A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa & Arkaniel]
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Kye on 26-06-2010, 20:38:05</h2>
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				Title: <strong>A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>26-06-2010, 20:38:05</strong>
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				Daria shuddered, chill bumps running down her spine.&nbsp; Late fall in Harrondor had next to nothing to do with warmth.&nbsp; The first snow had fallen earlier in the day leaving the capital city covered in a thin sheen of sparkling iridescent white.&nbsp; It would have been a truly beautiful sight if she’d had a roof over her head and a crackling fire to warm her.&nbsp; As it was she could not remember the last time she’d had a roof over her head.&nbsp; In fact she could not remember the last time she had truly been warm either.&nbsp; <br><br>She pulled the thread bare cloak more tightly around her shoulders, huddling in the scant warmth it offered as she watched the marketplace from her perch hidden among the gargoyles that stood watch over the city from the walls that wrapped protectively around the high temple.&nbsp; She had always found that odd.&nbsp; The temple hid itself from the very people it should have been intent upon helping, leaving the poor huddled in the deep cold shadows of its walls.&nbsp; Like everyone and everything else of note in the kingdom of Harrondor the temple was corrupt with power and wealth, taking what little people could scrounge together in tithe.<br><br>While the cloak did little to warm her it did manage to help her blend in with her surroundings, the shadows of the gargoyle making it difficult to see her against the dark stone.&nbsp; She kept her midnight black hair tucked beneath the wrinkled folds of fabric, her pale skin hidden from view.&nbsp; Anyone who happened so see her would have nothing but a memory of worn grey cloth and ice blue eyes. <br><br>She continued to study her target for a moment longer before she slipped from the wall, finding cracks barely large enough to jam her fingers into as she descended.&nbsp; As soon as her feet touched the ground she melded into the crowd without note, heading towards the baker’s stall.&nbsp; It had once been a colorful stall of deep red, but now it was faded like so much around her, the colors having bled away with age and neglect.&nbsp; The man’s attention was elsewhere, talking to a patron with a false smile and greedy eyes.&nbsp; He would never notice one or two loaves missing, and it would feed her for the rest of the week if she were careful.&nbsp; <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>30-06-2010, 19:41:26</strong>
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				Suresh unobtrusively mixed into the crowd, the grey cloak obscuring his body, the upturned hood hiding his features. To all intents and purposes, he was currently invisible. Whom would pay attention to one of the many featureless people out on the streets during the market, especially when the fabric of the cloth suggested no wealth and thus no interest, while still maintained well enough not to draw any negative attention or even outright distrust, as the strays, vagabonds and other scum of the street, the many, many poor littering the city, were always seen as thieves and murderers.<br><br>This was how the man liked things best. To be unseen. He had tasted both glory and infamy, vilification and heroism, and none of them were pleasant. None of them were things he wanted again. But it seemed his curse. Oh, there had been different guises, one after another, disappearing when he deemed the time had come, when peace and quiet became impossible to get. But even in this newest guise, that of Suresh, his reputation was growing considerably. It was a well-earned one at that.<br><br>The reason was simple. <br><br>Due to who Suresh was, he had a certain talent, one that almost forced him to always, no matter what guise, take a kind of job in a single genre. That of a killer in all of its varieties. And being who, or more what, he was, he simply excelled at it, so much so, that tales of his newest deeds always spread far sooner than he ever wanted. He couldn’t help it that Death was his gift, that taking lives is what he did the best, the best in the whole world. He was born that way, raised that way and lived that way, so all-encompassing that no matter how much he wanted to change, it was simply impossible.<br><br>Not in the slightest because he ‘liked’ killing. No, he was not a psychotic murderer, but he gained a certain satisfaction every time one of his actions snuffed out someone’s soul like a lit candle in a storm. And that is why this time, he had once more donned the persona of an assassin, one that found plenty of job opportunities in corruption and crime ridden Harrondor. The capital city not only bore the burden of the many corrupt lords, the court intrigues that were bloodier than some wars, and the ever-lasting territory disputes between crime lords, as well as punishments for those who crossed them, but also a thin cover of pristinely white snow, covering roof, and a smudge dredge of mud and ice in the streets, as thousands of people padded through them, regardless of the freezing cold.