The Lalafell let out a sigh, almost one of relief as he reached his destination. The courtesan Natalie had once used to take Roen’s place for a night while Natalie and Roen went out for a drink. Of course, Kage was… was he doing something worse? He was asking someone to put their life at risk. For someone that the other did not know.
Roen will be furious, Kage thought to himself. Why did I even think this was a good idea?
Better her, than Roen. came the unbidden thought. Kage shook his head at it. This was going to be an offer, a request, a job. He wasn’t to force her anymore than he could force Roen to find the answers that she sought. It wasn’t himself that stopped his trail of thoughts, the pump of adrenaline that made him want to fight. It was the touch of cold steel at his neck and the chill that accompanied it that made his hair stand on end.
“You’ve been asking for me little one?â€
Little One… what that strange man had called him. Should be used to it after all.
“Nod yes and put your arms up Lalafell.â€
Kage breathed, one… two. He’d let himself get caught off guard… or maybe she was just that good? He’d been watching and it was the same… except for her. He nodded in acknowledgement and in answer as he put his arms up. He breathed steadily as her hands grabbed his axe, the feather of his beret moving as she brushed against him as she searched his body. As she turned, the Lalafell couldn’t help blushing as her breasts came into view and her pleasant smelling perfume waded through to his nostrils.
“Let’s go then,†she said. Kage wiped his face, once, as he followed her to a room away from her fellows. His eyes glanced about the room, sizing her and it up. He looked for the exits; he looked at her; and he watched as she poured some sweet water into two mugs. He looked into her eyes as she raised a brow, “Well then Kiryuu?â€
“You have something to ask of me, something that requires great trust yes? Extend to me some of that trust,†she said as she handed over one of the mugs, her eyes intent on his own. The Lalafell met her eyes, trying to deny that he was most likely sending someone to their death to save the life of his friend.
Twelve, Roen will never forgive me.
After taking closing his eyes for a moment, Kage took another deep breath and then took a long drink from the mug. His eyes blew wide open and he coughed, realizing that it wasn’t just sweet water. Oh, the amount of alcohol in it had made his throat burn. He looked to her, her likeness to Roen’s only extending to some of her facial features and race.
Will I be able to forgive myself?
She smirked at him, nodded and then took her own long drink. “So then, out with it, Ser Kiryuu, former Sultansworn.â€
Kage sighed and then spoke. She knew of whom she’d taken the place of before. He told her of the threat, the man with a large blade who had cut down others with ease. The psychotic man who had told them that he wanted Roen. Little Wolf. He’d told Delial to bring her, since he’d had something of hers. The voidlings, the unpleasantness that the man had had. How most likely these people were the same ones who put Roen in trouble for treason.
“You want to offer me what…? My life to this man? He’d killed two people, possibly three and you want to use me as a lure? This is my life we’re talking about here Kiryuu. You have to give me more than that.â€
It was all too much for him, and Kage teared up.
“I know-!†He sobbed a bit, “I know… Twelve don’t I know that?! But she can’t… She doesn’t want to be involved. She can’t be involved. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore. One step forwards and ten steps back! But..
“But Roen is so much more than me. If only… if I could lure him out I would but there’s just no way to make myself even look remotely like her. I don’t know how I could even possibly do it.†He brought his beret down with one hand, covering his face with it and his palms.
Her eyes watched him, before she stopped twirling the knife and stabbed it into a table. Kage stopped, hitching his breath as she approached. A soft, tender hand cupped his chin and pulled his head to stare at her own. She looked into his eyes, clouded with confusion and desperation as they were.
“I’ll do it.â€
His eyes widened before they furrowed together as he frowned. “What..?â€
“I’ll do it, Kiryuu.â€
“What, b-but!â€
Her lips quirked as she shook her head. He wanted to and yet he didn’t. She had seen him of course. Once, when a man had roughed up one of her own. Oh she took care of him of course, but before she had, she had seen Kiryuu break the man’s legs. The Lalafell had left him on their step as he’d walked away, flushed and angry. He’d come once or twice, to just talk to some of the younger ones. He had blustered and stammered but he’d been…. real with them. He wanted to know who they were besides their services.
“But you wanted to ask me if I would help you lure some psychotic man out so that she wouldn’t be, correct?â€
Kage closed his tearing eyes before looking her straight and nodding. She, too, nodded and said, “And I am saying I will do it. But!†She held up a finger to stop him.
“I want you to promise a few things,†she said, a small smile forming on her lips.
“What is it that you ask of me?â€
“First, if I die and I certainly do not plan on it, if I die I want you to absolve yourself of the responsibility. I do it because I want to and because I can.
“Second, I don’t want to see you there in case something does happen. I think that even though I am asking you the first that in the moment you will be unable to.â€
Kage shook his head, mouth gaping and denial upon his lips. She shooshed him, continuining.
“Third, I want you to tell me the rest of what you know. How did the man fight? What was he like? You mentioned blades. A great sword and a knife. I want to know everything.†She said this as she played with another knife, taking it in and out of its sheath.
“Fourth, I want you to come here more often after all is done up north. I need another person looking after my fellows. You’ve done a good job when you do it, so I want you to take a place. You won’t be here forever and alone, but I want a good man guarding these doors and that man shall be you.
