Part 2.
Saradush, 10 pm, one of those days.
Another fireball exploded outside and the shutters almost caught on fire. Rima did not turn towards the noise, all too intent on studying a dagger she held in her hand.
The blade was carved out of shiny black stone, semi-transparent on its edges. The groove in the middle was deep and not yet smoothed with use. The most peculiar thing about the dagger, thought Rima, was its hilt. It was made out of heavy dark metal -- adamantine. The inlay on the hilt's headpiece was of yellowish bone, carved into the likeness of a skull. Around it, a dozen or so of small garnets made a ring of tears. A couple of tiny rubies were set into the eyesockets.
"Do you think it's a human bone?" Rima asked aloud, squeezing the knife's point between her thumb and forefinger. She balanced it, as if she was about to let it fly. Sarevok took a moment to admire the assassin's poise and readiness. "She must be running out of patience right about now," he thought. Indeed, Rima's eyes lifted from the blade and glanced at her brother. Seeing that, Sarevok rose himself off the armchair and said smoothly: "It was the right thing to kill Amellisan, Rima. She broke her vow to our Sire. Besides, it will give us the access to her archives and will confuse those of our rivals, who are still alive."
Rima smiled coldly: "I asked, if that was a human bone, Sarevok. You did not answer my question."
The man grinned, fixing her with a long, lazy stare. "I answered the question which was on your mind, not on your lips. But, if it displeases you," he continued, starting to walk towards her, "I will answer the words which were on your lips as well."
It took him only four paces to cross the room. He inclined his head and watched the dagger's hilt. "Yes, it's a human bone. The sacrificial daggers of Bhaal's high priests are often decorated thus."
The pause grew, as the brother and sister stood by the barricaded window. Rima turned the dagger slowly, so that the blade's tip pointed at Sarevok. As if that was some sort of a signal,, the man took Rima's chin in his palm and gently pushed her head back. The yellow glow of Sarevok's orbs reflected for a moment in Rima's dark, widened eyes.
Their lips and bodies touched. The dagger's point slowly moved into the man's muscular chest, but he kept on kissing Rima, ignoring the pain. Rima's hand dropped to her side, and she mumbled an apology.
The door to the room opened, and Sarevok let Rima out of his arms. The brother and sister smiled unpleasantly at the pale youth, who stood in the doorway. "The next time you will interrupt me when I am talking to my sister, I will cut you asunder, Anomen," Sarevok said quietly.
"That was not "talking", Sarevok! And that was not a brotherly kiss!" Anomen shut the door with a violent thud and rushed towards them. "Have you lost your mind, Rima?"
Half-way, Anomen almost tripped, when he saw that Sarevok's chest was bloodied and the black dagger in Rima's hand. The groove and the garnets on the dagger came alive, shining bright, hungry red.
"What has this monster done to you?"" Anomen groaned, catching Rima and trying to pull her away from Sarevok.
"Nothing," Rima answered. "Nothing that I did not want my brother to do to me."
They all waited in silence for Anomen to start breathing again. The shocked expression left his face, giving way to rage. The young knight turned from Rima to Sarevok, his strong hands balling into fists. "You!" he rasped, "How dare you! Helm curse you!"
As if Helm answered Anomen's prayer, Sarevok paled and propped himself against the wall. The blood soaking his tunic blackened and the fabric started smoking around it. He shook violently, clutching his chest.
"You reek of evil, you..you! You must have put her under some spell, you are corrupting."
Anomen did not finish. Instead he hit his neck with an open palm, as if trying to kill a fly. His fingers closed around the black metal hilt incrusted with yellowish bone and flushing red stones. Slowly, the boy turned towards Rima and eyed her in disbelief. With the last bit of strength he pulled the dagger out, and his lifeblood sprayed the walls, the bed, the window and Rima. As Anomen died, Sarevok straightened, all signs of feebleness gone.
"Quick thinking," he said to Rima, and picked up the dagger. "Curious little toy."
Rima took the dagger from him and hid it in her bag. "Dangerous indeed, brother. But not a toy. I reckon, that once it tasted blood, it wanted a death to follow. Forgive me, brother, for almost killing you again."
"Dear sister, you choose to kill another for me to live. You lost a lover to do this noble deed. I shall see that you are compensated for this...loss,"Sarevok replied evenly.
Rima noted with pleasure that there was a plea and a touch of self-doubt in Sarevok's voice.
She sat on the edge of the bed and made a small gesture with her hand, telling Sarevok to approach: "The time is right". The man leaned over her and tried to unlace the bodice of the assassin's dress. The fighter chuckled at the sudden clumsiness of his fingers and abandoned his task, pushing Rima down and grabbing the hem of her skirts.
"Throat.." mumbled Sarevok as he pinned Rima to the bed with his weight, "why did you go for his throat?" He moaned with pleasure as his hands finally touched Rima's warm skin under the skirts. "I thought," he mumbled between two long kisses, "I thought you would go for his heart." Rima's smile became dreamy.
"The lad served his purpose. There was no need to cheapen it with symbolical crap," she whispered at length and then her back arched and she screamed: "Now, brother, now!"
Another fireball exploded in the torn street of Saradush, echoed by the screams of wounded and frightened. Sarevok listened for a moment and grinned: "The War of Sacrifice is upon us. The time is right indeed, Rima." The woman kissed the tip of her slender finger and pressed it against her lover's lips.