<br><br>Soon enough, the thin sheen would turn into a thick blanket, smothering everything beneath it and once more weeding out the weak from the strong. At least for the poor and the underworld. As Suresh strode through the streets, still unnoticed by most, he could see the urchins on the street, the pickpockets, the thieves, the gangs, the strays, all scrambling to get enough money or at least food, to keep them alive, to last them through the harsh winter of Harrondor. The weak will die, the strong will live. It was the city’s own natural selection, its own culling, one he would help along, as was his natural cause, all the souls passing through him into the afterlife. He would even add a few souls personally, as he had plenty of new contracts to pick from.<br><br>Lost in thought, he reached the market area, where vendors of all kinds were selling their wares, from fish to woodwork, from baskets to bread, creating an intoxicating aroma of ‘life. And he loved it…<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>04-07-2010, 08:23:17</strong>
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				Daria waited with the patience of one who had known too many days and nights of hunger.&nbsp; Her mouth watered as she waited for the perfect time, forgotten where she hid, tucked up so small in the space that she looked more like a child than a young woman.&nbsp; It had been days since she had tasted bread.&nbsp; In fact food of any kind was nothing more than a fleeting memory of taste and texture that she could only hope to recapture if she were lucky.&nbsp; <br><br>Finally the moment she had been waiting for arrived.&nbsp; That split moment where everyone’s attention was elsewhere, when the world itself seemed to sigh and turn its back on whatever she was about to do giving her tacit permission to take what she needed.&nbsp; With nimble fingers and swift movements she swiped two loaves off of the table and melted back into the crowd with the precious bread tucked up beneath her cloak.&nbsp; The bread was still warm against her hands as she moved through the crowd and looked for anyone else who seemed out of place.&nbsp; Someone who would not miss a coin or two.&nbsp; With the luck she was having so far she could only hope that she would be able to cut a purse and get a warm roof over her head and a hot bath.&nbsp; Luxuries she could desperately use at the moment.<br><br>Not too rich and not too poor… she refused to take from someone who might need the coin as much as she did.&nbsp; She wandered half of the marketplace before she saw him.&nbsp; A stranger, someone she had never seen before.&nbsp; His clothes neither silk nor threadbare.&nbsp; He was not the typical target, but then again she had learned not to go after the same targets as the other thieves.&nbsp; Competition led to rivalry and hatred, things a young woman who lived by her wits instead of lifting her skirt could not afford.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br>She wove in and out of press of bodies, her too thin form easily slipping into spaces that a normal person would never fit into as she trailed him, watching the way he moved as she tried to get the timing down.&nbsp; She finally drifted to within a foot of him, the press of bodies threatening to make her claustrophobic as she reached out with the sharpened sliver of glass that she kept on herself and cut through the strings, letting it fall into her hand easily with a smile of triumph upon her face.&nbsp; <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>23-08-2010, 16:24:54</strong>
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				He could feel intent becoming palpable in the air. His senses sharpened, stretching out, reaching where no human could, as he became aware of his surroundings. His eyes caught the moving shadow of someone with a talent to remain unseen, much like he had. But to someone as experienced as him, as well as the many unfair advantages he held, it was nigh impossible to sneak up on him. He didn’t even need his human senses to notice. He was simply aware of everything living around him, everything that could be killed shone like a beacon in his mind’s eyes.<br><br>Then, Suresh heard the faint ring of a piece of glass being moved, he could see the hint of reflected sunlight on the nearest wall, while he felt the sharpened edge approaching. If he couldn’t simply taste the intent behind it, he would have reacted far more violently than he did now. As it was, he just kept up his slow pace through the crowd, remaining unobtrusive, even as he could practically feel the sharp shard reaching out in a surprisingly skilled hand, the razor sharp edge cutting through the rope holding his money bag, before her other hand struck, swift as a snake, catching the small leather pouch and the coins within, without making any perceptible sound.