The boy sat in the cluttered alleyway, unmoving. The cold metal of his knife pressed against his leg. He paid it no mind, even when it dug into his skin painfully he did not flinch. Its cool temperature was a welcomed relief from the blistering heat of the desert. He was waiting, but that was another thing he was accustomed to. Waiting was part of this job.
A cloud of dust blew down the main road the alley was attached to. As he watched the dust go by a shadow fell over the little boy. He looked up and was met by the kind eyes of his target. The man stared at the child for a moment before making a decision.
"General Majhid?" The guard standing next to him questioned.
"Boy, come with me." The man stated.
The boy quietly stood up and followed the man as they walked through the town. They soon came to a large, heavily guarded estate. The guard opened up a side door and the child followed the man inside.
A female servant dressed in conservative clothing and a Hijab walked past them as they walked further into the house.
"Maid, prepare a meal for our young guest." The man called.
"Right away sir." The maid said, as she owed her head slightly.
The three of them found their way into a room with a small round table and sitting cushions on the floor. The man sat down and gestured for the boy to sit across from him. The maid came back in followed by another woman who was similarly dressed. They placed three plates full of food on the table before the man waved his hand for them to leave. He also dismissed the guard.
The boy instinctively reached for his knife, seeing this as his chance to finish the job he was sent here for.
"You won't be able to do it." The man said.
The boy froze in place.
"I know what they sent you to do, but you won't do it. I know you won't." The man continued.
"How do you know?" the boy questioned.
"You have no reason to trust me, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. You can do what ever you want. You can either trust me or finish the job they sent you here to do and continue down your path. What will it be?" The man said.
"I'll trust you." The boy said in a meek voice after a moment of consideration.
The man smiled before he started to speak again. "Do you know who I am?"
"Yes, your Badakhshan's Tiger." The boy replied.
"That's right, and from today on you are Kashim, son of Badakhshan's Tiger." The man said with a bright grin on his face.
"Sousuke?" Kaname questioned from her place in his arms.
"What?" Sousuke replied as he looked down at her face.
Kaname pushed herself up with her arms resting on Sousuke's chest. She looked into his eyes and repeated her previous question.
"What was your father like?" She asked as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"He was a kind man. Even thought I was just some malnourished orphan who was sent to kill him, but instead of killing me like you would expect he took me in and raised me." Sousuke replied.
"Well, I think he did a good job." Kaname said with a smile.