He kissed one shoulder, then the next. He took the noose with both hands. Harba didn't have time to realize it was happening. The silken noose squeezed the life out of him, and after a final death rattle, he lay still on the bed.
***
Saif was still awake when Kilig came back. The elder assassin couldn't sleep at the thought of his beloved working alone. Hence the oil lamp still flickered in the darkened room when Kilig slipped in and rushed to the bed.
Saif welcomed him in his arms and held him tight, waiting for Kilig's breathing to slow down. He could even feel Kilig's heart pounding against his chest.
"Are you all right?" Saif asked when Kilig went so still he thought the young man had fallen asleep.
"Yes," came the immediate reply. Kilig disentangled himself from Saif with a sigh and rolled on his back to stare at the ceiling. "Done. Fulfill your promise now."
He was blunter than usual and Saif stared at him, puzzled. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked cautiously.
"No!" Kilig snapped. "I want you to make love to me like you said you would! I want to forget who I am and where I am! I want you to make me forget I had to get naked for another man! Right now!"
The urgency in Kilig's voice startled Saif out of his surprise. Before the hysterical outburst got worse, he leaned to kiss Kilig's mouth, stifling whatever else he was going to say and turning it into a moan.
Kilig's passion was fiercer than ever. Either because he'd just killed, or felt guilty, he didn't stop until he was completely exhausted. Saif watched him sleep, a little worried. Maybe Kilig wasn't as tough as he pretended to be and the assassin's life wasn't for him.
I saved him from a street life, but what a brutal world I've taken him into! Maybe when we go back to Godwalkar, I'll tell Talwar I want to retire. I'm sure Kilig will follow me. We could be happy...
They'd have to reinvent themselves, learn a trade. But Kilig was young and he could be a sword-teacher. Or they could both enroll in a mercenary company and earn their living in battle. Although that wasn't much safer than the assassin's life.
Whatever they decided to do they'd decide together. Now they'll have their money for killing Harba and move on to Jevina, where there shouldn't be any killing, only consulting.
The sun rose and caressed Kilig's raven hair. Saif sighed. Soon the news of the death of the mayor would reach the guild's seat. He wondered who would discover Harba and where.
Kilig's eyelids fluttered open. Saif smiled at him.
"Did you sleep well?" he whispered tenderly.
Kilig nodded, still drowsy, and held him tighter.
"Will they find him easily?" Saif insisted, caressing Kilig's back and hair.
"In his bed, wearing only a loincloth," Kilig muttered. "His wake-up call will find him."
"Noose job?"
"Yes."
"Excellent." Saif kissed the top of Kilig's head.
Kilig squeezed again and sniffled.
"His birth name was Karuna," he grumbled.
"Really?" Saif chuckled. "That's the second Karuna we've gotten rid of, isn't it, Kilig?" He purposefully accented the assassin's name.
Kilig looked at him, puzzled, and then slowly smiled.
"I love you, Saif," he said with his husky voice that sent shivers down Saif's spine.
Saif could only kiss him passionately in return.
***
Kilig let Saif do all the talking with Darantasia's guild. Saif took the money for his excellent work, and they left the town, hopping on the cart of a cheerful peasant who left them at a crossroad in open country, telling them an inn wasn't much farther and they could eat and sleep there.
Saif waved him good-bye, then turned to look at Kilig.
"Let's go, as soon as we get there, I'll give you your part."
"You can keep it, since you pay for everything," Kilig said with a shrug.
"Kilig, I'm not your father, like you rightfully pointed out, and you need to learn to handle your own money," Saif chided as they started walking towards the promised inn. The lift on the cart had saved them time and the soles of their shoes. "I'm much older than you, and it's natural I will go to the underworld long before you..."
"I don't want to talk about death," Kilig snapped, pouting. "I've just killed a man, in case you forgot!"
"I didn't, and I'm sure you need to talk about it," Saif replied. "But I want you to be able to exist without me."
"Why?" Now he sounded whiny. He clenched his teeth, hardening his heart. He was strong now, of course he could stand on his own. But he was so head over heels in love with Saif, he couldn't imagine a future without him.