<br><br>He allowed her to get away, for now, not wishing to make a scene in one of the public market places, but as soon as she would be out of view, in the dim shadows of an empty alley, opening her prize while munching her freshly stolen bread, oh yes, he could smell it in the air, he would be there.<br><br>And in the very moment her surprise would stun her, he would make his appearance known to her. After all, instead of the bronze and copper she might be expecting, as his apparel suggested, she would find more gold and silver than a street urchin, a small thief like her would have in a lifetime…<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>25-08-2010, 22:54:24</strong>
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				The weight of the coin purse as it fell into her hand made her breath catch for a moment, but it did not stop her, her body turning to disappear in the crowd even as she thrilled at her success.&nbsp; It felt like at least enough coppers to keep her fed and warm for a fortnight, and if there happened to be a silver or two she might even be able to have some boots made specifically to fit her.&nbsp; Her current boots were a size too big, ragged bits of cloth stuffed into the toes so that they would not chafe her skin and blister her flesh, the soles worn almost through so that she could feel the cold of the cobblestone beneath her feet as she slipped from the market and headed towards the lower district with her prize carefully hidden beneath her threadbare cloak.&nbsp; <br><br>When she finally slipped into a dark alley she leaned against the wall and listened, straining to hear any sounds of pursuit.&nbsp; She waited so long that she began to shiver slightly, her jaw clenching at the cold the seeped beneath her clothing.&nbsp; Finally she slipped further into the alley, sure of the fact that she had not been followed, finding the darkest corner before she squatted down and pulled the purse out, setting it on her knees as she fumbled with the strings before managing to get it open.<br><br>She reached in and pulled out a handful of coins, almost dropping them in her surprise.&nbsp; She was sure that she had to be mistaken.&nbsp; The glint of gold and silver in her hands, not a sign of a copper anywhere, made her heart skip a beat, her eyes widening as she simply stared at the fortune that lay in her hands.&nbsp; This was enough to change a life… enough to ensure that she would eat every day, have new clothing and her fireplace would always be well lit.&nbsp; I small smile finally flickered across her lips, curling the corners upwards as she contemplated her good fortune.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>26-08-2010, 18:45:56</strong>
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				Many abilities, many beyond the scope of mortal capabilities, some even beyond that of mortal imagination were his to call upon. But a man with his experience, that of centuries if not longer, serving as a master of the night, at any profession he chose, did not need to use such abilities. He became merely one with the crowd, one with the shadows of a wet and chilly late fall day, disappearing from view for all intents and purposes. This was not the invisibility of magic or of divine might, but simply that of skill sharpened over many years.<br><br>Imperceptibly to anyone, he followed the girl or young woman that had snatched his purse. He could hear the coins clinking with the pure sound of noble metals occasionally, as he closed in on his target. She led him right into one of the many shadowed alleys that made up this dreary, overly populated city, where she finally sank down, paranoia and fear keeping her senses sharp for any pursuers. But she did not detect him, even as he moved closer and closer, first twenty yards, than ten, than five even.<br><br>Suresh watched as the girl sat there, relief and safety finally relaxing her slightly, as she started opening her prize, her eyes alit, or so they seemed to him, with the possibilities opened up to her with this money. He noticed immediately the exact moment when the expected cupper and hint of silver was revealed as a small fortune of silver and gold. A small smile fluttered over her lips, as he stood there, contemplating, assessing her.<br><br>She had not stolen out of greed, he could see that, but out of necessity, like many in this city. The fact she was a girl was surprising though, as they had far easier ways to make money. A sniff of air told him, however, she had not been with a man in that way, at least not for a while. That was surprising, and might speak of a strength of character many of the other poor lacked. <br><br>It did not make him want to let her keep the money, however. It only softened his response. Seemingly melting out of the shadows, one of his trademark moves in this identity as top notch assassin, he appeared less than five yards away from her, his cloak darker than before, the clothes underneath not as shaggy as expected, but of well weaved black cloth, tied around the waist like was customary in the Far eastern civilization, where the martial arts were considered noble and holy, in a way.<br><br>“That does not belong to you, girl”, he merely said, his voice bland, even, yet his eyes burning with his inner strength.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>30-08-2010, 22:54:50</strong>
