Perhaps Another Day... (Caerina, Aetheral)

[Brisinger987]

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."

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

"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."

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

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."

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

"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."

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

"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.

[Caerina]

"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.

[Brisinger987]

"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.

[Caerina]

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.

[Brisinger987]

"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.

[Caerina]

"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.

[Brisinger987]

"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."

[Caerina]

"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.

[Brisinger987]

"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."

[Caerina]

" 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.