischievous grin.
"I don't think I like being compared to crappy noble ladies." she said, crossing her arms, which probably looked hilarious, since she was lying on the floor.
"You were much better, haha. Perhaps if one had even been half as good as you, then I'd understand, but..." He could feel the alcohol affecting his mind. Must have been the mind. Or so he thought. He might have been slightly love drunk.
"But what?" she asked him. Khanna kinda wanted to hear what he wanted to say. She smiled towards him with one of her grins.
"None of them were half as good as you were..." His grin shifted to a very sweet smile.
"Stop talking like that.. You make me feel strange." she smiled towards him. He did make her feel strange, and she didn't know if that was because of the alcohol or something else.
"You've made me feel strange the last two days. I'm not used to emotions. I've got you to thank for that." He shifted his position slightly, just to stop his legs sleeping.
"You're welcome," she smiled "Though I am not sure you'll be as thankful when you start feeling the bad emotions." Khanna frowned.
"I've always had the capability to be angry. It's the only emotion I kept. But I doubt I'll feel angry around you..." Torak was being serious about the anger. He had kept it, but he didn't know why, or how. He thought it was the one thing keeping the White Mask in check.
"You know that I won't always be around?" she asked him. Khanna was a fugitive, always on the run and she doubted that she could spend a lot of time on one place. She always had to keep running, and couldn't allow herself to get close to people. It would just make it harder for her.
"I know... But I will learn to keep it all in control... I'll miss you a lot you know?" Torak gave her a solemn look. He wanted to help her find a way out.
"Yeah, I'll miss you too.. But I guess I have a day or two more, before the slavers and others after me catch up." she smiled, trying to remember all the people and guilds that were after her. Too much to count.
Torak sat in silence, wondering what to say next.
"Well, you've got me to protect you for now... So what did you wanna do? We can go out and pickpocket later, but what do you wanna do right now?"
"First things first." she said slowly getting up "I need to get up." her legs were working much better so that she had little trouble getting up.
"I don't know... What do you feel like doing?" she asked him while tying her hair up.
In his head, a little voice popped in and said "you", but he didn't think that was the best thing to say. Instead, his head decided it wanted another kiss. Not so suddenly as before though. He got up and put his arms around her, looking her in the eyes.
She was surprised by his moves.
"What are you doing?" her voice didn't sound harsh, it was barely audible, perhaps a bit insecure and scared.
"I don't even know... Letting myself go, like you said to..." He was hesitating, one half of his mind screaming bloody murder at him for doing this.
"You will regret it, everyone does in the end." she said, breaking their eye contact, and slowly going a step back.
"No I won't... Why would I?" He let her go, worried about what she would say.
"I am unpredictable, wild, too arrogant and I usually don't care about anything." she said "I could be gone by tomorrow if I felt like it, and what then?" her voice was a bit shaky, but she managed to conceal the most of it.
"I move on. I have been left before. I'm a survivor. If I wasn't, then I wouldn't have met you, and would be in the ground at 15." Torak's voice became slightly cold and distant, creeping back to it's old psychotic coldness.
"Yes, you probably would." she nodded "But I don't know if I would."
She wasn't sure what to tell him in order to see some emotion on his face. Khanna sat on the bed, her head was down and she wasn't looking at him.
"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. Just remember me..." Torak turned and walked over to the window, staring coldly into the sunlight.
Khanna was never good at emotions and empathy when it comes to orher people. But she knew one thing, she would hate to lose Torak, as a friend a drinking buddy or anything else. She slowly rose up from the bed and hugged him, her face on his back.
He felt the hug, and smiled. He didn't want to lose her, but he hadn't lied when he said he would get by. He turned, and hugged her straight back.
They stayed like that a few seconds, because Khanna didn't feel like letting go just yet.
"Are you still mad at me?" she asked, slowly, a bit scared of his answer.
"No... I just don't want to let you go so soon... I'm not angry." Torak gently stroked her back, trying to comfort her.
She nodded. Khanna understood how he felt, and she was surprised to understand that she felt the same.
"Well, no use in staying here all day." she joked, trying to lighten up the mood "I have to go pickpocket someone, and I'm sure you have more important things to do." she smiled, slowly backing away.
"No, I don't have anything to do today..." Torak sighed discontentedly. He hated being bored.
"No gang fights, assassinations, nothing?" she asked him, surprised "Then you could come with me and I could learn you a thing or two about stealing from nobles." Khanna grinned "If you feel like doing that, of course."
"My contract list as an assassin in this town has been considerably lazy. The nobles of this town are usually Wolves in their spare time, so they handle their own dirty work. Put me out of a job." Torak though it was funny how she was going to teach him how to pick pocket.
"Ever stolen a sword from a guard's hand? Cause I think that's as good as you can get."
"No, but I have stolen many other things from the guards." she smirked.
Guards were usually vicious in battle, but flirt with them for five minutes and you could get every possible secret detail from them.
"Okay, then no pickpocketing. What do you want to do." she asked.
"Personally, I think that we should do whatever job is on that poster over there..." He pointed to a poster that was stuck on the side of a building, in an alleyway." He smiled.
"Oh, very observing... Let's go." she said, already fascinated by what might be on the poster. And what was the amount of money they are paying for it.
"I'm good at observations. And stating the obvious. For example, you are the prettiest girl I've ever met." He smiled as he went and picked his stuff up.
Her face was red, somewhere in the colour of her hair.
"Stop that." she said, her head down, hiding the blush "And hurry up."
No, Khanna never knew how to accept a compliment.
He left his armour in the room, scrawling a note that said "armour cannot be worn with clothes". Someone would suffer for wearing the armour that way.
"Someone will get a shock later when the armour goes missing. I'm not taking it back, you are pretty." He felt like making sure she got it.
"Okay.." she was a few steps ahead of him, her head still down "Keep your eyes on the prize, or in this case the poster and stop looking at me."
"Uhhhh, how about no? Haha, you can't control me." Torak wandered ahead a bit to look at the poster.
"What does it say? What does it say?" she asked hurrying up a bit. Khanna wanted a big prize, a lot of gold and slim chances of survival. Risks made everything sound more interesting.
"Uhhhh.... Dragons aren't my thing... I uh, don't wanna fight a dragon. Especially one that big." Torak looked at the poster nervously. Nothing would make him fight a dragon.
"A dragon?" Khanna thought for a second. She didn't want to fight a dragon, either. Perhaps it was a bit too much for her to take.
"I think that's too much for me..." she said, disappointed. Plus she owed a favour to dragons, and she wasn't to keen n braking the promise.
"Perhaps we should just go an pickpockets?" Torak sighed. Dragons terrified him.
"Damn, and I really expected something." she murmured "Well, I don't have any other ideas, besides pickpocketing."
"Same. We could rob a jewellers?" Torak couldn't think of anything else.
"Show the way." she smiled. Robbing stores and inns was always a more challenging task than simple pickpocketing. Plus, she did like jewelry.
"But of course." Torak first headed to the chemist's.
"First thing's first. Don't want any shop owners seeing us." Torak held up coin purses he had literally taken as they walked, just completely silent.
"Victor. Cook me up some chloroform would ya'?"
She frowned, cocking her head on the side.
"What will we use it for?" Khanna rarely used chemicals, except poisons.
"Knocking out the store owners." Victor came out with a bottle, and gave it to him.
"Open the bottled near their face, and give 'em a short whiff of this, it'll knock 'em straight out." This was the closest Victor had ever been to Khanna, and he had a surgeons mask on.
"Thanks Vic." Torak dropped a heavy coin purse in Victors hands and walked away.
Khanna thought it would be easier seeing him, with the most of his face covered up. She was wrong, and felt chills down her spine when she saw him. She felt as uncomfortable in his presence as the last time. Something about him just didn't add up for Khanna, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
"Oh, so what's the plan? You come in knock them out and I take out the jewels and the gold?" she asked curious. Been a long time since she got herself a nice piece of jewelry
"Knock the shopkeeps out, then pickpocket them, then steal everything we can pocket. Sound good Khanna?" Torak put the bottle of chemicals in his pouch.
She shrugged.
"Sounds good to me." Khanna said "Though I am interested to see how the chemical will work.."
They were nearing the shop, and she felt excited and cheerful, ready for action.
"I am too..." Torak led Khanna to the jewellers he had in mind.
It wasn't a big shop, but it was full of all kinds of gold, valuable stones and jewelry.
"Want me to cause a distraction, while you work your magic?" she asked with one of her ready-for-trouble smiles.
"Yes please. Cause them a bit of bother, try some standard pickpocketing stuff, and make it idiotically obvious you are stealing stuff. Then when they try and call for the guards, I will silence them." Torak grinned and walked round the side of the shop.
With a quick nod, Khanna entered the store. Be obvious, be obvious, she chanted in her head. It was harder than it sounded. While the shop menager was showing rings to an obviously rich lady on the counter, Khanna looked around. There she saw it, the most beautiful necklace she has ever seen. Silver with emeralds. She immediately knew her target.
Without paying much attention, she took it from the pedestal and slipped it into her pocket.
"Hey! You! What are you doing?" as the noble lady swiftly left the store the old, grumpy looking man who was the owner shouted at Khanna.
"Isn't it obvious?" she turned around with a grin, looking the big diamond ring on her hand "I am robbing you."
Torak heard his cue, and teleported to behind the man, letting him smell the chemical Victor had given. Then when he heard the man hit the floor with a thud, Torak went around the house, and only found an old woman, the shop keep's wife, and gave her some of the chemical, despite her being asleep. She would stay asleep this way.
Then he made his way downstairs to Khanna.
"Nice job. Pass the necklace here, we can split stuff later." Torak set the game bag he had stolen on the counter, opening it for Khanna to put all the stuff she could in. Torak had found a bigger prize.
She dropped all the jewels and gold in the bag.
"Found anything particularly interesting?" Khanna asked and took some more gold and jewels from the shelves. You never know when you might need them.
"I don't know..." Torak walked to the back of the shop and tripped over something. He looked down to see a body he hadn't put there.
"Holy shit!" Torak saw a pool of blood around the guy's mouth, and was terrified. That shouldn't be there...
"What is it?"she asked, confused and walked to him "Oh, shit."
It was bad enough they had to mass poison the peope and rob thir jewelry, but on they had to find a corpse. It seems like the owner wasn't just an ordinary shop menager.
"Any idea who he is?" she asked, examining the body.
"No..." The body was face down with a piece of cloth over it's head. Torak knew the signs of this murder, and was ready to bolt.
"Khanna..." Torak's voice trembled. "Put the bag down, leave all the jewellery, and let's get out of here... Bloody Harbinger..."
"What? After all the mess we went through?" she asked "I am not leaving it until you tell me everything you know."
Khanna wasn't stupid. She wasn't going to leave that amount of possible money, until she kmows what she is fighting against.
"You don't want to know! Harbinger is... Is... Look, let's just leave it where it is, ok? There are other jewellers... And we... We still have Herald's chemical, let's just leave before Harbinger realises we have been here, ok?" Torak knew that Harbinger was untouchable, even more so than the Wolves. There was no way round his games.
Khanna hesitatated, but left the bag on the counter.
"Happy?" she asked him, a bit nervous. It wasn't often that Torak was afraid of something, and she knew it was probably best to listen to him for now. But she wanted to make it clear she didn't like the idea of just leaving everything.
"No, but I did what was safest. Harbinger's games are too twisted, even for me. I am not getting involved with them, even if it meant handing myself in to the guards. He is a sick man, who murders and steals for no reason other than a love of murder and gore. He toys with people, killing and playing games with their minds, forcing them to make immoral decisions." Torak decided the safest way out was the roof, so he walked over to Khanna and offered his hand to teleport.
She took his hand, not completely satisfied, but enough to shut up. She knew she wasn't in Harbinger's league, mot by a far shot, and had no chances of defeating him.
"Okay, let's go." she nodded.
Torak teleported three times consecutively, enough to make him feel sick.
"Sorry about that, just wanted to get out of there." Torak wondered where to go now. He was worried, mostly for Khanna's sake.
She was sick from teleporting, and quickly she let go of his arm, and leaned on one of the nearest walls.
"Give me a second here." she said, a bit shaky. "I hate teleporting." Khanna murmured.
"I know you do, but we can walk now." Torak offered his hand simply to walk this time.
She nodded and took his hand. Khanna was trying hard not to fall down.
"Okay.. Where to, since we have no money?" she asked, still trying to maintain her balance.
"I don't know... The Wolves won't take you in unfortunately... I don't know..." Torak sighed and walked slowly with her, trying not to let her fall.
"I doubt I would accept their invitation,"she joked, remembering the run ins she has with them. "I feel better so I can find a roof to sleep on, and probably can steal some food."
"After that, I'm not leaving you. The Wolves don't like me that much, so my lack of reporting in will be celebrated." Torak sighed.
"I can take care of myself... There is no need for you to sacrifice comfort for my sake." she said with a smile.
"Maybe I don't mind sacrificing comfort for your sake. Maybe I wanna make sure you are comfortable." He smiled back at her, feeling his thoughts race through in a fit of restrained love.