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				She jumped and skittered backwards, the bag of coin clutched in her hands as he appeared, a cry of fright escaping her lips even as she pulled the shard of glass that served as her only weapon, her back meeting one of the grimy walls before she stood to stare.&nbsp; With wide eyes she tried to catch her balance once more, his words only registering when he did not move towards her immediately.&nbsp; That’s when she recognized him as well, her eyes widening even further if that was at all possible.&nbsp; She had been so careful, sure that no one had followed her, and yet there he stood.&nbsp; <br><br>“I… here, take it back, I am sorry… please just let me go, I promise you won’t have no trouble from me again,” she finally stuttered, blushing as she cinched the coin purse closed and tossed it onto the ground between them, close enough to him that he could reach it without having to come any closer to her as fear skittered through her nerves.&nbsp; <br><br>This was every street rat’s nightmare, to be faced with someone more skilled than them, someone who was able to hunt them down and find them who had a legitimate reason to do whatever they wished in retaliation.&nbsp; He had to be a thief like her, or a killer, either possibility could spell doom for her.&nbsp; Competition was high in the city, legitimate jobs being at a premium.&nbsp; The fact that she was a woman was the only thing that had kept her under the radar for so long, allowing her to stay out of the local gangs as she struggled not to end up in one of the brothels instead.&nbsp; <br><br>I did not know Sir, I would never have gone for your purse if I had known…” she trailed off, swallowing noticeably as she tried to force her heart back down into her chest where it belonged, the shard of glass clutched in her trembling fingers. <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>31-08-2010, 16:41:52</strong>
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				He watched her scramble in fear. He could both smell and taste it in the air, her raw emotion exuding the entire vicinity. And it was addictive. As a master of Death, he craved the sense of mortal fear. He didn’t like that he did so, but that was just the way it was. He saw how she crawled away, almost literally, seeking refuge as far away from him as possible, her back to the wall as she tossed his coin purse over the short distance.<br><br>Her voice was shivering and stammering apologies and excuses.<br><br>They were useless to him. He was supposed to be merciless, a killer, a God even. The harbringer of death, vengeance, the executioner. He was an assassin, the taker of lives, for money and for his own satisfaction. He never let anyone escape his wrath or his duty. And he couldn’t let this girl get away with this, despite her excuses and her raw, real fear. She was terrified, pleading, recognizing the threat he posed, though he wondered as what she actually saw him.<br><br>He brought forward an arm, his hand sliding from his long, loose sleeve, revealing a short, wicked blade he was holding. In an imperceptible flash of movement, he stood directly in front of her, his serrated blade pressed against her throat, the very sharp tip pressing into her soft skin. His other hand rose, showing how he held the coin purse, which he had picked up in the blink of an eye.<br><br>“Do you think I can let your thievery go unpunished? Do you think I could simply let you go, your meaningless, terrified pleading enough to sway me?”<br><br>His words were harsh, his tone cruel. But they were belying what he truly felt. Her pleading did actually tug at him, softening him, and he was unwilling to actually drive through on his threats. Yet, he could hardly let his reputation take a blow like this. He did not wish to change identities so soon again. So, he offered her a slight, almost hidden way out.<br><br>“If you were in my position, what would you do? What would you do to or demand from the person that had wronged you? What manner of personal compensation and satisfaction would you get from a person like that if you were in my shoes? Would you let her plead, let her offer anything she had, would you take it? Or would you deal with her in a more finite way?”<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>11-09-2010, 01:16:38</strong>
