lirpa, thank you for your continued support, and encouragement for me to
see this through to the end. It's coming, it's coming, I'll not bore you
for that many more chapters.
Chapter Twelve: The Dying
I make my way through the streets of this city. This city that means so little to me that I don't even know it's name, and through the people, the Blood, that I care naught for. I don't know where I'm going. Not exactly. I will know when I reach the place. In that way I'm lucky, after all, how many can say that they can choose the location of their deaths?
I walk into a small deserted, cobbled square, most of the building around it are abandoned. This is the worst area of the city, not even those desperate will live here, it's to... poisoned. Somehow that seems appropriate, I'm not sure why, but it does. I seat myself on the grimy stones and wait. he will come to me, this I know. I clink every time that I shift, but the weapons that I'm wearing have the same sense of rightness, and they make me feel better. I sit in the center of the square and wait. And as the sun begins its journey over the horizon a figure appears.
"Little lamb," he calls out, "what game are you playing? You can not hope to best me."
I do not hope to best him, I'm counting on it. I have to, and my trump card, so to speak, is the fact that I've already acknowledged that I'll die to do it.
"I'm no lamb." I say, my voice has taken on that bland tone, much like it would before I went out on a job. 'That's what this is, just any other job.' I tell myself. ' And after this one you can finally have some peace.'
He laughs, a booming laugh, like the one I remember from my childhood but somehow different. I waste no more time with words, I stealthfully draw a throwing knife and hurtle it at him. It glides at his left arm, sagging the material of his sleeve, and drawing a shallow line of blood. He can't back out now. I've just made it a matter of personal honour.
"You'll regret that, little lamb," he snarls at me, and charges towards me. I side step, and we end up grappling. I kick at him, and he backs away, still laughing, it's got an insane edge to it now though.
"You'll die slowly and painfully, and it will take hours," he hisses at me. I don't react. I know that I'm already dead.
We lock up, again, and this time he over powers me, and we topple to the disgusting streets. why did I choose to die in filth? We roll around, each of trying to best the other, neither remembering our training, just like when we were children. But I'm not a child, and this has to end. I pull my knee up into his balls, and he gasps in pain.
"That wasn't a very nice thing to do to your brother," he wheezes.
This time I reply, "I have no brother."
I lunge at him, and he side steps, and with in moments we're both back down in the filth. I force myself to turn my wrist, and reach for one of my knives, not at all easy when I'm being choked. I gasp, and shove the blade into his arm. He backs off, releasing me to pull the blade out of his arm.
"Father's," he mutters, and tosses it away. I've used the moments respite to draw another of my blades, and watch as he draws his, we circle each other, wary now that blades have entered the battle. All too soon we're tangled together in some parody of a lover's embrace, only we're both trying to kill each other.
We break apart, and we're both bleeding. It won't be long now, if I'm going to do this I have to do it soon. He smiles, holding the knife in front of me, figuring I won't charge when I'll die too, and he can wait me out. Pity, I was waiting for this. I charge forward, and lunge at him. I feel his knife slide into me. It slips between my ribs with a crunch. I grin crazily, and stab him in the throat. He gasps, his expression mystified.
"Why?" He gurgles.
"Because I didn't have the time to wait you out." My breath is coming in shorter gasps. I thought that I might survive this one, but no such luck.
"No, why?"
"Because there are people in the realm that I love. Men and women who are my family. I couldn't let you hurt them. Besides, your death gives me my revenge. I have no more reason to live."
I laugh and his breath rattles out of him for the last time. I smile, and try to pull myself into a sitting position. It takes me three attempts to manage it, but I do, and I get to see the sun rising over the land. It's a blood red sun, my sun. I'd almost thing my day is dawning, too bad that I'm dying before I get to enjoy it.
Slowly my strength drains from me, and my blood flows with it.
"Just more filth in an already dirty world," I mutter to myself, and close my eyes. It takes too much energy to keep them open. I feel like sleeping, so I let my head roll forward, and then my pain is gone. too bad I think that means I'm dead. I wonder wear I am now. I better open my eyes and find out.
I crack my eyes open, and glance quickly around the room. It's a study, why am I not surprised. It's the man sitting behind the giant desk that's a bit of a surprise.