"Trust me when I tell you, nothing and no one can make a roof comfortable." she smiled "And I did try a lot." Khanna said assured in her words. She tried blankets, pillows and it was still cold and hard. That's the reason she didn't sleep much.
"I bet I can make it comfortable, haha..." He looked around, and realised that there really was nowhere to go.
"Got a thought on which roof?"
"Hmm." she bit her lip, while thinking "The roof of the Blacksmith's store was quite good the last time I slept there. Has some great escape routes also." Khanna confirmed "And it's just down this alley." She pointed her finger to the small street on her left.
"Ok then. Lead the way, Mother Hen." He took on a teasing tone as he beckoned her to lead the way.
"If I end up in a furnace, you'll be the first to know, haha."
"Oh, well that would be very useful since the nights on the roof are freezing." she chuckled "So, do tell me if it happens... Though it still beats me why you would give up the comfort you have with the Wolves..." Khanna said, looking through the dense darkness.
"Well I guess that will be my big mystery, eh?" Torak turns around and walks backwards into the alley, knowing only Wolves haunt the alley here.
"I like mysteries." she grinned "The best part is cracking them." her confidence obvious in her voice.
"Here is our roof." the Blacksmith's store in front of her "Last time I used those ladders and almost killed myself." She pointed at the large ladders leaned on a big wall.
He looked at it, and knew he could teleport it in one shot. Or he could climb. If he summoned the armour, he could climb.
"Two ways up for us. Teleport, or climb. Your choice."
"Tough choice." she said, thinking "I hate the both ways.. But let's teleport, it's going to last shorter and it is a way that has smaller chances ofkilling me. Oh and I am going to close my eyes, and perhaps I won't feel the urge to vomit." she offered her hand and closed her eyes hoping that she won't throw up.
Torak took her hand, and pressed her against him, hugging her tightly. Then he teleported.
"There we go..."
She opened her eyes slowly.
"No urge to vomit..." Khanna said, slowly backing off and trying to shake off the feelings.
"Home sweet... Roof." she said, putting her hands on her hips.
Torak grinned. He liked that arrangement. He got a hug, she got to travel.
"Good to hear. Let's hope it doesn't-" Torak felt the drops hit him, and sighed.
"Rain..."
"Wonderful." she said with cold sarcasm, feeling like she could kill someone. Yes, her mood swings can be brutal.
"Any ideas now?" Khanna turned to Torak.
"We still sleep here. I'm too tired to remember where that damned haunted house is..." Torak sat on the roof as the rain began to pour down.
She sat a few meters in front of him, and slowly yawned, enveloping herself in her cloak.
"Well this sucks." Khanna was annoyed by the cold drops "As if it wasn't cold enough without the rain." she rolled her eyes.
Torak took off his jacket, and tried to cover her with it, before realising that wouldn't be enough. So he took off his shirt too, to make her comfortable, trying to keep her dry.
"There you go."
"I won't melt, you know." she joked "Really, it's not that bad, you should take this... You're going to catch a cold, and then I'll have to take care of you." Khanna grinned.
"Ah, but I have something." He spoke the command word loudly and his armour materialised on him.
"I won't be too bad. Just nasty pains when I wake up from metal points, and probably a minor cold. Nothing too bad." For good measure he put an arm over her to keep her warm, just for his own comfort.
"That is why you should avoid me.. I'm bad for your health." she chuckled, very much aware of his arm over her.
"If you're bad for people's health then what am I?" He chuckled back, cautiously placing his hand on her waist. No lower, no higher he had told himself.
"I'm bad... But you're probably deadly." she chuckled. "I doubt anyone will live long if he's associating with you." Khanna was sure of it. People had the tendency to drop dead near him.
"Then we're both exceptions to each others rules. You're not bad for my health, and you haven't been killed near me." He smiled. Unfortunately she would be sleeping with a warm metal man for comfort.
"Nor do I intend to." she said with a serious but cocky tone.
"I think I'll fall asleep soon." she yawned again. Khanna raised her head towards the raining sky.
"Go to sleep now, I will take an hour or two to fall asleep..." Torak yawned inside the helmet, knowing that with her, he would be asleep quickly.
"Okay." she said, shifting herself in a more comfortable position. Khanna glanced toward the sky once more, and then closed her eyes, leaning a bit against Torak.
Seeing that she looked to be asleep, Torak stayed awake, quietly mumbling things to himself. "How to describe Khanna... Beautiful... Fiery... Funny, kind, feisty. Amazing." And with that, he drifted off to dreamland.
Calm. That was exactly how she felt. It wasn't the emotion she often felt... But it was nice, for a change. As usual, not much has changed in her sleep, just darkness. Although the darkness in her dreams usually seemed lonely and scary, tonight it didn't. It was just dark, calm and soothing.
Torak was awoken by the sounds of galloping hooves, and drearily looked over at the source of the sound. Guards.
His instinct took over and he suddenly went and said something. "Mornin' beautiful." He didn't know if that was to the rainbow, Khanna, or the nice bird next to him.
Her back was killing her, as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Why are you in such a good mood?" she asked, stretching her neck. "Slept well?" Khanna glanced over the edge of the roof.
"I did actually..." He tried to turn his torso and felt the pains kick in. He would NOT make a habit of sleeping armoured.
"Guards. Hurried by the looks of it. None of our business though."
"Oh but you know how I love prying into other people's buisness." she joked, not like she was really interested. Khanna had to tendency to stay away from the Guards, not follow them.
"Now you've seen all the charms a roof has to offer." she said sarcastically, stretching her arms in the air.
"I know you do, how else would we have met?" He mocked it almost, in his early morning fashion. The sun had only just come up.
"No morning kiss?"
"No, I've run out of those." she joked with a grin, because he seemed to be in a very good mood. Plus, there was no harm in a bit of flirting... Was there?
"Give me an evening one, and I'll pay you back later?" He smirked at his comment, pleased he had thought of it. He usually wasn't this witty.
She cocked her head with a grin.
"How will you repay it?" Khanna asked, now very amused by the little game they played.
"Name your price... And it will be yours..." He winked at her suggestively. He would literally give her anything she wanted.
"You would offer me anything, just for one kiss?" she chuckled at the thought.
"Never said I wouldn't haggle for less! Just wanted a starting price." He smiled at her sweetly. Her eyes twinkled in the morning light. Beautiful...
"That cold must've hit you harder than you thought, then." she joked "I'm hardly worth anything, so better not waste your time." Khanna winked at him with all her confidence, though she was tempted to comply to his request.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure. You sure you don't wanna give me one?" He rolled his shoulders, his left one being particularly numb.
"I am no one's trash." she said arrogantly "I was always just a treasure.. And no, until I have something I can bargain with, I won't" she crossed her arms and grinned.
"I'll forget that you owe me favours..." He smiled, pretending to be fiddling with something on his gauntlets.
She flushed.
"T-That's mean!" she stuttered "You said you don't want anything in return. You don't play fair." Khanna accused him,
"I'm bargaining my dear. That's the starting bid. Unless you have a better idea, or you wanna give me one for free, haha!" He smiled, gently punching her shoulder.
"Bargaining, yeah right." she crossed her arms, aware that she was losing "You are asking me to repay you... But why with a kiss, for heaven's sake?" Khanna asked, obviously confused. She wouldn't mind kissing him, not at all, but it was much more fun this way.
"Nothing, they're just good, and I like them. Why, is there a problem with me liking kissing you? I mean I gave you two." He could tell he was winning, and hoped she might give him one. Even though he was just winding her up.
"And you didn't have my permission for any of those two." she raised her eyebrow, but took a step forward "And yes, I am quite a good kisser, I know." Khanna smiled,
"Where's the fun if you see them coming?" He teased her, kissing the air. "At least I chose you. Coulda kissed that teleporter bitch the other day."
"You could, but then you'd be stuck with her for some time, and then you'd kill her when she becomes too annoying." she said "With me, you don't have those problems... And I have a feeling you won't kill me... At least for now." Khanna winked with a smile,
"Kill you? No, unless you cut precious pieces of my body off, I won't try and kill you. Might die for you if you play your cards right." He winked at her again, grinning.
"Oh, you don't have to worry I always play my cards right, and I always win." she smiled with confidence "Plus what makes you think you can kill me?"
"Well remember, I can always call up those favours if I want. So you best watch for my aces." Torak smiled back, no vanity in his voice.
"You could, but I think you won't." she smiled "I think that you would prefer me kissing you on my own, than because of the favours I owe you." Khanna bit her lip, in order not to chuckle.
"Obviously." Torak stated it as if it were something that someone with the IQ of a rusty teaspoon should know it.
"So I'll take that as a no to an morning kiss?"
"Perhaps another morning... " she smiled "If we stay alive that long." Khanna rolled her eyes aware of the constant danger following her.
"Those guys there might be an obstacle to your problem. But I have a plan..." Torak crouched on the rooftop.
"THIS WHO YOU FINE SLAVER CHAPS WERE LOOKING FOR?!" Torak turned his head.
"Now we run."
"You are crazy!" she said to him with a frown.
"Usually I prefer using stealth!" Khanna said and begun running.
"Stop here." Torak turned around to see the men had climbed up on the roof behind them.
"Gentlemen, please. The lady has enough time to spend a night with each of us..." Torak watched as the bomb he dropped rolled towards the men in the gutter.
One of them picked it up curiously.
"That, my friend, was a mistake." Torak grabbed Khanna's wrist and teleported into the alley below, and heard the sound of men screaming as the bomb shell shattered, and the primitive shrapnel punctured the men.
Too much things happening at once. At the moment they teleported down, Khanna shot him a narrowed gaze.
"You know, I don't actually sleep around, even if I do seem like that sometimes." she didn't quite took it as an offense, but for some reason it bothered her that he thought of her in that manner.
"It's called distraction through talk. I merely tried to think of something they might find enraging or interesting or arousing to hear. I just wanted their attention. You don't sleep around, I know that. But they were stupid enough to fall for the taunt." Torak beckoned down the alley. He knew this one well.
"So where are we going now?" she asked him, as they headed towards an unknown alley.
"Somewhere dangerous. Don't worry, I know the place. It will be packed full of your friends." Torak led her through three different alleyways and to the front of an inn.
"I have a plan again. And you're not gonna like it."
"Yeah, I never seem to like your plans." she sighed "Okay tell me where are we going, why and more important what do I do?" Khanna asked with a smile.
"How seductive do you think you can be? This means everything. Clothes, voice, the lot. I had an idea back there." Torak needed this one element to make it work.
"It is one of the key components to my job, so I believe I am quite good." she said "Though I do doubt I could do anything looking like this. My clothes are wet, my hair looks horrible... The list goes on."
"Just do what you can right now. Let's see just how potent Victor's chemical is." Torak handed her the bottle, pushing the cap tight.
"Let em drink it. Select your targets, get em all together, tell them that before they get their pay, you'll show a good night, tell them that will help, and get them to all drink. Oh, and try and seem drunk or enchanted. Preferably both if you can."
"Damn... That's a lot of requests." she sighed nervously "Take this." she took of her large cloak and gave it to him. Khanna managed to make her hair look approvable. "Wish me luck."
Khanna entered the inn, trying to look as drunk as possible. It did attract the looks of some men in the inn. One of the biggest tables in the room was surrounded by men in familiar uniforms. As she neared the table her grin was more devlish and she eyed all of them. Oh, she certainly got some attention.
"Well hello gentlemen." her voice sounding girlish "I am here to give you all a night to remember, and I also brought something that'll help you relax."
She leaned against one of the men and smiled. Their eyes never leaving her, they all returned the smile. Easy as I suspected, Khanna took a streak of her red hair and twisted it around her finger. Men were never that hard to finish off.
"Will do." He held the cloak over his armour, hiding his helmet. Then he waited, until he was confronted by barmen looking for a fight,
"Easy now boys... Just calm down, you got the wrong guy. Pure and simple." Slaver uniforms.
Few kisses and touches later, they were all passed out, or on a good way to pass out. Soon enough she heard something on the outside.
"And so it began." she smiled to herself.
"Now you've pissed me off. You ripped my friend's cloak." Torak kicked one in the nuts with his metal boots, and knocked the other out with a clean right cross. Then he kicked the stunned one in the face.
"Bastards. Tore the damn cloak clean in two..."
Firstly she took some of their money. She was sure that Torak can hold on while she is finished with the theft. As Khanna opened the door, she was almost hit by a mace.
"Watch out, moron." she said and slipped her dagger from a well hidden place on her back. Khanna kicked the man in the stomacH and tore through his back with her dagger.
Torak felt the dagger before he felt the attacker. It was a glancing blow luckily, but it poured blood over his suit. That annoyed him even more.
"Stupid." she said flatly as she slit the throat of the slaver. His warhammer attacks were pathetic, so she really didn't feel sorry for killing him. It was an offense for her for someone to attack her that bad. He should've found a new line of work.
Before the arrow hit her, she managed to move and just finish with a large cut on her arm. With a loud curse she threw one of her daggers straight into the attacker's skull.