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				She could tell even before he drew the blade that he was not going to show her mercy, that she had finally gotten in over her head.&nbsp; She did not want to die in a dark cold alley, alone and frightened, but that appeared to be what was going to happen.&nbsp; She never even saw him move.&nbsp; Later she might remember a blur of motion or the shifting of the air as he moved, but in that moment he was simply in front of her with the blade pressed against her tender flesh.<br><br>A whimper of fear left her lips as she tilted her chin up, trying to get away from the blade even though she had no hope of doing so, her back pressed hard into the cold stone of the building behind her.&nbsp; For a moment she did not hear his questions, his offer so carefully hidden beneath anger and cold calculation.&nbsp; She did not know who he was, but she knew what he was and that was enough to make her tremble, the sharp teeth of the knife digging into her flesh as she swallowed past the lump in her throat.<br><br>“P-please sir.&nbsp; I meant no harm, I w-wanted a warm place to sleep for tonight, I did not know who you are…” she whispered, her throat barely moving against the blade.&nbsp; She took a deeper breath, steadying her nerves as her eyes stayed locked on his face, searching for any sign of kindness within.<br><br>“I w-would hope that I would be kind, but I cannot say for sure.&nbsp; I have never been in a position to be the one whose coin was stolen… we could come to some kind of arrangement.&nbsp; Perhaps you need someone to run errands for you, to do the dirty work you do not want to spend time doing… please…” the last word was barely audible, her eyes pleading for him to find some way out for her. <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>13-09-2010, 21:36:07</strong>
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				He just gazed at her, his dark eyes like bottomless pits drilling into hers. He was assessing her, judging her worth, her value to him. She fell short at first glance, her whimpering fear overwhelming his senses, feeding him, satisfying him. He had to fight through the rush that came as his second, no, his first nature. He hated this, he hated what he was and what he had to do. Her only saving grace was that is was not yet her time, so he could bite back his impulse to lash out and reach the peak of satisfaction, the one he got from each kill.<br><br>His voice almost rasped, straining as did his mind to get himself back under control. “Your excuses come too late little girl and your offerings to redeem are poor. Why would I need someone as useless as you to run me some errands? I knew you were picking my pocket even before you reached for it.”<br><br>While his words were harsh and brutal, he realized the implications of her words. The world was a sad place, were pretty, young girls could not have the things they wanted. Worse, where they couldn’t have what they needed without selling their own bodies. Yet, he admired her for refusing to offer even that when her life was in the balance.<br><br>“You are not offering everything you have”, he said to her, suggestively, one hand reaching down, the other holding the knife pressed to her throat. Strong, yet soft fingers caressed her cheek, her neck and went lower. The swell of her breast was traced by the very tip of his index finger, before his hand cupped her fully through the rags she was wearing. He wanted to see, to know her reaction. He craved her answer, the fiery spirit he was looking for. Or was she just another mindless lamb for slaughter?<br><br>His hand slipped to her other breast, his thumb flicking the tip of it, before his hand caressed lower and lower, seeking entrance through her rags and touching her between her legs. As he was doing so, his emotionless face and his bottomless eyes kept facing her, seeking the reaction he wanted to see…<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>17-09-2010, 05:21:38</strong>
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				Even believing that her pleas would have no effect his answer made her pale, her body trembling where he held her against the wall at the edge of his blade.&nbsp; Tears of fear gathered at the corners of her eyes, trembling there as he began to trace his way down her body, groping her breasts before sliding his hand down further.&nbsp; She might have offered him her body if given the choice, might have broken and given hem what she had somehow managed to keep safe, but his arrogant assumption that he could take it, that he had the right to explore her body and use her as payment for her mistakes made some of the fear retreat, a spark of anger filling her eyes.<br><br>She was a fighter.