Kazune sat burning with rage as he saw Jin's mouth move. Surely he was explaining the conditions of their agreement but Kazune could hear nothing. Millions of things were running through his mind. He wanted Karin back NOW and he wanted to hurry up and get out of here.

"HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING? I am explaining how you will get your pissy ice woman back and how you will service me." Jin's voice trembled with rage at the lack of attention he was getting. It reminded Kazune of a spoiled brat, demanding to be watched.

"Get on with it, I won't sit and listen to your drivel forever." Kazune snarled back with his unwavering glare.

The air grew tense between the three of them. Karin was sitting silently, watching the scene before her unfold and wishing she was free of the restraints she adorned. Kazune's rage made her uneasy. She could see him sitting unnaturally still, with a predator's eyes. In his mind he was brutally slaughtering the governor and all he had worked for.

Karin's thoughts were cut when the governor made a move in Kazune's direction. A single step towards the maddened warlock broke the silence and a jet of flame shot along the floor, scorching the governor's cloak as he dodged clumsily to the side.

"I told you to get on with it! You'd better make your contract foolproof, because I will try to thwart your plans."

Jin looked down at Kazune with glinting eyes.

"You think I need your power? A simple fire elemental? Please, even if you have great control over your talents, I have the ability to control all weather. I control this land's climate and wealth.

You think I need you to control the people or invaders, you are so sadly conceited." Jin's voice was chiming with mocking superiority.

Kazune was laughing on the inside at Jin's ignorance. He and Karin both knew what he did not and it all became a beautiful display of dramatic irony. This is how the great governor would dig his own grave and Kazune relished that thought.

"First off, I want you to work for me in the boiler room. That furnace worker has been dead for a few weeks now and I want to have hot water at my disposal again. You have to keep the water warm for the duration of the day and you will not be given wood to burn. Second, it's a little more demanding now, when I come down to relive you of water duty, you will be given the task of collecting taxes from the people of this town with a royal guard as your escort. That entails issuing the punishments of those who cannot pay as well. If you have done well till then, I will send you to the country of the far west and you to declare war on them for me."

Kazune began to chuckle, cutting Jin off.

"The country in the west? How interesting, that is where I have just come from and I'll tell you that that is a very useless command. As I left, that country was burning to all hell because of the war with the north. The north is very strong as you know, there is nothing left of that country, I can almost guarantee it."

"You're from the western country? You seem awfully happy to hear about the destruction of your people." Jin's eyes began to narrow and his mind was turning. Kazune became all the more interesting with his new found information.

"Well they never did anything to make me love that country so I escaped and let it burn. I am giddy about the death of such a resentful place." Kazune was smiling now, but his hunter eyes were still fixated on Jin's every move. He was thinking and watching to see what he could give away about himself and what he had to keep hidden.

Jin walked over to Kazune and grabbed his chin to force his eyes into his own.

Kazune stared him down as if challenging the governor to figure out who he was. He wanted to hypnotize him and fry his brain like he did to the guard but surely Jin would notice.

"Since you dislike that country anyway. I will send you there to get rid of everything that is left. But I will come with you to observe your every move. I want you to take down the northerners that reside. And if you can kill the northern queen, I will return Karin to you and let you go on your way. If you fail, or retaliate against me, however; I will see to the full lock down of you and your powers. We will put Suzune to work in the mines and Karin will become my loyal concubine for the rest of her days... or at least until her looks fade and I am no longer in need of her."

Karin was stirred by the order to kill the queen. Her sudden movement caught Jin's attention and made his golden eyes twinkle.

"Oh right, your mother is the current queen, isn't she." He directed at Karin.

"Can you handle the idea that your lover will kill the woman who gave you life in order to save you? Or does it displease you? Either way, I am sure he will do it."

Karin was silent. She did not love her mother for betraying her and trying to marry her off for royal power, but she did not enjoy the image of Kazune's brutal rage being the one to kill her.

As Karin thought, Kazune's mind was running as well. He really did not want to go back but he did enjoy the idea of making that country suffer more. Because Karin's mother was there though, his excitement was stopped short. He knew he would do anything to save Karin, but killing her own blood was risky.

"I thought you didn't need help with enemies?" Kazune taunted.

"I don't. The best part is, the north and the west are not my enemies, I just want their land so I want them to die off." He gave a dark grin.

"We leave for the west when dawn arrives."

The governor was a greedy man who got everything he wanted by force. Kazune was issued to help him, almost certainly sentencing him to death for betrayal and genocide. The death of the ice queen is surely going to be the moment when life paths will burst free, but the chance of there only being two, rings powerfully in Kazune's realization as he makes the agreement to both rescue and condemn the lives of others.