The struggle was a mere grapple but it was agonising, and Torak had nasty cuts where the brute had cut parts of his armour. This damn metal was too soft. He needed thicker plates.
Without any daggers in her hands she cracked the neck of her last opponent. Her arm was itchy and painful and she was feeling angry. Both of her daggers were stuck, one in the head of an archer, the other in the throat of a swordsman.
This guy wasn't giving up. Torak struggled to overpower the man, but many cuts and gashes later, he broke the guys neck, before collapsing onto the cobbles.
"Khanna..."
She turned towards Torak, just as he called her name.
"Hey, stay with me.. It's okay we got them all." she sat on the dirty and bloody road and put his head in her lap. It wasn't looking too good, but he'll survive.
"Argh... They ripped your cloak... Sorry..." Torak pointed to the two bloodstained pieces of fabric in his hand.
"I think I'll survive," she joked "It was demode anyway." she chuckled.
"Anyways, how are you feeling?" Khanna asked with concern in her voice.
"Haha, not too great. Lacerated, cut open on my limbs. Feel a bit light headed. Nasty bleeding. Might wanna try and bandage them? Stop the bleeding before I pass out and am bedridden for a while." Torak tried to sit up, but his head simply fell back into her lap.
"I'm not gonna die, am I?"
"No." she said with a serious voice "Of course you are not going to die." the truth was she wasn't even sure what to do, and couldn't promise him anything.
Khanna took his wrist and ripped a part of her cloak. It was a nasty wound, with a lot of blood. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but on the end she had to tighten the knot a bit stronger.
He winced as the bandage tightened.
"Focus on my legs, so I can walk. Serious bleeds and legs, the rest can wait. There's a healer about 10 minutes away. I'm not strong enough to teleport. Got no energy."
She moved towards his legs, brushing the blood away. There weren't many deep wounds, so she focused on the few that looked bad. She bandaged them tightly.
"I think that is good." she said, voice serious.
Torak still wasn't sure he could get up so he held up an arm for a hand up.
"Wouldn't leave an injured man on the floor would you?"
"Never."she said and helped him up.
"Where to, injured man?"
Torak pointed in a direction. "Ten minutes this way, healer. She's not nice and she's expensive, but I can owe her a tab or something."
"Everyone around here is not nice and they all owe you something." she said with a frown, helping him walk along the street. It was quite hard, because he was a lot taller and heavier than her.
"Welcome to Arca sweetheart." He scowled at a man who was eyeing Torak up like a meal. Weakened prey.
"Well, anyway even with all these injuries, I managed to get some gold off those soldiers. No roof tonight."she grinned. Khanna's arm was also i na pretty bad state, but for now it was more important to get Torak to the healer. She can always bandage it herself later.
"A roof, with my state? I'll stay in the damn gutter, haha." Torak winced as he laughed. It hurt way too much to be normal blades, tipped in poison perhaps...
"Avoid laughing while hurt... It's damn painful." Khanna spoke from her own experience. "Here we are, I don't think either of us would have lasted much longer." she sighed as they entered the clinic.
"Morgana, you crazy bitch! I'm fucking hurt, come give a hand!" He shouted into the empty shop, knowing she would come through blurting profanities at him from their last meeting.
"Our last meeting didn't go so well. I told her how bad her sister really was in bed. And she fucking hates me." Torak spoke the incident with a hint of dismissal to the topic, trying to focus on the point of hatred.
"Well, I can't imagine why that would make her angry." she started laughing "If it were me, you would be dead by now." Khanna said, now chuckling. It never ceased to surprise her how so many people hated him, and yet they all owed him favours. A strange city indeed. Or is it a strange man?
"Whaddaya want you stupid bastard? Missing limbs again? I'm not reattaching your cock if you got that cut off by the lady here. I hope she did. Cut his cock off when he takes you wherever you two are going." The ramblings of the woman, who was a pale skinned red head, with a rather attractive appearance, were unexpected.
"No, I still have that. I value that more than my life. Lacerations this time. Fix it? Call it that favour you owe me." Torak sneered.
The woman's appearance surprised her. They looked almost identical, except Khanna was much more smaller and had better hair (at least by her own free evaluation), and of course Khanna was younger. But, nevertheless she liked the woman, she seemed tough and warrior-like... And she took no nonsense, even from Torak.
"I' m sorry. But I think I need him whole... Along with the.. Uhm.. Parts." she said.
"You sure you want him whole? I mean I can cut it off, cause all he'll do is take your purse and bugger off." She spoke seriously, as if she would actually do it, cause, well, she would.
"No member needs cutting off thank you, just heal the lacerations please."
"The healing will be fine." she smiled politely "Though if I ever need help with the.. Extra parts, I know who to call." she grinned towards the woman.
"I wanna be awake. No painkillers. Just heal me. I don't wanna go under and wake up to find you cut me up." Torak sat back as the woman, Morgana, healed him. It hurt so badly, but the pain was worth it to be in one piece.
It was obvious it was painful. Khanna looked a bit astonished as most of the wounds closed.
"That's amazing." she said "Might wanna learn some healing magic, beside illusion." Khanna made a mental note to herself.
"That it? You done? I'm better now?" Torak grumbled as he sat up stiffly.
"Get out before you lose more than just that member, soon-to-be-choir-boy." Morgana snarled, before ushering both people out of her shop.
"For some strange reason, I think I like that woman." she grinned towards Torak who looked way better than a few seconds ago.
"Hey, now you look like you'll survive the night.." she showed him a thumbs up and smiled.
"Of course you do. Come on, enough for one day. I don't make double trips." Torak began to walk.
"That bitch! She stole my coin purse!" Torak exclaimed loudly.
She raised her own coin purse.
"Come on, wounded beggar... I pay for tonight. It was my fault you got hurt after all." she said "Shouldn't have listened to you and left you alone."
"The plan worked. I tried to take the guy on in hand to hand combat, and failed. Shoulda teleported." Torak knew he would have to report to the Wolves tomorrow. And he had nothing to report.
"Yes, but it was my fault I even allowed you to start with the plan to begin with." she said, feeling a bit guilty "You wouldn't have proposed the plan if I wasn't here."
"Well I enjoy your company, so don't run off, haha..." Torak trailed into thought.
"I know you can't stick around forever though... You know how I feel, I've made that clear, and tomorrow I have to go back to working for the Wolves... So, wherever you go, remember me, yeah?"
"No, I probably can't stay here forever." she agreed "But I probably will stick around a day or two, and then see where the road will take me to." Khanna felt like they were saying goodbye, and for some reason she didn't like it. She hated it.
"I enjoy your company, too.. One tiny bit." Khanna joked. And, even if she wanted to she doubted she could ever forget him.
"Haha, well wherever you go, make them remember you. I know I will." Torak made a symbol with his hand that he remembered means friend in a dead dialect.
"Well, before anything else.. I do believe I owe you something." she smiled.
Khanna took a few steps forward and kissed him. She wasn't sure why she did that, and hoped that she will understand one day. But, at the moment all that mattered was that it felt right.
Torak didn't jump at all, or show any sign of reaction. He just held the kiss, revelling in the mental ecstasy. He was in his element now.
When they broke away, Torak didn't know what to say, other than "Wow...."
"I told you it was better when I am kissed with my permission." she smiled jokingly, not really sure what to say. She never did that, just kiss someone outright, what was happening to her?
"Much better..." Torak nearly drifted into his dreamland early, feeling a little bit light headed.
"Shall we, uh, find somewhere to settle down tonight?"
"Welll, the nearest inn is just behind the corner." she said, showing towards the light on the end of the alley.
"And, I have the money... Since you were pickpocketed by your own healer." Khanna roed her eyes with a grin.
"Thieving cowbag, that's what she is. No healer... " Torak mumbled as they took the corner to the inn.
"Someone's in a bad mood." she joked as they entered the inn.
"Don't worry. Consider it a payment for the insults." Khanna grinned.
"Very funny Khanna." Torak looked around and saw no-one but a bored barkeep.
"Room for two?"
Khanna payed for the room and went up the stair of the inn. She nlocked the door.
"I know, I am always so charming and funny." she said proudly.
"Charming, yeah, funny... Arguable..." Torak grinned, thinking himself funny, but knowing others found some of his humour sick.
She narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing. Everyone's a critic.
"I am half dead." Khanna threw herself on the bed, so tired. Her whole body was in pain and her wounded arm still hurted like hell. At least she did a good job bandaging it.
Torak placed his armour on the floor, remembering that all he had on under that was trousers. He walked over to the bed and laid down next to Khanna.
"You'll live."
She was lying on her stomach, her face stuck between the pillows.
"I hope so." she mumbled, barely understandable. Khanna didn't feel like moving, and even if she wanted to her body ptobably wouldn't work,
"I'll make sure of it." Torak moved a lock of her hair from in front of her ear, placing it behind it instead.
She slowly turned herself on her back trying not to break anything and looked at him.
"I know... I believe you." she smiled.
"Good... Goodnight Khanna..." Torak laid an arm over her, avoiding wounds, and closed his eyes to sleep.
Khanna snuggled closer to him and smiled.
"Good night, Torak." sha said, her voice barely audible.
Torak woke up early that morning, his brain hardwired for his job. He had to go now, so he planted a kiss on Khanna's forehead, and left a note where he knew she'd find it, then went to go and work.
When Khanna woke up she was alone. It didn't take her long to find Torak's message.
"He's on a job." she said to herself as she stood up from the bed. Khanna was now tempted to leave the city before he returns. She didn't know how will she feel if she has to say goodbye to his face. So, it was perhaps better to run away without any farewells, and then it would be easier for her to get over the strange emotions she was feeling.
Torak went about his job mostly silent, only talking to acknowledge his superiors instructions. He was cold again, he made himself so. That allowed him to do his job. And anyone who died now was because they were a problem.
To go or not to go. Khanna was divided inside, one second she wanted to jump out the inn and run off as far as she can, and the second she just wanted to go back to the bed.
"I'm sorry." she bit her lip and wrote a short message of goodbye, and before anyone saw her she was out of the inn.
Torak,
I am sorry I didn't have the courage to say goodbye to your face. I hope we'll meet someday soon. Remember me.
-Khanna
Torak got back to the inn and when he went to the room, he found she had gone. He read the note and stood there, his heart broken.
"I will remember you Khanna. You stole my heart. I can't forget that."
She managed to get out of the city in minutes, and that was the easy part. The hard part was that a piece of her mind still wanted to go back. Khanna shaked her head, disapprovingly, and continued. There was no safe spot in this land for her. Only danger.
(OOC: We should do another thread like this, when you feel like it... Torak and Khanna should meet up in say like, few months or a year in the future. I really liked this thread ^^)
Torak wandered the city, not paying attention to the endless amounts of stuff around him. Until he saw a noblewoman getting mugged in an alley. The woman doing the mugging was pointing a knife at her.
Torak began to walk up and talk, but changed his mind.
He aimed his wrist mounted crossbow carefully, making sure it was a headshot.
Then he shot the noblewoman through the skull.
"Now that my heart is stolen, I am heartless."
----------------------------
4 months later
Whoever said that it gets easier with every passing day was a liar and deserved to be tortured for the rest of his life. The thing is, it just doesn't. It has already been four months, and Khanna was feeling as torned as the first day. If she could, she would avoid this place for the rest of her life. But, money and her jobs were more important than her personal issues. Or so she always told herself.
Although, she did spend the whole four day long journey hesitating was it smart to return to Arca. Khanna knew it wasn't, but the little gold digger inside of her managed to convince her that it was worth the money. Something else also pushed her towards.
The city seemed the same as always it appeared. Only it was quiet. Too quiet for Khanna's ears to like. Something was seriously wrong here. She stepped through the main gate and continued through the small alleys, her new cloak over her head. She was unseenable, just a dark spot that flashed through Arca. Searching...
Torak had been lurking in the alley, waiting for someone to steal from. When he saw this woman dart through the alley, Torak grabbed her throat and pinned against the wall, raising her off the ground.
"Money, jewellery, everything but your clothes. Ten seconds, or you die like the last one." Torak's voice was cold, harsh and distinguished. It was him, yes, but he knew his reasons. If someone has stolen your heart, you are officially heartless if you haven't taken theirs. And he hadn't, clearly.
So he wandered, going about muggings as though he were a common street mugger, not a Soot Wolf. He needed some freedom after all./
"Five seconds."
Khanna was fastly searching through one of the alleys when someone attacked her. Her throat was high in the air and her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. Her back was in pain because of the hard hit on the wall. But, in midst of all that she still recognized the voice.
"Last time I saw you, you wanted my clothes too." she said, her voice a little bit squeaky, but still very familiar and cocky. As ever. Her cloak was still on and she kept her face as hidden as possible, as she tried to remove his grip from her throat.
Torak had drawn the dagger before she had spoken, but it was only half raised at he chest, and he dropped it. He let her down, guilt filling his body. But instead of acknowledging her joke, he simply mumbled.
"Sorry..." And began to walk the other way, trembling.