Well, we're getting closer to finished. Hunter is actually dead, and I'm sure that most people can guess where he is now. Let the fun begin.
Chapter Twelve: The Dying
I make my way through the streets of this city. This city that means so little to me that I don't even know it's name, and through the people, the Blood, that I care naught for. I don't know where I'm going. Not exactly. I will know when I reach the place. In that way I'm lucky, after all, how many can say that they can choose the location of their deaths?
I walk into a small deserted, cobbled square, most of the building around it are abandoned. This is the worst area of the city, not even those desperate will live here, it's to... poisoned. Somehow that seems appropriate, I'm not sure why, but it does. I seat myself on the grimy stones and wait. he will come to me, this I know. I clink every time that I shift, but the weapons that I'm wearing have the same sense of rightness, and they make me feel better. I sit in the center of the square and wait. And as the sun begins its journey over the horizon a figure appears.
"Little lamb," he calls out, "what game are you playing? You can not hope to best me."
I do not hope to best him, I'm counting on it. I have to, and my trump card, so to speak, is the fact that I've already acknowledged that I'll die to do it.
"I'm no lamb." I say, my voice has taken on that bland tone, much like it would before I went out on a job. 'That's what this is, just any other job.' I tell myself. ' And after this one you can finally have some peace.'
He laughs, a booming laugh, like the one I remember from my childhood but somehow different. I waste no more time with words, I stealthfully draw a throwing knife and hurtle it at him. It glides at his left arm, sagging the material of his sleeve, and drawing a shallow line of blood. He can't back out now. I've just made it a matter of personal honour.
"You'll regret that, little lamb," he snarls at me, and charges towards me. I side step, and we end up grappling. I kick at him, and he backs away, still laughing, it's got an insane edge to it now though.
"You'll die slowly and painfully, and it will take hours," he hisses at me. I don't react. I know that I'm already dead.
We lock up, again, and this time he over powers me, and we topple to the disgusting streets. why did I choose to die in filth? We roll around, each of trying to best the other, neither remembering our training, just like when we were children. But I'm not a child, and this has to end. I pull my knee up into his balls, and he gasps in pain.
"That wasn't a very nice thing to do to your brother," he wheezes.
This time I reply, "I have no brother."
I lunge at him, and he side steps, and with in moments we're both back down in the filth. I force myself to turn my wrist, and reach for one of my knives, not at all easy when I'm being choked. I gasp, and shove the blade into his arm. He backs off, releasing me to pull the blade out of his arm.
"Father's," he mutters, and tosses it away. I've used the moments respite to draw another of my blades, and watch as he draws his, we circle each other, wary now that blades have entered the battle. All too soon we're tangled together in some parody of a lover's embrace, only we're both trying to kill each other.
We break apart, and we're both bleeding. It won't be long now, if I'm going to do this I have to do it soon. He smiles, holding the knife in front of me, figuring I won't charge when I'll die too, and he can wait me out. Pity, I was waiting for this. I charge forward, and lunge at him. I feel his knife slide into me. It slips between my ribs with a crunch. I grin crazily, and stab him in the throat. He gasps, his expression mystified.
"Why?" He gurgles.
"Because I didn't have the time to wait you out." My breath is coming in shorter gasps. I thought that I might survive this one, but no such luck.
"No, why?"
"Because there are people in the realm that I love. Men and women who are my family. I couldn't let you hurt them. Besides, your death gives me my revenge. I have no more reason to live."
I laugh and his breath rattles out of him for the last time. I smile, and try to pull myself into a sitting position. It takes me three attempts to manage it, but I do, and I get to see the sun rising over the land. It's a blood red sun, my sun. I'd almost thing my day is dawning, too bad that I'm dying before I get to enjoy it.
Slowly my strength drains from me, and my blood flows with it.
"Just more filth in an already dirty world," I mutter to myself, and close my eyes. It takes too much energy to keep them open. I feel like sleeping, so I let my head roll forward, and then my pain is gone. too bad I think that means I'm dead. I wonder wear I am now. I better open my eyes and find out.
I crack my eyes open, and glance quickly around the room. It's a study, why am I not surprised. It's the man sitting behind the giant desk that's a bit of a surprise.
Well, we're getting closer to finished. Hunter is actually dead, and I'm sure that most people can guess where he is now. Let the fun begin.