&nbsp; She had to be to survive on her own without selling her body, shivering night after night in the dark corners of warehouses or alleyways and scraping by year after year without ever seeking the easy road.&nbsp; She had decided long ago that anyone who wanted to take something from her would have a fight to do so, even if it was obvious she would lose.&nbsp; She would not be trod upon, not by him and not by anyone else if she had anything to say about it.<br><br>She struggled then, a line of crimson appearing on her neck to drip down as she struck out at him, her feet aiming to take out one of his knees as she grasped his wrist to try and keep the blade from sliding further into her flesh.&nbsp; “I am not useless, at least I am not a bully who would force a woman…” she hissed out through gritted teeth. <br><br>She knew she likely would not survive her actions, but in that moment she did not care.&nbsp; She simply wanted it to be over, one way or the other, and she refused to cower at the end.&nbsp; <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>23-09-2010, 15:09:12</strong>
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				She surprised him, pleasantly, by lashing out so suddenly and strongly. He could feel his kneecap being disjointed when she kicked him, nearly crushing the bone. If he had been a mere man, a weak little mortal, he would have sagged, crying out in pain, possibly letting go of her. Impressive. To him, however, it was a mere registration in his mind of how his body was temporarily damaged. Already, he could feel the bone slipping back into its proper place, his muscles and nerves realigning, firming the limb up again after the attack.<br><br>His dark eyes were focussed on the line of blood appearing on her neck, as she struggled and bit out her recriminations. He could hold her, easily, but he didn’t force the issue. The moment he could see the realization dawning in her, the fact that she wouldn’t survive his reaction to her defending herself, he let go. Suddenly, her weight was fully on her own feet again. The blade was gone, as if it had never been there to hold her at knife’s edge. <br><br>Instead of threatening, his features became more benign, or more amused. It was hard to tell, as his face was mostly in the shadows. Full lips curved into a smile, eyes glittering with admiration, however hidden the emotion was. As she had shown her fire, he decided to keep the promise he had made to himself. He would let her go. “I like a bit of fire in my woman”, he huskily whispered, “but I never need to force, unless that is what they really crave…” His voice was heavy with suggestion and seduction, inflected just so to call up visions for the mind’s eye.<br><br>Swift as a creature of the night, his hands darted to her. Before she could see, her pocket became heavier as four silver coins dropped inside. He stood against her still, his tall, powerful body pressed closely to her smaller, feminine one. A thick cloud obscured the sun and for a moment, everything was even darker. When the thin rays of light broke through again, lightening the thick shade, he was gone, leaving her alone. Where he stood, there was only a dagger of good make, though little showmanship and decoration, sticking into the ground, steel gleaming like silver.<br><br>If she was paying good attention to her senses, she might see the wisp of his dark cloak disappearing over the rooftops, even as his voice caressed her ears, as if spoken with his lips almost touching her. “The Rawl’s House doesn’t particularly care about guarding their unused back storage room…”. And he was gone.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>28-09-2010, 00:09:10</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The shock of being released, of the blade leaving her skin made her stumble, her hands finding the stone wall behind her to steady herself as she pressed her body up against it as tightly as she could.&nbsp; Her chest rose and fell sharply, the swell of her breasts showing through the disarranged cloak as she panted and stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes, for all the world like a cornered animal, her instincts to run screaming in her mind even though she had no way to get passed the man.&nbsp; <br><br>His voice changed when he spoke again, causing her to shiver in a way that had little to do with fear as he pressed himself up against her, dwarfing her as she craned her neck to keep her eyes on his face.&nbsp; He could feel the fine tremors that ran through her body where they touched, the tension that left her strung as tightly as a guardsman’s bow.&nbsp; <br><br>Between one blink and the next she was left alone, the chill air once again rushing in to fill the space he had occupied only a moment before.&nbsp; That final display of his abilities left her frozen, her senses searching the darkness for him as the sun appeared once more to caress along the dingy darkness of the alleyway around her.