"Silly of me... Expecting a warm welcome." she said as she stumbled down on her butt.
"Torak?" Khanna called him back, still sitting down in the dirt,
Torak spun around, trying to avoid looking at her eyes. He threatened to kill her, the girl he loved. He had her in a choke hold and threatened to kill her.
Am I like that to all those I consider my friends? He queried mentally. No answer. So he was.
"I'm sorry, I-I..."
Khanna noticed something was wrong. She stood up and took a few steps forward, until she was right in front of him.
"What happened?" she asked with a concerned frown. Khanna was genuinely worried.. Because even after all she did care about him.
"The day you left, I stopped feeling... Everything. I turned back to how I was when you left, I... I'm not worth your time..." Torak went to run away, but only found he could turn his head.
Khanna cursed under her breath. She came near to him again and put her hands on his shoulders, firmly so he could look at her and stop running away.
"Torak I had to leave... You knew that from the day we met." Staying was never an option. You were something I missed in my perfect equation Khanna thought about this, but wasn't ready to admit it to him. Hell, she still couldn't admit it to herself.
"You never truly know what you have until you've lost it... And I didn't know that I needed you..." Torak was angry at himself. After four months of heartless, emotionless actions, he was helpless against the onslaught of emotion.
"I am here now." she said with a calm, soothing voice, although even she wasn't sure for how long.
"Please, come back." Khanna's voice was barely heardable as she took off her cloak, in order to look at him.
"I know..." Torak focused, feeling the image of the white mask enter his mind. He was scared. For her. For him.
"I'm here." He lifted his head to look at her once again.
She bit her lip, not sure what to do.
"Torak?" Khanna said, her grip on his shoulders now much more stronger. Her gaze was steady and full of cold anger.
"Yes Khanna?" Torak's gaze held nothing but dread as he stood, helplessly immobile.
"What can I do to help you at this moment." her voice was clear and calm, although she wasn't feeling calm at all. Khanna was too insecure in herself. Could she really help him?
"Tell me that I am in control. That no matter whether you are standing next to me or not, you are with me..." Torak had spent plenty of time thinking what would make him right.
"Torak, you control yourself, your emotions and your actions," she said with a strong voice "And I am here to support you with my words, my actions and with every piece of me. I am here for you, Torak."
"Thank you." Torak felt something more now, he felt powerful. Like the White Mask was his now. Was that really all it took? A girl to tell him she was there for him?
"I'm sorry for grabbing you like I did."
She nodded.
"It's fine..." Khanna lowered her head. "Is everything going to be okay now?" She slowly asked and put on her cloak over her head.
"I hope so. And I really am sorry. I shouldn't have threatened you... I shouldn't have been threatening anyone." Torak looked away again, ashamed.
"No.. It wasn't your fault..." she said. It was her mistake that she left him like that.
"Don't worry about it." Khanna smiled softly towards him.
"I'll never forget the last kiss you gave me..." Torak said, slightly misty eyed.
"Neither will I." Khanna smiled and flushed a bit. It was unusual for her to be so forward about these things. But it seemed that Torak didn't mind that at all,
"Nothing could beat that. Nothing." Torak smiled back.
"Yeah... We were quite invincible together, weren't we..." she said smiling. It was a pitty it ended as fast as it did,
"Yeah. I'll bet we still are. How's your legacy going?" Torak smiled at her, wondering if she would guess that he had lost the armour.
"It has it's ups and downs... Still working hard on it." she said with pride "How is your career doing?" Khanna asked him, very interested.
"I, uh..." Torak rubbed his neck nervously.
"I had my armour confiscated by the Wolves..."
"You.. What?" she almost shouted, but managed to calm her voice down just in time "How the hell did that happen? And why?" Khanna was utterly confused by the new situation. She knew that his armour was Torak's favorite possession, and she also knew he wouldn't just give up on it easily.
"My little stint with you, and my antics for actually joining them. Also I tried to strangle the second in command. That might have had some involvement." Torak spoke almost comedically about it.
"Yeah I really can't see why they took it away." sarcasm in her voice was obvious as she spoke the words. She knew that hanging out with her was making the Wolves mad, but they didn't made a big fuss - well not after they killed all those guys, anyway.
"You strangled their second in command?" she put her hands on her hips and looked at him with a look that was obviously stating that it's not funny.
"Tried to. Some nice Blood Wolves held me back, who I then proceeded to try and knock out, before I got shot in the leg by a crossbow." He sounded patronising now.
"You got shot in the leg with a crossbow?" she asked seriously, shaking her head in disdain.
"I leave the town for four months and you start the destruction of the whole damn city and it's hierarchy." Khanna murmured.
"Uh, sorry?" Torak shrugged. He had no clue what to say.
"Don't get me wrong, it was a good try." a slight smirk on her lips. She couldn't care less for the city, the politics or the Wolves but she did care for money and profit. And where there was a change of power there was always money. Khanna could almost smell it.
"But, I also think I can do better." a plan, perhaps involving few higher nobles and some mercenary companies. The equation was perfect in her head.
Torak grinned at the challenge. "I'm not causing anymore mayhem sweetheart, the Wolves have threatened to kill me." Torak's face dropped at the end.
"Good for you darling." she answered sweetly "But I am far from over, I still have unfinished business here."
Pickpocketing, assassinations and a few bigger infiltrations were a part of her job here. And, it seemed like it's not going to be boring, at all.
"I won't be there to save your sexy ass this time." Torak smiled/
"My sexy ass is going to survive without your help." she grinned "It always does, doesn't it."
"As long as you meet me back here before sunrise. I have shady dealings to conduct. I have been demoted to messenger duties too. They're not happy, and think I am crazy." Torak leaned back against the wall.
"Don't abandon me without a goodbye this time?"
"Don't kill the messenger." she smiled, but then froze at the rest of his words.
"Perhaps." Khanna said very quietly, and slowly started walking away, hoping he wouldn't press her any further, because she might crack and admit just about anything.
"No, Khanna, will you or won't you? Don't lead me on... That's not fair in the slightest. It's cruel." Torak didn't move to stop her, but hoped to get an answer.
She stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"Well, can't let you ruin the city, can I?" Khanna now turned around and gave him a slight smile that didn't look quite happy, before continuing to walk in the opposite direction.
Torak gave a smile back.
"Meet me here later if you stick around..."
She didn't answer, but only continued walking away. Khanna was far too busy with her job and had no time to spend with him and help him with his idiotic ideas and the Wolves and his magic armour she couldn't waste time... Oh, who was she kidding, she will come and she knew it.
Khanna cursed under her breath angrily. She was so done.
Torak delivered messages to 12 Wolves. A job well done.
"I really want my armour back. Shazam!" He flicked his hands. They couldn't have! They disenchanted his armour!
"DAMMIT."
One, two, three. Seemed simple enough. The old man was far too smart for his own good. Khanna has spent the last two hours, since killing him and taking the message, trying to decode it. It seemed like the algorythm changed on every second letter. Khanna wrote neatly in her notebook. She was in an inn and was staying in one of the rooms.
"You moron." she said to herself as she knocked her head to the table. This'll take time..
"She'll show up soon... She won't ditch you again... She won't..." Torak paced nervously, wondering what was going on. The daylight was ticking away and he was stood in a particularly dangerous alley, even for Wolves.
She hurried through the dark, since the daylight still hasn't reached these dark alleys. He was standing exactly where he said he would be, though she didn' quite like the location. Too open, ready for ambushes.
She walked up a few meters in front of him. Inside, she wasn't sure why she did it, logically she should be spending this time in decoding the letter, she was so close. Yet, she chose him.
"I was beginning to get worried. Let's go somewhere where un-" Torak froze as he heard something move in the shadows.
"The sins of the father be hollow and empty in the face of the blasphemy the son commits, and the sins run red with blood from all walks of life. Face your death Torak Val Korra!" From the shadows, a cloaked man stepped out. His face was hidden, until it looked up, revealing the skull under the hood.
Khanna never screamed. Ever. But she was quite close to scream when she saw the face, um, bones of the cloaked man.
"Torak?" it was meant as a question, but she merely wanted to get his attention, as if he didn't see the skeleton n front of them.
"I've got no freaking clue, so my suggestion is... Drumroll please... BLOODY RUN!" Torak literally swept Khanna off her feet, and ran down the street from the thing, running fast.
"One day Torak. Your soul needs reaping..."
She needed a few moments to get a grip and actually begin running alongside Torak, instead of being carried by him.
"I don't even know where to begin asking questions." her voice shaky from the running. They were now fastly passing through one of the near alleys.
The being stopped following, knowing it could be outrun. For now. Instead Xerordir slunk back into the shadows, waiting to do his new master's bidding again.
"I think it's stopped...." Torak was panting and out of breath. That thing wanted to kill him. To take him to some dark hell.
"Not good enough... It could return any second." she said trying to catch her breath between her angry words "And, over all that, we don't even know what the hell was that."
"No, it's gone. That alley has had an impending sense of dread in it all day. That's not usual. Usually that alleyway feels safe, even though it is generally full of solo thugs." Torak tried to catch his breathe. "And the sense of dread is gone now."
She slowly nodded, believing him.
"Okay... If you say so." Khanna tried to calm a bit. She never really had much dealings with these kinds of undead stuff. Usually she just worked with alive or at least fleshed creatures. She felt really uncomfortable and was aware of her own shaking. Get a grip, she told herself.
Torak noticed her shaking and hugged her, pulling her in tight.
"I don't want to die..."
"You won't die... Don't worry, we'll fight through this." she said still shaking a bit, but feeling more relaxed "We always do."
"Let's find somewhere to stay for tonight." Torak out his hands on her shoulders, before dropping one to hold her hand.
She took his hand and walked beside him.
"I have a room at the nearby inn... I use it as a cover for my current job." Khanna offered.
To Torak, it sounded better than some dark alleyway. Especially now.
"Lead the way."
After a short while they came to a big inn. It was very early, so there weren't many visitors. Khanna was now in the front, leading Torak towards the room.
"It's a bit of a mess." she said apologetically as she opened the door. Well, it wasn't that bad except of papers plastered all over. They were marked with numbers, letters and signs.
"I thought I was crazy sometimes..." Torak stared, shocked at the room.
"Wow..."
"I am not crazy." she crossed her arms "I am just committed to my job." Khanna took few of the plastered papers from the wall and put them on the table. She was way too tired for her brain to function properly at this hour n the morning.
Torak took of his shirt, and laid on the bed.
"Come to me, and thou will find a night of lust awaits." Torak quoted the dirtiest play he knew, and even then he had only read the handwritten script.
"I have this, um, assigment to finish and decode and.. Um.. Sorry, no time." her eyes never left the papers in front of her. Khanna was thankful that she had her back turned on him, because her face was burning up.
"You sure? Work stresses you out, best way to relieve yourself of stress is to relieve yourself of your clothes..." Another quote, from a different play. He could tell he was winding her up.
"I don't find uh clothes distracting." she said, trying very hard to concentrate on the work in front of her, and yet all she could think of was the hottness of her face. Damn it.
"You'd be surprised. A good night of pleasure releases the mind, and sets it free. Boxes keep their shape through tension after. Release the tension, and you can think outside the box." Torak just reasoned that bit, using his way with words.
"No, but thanks for the offer." Khanna added quickly a.d it sounded like she was covering something up. She was too distracted with trying to keep the blush off her face, that her lying skills sounded poor.
"Awwww, are you tempted by my offers of carnal pleasures? Do you know how badly you really want it, but just can't accept it?" Torak teased.
She finally turned around, red faced or not.
"I know what I want, and that is not.. uhm.. It." Khanna barely finished her argument.
"Your words deny me, but your body language wants it. You've gone as red as your hair." Torak turned his perceptive skills on her now. She would be analysed for the next five minutes.
"It is not because of that... It's really hot here." she gave a fake smile. And, honestly it looked rather pathetic. There was no chance she would tell him, not now, what she is hiding. Not that she made a great effort to hide it.
"Trying to change the conversation, typical sign of nervousness. What you nervous about? Admitting that you actually want it? And the fake smile doesn't do you any favours. It's like you're not even trying." Torak smirked.
"What do you want me to say?"she raised her hands in the air in an insecure gesture feeling her red face not getting cooler.
"I don't want you to say anything in particular. Just want you to be honest. And the best way to work honesty out of you is to do what I'm doing. Analysing ever point, like your little gesture there. Demonstrates frustration, lack of self confidence in a subject, and therefore suggests either dishonesty or a secret." Torak was starting to work like a machine.
Might as well tell him, since she was sure he would soon find out anyway.
"I never slept with anyone." she said as fast as she could "There you got the truth now goodnight." Khanna continued to recite the words in speed. Yes, she did have a lot of dealings in seducting business, but she never got to the point when she actually had to sleep with someone. Khanna would usually kill them before it would come to that. And now she told him, she can now die and bury herself... Or burn alive since her whole face was flushed.
"Oh? Ok then. Then I'll wait for you to tell me then." Torak spoke simply, and comfortingly, before walking behind her and hugging her from behind, kissing her neck.