"I told you, because I'm older than you, and I'm not a long-lived member of a Magical Race. You know the warring barbarians up north rarely reach my age?"
"But we're at peace," Kilig grumbled. "You will die of old age in your bed with me by your side."
Saif chuckled. "Probably. But let's talk about last night, now. Pour it all out, you know you'll feel better afterward."
"I feel better if I have sex with you," Kilig muttered, smiling against his will. "And I had that. But you're right, it's good to talk about it."
Saif nodded as Kilig gathered his thoughts, oblivious of the birds singing around him as he heard the moans and whispers of the orgy again.
"Harba had secret parties at the palace," he said absentmindedly. "Orgies. It was disgusting. Luckily he took me to his room for a more private encounter." He shivered under the sun. "I would have failed if we'd stayed in that room."
"Why, because there were too many witnesses?" Saif asked, serious.
"No, because I wouldn't have been able to use my noose. You see..." Kilig pursed his lower lip. "I've been through something similar and it still gives me nightmares. I don't think I would have been able to keep control and kill Harba."
"Would you like to tell me that story?" Saif insisted gently. "Was it your father who put you through it?"
"No... no." Kilig shook his head. "You had already killed him. But like I said, some customers he'd procured kept coming. And one of them one day invited me to a special party, offering me double the usual rate. I was hungry, so I agreed."
"How old were you?"
"I think it was my fourteenth birthday." His voice shook. "I never knew the exact date, but... I went there, and there was this room full of rich men. I was the youngest. They started touching me, and took off my rags, and lay me on the table, all naked..."
He gulped at the memory.
"How many of them?" Saif's voice had a steely undertone that showed how angry he was at hearing this.
"Eight or ten." Kilig shrugged, unable to look at his lover. "They covered me with food and used me as a plate... and kept licking and sucking and biting even when the food was gone." He shivered again, but kept walking. "And they touched me intimately and shoved their dicks in my mouth and in my ass, sometimes two at the same time," he whispered.
Saif's hand glided on his shoulder, sending some warmth through his body.
"And you lay still throughout the whole banquet? And the subsequent... rape? They forced themselves on you! Those perverts..."
"I was afraid to move. I was alone against many... I hated every moment of it – even the purse of coins they gave me for it. I had never seen so much money, but I swore I'd never do it again. And last night when I entered the mayor's basement, I feared I'd end up on a table again. Luckily he took me upstairs, so I was able to keep control and kill him."
He exhaled in relief and Saif squeezed his shoulder.
"I'm very proud of you, Kilig. You're the bravest young man I've ever met. And that's why I love you so much..."
4. Saif's choice
Yatagan was Head of the Guild of Jevina. He was Talwar's age, with graying hair and beard, and sighed at the "youth" of Talwar's men. Saif explained to him why Talwar hadn't come himself.
Yatagan nodded, thoughtful.
"Is it true your guild is completely independent from Agharek and ha
s its own rules?"
"Yes. Although Talwar was born in Agharek, when he set up shop in Godwalkar, he changed a few things, mostly listening to the advice of the Genn," Saif explained.
"Yes, we got that here too," Yatagan muttered. "That makes things a little different from Agharek, I guess. Has Talwar passed on the teachings of Agharek or did he make up his own?"
"We are not a closed sect, a family business, but an open guild," Saif answered. "The training is similar to the original, except we don't use poisons – ever."
Yatagan looked surprised. "And you're pretty good noose-operators," he commented. "I've heard of your job with the mayor of Darantasia."
"That was Kilig," Saif said with a grin. His lover had failed to catch Yatagan's attention until he stated that simple fact.
Surprised, Yatagan stared at Kilig, who blushed but didn't avert his eyes.
"Him? He killed Harba?" Yatagan asked, incredulous. "I thought he was your apprentice!"
"Was. I gave him his assassin's name three months ago, before Talwar sent us on this assignment," Saif replied proudly.
"Wonders never cease," Yatagan whispered, shaking his head. "May I test your student? I'd love to see what comes out of Talwar's school."
"Just remember that Kilig is not an apprentice anymore, but a junior member of our guild who has already killed twice and both times men twice his age..." Saif replied with a grin.