&nbsp; She fumbled in her pocket then, fingering the coins she found there with a confused frown as her eyes were instinctively drawn upwards.&nbsp; She did not see anything that would tell her where he had gone, or if he was truly gone at all, but in the back of her mind she knew that was the way he had gone.&nbsp; <br><br>She was so intent on looking for any sign of the man that she almost did not notice the knife, barely managing not to trip over it as she moved.&nbsp; She tugged it out of the ground and tested it’s balance, just the feeling of the blade in her hand making her more confident as she found it impossible to hold onto the fear that had gripped her but moments before.&nbsp; Such emotions were fleeting, but the trembling of her limbs as she sank back down to the ground was not, the after effects of adrenaline leaving her huddled there until the sounds of others moving through the streets beyond reached her and she stood, arranging her cloak to cover her once more as she slid the knife into her belt.&nbsp; <br><br>She knew where the Rawl’s place was, her curiosity making her consider his information when what she truly should have done was ignore it and walk away with what she had already managed to keep, namely her life and virtue.&nbsp; <br><br>Once she was well away from the alley she glanced down at the coins quickly, shock widening her eyes when she realized that it was silver.&nbsp; It didn’t take her long to get to the cobbler and find a pair of boots that fit her, the soles thick and warm, something she had not felt in far too long.&nbsp; She even had enough left over for a bowl warm stew that was not stolen from the market.&nbsp; As she sat beside a warm fire, an empty bowl of stew on the table in front of her hours later she waited for true dark to fall so that she could check out the tip the stranger had given her.&nbsp; It never even occurred to her that it could be a trap, after all he could have killed her right there in the alley and no one would ever have missed her.&nbsp; If nothing else it would be a warm place to pass the night…<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arkaniel</strong> on <strong>29-09-2010, 08:45:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He had purposefully sent her to the Rawl Estate. It was in a higher level of the city, one a normal lower level person, especially those who so easily looked like the many homeless and poor roaming the streets and alleys, reverting to crime, would never be allowed into. He told her to go there as a test. Yes, Suresh decided that her just standing up to him had been the beginning. The beginning of what, he didn’t have a clue about.<br><br>He just felt the urge to test the girl’s capabilities. He could feel his attention wavering towards her, even as he was long gone from her presence. Her wide, fearful eyes, flashing with defiance left a lingering impression on his mind. As he ran, almost flashing like a shadow from rooftop to rooftop, well-worn, spell-woven boots hitting tiles, straw and flattened cement with soundless steps and jumps, he could clearly see the pretty girl, dirtied and impoverished as she was.<br><br>Physically, she was definitely above average and with a bit of cleaning and grooming, she would look delicious enough to earn a fine coin if she rented her body or just her company out. But what stood more clearly to Suresh a man, a being who had seen all beauty in the world, whom had seen the perfection that was God and the inhuman serenity of the other angels, was the strength of her will and the unrelenting power of her sense of freedom.<br><br>He admired it.<br><br>Was that what had set him out to both help and test her so? For sure, she would find a warm place to sleep, some easy to get supplies and perhaps a few items that could be sold if she could carry them away unnoticed. But to get there, she had to display cunning, wit and plain sneakiness, more so than many were capable off. Or would she somehow find a few of the hidden entrances to the higher level, those only known to the leaders of the underworld and the top agents of various factions? Or, would she display an incredible amount of physical capability and stamina, and climb her way in unnoticed?<br><br>He wondered.<br><br>He just finished his job, sliding the dagger neatly into his target, a mercenary that had taken quite a few too many liberties with the ladies of the local brothel, leaving two of them in a long term healing ward. The mercenary, taking a shortcut through one of the darker alleys, didn’t even know Suresh was there, till the tip of the dagger slid into his heart, stopping it. With a soundless gasp, he fell down, dead. <br><br>Suresh stood there for a moment, breathing in the aroma of death, feeling his senses reeling, his adrenaline pumping. He was high on the excitement and on the satisfaction of completing an act he was born to do. He didn’t linger for long, however, and soon, he was near Daria again. He had given her the dagger for two reasons. One, for her own protection, to make sure no one would be able to get the drop on her without paying a price. He was curious about whether he would find her practicing or not. He suspected it would not take long before the girl had worked out something that would allow her to protect herself with lethality. The second purpose, was that it made him easier to track her, as the dagger was his property and he could felt his aura still sticking to the weapon.