"So... You're not mad?" she asked him a little bit astonished by the situation.
"Why would you being an innocent little virgin make me angry? It's not like it's my business. They just better not be there when I am." Torak lightly rested his head on her shoulder.
She ignored his words and rolled her eyes.
"Off to bed, Torak... I have to finish the deciphering." Khanna yawned, not sure will she be able to keep her eyes open
"Yes mother." He climbed onto the bed, and just crashed. And all through the night, he had nightmares of that damned thing that attacked them in the alley.
Throught the morning and noon, Khanna kept a close watch on Torak. He was obviously having problems with his nightmares. After what they saw last nught, i didn't surprise Khanna at all. She calmed Torak in his sleep more than once.
As for Khanna, she didn't sleep for hours and hours, trying to decipher the code. Finally she managed to crack two symbols, which was a great achievment. She fell asleep on the sitting in the floor, her back leaning on the wall, surrounded by papers.
Torak awoke from yet another nightmare, reaching for a knife that wasn't there.
Oh gods, Khanna... Torak twitched, a little, looking over at Khanna, who was leaned up against the wall. Torak teleported over and checked her pulse. She was alive, breathing. She'd just fallen asleep.
Torak collapsed backwards, running his hair through his hands.
Khanna had the strangest feeling something was off. But, she didn't have the strenght to wake up. Khanna readjusted herself so that now she was lying on the floor. Much better position, but also a very cold one.
Torak laid where he was.
What a mysterious ticking noise... What could making a ticking like that. Bugs? He looked up slightly, and sat the source of said ticking noise. A bug, near his face.
Naturally, he freaked out, swatting it half a mile and smacking his head off the wall.
"Owwww..."
Khanna opened her eyes. Something was making noise in the room, and she just wanted to sleep. She stood up and looked at Torak.
"What the hell are you doing?" Khanna asked. She had a massive headache and wasn't ready for trouble after two hours of sleep.
What was he supposed to say? That he had freaked out over some bug?
"Nightmare. Making sure I wasn't still in one. Smacking my head of the wall did the trick. Is there a problem with that?"
She cocked her head on the side. Khanna didn't feel like thinking so just nodded.
"Okay... Try not to kill yourself while I'm asleep." She closed her eyes, not bothering to return to bed but stayed on the floor.
Torak decided not to go back to sleep that night. Instead Torak studied the code, and immediately began to keep working on breaking Khanna's code while she slept.
By morning it was solved.
It turned out that sleeping on the floor was a bad idea. Khanna woke up and moaned because the pain in her back was killing her. She saw that Torak was awake.
"What are you doing?" Khanna asked him and stood up from the floor.
"Solving. Solved." Torak handed her the piece of paper he had figured the whole thing out on.
"Enjoy."
Khanna snatched the paper from his hand, with excitement.
"You solved it!" she almost yelled from happiness. Khanna quickly hugged him and started examining the paper.
"Is that it? I stay up all night and only get a hug?" Torak smiled at her happiness, glad to see the smile
"Oh.. Say what you want then." she asked, too happy with the paper in front of her to actually think of something she could offer him. Khanna was so happy, this will save her so much time.
"Nevermind Khanna. That smile is enough." Torak watched as she read the code. It was upsetting really, considering it was one of his notes.
She read everything and then looked at Torak.
"Do you know anything you feel like I should now?"
"I wrote that. Coded it." Torak sighed. He remembered the coding very well.
Her eyes widened, but she managed to keep her expression neutral.
"They knew and they still gave me the job." Khanna muttered angrily.
"Sorry. I did my job, and wrote and gave that note. How it got into your employer's hands..." Torak sighed.
"No, it's not your fault." she shaked her head "I just need to investigate this as soon as I leave the city."
"You pick that up in Ketra?" Torak queried.
"Yes, from a smart old merchant, currently dead." she said, thinking "It was a part of my job, get the note and kill him."
"Well you have done my superiors a favour." Torak smiled.
"And made my life difficult again..."
"You are welcome." she said with a sweet but sarcastic voice.
"But, unfortunately I don't really care about your superiors."
"Well then expect to see me in a body bag in the next three weeks. I need to leave." Torak knew exactly what would kill him. The Wolves hated him failing. They wanted to get him to die.
"Where would you go?" she asked confused. Khanna had a lot of experience when it comes to avoiding people, escaping and running away and she knew it wasn't really as easy as people thought.
"I don't know. Thanatos perhaps. Wherever there are no Soot Wolves. Thanks." Torak was rather unimpressed at how he was being evicted now.
"Don't be silly." she said openly "Do you think the Wolves would just let you leave? Perhaps it would be better if we tried to solve this whole situation... Somehow." Khanna was now more concerned, because of Torak but also because of her job. She needed to finish it quickly and make no mistakes or heads will roll.
"They wouldn't. That's the problem." The situation wasn't unrealistic. It was liable to be the end of him.
"Is there any way we can turn the situation in our own advantage." she thought out loud, trying to think of a plan "What if we used me or you as a bait to at least weaken them enough to leave you alone?" Khanna thought about few other plans they could work out.
"No. I simply have to face it. Maybe if I admit I failed they will not be so harsh." Torak sighed. He didn't know what they would do. Punish him, yes.
"Yeah, we both now how this goes, they will probably have your head before you even confess." she crossed her arms "It's not like they like you... They hate your guts, and you know it." Khanna said honestly.
"I best try. Maybe I'll come out alive. You know I have to take the note right? Copy the translation down, and I can hand the original back to the Wolves."
She sighed, since she knew there wasn't a chance she can make him not go.
"Here you go." Khanna handed him the translation "Why don't you think about this a bit longer?" she tried once more.
"I haven't been convinced to stay..." Torak really wasn't convinced on staying. He needed to explain his failure at Ketra, and how it had come back to bite him.
"I don't know, it's your choice since it's your life on the line." she said "Though if you need me you know where to find me."
"Thank you. And if I get killed..." Torak went over to her, holding her hands. Then he kissed her.
"Remember me."
She nodded.
"You won't die." Khanna smiled "Not today."
Torak smiled back, and left to report his failure. All in all, it went fine. Except for the scuffle the Blood Wolf started. Torak was bloodied and bruised when he got back to Khanna.
"It went well! I got out unscathed!" Torak made a show of his impressive bruises, taking his shirt off to flop on the bed.
"That must've been painful." she bit her lip as she looked over his bruises.
"Do you need anything?" Khanna asked because she was worried for him. Even though bruises are not going to kill him (most probably) she wanted to help.
"I'm messing, these are from a Blood Wolf who doesn't like me. I don't like him now." Torak groaned as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"No, they demoted me again. I am on trafficking duty. I never planned to sell my body out, but if I have to, I will..."
"It's a miracle they didn't kill you and you know it." she said seriously
"Now, be still while I clean the scratches and blood." Khanna took a healing serum she always had with her.
"Ok." As she applied the serum, Torak felt it sting.
"Ow." He flinched at she touched a cut on his back.
"Be still... You're like a child." she chuckled.
There weren't many deeper cuts but she still wanted to get them all properly cleaned.
"You still have to get the ones on my chest yet. He did more damage there. Glancing scratches with a knife." Torak sighed. Part of his head liked the idea of her rubbing his chest.
"Yeah, I know... You are a mess." she said as she begun cleaning his chest. It looked worse than his back.
"That stuff feels good now..." He wasn't lying there. It did feel rather nice.
"He was a vicious bugger."
"Yeah, it's some expensive thing I bought a few months back." she said about the serum. One of the wounds looked particularly deep so she cleaned it with more caution and more gently than the other ones.
"Was...? You killed him?" Khanna wasn't judging, she was just interested.
"No, Boo separated us and took the Blood Wolf off for words. That's one Blood Wolf who won't be sitting on his arse in the next 8 lifetimes." Torak laughed and it hurt. Maybe the cuts were accompanied by a broken rib or two.
"This is probably painful, so don't laugh." she said as she traced her finger along one of the bigger bruises on his chest, examining it.
"Yeah that is. He got a few uncouth punches in areas men should not punch." Torak twinged as she traced the bruise.
"Ouch.. That had to be painful." she said, removing her hand from the bruise "Sorry, I shoud've been more gentle."
"I don't mind. I like it rough, haha. You just have to be gentle in your intimate endeavours with me." He smirked as he laid back.
She narrowed her eyes.
"I don't have any 'intimate endeavours' with you." Khanna said, as she continued cleaning the last few wounds and bruises.
"You sure? Kissing me was pretty intimate." Torak poked her in the cheek for reasons he would never be able to fathom.
"I thought you were going to die." she said as if that was explaining everything.
"I have an amazing talent where I don't die. You know that I'm a tough guy. So why did you kiss me really? Can I have a shred of honesty?" Torak smiled/
"Well you never know when you might die... I just wanted to make sure to kiss you, if you do." she told him, not looking him in the eyes. "I didn't want you to die before I did so." Khanna absently continued cleaning his bruises.
"Why would you want to kiss me? I don't know anyone that kisses like that if they have no affections for the recipient. You like me don't you? In more than the friendly way." Torak questioned her about it there and then.
"I don't know, okay?" she said confused "Why did you kiss me? it's not like I did the kissing part myself." Khanna wasn't sure how to feel, or what was she feeling at all. Was it possible she liked him? She didn't know the answer to that question.
"Cause I do like you. On the verge of loving you." Torak let himself be honest. No point lying.
She felt her heart banging on her chest.
"I.." she lowered her gaze, not sure how should she react "I am not sure how I feel. My heart hurts so much now."
"I have told you my side, you sort out telling yours? I'll sleep, a day of apologising, being de-" There was a knock on the door. Torak frowned and got up, opening the door.
"Message for you Torak." The woman dropped the note in his hand, which was sealed with familiar markings.
"Wonder what it is now." Torak sat down and opened it, beginning to read.
"What does it say?" she asked interested in the message.
"I've been given my old job back essentially, as it was found the Wolf that lost the note confessed to betraying the guild." Torak smiled. He had his old job back. And he'd been given his armour back too, according to the note.
Khanna grinned.
"So, no dying anytime soon." she said with a happy voice.
"Two Wolves for Boo to hurt. At least Boo enjoys it I suppose." Torak smiled.
"Well.. I am glad we have finished that traumatic experience." she joked "Anyways, I am done with cleaning your wounds, but I will need you to let me check them tomorrow and clean them again, just in case." Khanna warned and traced a finger on the edge of a bruise, gently examining her work.
"Haha. You know, I don't think you are doing it as an excuse to clean them, I think you like touching me." He winked at her suggestively.
"Yes, because nothing looks more sexier than a girl who is cleaning your wounds and bruises." she said, her voice full of sarcasm. The truth was, she really didn't mind touching him.
"Most girls would give loads to touch this! Least I have one that's willing..." Torak sneered back.
"You are so arrogant."she started laughing.
"Now, I don't think I should tell you how I feel about touching you. You might get all kinds of crazy ideas." Khanna smirked.
"Make you a deal, you say, and no snide comments." He leaned, forward, listening.
She glanced at him, suspisiously.
"Maybe I do like it... A tiny bit." Khanna showed a small distance between her fingers and smirked.
"There we go, some honesty. Might get some emotions out of you soon." Torak smiled at her.
"I wouldn't get my hopes up." she smiled. Eveb she wasn't sure what emotions she should show him.
"A man can dream." He laughed.
"Though, don't give up... Might just happen." she smiled "Now, you should probably wear your shirt. We're done with the cleaning."
"Uuuuuhhhh, no. I'm gonna stay shirtless." Torak folded up his shirt and laid on the bed.
"Whatever makes you comfortable." she smiled and sat on the bed.
"You make me comfortable."
"Nice to know." she smiled gently.
"Come and sleep next to me?" Torak avoided the word "with" cause he knew she'd say no.
She glanced at him and nodded.
"Okay." Khanna did as he asked her to.
"Wow. I thought you would have said no..." Torak raised an eyebrow at her. He put an arm round her, to keep them warm.
"Well, I don't really want to spend another night on the floor." she said "It was either this or the floor."
"Nah, you just wanted to cuddle, haha." Torak grinned at her, before hugging her.
"Maybe I did." she said with a smirk "Nothing wrong with that, I hope?" Khanna provoked him.
"No. I like it." Torak began stroking her hair, before kissing her on the forehead.
"Good night." she smiled and snuggled closer to him.
"Goodnight Khanna. Sweet dreams." Torak let himself nod off as soon as he finished the sentence.
Khanna woke up with the first morning lights. She was feeling rested and warm and didn't like the idea of leaving the bed.
Torak opened his eyes to find Khanna awake, and wondered why she hadn't gone to work already.
"Enjoying the bed?"
"Shut up." she turned away from him and got up from the bed "And yes I was... It was nice and warm until you woke up and opened your mouth." she said jokingly.
"Such cold, hypocritical words. You're colder than I am right now." Torak stretched, feeling every point where he got hit yesterday scream in agonised protest against movement.
