The infamous Rogue Assassin traveled around, collecting data and knowledge just as you would expect from a ninja. And wherever she went, a faithful shadow followed her. The first two days she didn't give too much thought to it and just ignored him, but when the boy dared to try and persuade her again, he unleashed the fury of the young assassin once more. Sometimes he would lose track of her for a few hours or even a full day, and from then on they started playing some kind of wicked game where the only rule was that if she managed to find the warrior observing her, they would instantly jump into battle. She always found him.

No one won in that confrontations, and when their strength or skills were not enough to defeat the opponent, they resorted to verbal war. Insults, sarcasm, sharp words, everything was useful to annoy each other and feed the fury that fueled the fight.

Half a week later, Kayn managed to find the girl in her sleep. He hadn't planned it or anything like that, he just happened to come across the small camp that the ninja had set up in the middle of the trees. He could understand her reasons; there were no nearby villages in the area and she was surely tired after a few sleepless nights. The girl's lifestyle didn't seem to include much rest, but obviously, that was taking its toll on her and she was now totally unconscious on her mat while the ashes remaining of a campfire were dying near her.

It seemed quite funny to him at first, because looking like that, curled up, breathing so slowly and with her eyes closed, she didn't look at all like the same woman who tried to cut his throat every time she came across him. She was so serene and peaceful, without a trace of the lethality that used to emanate, so calm, so still, so...

"Vulnerable"

He silenced Rhaast as he moved away, sitting on the thick roots of one of the existing trees in the area while still seeing the girl lying in her primitive camp. He didn't know why he hadn't already left her alone if he had nothing to do there (can't persuade someone while they're asleep, can you?), but seeing her like that was ... mildly interesting. Unintentionally, he began emulating her deep, steady breaths, making him relax in no time.

Why hadn't he already given up? Why didn't he just eliminate her and tell Master that it was the best choice? After all, she wanted him dead, and that he couldn't allow.

Every time Akali moved a little, he tightened his grip on the scythe as if he knew she was going to wake up and attack him any moment, but that just didn't happen. Hours passed and when he least expected it, he began to see the sun peeking out from behind the hills, so he decided to leave before the Rogue Assassin woke up.

With a sigh, he got up from where he was sitting and was about to leave when he heard a soft chuckle behind him.

"Good idea," he heard that familiar voice, "go away before I catch you, creep" The ninja hadn't moved an inch, she hadn't even sat down. Kayn panicked, but his years of training as a Shadow Warrior did not betray him in hiding all expression from his face.

"I think 'Thank you for protecting me from the night dangers' is more appropriate, Fist of Shadow" he managed to say with his characteristic mocking tone, trying to hide that tiny bit of embarrassment he felt.

"I don't need anyone's help to take care of myself, and I'm not the Fist of Shadow" she reminded him, standing up "besides..."

There was little Kayn could do when he was tackled to the ground, being threatened by a blade very close to his neck. He did not flinch at all, he smirked trying to take his scythe but Rhaast was further away than he thought, laughing at his lack of attention.

"Besides?" He encouraged her.

"Attacking while the enemy sleeps is for the weak and the cowards"

The next move was so fast that if Akali had blinked, she would have missed it. Now it was her who was caught by the warrior's body, with her hands at her sides while her weapons had been snatched from her and thrown out of her reach.

"If I had wanted to attack you, you would've been dead for hours... you would've been dead since the first time I saw you"

"Still feeling confident?" The girl smiled, then sighed "Kayn, Kayn ... you must be worse than I thought. What a shame…"

Akali released her left hand from its prison to tuck a strand of hair behind the boy's ear, who flinched at the soft touch of her hand against his skin. The assassin's fingers traveled from his ear, along his jaw to his chin, which she held with the tip of two of her fingers, quickly redirecting her hand to his neck.

She wouldn't have realized how close they were if he hadn't jumped back, making an expression she had never seen on him as he leaned with all his might against a tree. The young woman laughed and sat comfortably.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The warrior roared, holding his neck as if his skin burned where she had touched him moments ago, threatening her with the scythe that was back in his hands.

"Admiring the beauty of insane people. What a pity… why are the hot ones always crazy?" She stood up and began approaching slowly "What's wrong? are you afraid of being touched? What kind of wicked training does the Yánléi have for you to have such trauma?" Her soft and threatening voice filled the place, she felt victorious for having found a weakness in that warrior who seemed to have none. Having control literally in her bare fingertips made her swell with pride because blades or wounds weren't necessary to easily dominate her opponent.

If he wanted to say something, he didn't. He disappeared among the trees and they didn't see each other again for some time, during which the girl was able to travel without any inconvenience to some key villages to resupply herself with food and information.