<br><br>Minutes later, he was nearby again, sensing her, seeing her in the inn. He slipped inside, unnoticed by her, just another shadowy client like any other. Indistinguishable, that was he. So he observed her, noticing the contentment of a warm meal on her face and the nice boots now warming her feet and lower legs. Good. He settled down, waiting, ready to follow her and see how she would get to the Estate.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: A Single Drop of Darkness [Kyrsa &amp; Arkaniel]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>13-10-2010, 23:09:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hours later she found herself walking the wall that divided the lower district from the wealthy, or rather walking beside it as she studied the length, the shadows of the wall keeping her hidden from the guards who regularly patrolled along the top.&nbsp; She had watched the patrols for most of the evening, until the sun had completely disappeared on the horizon.&nbsp; She knew the patterns, but she did not feel confident in her ability to climb the wall itself and slip over to the other side.&nbsp; <br><br>She had heard rumors of runways and crawlspaces in the walls that would allow someone small and flexible through.&nbsp; It was how things were smuggled through from the upper district to the lower, and vice versa on occasion.&nbsp; &nbsp;She’d simply had no reason to try and find one of them, until now.&nbsp; They would be in out of the way places, away from the thoroughfares and alleyways if she were to guess.&nbsp; In places that would be difficult to find, and impossible to see with the naked eye.&nbsp; This much she knew…<br><br>She ran her fingers along the dingy stone wall, the texture smooth, weathered by decades.&nbsp; She climbed silently over rubble and refuse as she moved further and further from the gates, the smell threatening to bring the hearty stew back up once more if she was not careful.&nbsp; She was about to give up when she spotted it, a pile of rubble.&nbsp; It was not like the others however, each stone carefully placed to look natural, but it was anything but.&nbsp; The ground was to clean around it, no small pebbles or chips to be seen.&nbsp; <br><br>She paused then to listen, waiting for the faint sound of the guards steps high above her to pass and fade once more before she clambered onto the pile of stones and searched by the pale moonlight, finally finding the finger holds she sought.&nbsp; With a silent grunt she shifted the heavy stone, the grinding sound loud to her ears as she paused and waited, sure that someone had heard. <br><br>When no one came she carefully slipped down into the crack, squeezing through the rough passage there.&nbsp; It was small, she could feel her body rub against the cool stone on either side of her and had to turn, barely managing to drag herself through the narrow fissure.&nbsp; She had a moment of panic as her body caught on an outcropping of stone, but she finally made it through, her breathing more than a little ragged with adrenaline and fear as she crouched on the other side and listened once more.&nbsp; <br><br>She waited just long enough to assure herself that she was alone, that no one had noticed the shadow that crept further and further from the stone wall.&nbsp; Once she had assured herself she quickly moved into the buildings nearby, wide eyed as she noted the rich awnings and in the distance the large estates surrounded my manicured gardens and copses of trees.&nbsp; &nbsp;The closer she drew the more out of place she felt, until they were looming over her, the multistory stone building lit by torches and oil lamps.&nbsp; The cost of the oil alone would have kept her fed and warm for months.&nbsp; <br><br>It took her longer than she would have liked to find the residence he had spoken of, but the streets were almost deserted, the few people out paying her no attention, assuming that she was simply a servant sent on some errand for her lord if they noticed her at all.&nbsp; It was with relief that she finally made it to the rear storage door, testing the lock.&nbsp; A grin spread across her face as it opened slowly, a slight creak made her breath catch as she froze, listening, ears straining to pick up any sounds at all before she slipped into the darkened room, closing the door behind her. <br><br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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