"Uuuuuhhhhh, can I not stay in bed today? I ache and hurt... Don't be so good at doing nothing in bed Khanna, haha! Ow..."
"Careful... You are staying in bed today." she said seriously "I'll be here in a few hours, when I finish some errands. Don't go anywhere, we don't need any more bruises and wounds for me to take care of." Khanna ordered him.
"And if I disobey?" Torak knew an order when he heard one.
"Torak." his name sounded like a threat "Don't make me tie you for that bed while I am gone."
Torak found the idea oddly appealing and decided to get up just to annoy her.
"Think I might visit a nice bar full of thugs..." He was genuinely serious in tone about it.
"I am serious." She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back on the bed.
"There is a rope in my bag and I will use it." Khanna looked straight at him, not letting him get up again.
Torak willed himself to teleport next to her.
"I wanna go to the bar though..." Torak put on a childish voice and stropped like a nine year after being told he couldn't go to see his favourite movie in 3D.
"Promise me you won't leave the room, please." Khanna said to him "I will bring you find something to reward you. Just please don't go off, you're still injured and I can't patch you up every night."
"Awww, I was hoping you'd make good on your threat. I'll stay. But I might be a bit stir crazy when you get back! Don't say I didn't warn you." Torak knew what he would do. Lock the door and try and draw out the White Mask. He liked the physical mask used, it looked cool, but he didn't want the personality. Just access to that set of clothing.
"Can't find the rope, unfortunately." she joked. "Anyways I won't be out for long. Just a couple of hours." she smiled and opened the door to leave.
"Don't be a stranger..." He said before sitting down on the floor, and drawing some anti magic wards on the walls in black charcoal. He felt it take effect, and focused his emotions, and for an hour, nothing happened. Then the two suddenly stood, face to face.
For the rest of the time Khanna was gone, they conversed, and came to terms of inhabitance. The demon got a body to ride, for a day every month, Torak got to use the demon's appearance as a disguise.
Four hours. For freakin hours and still she has done absolutely nothing. Khanna must've tried to find the information she needed all over the city, all in vain. When she came to the inn she was in a really bad mood even though it was barely past noon. It was too early for this kind of bad things to be happening. Khanna knocked on the door, as she told Torak to lock them after she was gone.
"Torak, it's me, Khanna." She spoke into the door, hoping he wasn't asleep.
Torak completely forgot his current outfit, being the White Mask, and simply answered the door.
"Hey Khanna."
And here she thought the day couldn't get any brighter. She took her dagger out and took a step back.
"Don't you dare come any closer." Khanna had dealings with him more than once.
"Oh god, my appearance! Veskos!" In a puff of smoke akin to his teleporting puff, Torak was in his normal clothes.
"Sorry about that. Made progress on the White Mask matter!" He beamed a redeeming smile her way.
She was quite mad, but she felt that if she showed it she would explode, so she just kept her mouth closed.
"Don't wanna know." she waved her hand dismissively at him and entered "A bad day just got a bit more worse." Khanna murmured. She hated demons.
"What's happened? Other than that." Torak sat on the floor waiting to hear the answer.
"I spent four hours in a wild goose chase after the information I couldn't find." she sat on the bed and hugged her legs in a childish pose.
"It's barely afternoon and I already feel like I'm half dead."
Torak got up and sat behind her on the bed, moving his legs so she was between them and hugged her. Then he began to gently massage her shoulders.
"I'll bet this is long overdue..."
"You are too close." she said but didn't quite move, she enjoyed the massage too much.
"I came to terms with the White Mask. Made a deal. No-one gets hurt. No-one innocent anyway. The White Mask can kill as many criminals as he likes, just no more innocents, and he does that for 2 days every month. In return, I get to use him as an alternate identity when I desire." Torak tried to remember the brief time he had spent as a masseur for a nobleman, and went for what he remembered were tension points.
"I don't think you should meddle or make agreements with him." she said, worried "He will fool you first tme he gets a chance." Khanna never liked to make deals with demons or other otherwordly creatures. They can be helpful, up until the moment they gain control and kill you.
"I don't think it's inherently evil... It protects me it says. Don't get me wrong, I will kill myself if I have to stop it." Torak stated bluntly. He found what he remembered as the best, most relieving spot there was on humans.
"You could get money for this." she closed her eyes and enjoyed "You are really good."
"I used to do it for an Adelan nobleman. He ended up as a target. I haven't done it since." Torak kept going, appreciating the compliment.
"I might use you for this." she chuckled "If I knew you were this good, I would've asked you long ago,"
Torak smiled, and kissed her neck. He wrapped his arms round her and rested his head on her shoulder.
"You've got a beautiful laugh."
"That's the first time anyone told me that." she smiled. Khanna didn't comment anything about how close they were, even though she was very aware of it.
"So why didn't you keep chasing up the lead?" Torak went back to massaging her shoulders.
"Well it would be useless to even try.. There wasn't anything I could find." she frowned "Not a damn word I could use."
"I'll go with you tomorrow, help you." Torak yawned, his lack of activity setting off his desire to sleep again.
"No!" she almost jumped "I mean.. I am sure you have your own job to worry about. Right?" Khanna got up from the bed and started fumbling through the papers on the desk.
"Really, you shouldn't get caught up in my problems... Again."
"Your misunderstanding me. I AM going to help you, I AM getting caught up in it. Don't really have a choice." Torak was beginning to understand what was going on with her. He'd figure it out soon.
Shit
"Torak... You will again get in trouble with the Wolves, you know how much they like me." Khanna rolled her eyes, hoping he would back off.
"I found out why the Wolves didn't like it. Because someone could have recognised me. Veskos." Torak spoke the spellword and became the White Mask. This time his hair was an bright orange and his eyes were yellow.
"This isn't recognisable. This allows me to do it."
She cocked her head.
"I don't know if I am comfortable walking with you when you look like that." she laughed to her own joke, trying to change the subject.
"It's still me. Don't worry." Torak smiled.
"Okay..." she said slowly, thinking how to do this.
"We'll do it tonight since that is the only time when people are actually drunk enough to tell you someting." she rolled her eyes, but smiled.
"Ok then. What is the job is exactly?" He stood up and drew his classic design katana to check the tang of the blade.
"Oh the usual.. Kill and steal." Khanna could lie pretty smootly when she wanted to, and with a smile.
"Why were you following up leads then? And what was the note for?" Torak deduced that much pretty quickly.
"Well, one part of the task was infiltration in the noble's house." she improvised "I need to collect as much information as I can if I want the task to be a success. And I needed the note because my employer was interested in noble's connection with the Wolves."
Torak still wasn't convinced. "So you knew it was a Wolf note all along? Why did you let me see it then?"
"I didn't know what the hell was that note, well not until you saw it... I was only told to try and decode it in order for us to gain some more leverage." she said, calmly.
"Why do we need leverage? You said it was steal and kill." Torak crossed his arms, indicating to her that it was pointless lying.
"Ah, but leverages are always good."she pointed out "You never know what can go wrong."
"What is this questioning all about... You don't trust me?" Khanna crossed her arms. She hated lying to him, but if that is going to save both of their lives, she will.
"What is it with you and lying to me? You always do it! You lied when you ditched me that day. You're lying to me now. What else have you lied to me about?" Torak sighed and he felt the mask shift, as if it was alive.
Khanna's eyes widened as her calm face slipped. Now, it was obvious that she was worried.
"I am not lying to you." she said quietly, I am trying to save your life Khanna added in her head.
"Come find me when you're done lying to me." Torak walked past her and went out into the street, going wherever he wanted to go, not choosing a destination.
"Damn it." Khanna said furiously. She had no time to apologize for this, she had a job to finish and lives to save. As soon as she took some of her stuff, Khanna went on the street her mind set on getting that information and leaving the city. She meant only trouble for Torak.
Torak watched her from shadowed alleys and rooftops as she headed to her objective, merely observing. His katana was slung across his back, and he mediated his teleports with walking to keep it from getting tiresome.
Khanna entered one of the nearby inns in order to gather some info on the thing she was searching for. After a discussion with a drunken scholar, a bearded old man who barely kept his head up, she managed to get what she was looking for. To an ordinary person, Khanna just made a silly deal and gave more than two hundred golden coins on a book.
Khanna wrapped the book in a piece of cloth, and left the inn. Now, she only had to get to the neutral place and give it to the employer. Somehow, she felt like she was putting her life on the line, but it didn't matter as long as she could buy her freedom with it.
Torak followed her to the neutral ground, standing in the shadows behind her all the time. His ability to blend into the shadows served him well. He waited to see what would happen.
Show me why you lied... Show me why you want to leave me...
She stood in the middle of the square. It was completely abandoned at this time of night. She turned around herself a few times before she heard an applause. It was him, along with his little mercenary army.
"I didn't expect you would hold on and crack this mystery, Khanna." the voice said "But you did, and you deserve an applause."
"Here, take the book, it means nothing to me, Lord Mason" she said, throwing the book on the ground "Nor does your applause... I want what we agreed on."
"Straight to the buisness, eh?" he chuckled "Yes, well about your reward... I decided I prefer you as my slave. The book belongs to me, as do you."
As the mercenaries took the book from her and raised their swords out Khanna took out her daggers.
"Do try to take her alive." the Lord left into the darkness leaving her alone with a dozen of mercenaries and as much slavers. But, there was no chance she will go back to slavery, not to him.
"I would rather die." she told to the mercenaries with a cocky grin on her face. She really would.
"Sin, sin, sin. Well now boys and girls, are we ready for a party trick?" The voice was unnaturally creepy and happy. It was almost like he was some insane character from a joker playing card.
"Pop goes the Khanna, hahahaha!" The White Mask teleported in, grabbed Khanna from the circle, and immediately left her a few feet to left of the circle before appearing behind this lord Mason character and decapitating him.
"Just like a party game! Start swinging Khanna, cause this party game just bumped up a notch! BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The Mask teleported again, inside the circle now, and began to fight the men in hand to hand combat.
Once again, Khanna felt she was at a loss. She didn't mind him slipping in and killing everyone, but she did hate teleporting.
"Why are you here?" she asked between two hits. Primarily, she wanted to kill her way to the book that was lying near Lord Masons body. Secondly, she would worry about Torak and his split personality. They had to talk... If they survived.
"Torak felt curious as to what you lied to him for. So he followed you all day. And when these fools appeared, he let that cat out of the box, nyahahahHAHAHA!" The Mask was clearly mad, but in an insane way, hacking and slashing like crazy.
"Get the book then! Before an idiot grabs it!" The Mask decapitated another foe who made a dash for the book, gracefully kicking the guy's head full pelt into another goon's face, knocking him out.
Khanna ran the distance between her and the book, killing two of the men who stood in her way. In order to avoid a big mace attack she jumped on the ground, avoiding the mace and taking the book. She threw one of her daggers straight into the slavers throat.
"Torak has been spying on me?" she almost yelled, but stopped herself on time. Now she was upset and took a greatsword from one of the dead slavers, which she could barely hold straight, and cut the mercenary in front of her in half.
The White Mask froze in place, and smiled. "Bye bye friends. Until next time..." He disappeared completely, before Torak appeared behind a slaver, and cleaved him in two with the custom katana. He disarmed the second and broke his neck.
"Nice try dick head."
Khanna shaked her head.
"You spied on me!" she repeated, this time it wasn't a question but a statement.
She came behind one of the slavers and broke his neck in a swift move, and quickly moved to the next slaver, fastly slitting his throat.
Torak shot a slaver behind Khanna, scoring him in the ribs.
"Talk about this later."
That was when he got smashed in the head with a mace.
"Damn it." she quickly killed off the mace wielder but it was too late for Torak. That must've been painful. Khanna was now left with two more slavers and a mercenary.
One head was soon rolling on the ground. The second two didn't seem to happy with their chances. They attacked bothe at once. Khanna hit the slaver in the stomach while she stabbed the mercenary in the stomach, spilling blood and guts all over the ground. The slaver was still on the ground because of the hit an she simply snapped his neck.
"Torak? Are you alive?" Khanna dropped on her knees, looking over his bloody head.
Torak's eyes opened a bright yellow and in a puff of smoke he was the White Mask again.
"Idiot. He is an idiot." The White Mask stood, untouched by the battle. He was bloodied, but not with his own blood.
"Come, he still lives. We can go to a healer and I can leave. Simple." The White Mask had the plan sorted.
"I agree with you on both points." she said, crossing her arms "But no healer will let him in at this time of night, plus looking like that... I can clean it and patch it up." Khanna was pretty sure in her healing tehniques. She studied a lot about it since she was last time here.
"When you can heal broken and shattered skulls, then I will give my host to you. Otherwise, we need a healer of more advanced magic." The White Mask formed a circle with the corpses, and stood in it.
"Kirnardaz. Favour. You owe me one. Bring Xerordir. And say hi to Skal for me." The demon spoke to seemingly nothing when the Grim Reaper from the other night appeared in the circle. The White Mask stepped out of it, and cleared his throat.
"Why did you bring... That?" she asked going a few steps back "Kill it before it goes away!"