“Last, I want you and I to get to know each other. My name…. My name is Hestia Redde and I have the rot.â€
Twelve, I’m so sorry Hestia.
Roen will be furious, Kage thought to himself. Why did I even think this was a good idea?
Better her, than Roen. came the unbidden thought. Kage shook his head at it. This was going to be an offer, a request, a job. He wasn’t to force her anymore than he could force Roen to find the answers that she sought. It wasn’t himself that stopped his trail of thoughts, the pump of adrenaline that made him want to fight. It was the touch of cold steel at his neck and the chill that accompanied it that made his hair stand on end.
“You’ve been asking for me little one?â€
Little One… what that strange man had called him. Should be used to it after all.
“Nod yes and put your arms up Lalafell.â€
Kage breathed, one… two. He’d let himself get caught off guard… or maybe she was just that good? He’d been watching and it was the same… except for her. He nodded in acknowledgement and in answer as he put his arms up. He breathed steadily as her hands grabbed his axe, the feather of his beret moving as she brushed against him as she searched his body. As she turned, the Lalafell couldn’t help blushing as her breasts came into view and her pleasant smelling perfume waded through to his nostrils.
“Let’s go then,†she said. Kage wiped his face, once, as he followed her to a room away from her fellows. His eyes glanced about the room, sizing her and it up. He looked for the exits; he looked at her; and he watched as she poured some sweet water into two mugs. He looked into her eyes as she raised a brow, “Well then Kiryuu?â€
“You have something to ask of me, something that requires great trust yes? Extend to me some of that trust,†she said as she handed over one of the mugs, her eyes intent on his own. The Lalafell met her eyes, trying to deny that he was most likely sending someone to their death to save the life of his friend.
Twelve, Roen will never forgive me.
After taking closing his eyes for a moment, Kage took another deep breath and then took a long drink from the mug. His eyes blew wide open and he coughed, realizing that it wasn’t just sweet water. Oh, the amount of alcohol in it had made his throat burn. He looked to her, her likeness to Roen’s only extending to some of her facial features and race.
Will I be able to forgive myself?
She smirked at him, nodded and then took her own long drink. “So then, out with it, Ser Kiryuu, former Sultansworn.â€
Kage sighed and then spoke. She knew of whom she’d taken the place of before. He told her of the threat, the man with a large blade who had cut down others with ease. The psychotic man who had told them that he wanted Roen. Little Wolf. He’d told Delial to bring her, since he’d had something of hers. The voidlings, the unpleasantness that the man had had. How most likely these people were the same ones who put Roen in trouble for treason.
“You want to offer me what…? My life to this man? He’d killed two people, possibly three and you want to use me as a lure? This is my life we’re talking about here Kiryuu. You have to give me more than that.â€
It was all too much for him, and Kage teared up.
“I know-!†He sobbed a bit, “I know… Twelve don’t I know that?! But she can’t… She doesn’t want to be involved. She can’t be involved. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore. One step forwards and ten steps back! But..
“But Roen is so much more than me. If only… if I could lure him out I would but there’s just no way to make myself even look remotely like her. I don’t know how I could even possibly do it.†He brought his beret down with one hand, covering his face with it and his palms.
Her eyes watched him, before she stopped twirling the knife and stabbed it into a table. Kage stopped, hitching his breath as she approached. A soft, tender hand cupped his chin and pulled his head to stare at her own. She looked into his eyes, clouded with confusion and desperation as they were.
“I’ll do it.â€
His eyes widened before they furrowed together as he frowned. “What..?â€
“I’ll do it, Kiryuu.â€
“What, b-but!â€
Her lips quirked as she shook her head. He wanted to and yet he didn’t. She had seen him of course. Once, when a man had roughed up one of her own. Oh she took care of him of course, but before she had, she had seen Kiryuu break the man’s legs. The Lalafell had left him on their step as he’d walked away, flushed and angry. He’d come once or twice, to just talk to some of the younger ones. He had blustered and stammered but he’d been…. real with them. He wanted to know who they were besides their services.
“But you wanted to ask me if I would help you lure some psychotic man out so that she wouldn’t be, correct?â€
Kage closed his tearing eyes before looking her straight and nodding. She, too, nodded and said, “And I am saying I will do it. But!†She held up a finger to stop him.
“I want you to promise a few things,†she said, a small smile forming on her lips.
“What is it that you ask of me?â€
“First, if I die and I certainly do not plan on it, if I die I want you to absolve yourself of the responsibility. I do it because I want to and because I can.
“Second, I don’t want to see you there in case something does happen. I think that even though I am asking you the first that in the moment you will be unable to.â€
Kage shook his head, mouth gaping and denial upon his lips. She shooshed him, continuining.
“Third, I want you to tell me the rest of what you know. How did the man fight? What was he like? You mentioned blades. A great sword and a knife. I want to know everything.†She said this as she played with another knife, taking it in and out of its sheath.
“Fourth, I want you to come here more often after all is done up north. I need another person looking after my fellows. You’ve done a good job when you do it, so I want you to take a place. You won’t be here forever and alone, but I want a good man guarding these doors and that man shall be you.
“Last, I want you and I to get to know each other. My name…. My name is Hestia Redde and I have the rot.â€
Twelve, I’m so sorry Hestia.