Saradush, 10 pm, one of those days.
Another fireball exploded outside and the shutters almost caught on fire. Rima did not turn towards the noise, all too intent on studying a dagger she held in her hand.
The blade was carved out of shiny black stone, semi-transparent on its edges. The groove in the middle was deep and not yet smoothed with use. The most peculiar thing about the dagger, thought Rima, was its hilt. It was made out of heavy dark metal -- adamantine. The inlay on the hilt's headpiece was of yellowish bone, carved into the likeness of a skull. Around it, a dozen or so of small garnets made a ring of tears. A couple of tiny rubies were set into the eyesockets.
"Do you think it's a human bone?" Rima asked aloud, squeezing the knife's point between her thumb and forefinger. She balanced it, as if she was about to let it fly. Sarevok took a moment to admire the assassin's poise and readiness. "She must be running out of patience right about now," he thought. Indeed, Rima's eyes lifted from the blade and glanced at her brother. Seeing that, Sarevok rose himself off the armchair and said smoothly: "It was the right thing to kill Amellisan, Rima. She broke her vow to our Sire. Besides, it will give us the access to her archives and will confuse those of our rivals, who are still alive."
Rima smiled coldly: "I asked, if that was a human bone, Sarevok. You did not answer my question."
The man grinned, fixing her with a long, lazy stare. "I answered the question which was on your mind, not on your lips. But, if it displeases you," he continued, starting to walk towards her, "I will answer the words which were on your lips as well."
It took him only four paces to cross the room. He inclined his head and watched the dagger's hilt. "Yes, it's a human bone. The sacrificial daggers of Bhaal's high priests are often decorated thus."
The pause grew, as the brother and sister stood by the barricaded window. Rima turned the dagger slowly, so that the blade's tip pointed at Sarevok. As if that was some sort of a signal,, the man took Rima's chin in his palm and gently pushed her head back. The yellow glow of Sarevok's orbs reflected for a moment in Rima's dark, widened eyes.
Their lips and bodies touched. The dagger's point slowly moved into the man's muscular chest, but he kept on kissing Rima, ignoring the pain. Rima's hand dropped to her side, and she mumbled an apology.
The door to the room opened, and Sarevok let Rima out of his arms. The brother and sister smiled unpleasantly at the pale youth, who stood in the doorway. "The next time you will interrupt me when I am talking to my sister, I will cut you asunder, Anomen," Sarevok said quietly.
"That was not "talking", Sarevok! And that was not a brotherly kiss!" Anomen shut the door with a violent thud and rushed towards them. "Have you lost your mind, Rima?"
Half-way, Anomen almost tripped, when he saw that Sarevok's chest was bloodied and the black dagger in Rima's hand. The groove and the garnets on the dagger came alive, shining bright, hungry red.
"What has this monster done to you?"" Anomen groaned, catching Rima and trying to pull her away from Sarevok.
"Nothing," Rima answered. "Nothing that I did not want my brother to do to me."
They all waited in silence for Anomen to start breathing again. The shocked expression left his face, giving way to rage. The young knight turned from Rima to Sarevok, his strong hands balling into fists. "You!" he rasped, "How dare you! Helm curse you!"
As if Helm answered Anomen's prayer, Sarevok paled and propped himself against the wall. The blood soaking his tunic blackened and the fabric started smoking around it. He shook violently, clutching his chest.
"You reek of evil, you..you! You must have put her under some spell, you are corrupting."
Anomen did not finish. Instead he hit his neck with an open palm, as if trying to kill a fly. His fingers closed around the black metal hilt incrusted with yellowish bone and flushing red stones. Slowly, the boy turned towards Rima and eyed her in disbelief. With the last bit of strength he pulled the dagger out, and his lifeblood sprayed the walls, the bed, the window and Rima. As Anomen died, Sarevok straightened, all signs of feebleness gone.
"Quick thinking," he said to Rima, and picked up the dagger. "Curious little toy."
Rima took the dagger from him and hid it in her bag. "Dangerous indeed, brother. But not a toy. I reckon, that once it tasted blood, it wanted a death to follow. Forgive me, brother, for almost killing you again."
"Dear sister, you choose to kill another for me to live. You lost a lover to do this noble deed. I shall see that you are compensated for this...loss,"Sarevok replied evenly.
Rima noted with pleasure that there was a plea and a touch of self-doubt in Sarevok's voice.
She sat on the edge of the bed and made a small gesture with her hand, telling Sarevok to approach: "The time is right". The man leaned over her and tried to unlace the bodice of the assassin's dress. The fighter chuckled at the sudden clumsiness of his fingers and abandoned his task, pushing Rima down and grabbing the hem of her skirts.
"Throat.." mumbled Sarevok as he pinned Rima to the bed with his weight, "why did you go for his throat?" He moaned with pleasure as his hands finally touched Rima's warm skin under the skirts. "I thought," he mumbled between two long kisses, "I thought you would go for his heart." Rima's smile became dreamy.
"The lad served his purpose. There was no need to cheapen it with symbolical crap," she whispered at length and then her back arched and she screamed: "Now, brother, now!"
Another fireball exploded in the torn street of Saradush, echoed by the screams of wounded and frightened. Sarevok listened for a moment and grinned: "The War of Sacrifice is upon us. The time is right indeed, Rima." The woman kissed the tip of her slender finger and pressed it against her lover's lips.