"Xer, I'll cut you a deal. Heal this guy, and I'll have him repent and ask forgiveness to the gods every night of his life, till the day he dies." The White Mask wouldn't let his host die, not when he was bonded.
"He will repent or you will both be dragged to hell and die." Xerordir summoned a red orb, and placed it on the floor, and it wrapped The White Mask in red light, and he turned back to Torak, whose presence turned the light green and sprites flew everywhere, healing every wound and problem.
"Both of you should repent. Next time I see you and feel unforgiven sins, I will drag you to the torture pits myself." Xerordir took the bodies of the dead mercs, slavers and lord Mason, and disappeared with them.
"Okay... I think I'll just sit here for a moment." she said absent mindedly an sat on the ground, completely quiet.
"Would you care to explain.. Please?" Khanna asked, because she couldn't wrap her head around everything that happened.
The light released Torak, who stumbled to the ground, coughing.
"I..." He kept coughing, although it was just a side effect.
"Yes, yes you were on the brink of death." she said, keeping her voice calm in order not to explode "I want to know what happened with the skeleton-guy."
Khanna slowly dropped on her knees near Torak, examining his head. Impressive, it had no wounds. Somewhere deep inside she was very worried about him, but she needed to go past the shock first.
"Give me a second to talk to Veskos on that..." Torak blinked and he knew it.
"Right, that was the same guy that had at us last night. Only controlled. Friends of Veskos. Owed him a favour. So he used it on me. I owe Veskos now." Torak breathed deep, controlled breaths.
"Are you okay now?" she asked worried, and offered him a hand to get up. Right now, favours didn't matter, she would think of the problems later.
"Because even if all your wounds are closed, you still seem like you're not feeling well."
"Is this another lie?" Torak got himself up, still upset with the lies and trickery.
She just kept her mouth shut for a few moments.
"No, I am seriously worried." Khanna said quietly.
"As much as I want to believe you, you killed my trust in you. You lied to me. Twice. So excuse me if I don't take your word." Torak was angry. What could she hope to gain by lying?!
She raised up from the ground and removed the dust from her knees.
"Okay, then I will leave now... I suppose I am not the person you want to see at the moment." Khanna bit her lip because for some reason she felt like crying, and turned around.
"No. Stay. Talk. Don't just leave for once Khanna. You're better than that." Torak stood, upset, but he didn't want her to leave. He didn't want to go through what happened last time.
"Not really I'm not." she turned around "I doubt I can make this any better with talk.. Probably just worse." Khanna felt like an idiot, lame and emotional.
"That will always be your problem. You just run from everything, from your feelings, from your past, from you enemies. Even for cowards there is a point where you turn round and have to face something." Torak wouldn't stop her leaving, but he wouldn't be happy. It would drive him back to his cold ways, the ways he so desperately hated when Khanna was around.
"I know... All my good sides, will never match up to the bad ones." she gave a sad smile "Ask away, whatever you want." Khanna didn't like feeling this vulnerable, but she didn't see the point in hiding anything anymore.
"Why? Why did you lie to me?" Torak sat down, waiting for the answer.
"This," she brought the book up "Is something that was supposed to get my back my freedom. Lord Mason was the head of the family I used to work in as a slave. We had a run-in soon after I left the city and he promised me my freedom. But, the catch was not to bring anyone with me, to get the book myself." Khanna now realized how naive she was to accept such an agreement, but it was her only choice at the time.
"That went well then didn't it. If I hadn't been there to save your sorry ass you'd be dead." Torak sighed, wondering the importance of the book.
"What importance is the book to your freedom?"
"It is supposed to be some ancient ritual book containing the remains of old religions and forgotten magic." she told him. "Lord Mason wanted it quite badly.. It was my price to pay for freedom."
"Well Veskos killed him. So that's it. No more slaver bother?" Torak wondered if they were finally safe.
"I doubt we'll never see them again... Plus his sister might want to get revenge." she thought about it "But probably we won't see them as often and in such big groups." Khanna confirmed, looking at the pages of the book.
"Finally some honesty." Torak got up, and swapped his damaged sword for Veskos's katana.
"Shall we leave?"
"What about you?" she asked him. "You followed me."
Here we go again, Khanna knew he probably saved her life but she still hated being followed. Made her feel like an idiot.
"I'm being honest. I followed you to find out why you lied. And then you got attacked and I intervened. We all came away better off." Torak's mouth twitched, as it tried to form a sarcastic smile.
"You knew I was lying from the beggining..." she said with a guilty voice, her eyes sticked to the ground. Her words sounded not as a question but as a fact.
"You know me better than to think I would believe that you weren't lying." Torak didn't sound angry or mocking. He just said it plainly.
"Yes, you are probably right." she smiled sadly "Well, since we are done here, I am going back to the inn." Khanna moved some of the hair from her face behind her ear.
"Come on then." Torak offered his hand for what he thought may be the final time he walked her anywhere.
This time she hesitated before taking his hand. By the look on his face she couldn't tell how he was feeling. But on the end she did take it.
"Are you.. Are you mad?" Khanna found it strange how she always seemed to ask him that. It just shows how much of a screw-up she is.
"Do I look to be enraged? Foaming at the mouth?" Torak was genuinely upset, yes, but he was prepared to forgive her.
"No." she said honestly "You look calm.. And that terrifies me more than anything. It would be better if you yelled at me or said you hated me and never want to see me again, than to look so cold." Khanna was taken back by her own words.
"Fine." Torak made a clearly forced angry face.
"Oh... I never wanna see you again! You broke my heart... Oh...." Torak mocked. He genuinely was calm.
"It's not funny, you know... I am aware when I make mistakes." she crossed her arms.
"It's called being human. I make mistakes. The idea is to learn from them. With your brain." Torak knocked lightly on her skull then laughed.
"Maybe the book set yours to rot."
"You are mean..." she pouted "I know we all make mistakes I am just not used to making them... " she said as if that makes everything right.
"Aww, are the baby's feelings hurt?" Torak laughed again. "Don't worry about it. You'll learn as you get more distracted by my hot body fighting next to you."
"I had my fair share of hot bodies fighting next to me." she said with a smirk "You'll be just another one in the line."
"Veskos isn't that hot, haha! I'm much hotter. Can't make a line with just two people." Torak grinned back.
She hit him in the shoulder, not too tough but not too gentle either.
"Yeah, right.. Keep thinking that you two are the only two men I have ever met in my life." she said.
"No, we're the only attractive ones, haha!" He took the hit obliviously, smiling.
"I see that you are a very humble man." she said, shaking her head. He was right, mostly, but there wasn't even the slightest chance she would admit him that.
"I am the most humble man to ever exist. I am also the most hypocritical." He realised how boastful he was being about the feigned honesty, and laughed.
"You are hopeless." even though she said it she did let out a small chuckle.
"There is always hope for guys like me." He nudged her as they finally got to the room.
"I should really clean this mess up." she said, a bit tired, as she slowly sat on the floor. The damn papers were everywhere,
"Do it in the morning Khanna..." Torak set the katana he had on his back on the floor under the bed.
"Come here."
With a frown, she raised from the floor and took a few steps towards him.
"What?" she asked with a smile.
"Do you know how cute you are, asking me to be angry? It was so sweet..." He smiled at her.
"I am not cute." she pouted "And I don't want you to be angry on me." Khanna lowered her gaze on the floor. It was strange saying that.
"You are cute... You're beautiful." Torak lifted her head via her chin, and gave her a gentle kiss.
She was surprised by the kiss. Khanna raised her arms and hugged him around his neck.
"I like this." she smiled.
"Good." Torak idly ran a hand through her head. He had made his mind up.
He loved Khanna.
((OOC: Yay for feels!))
She was tired but she didn't want to ruin the moment. She was feeling wonderful.
"So, I guess you forgive me for lying to you?"
"You tell me." Torak kissed her neck, putting one hand on her waist.
"This feels very forgiving." she smiled and ran a hand through his hair.
"I think today has been stressful. Fancy another one of my massages?" Torak offered her merely out of the fact that seeing her happy made him happy.
"Sure." she smiled almost like a child. Khanna sat on the bed and raised her hair in a bun. She loved his massages.
Torak got to work on the massage, daring to put his hands in other tension points that generally people considered somewhat close to being uncomfortable. Places like the patches of shoulder and chest just above her breasts, and the ribs below them.
"That ok?"
"Yes... Great." For some reason she didn't mind him touching her. She actually felt comfortable.
He kept there, and remembered the joke he shared with the nobleman's daughter when he was a masseur.
Only one tension relieving spot better than their back on women. And it's the only one they hate masseurs touching. Of course, she had commanded him to do that, and enjoyed the results.
"I would ask you if you want me to show the ultimate tension relief, but you'd slap me for suggesting it and make me sleep on the floor."
"I won't... Tell me, what are you talking about." She turned around with a curious smile. Khanna doubted she would make him sleep on the floor, not now when she discovered that she liked when he was near her.
"Ok then. I managed to prove to my employer when I was a masseur, that the ultimate tension point on women was between their legs. He asked me if I had tested it, I blabbed about trying on his daughter and he chased me out of town with a knife. But the feedback I got from her two days later was good..." Torak winked at Khanna.
Go on, ask me to show you just how... And I'll give it to you... Anything you want... He could hear that thought cycle round in his head.
She chickled, but still flushed a bit and felt her heart beat just a little faster.
"I am sure you enjoyed it as much as she did."
"She was no fun, she expected me to do everything. So I gave her what she wanted. Then when she told me that the only reason she wanted it was because she was bored. Never saw her after that." Torak felt his heart rate quicken slightly.
"You said you are still a virgin yes? That can change... If you want it to..."
"I... Perhaps." she said. What was the point of keeping her virginity anyway? She was far from innocent in other ways, anyway.
"I can't force you to. But I am always willing." Torak didn't quite speak truth there. Mostly he was willing, and on some days it would never happen for whatever reason.
"Are you willing to do it with me?" she asked with a smirk, but she was feeling far from confident.
"Yes." Torak answered, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
"It's my first time, and yet you seem more nervous than I am." she chuckled slowly.
"I've never had it with anyone I like before..." Torak admitted, rubbing his neck.
"Still, I haven't done it with anyone..." she smiled "But I am glad the first time will be with someone I... Like." Khanna frowned at the way that sounded. Like a confession.
"Woah, steady now, don't pull out too many secrets... Dangerous territory there, confessions..." He tried to avert his renewed nervousness to happiness, realising how much he wanted to make it a good time. For both of them.
She chuckled.
"Let's sleep. Perhaps tonight isn't the night." Khanna slowly put her head on the pillow.
"You said you wanted some honesty... That is as much as I can pull out."
"Yeah, perhaps not tonight." Torak laid down opposite Khanna.
"It's a start."
She smiled and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Torak."
"Goodnight Khanna." Torak closed his eyes and when he woke up again, he was sweating, the nightmare so vivid.
Khanna felt something moving next to her. She opened her eyes only to see Torak, the look on his face terrified.
"Torak... Are you okay?" she asked him, slowly rising from her pillow.
"Nightmare..." Torak sighed, swinging round to the edge of the bed, and wiping his face with his hands.
Khanna knew he had nightmares, but she didn't know they were this intense. She got up from the bed and sat next to him.
"It was just a bad dream.. It's gone now." Khanna didn't know what he dreamed about, but it was obviously hard on him. She gently touched his forehead.
"I'm going to go for a walk, to clear my head. You go back to sleep." Torak said sincerely. He needed to confront this damned reaper. He needed to find it.
She understood that he needed some time alone, but she still felt a bit hurt when he wanted to leave.
"Of course... Be careful." she kissed his forehead and got back on the bed.
"I promise I'll be back by sunrise." Torak kissed her on the forehead, before talking a long walk through every haunted alley. Every desolate graveyard.
After he left, Khanna just couldn't fall asleep. She had a terrible feeling that something important is happening.
"Damn it." she cut herself on a paper she was collecting from the floor. How lame is that, she thought.
Torak finally found the reaper, and drew his sword.
"Torak. Killer of many. Come to die? Ready to leave Khanna?" The voice mocked. It was near midnight, the moon overhead.
"No. Never will be."
Khanna felt bad she let him go alone. She felt like she was locked in the room, so she just paced through the room nervously.
"Come to make a deal then. Repent. Repent every sin you commit. Beg forgiveness from your gods." The skeleton's voice hissed at him.
"Is that what I need to do to live?"
Where the hell could she find him at this hour? Who knows where is he? Khanna was on the verge of running out of the inn and going through the city until she finds him. The only thing that was preventing her was the fact that she had no idea where to look.
"I'll do it... If you swear not to hurt Khanna." The conversation ha moved past Torak and now Torak was making a deal to save Khanna.
"Very well then. You best start now."
Slowly, the first morning light was entering the room Khanna was in. She took her cloak and left the inn. She didn't knew where to start looking, so she just began wandering the streets.
Torak had forgotten about the sunrise thing. He was just in agony. The pain was nightmarish, unbearable. He had agreed to do this for Khanna. To stop the reaper taking her. But he had to take the pain of every sin she had committed. Every life she took, he felt the pain.
Khanna was getting desperate. She had no idea where to look for him. Hell, she didn't even know was he okay, did anyone attack him? Khanna took a deep sigh, trying to calm herself.
"You'll find him.. You always do." she slowly whispered to herself.
Torak stumbled out of the alley, blood stained, tears streaming down his face into open wounds. He managed to walk, and he went to find Khanna, remembering his promise.
She was almost ready to give up when she saw a figure coming out of an alley. On the closer inspection she recognized him. He was in such a terrible state.
"Torak!" she yelled at him and quickly ran up to him, helping him stand. "What happened?" Khanna asked, on the verge of tears.
"I did it for you... He was gonna kill you..." Torak's knees trembled and he just fell, collapsing.
"What?" she asked, obviously confused "What did you do, why?"
Whatever he did, Khanna already didn't like it.
"The-the reaper guy... F-from the other night... He was... Gonna kill you..." Torak tried to get back up, getting to his knees before he collapsed again.
"I stopped him... Took the punishment for your sins..."
Khanna had a lot of sins on her soul. She couldn't even imagine how this felt, like hell or worse.
"You crazy man..." she said "My sins were not yours to take." she felt a tear going down her face.
"Anything for you... I did it because I love you..." Torak's pain finally overcame him and he blacked out, Xerordir having taken Veskos from Torak's soul and crushing the demon, leaving Torak with an alternate appearance.
Khanna wasn't sure what to do. She had to keep him alive no matter the cost.
"Torak.. Stay with me!" she said as she investigated the damage on the body.
If she looked at him, she would see lots of light markings, born of scythe wounds, but not enough to kill. The wounds were laced with a poison causing immense amounts of pain though.
"How the hell am I supposed to heal this?" she almost yelled. Khanna barely had any healing talent and she her powers were very small in that area. But she was afraid of trying anything, because she didn't want to make the situation worse.
"You suffer for her... Willingly... You should repent... Ask forgiveness for your life... For you compassion, you suffer for her more!""You will burn for your sins when I find you next."
"You love her? Take her sins for her then."
"Don't do this to me." she told him. Khanna was mad and was trying to use her healing magic. But, it was too weak for his wounds. She was so weak, she could cry, she didn't have physical strenght to carry him to a healer nor did she have the magical one to heal him.
Torak fluttered back to conscious thought.
"Uggh... Help me up... Before I collapse again..." Torak tried to get up.
She ignored her tears and fastly helped him up.
"Here, come." Khanna saw that he was minutes from collapsing again.
Torak didn't strain his voice any more, and simply pointed at a shop front. A bar.
"A Wolf front. Don't worry. They wanna kill me, so they'll save me."
She quickly managed to get them to the shop. Two very confused Wolves started pulling out their weapons.
"He is dying... Help him or you'll be in trouble." Khanna said quickly. The Wolves looked at each other and then hesitantly nodded and let them in.
"Thanks gents..." When the healer had finished and the doctor had gone, he smiled. He felt okay now.
"Thank you Khanna."
"Now that I am finally calm and you're alive." she said, cleaning the tears from her face "I am going to kill you. Why did you do that, Torak? Are you crazy? My sins are so numerous, and you know that. Yet, you still did what you did."
"It was that or let you die... I don't regret it. You heard why I did it." Torak wouldn't explain himself any more than that. He hadn't lied.
"Those were my sins, Torak." she bit her lip "It pains me that you took the responsibilty for them. I am thankful, but I don't think I deserved it." Khanna knew it was her mistake he almost died.
"If I didn't think you deserved it, I would have left you to die, but I didn't. Just accept it..."
"How can I accept that you almost died because of me?" she asked him seriously. Khanna was so thankful for what he has done, but what would she do if he died? She just didn't know how to feel. Khanna wiped her tears and crossed her arms.
"By remembering why." Torak sighed, not feeling well enough to argue this point.
"I thought I lost you for sure." Khanna hugged him gently, trying not to hurt him, and trying to stop crying.
"I'm sorry..." Torak pulled her closer. "I'm so sorry."
"Now I owe you one." she smiled with a chuckle, still hugging him. It was a good feeling that she knew he was still there and alive.
"At least now that reaper will leave us alone..." Torak began to pray in his head. Pray forgiveness for his sins. To pray to be better.
"Yeah.." she nodded and slowly backed off "I should probably let you rest now." Khanna stood up.
"Not here. They want us gone, I can tell..." Torak looked over at an irritated doctor, giving him the evils.
"You're right..." she said worried "Let's go before they decide to use the chance and kill you."
"No, they want a fair fight, they just want us gone. I don't wanna be here when whatever they are clearing out for gets here." Torak stood up, trying to get his balance right.
Khanna helped him maintain balance as they left the place.
"It isn't a long walk to the inn." she smiled encouriging him.
"Good." Torak hobbled along, slowly gaining his balance.
They quickly came to the inn, and Khanna helped him into the room.
"Here... Go to bed and rest." she ordered.
"Oooh, orders." Torak laid down on the bed carefully, and picked his moment carefully, grabbing Khanna and pulling her onto the bed.
"Now I'm ordering you: Stay here."
"What are you planning?" she asked curiously, but obeyed him.
"Sleep. I ain't doing you now, haha! I'm too tired..." Torak pulled himself close to her, and started to feel his mind shut down.
"That's not what I meant." she said quietly but saw no point in arguing, so she just closed her eyes.
"Goodnight Khanna..." Torak let out a quiet yawn before nodding off to sleep.
"Goodnight Torak." she said and drifted off to one of her dark, empty dreams.
Torak had more nightmares, but he didn't react to them that badly, just a few mumbles in his sleep.
When he woke up in the morning he was met with the surprise of Veskos sat in the corner of the room.
At that point nothing could really inerupt Khanna's sleep. She was so tired that she didn't feel or hear anything that was happening around her, so she just snuggled closer to Torak and slept her dreamless night.
Torak waking up to see Veskos in the corner of the room was scary. Until Torak realised that it was a mannequin for Veskos' outfit. A good mannequin.
He laid back, and looked at how much sunlight was hitting the window curtains. It was bright.
"Hey, Khanna, wake up..."
She murmured something and turned on the other side.
"No." It seems she didn't want to wake up. Well, yesterday was a stressful day.
Torak immediately gave up and just decided to cuddle her.
"Ok..."
Khanna needed a few more hours in bed, but being the hyperactive person she is, it really didn't took that long. She was awake twenty minutes later, with a smile.
"Since when are you awake?"
"Since I woke up." He smiled and winked at her, his body aching so much less than yesterday.
"Oh, your sense of humor is still asleep apparently." she grinned at him.
"How are you feeling?" Khanna was still a bit worried because of everything that happened yesterday.
"Better thank you. And my humour isn't asleep. It's just pissing itself laughing in my head at my very clever joke." In reality she was right.
She chuckled.
"Yes, since no one else finds them funny." Khanna joked but was very happy he was better.
"Someone forget to take there happy medicine this morning?" Torak got up, and grabbed his clothes to change.
"Yes, along with a few more medicines.." she bit her lip "Any important business today?" Khanna asked.
"Yeah, report to the Soot Wolves on no activity." It was true. Torak had seen no major activity in the last three days. Just standard deals.
"Boring." she muttered under her breath and continued to roll on the bed.
"I know. But I have to do it. Don't look now, I need to get changed." Torak undressed, making sure to take his time in case she was actually looking.
He was certainly taking more time to dress than any woman she has ever met. Khanna took a peak but only for a second, and turned her head back around.
"Khm, are you done?" she couldn't keep her smirk out of her face.
Torak sped up the process and got himself fully dressed. He was in his normal Soot Wolf clothing.
"Yes. You can stop staring and resume normal activity."
"I wasn't staring." she said. Khanna made a personal note to dress up in front of him, next time. She was interested in the reaction.
"Of course you weren't. And I am a dragon." Torak said sarcastically. He had made a deliberate effort to make her look.
"Perhaps you are." she grinned and got up from the bed.
"If you didn't look then it's a trip to the doctor's, because I don't think Khanna could resist looking." Torak grinned, and grabbed his Soot Wolf stuff.
"It was just a tiny peek." she said with a guilty face.
"If you want, later, you can have a big peek." Torak gave her a kiss.
"But I have to go off to work now."
"I can't wait." she smiled gently and winked "I probably won't leave the place today, lots of... Paperwork." Khanna frowned at the piles of paper around the room.
"Well I'll be back before sundown, you can give me 10 lashes for every minute late that I am." Torak joked before heading to the door.
"Goodbye kiss?"
"I'll hold you to that." she winked.
"If I kiss you you will be distracted and won't do your job right." she smirked.
"Call it a taste of things to come later? Please?" Torak smiled again, sweetly.
"Can I even refuse?" she smiled and took a few steps forward until she was near him. Then, she kissed him gently.
"Mmmmm. Thank you. See you later." Torak went off to work.
"Later." she smiled.
Khanna turned around and with a deep sigh started cleaning up the papers.
Torak only had one small incident with a fight today where he took a nasty right hook to the face. The guy got taken down by gang members who thought he was an enemy.
Torak would set him free tomorrow, and the guy would report everything to the Wolves.
He got back to the room at the inn, and knocked.
"You there Khanna?"
After that much cleaning Khanna was so tired, and decided to take a nap. Knocking woke her up.
"Yes, a moment." Khanna said and opened the door.
"You look like you've just woken up... You tidy up?" Torak didn't look around the room, but the puff of hair sticking up on her head.
"Yeah I just fell asleep." she murmured "You have a bruise on your face." Khanna said.
"Small fight, needed to happen to make this Wolf's capture believable." Torak smiled.
"Does it hurt much?" she asked and slowly touched the bruise on his face.
"Little bit, it was a good right hook." Torak smiled at her, pulling her hand away. It wasn't bad.
"Okay... So how was your day..? Beside that." she asked and sat on the bed.
"Fine. Got to organise a poorly run band of mercs tomorrow." Torak sighed, knowing she would probably not like the place he had to go.
She crossed her arms.
"Oh." it almost sounded accusing "Well, I too have a job for tomorrow. A robbery, nothing big." she shrugged.
"The job requires me to go to Hyoite for a few months... So I'm not going to be in Arca much longer. I leave tomorrow." Torak sighed.
"Okay.." she said "I leave for Cerenis on business after the robbery. Possible new employer." Khanna wasn't sure how long will she be gone. Could be days, weeks or longer.
"This is gonna be our last night together for a while then... I'm gonna miss you Khanna. Don't know how I'm going to live without you..." Knowing Torak's luck, he wouldn't make it back. But he wanted their last night to be as nice as possible.
She smiled gently at his words.
"I'll miss you too." Khanna wasn't the best person when it comes to goodbyes, as he already knew.
"You survived without me before, you'll make it now too."
"This time, I won't leave without a goodbye. Please don't do what you did again? I hate being cold. I hate when you leave me like that." Torak sat on the bed with her, and stroked her cheek with his hand.
She shaked her head and smiled.
"I won't, I promised you that."
"Thank you Khanna." Torak leaned in an kissed her, balancing passion with desire. He didn't want to tell her.
Khanna kissed him back, surprised by the intensity of the kiss. Tomorrow they will part ways, and possibly never see each other again.
The next morning, Torak woke up slowly, his arms around Khanna. He ached, but his memory was oddly foggy due to the time of day, so he wasn't sure what had happened. All he knew was that it was a good night.
Khanna woke up probably around noon, which was unusually late for her. But, she didn't mind, her head slowly clearing up as she remembered what happened last night. She yawned and stayed right where she was, not getting up.
The yawn was contagious, and Torak tried to stifle his.
"Afternoon beautiful..."
"Afternoon." she smiled "Did you sleep well?"
"Much better than normal thanks to you... What about you?" Torak smiled and kissed her shoulder.
"Same." she smiled. "Didn't sleep this long and feel this rested in weeks."
"Was it what you hoped it would be?" Torak just wanted to hear that she was happy with her first time.
"It was.. Much better than I expected." she smiled happily.
"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it..." Torak gave her a final kiss on the shoulder, and got up and got changed, packing all his clothing into a bag.
Khanna stayed in the bed, watching him pack his stuff.
"You know, chances are slim for us to see each other again." she bit her lip.
"No they're not. I will come back here soon. It shouldn't be more than a month. I will miss you though..." Torak turned towards her, fully dressed and ready to begin his journey.
"Before I go, tell me... Do you love me?"
She was surprised by the question, but believed he did deserve the answer.
"I.. Yes, Torak." she said "I have nothing else to compare this feeling to."
Torak walked over to the bed, and gave her another kiss.
Just as he broke the kiss, he whispered in her ear.
"I love you too... And I hope I get to see you one day soon..." Torak gave her a kiss on the forehead, and with that, left, walking merrily from the inn to the city gates.
And from there?
He went straight to Hyoite.
FIN
Khanna finished her robbery quite successfully and began her journey. There were still many people to rob from and a lot of people who deserved to die which made her job very well-paid.
At least she had lots of time on her hands...
The End...