Again Yatagan whistled, impressed. At least he'd listened to them, even if they were both younger than him and not the person he'd wanted to consult with originally.
The consulting business was more tedious than any assignment and there was no way of figuring out how long it would last. Saif thought it was a good thing, though, because it allowed Kilig to learn from another school and listen to the discussions where he spoke only when interrogated, showing the proper respect to his elders – something Abhaya had never learned.
When they retired to sleep, Kilig's adoring eyes never left Saif until they were both naked and in each other's arms. Saif surrendered to Kilig's request of penetration in Jevina, one night after a particularly tiresome discussion. Kilig had stolen some coconut oil from the kitchen, and with the lubricant at hand, Saif couldn't refuse him anymore.
Coming inside Kilig's body was an explosion of joy and he completely forgot the age gap to whisper his undying love in Kilig's ear. He never thought being a couple could be so fulfilling for both of them.
In the free time between meetings and discussions, Saif and Kilig explored Jevina and even found a scribe willing to teach them to read and write for a small fee – another half-Genn, like Guisarme, except he had facial hair. But his platinum blond mane and pointed ears clearly showed his origins.
Lekhni was a scholar who paid the rent with private lessons, but he was also a good teacher, explaining the alphabet and the grammar in a clear and concise way. Naturally Kilig was a better student, since he was younger, so Saif ended up telling him to go ahead without him.
"When we go back to Godwalkar, you can teach me, so I won't have to go to Guisarme's lessons," he said one night after telling Kilig he'd stop the lessons. "Why pay for two when one is struggling so much and doesn't have the time to do the exercises? I'll spare you the meetings of the guild from now on, but you must learn to read and write well before we go back."
Kilig wasn't convinced, but agreed. The lessons were more interesting than the useless discussions about the consequences of a succession struggle and his ageless teacher much more interesting than Yatagan. So the lovers met mostly for dinner, spent the night together, and reluctantly split again after breakfast.
If it wasn't for the sex, they were like father and son again, and Saif wasn't happy. He felt Kilig was maturing without him, even if he was still so obviously in love. Yes, Kilig gave Saif his body every night, but during the day he was with another man, and sometimes Saif felt the pangs of jealousy. Kilig talked more with Lekhni than with him and Saif started wondering if the carnal passion would resist what Lekhni's mind was offering to his young lover.
***
Kilig signed the composition so smoothly, that Lekhni clapped his hands and grinned.
"Well done, Kilig! It's official – you can read and write, and you learned quicker than anyone I've met so far," the man complimented him.
They were seated on a bench next to each other in Lekhni's small library for what was turning out to be Kilig's last lesson. Lekhni had a lot of books for a single man, and a table where he could spread them and compare texts when he was doing some research. He was trying to write the history of the rise and fall of the southern kingdoms, but since he was almost done in Jevina, he would soon move to Argantael to continue his research. His book would probably end up in Godwalkar's university library when he was done.
"I learned quickly because I had a good acharya," Kilig replied, looking fondly at the bearded blond man with pointed ears.
"No, I think it's your determination," Lekhni said. "If you decide to learn something, there's no stopping you. Pity Saif gave up."
"If I can't teach him now, I'll be his eyes and writing hand until he dies," Kilig said, thoughtful. "Lekhni, what do you think of the situation in the north? What do your Genn relatives think will happen?"
Lekhni sighed and lay his back against the wall behind them.
"My Genn ancestors have seen the rise and fall of many Human kingdoms," he said. "The Moren Empire wiped away the Waiora and Genn kingdoms up north, but it didn't last. The Gallians fell under Varian rule and now the Varian Kingdom covers even former Amrendra, see?"
He took an old map that showed the old kingdoms a couple of centuries earlier and compared it with a newer map with different borders.
"These Varians, are they really barbarians?" Kilig insisted, knowing how much the northern people worried Yatagan – forcing him and Saif to stay in Jevina.
Lekhni chuckled. "According to my mother, who was Varian, you are the barbarians. But I was tired of the endless war with our neighbors, the Blackmore, so I decided to come south and was fascinated by what I found."
"I don't know." Kilig felt uneasy. "Maybe it was different before the kings fell. Although there's still a king in Jevina – until they decide he's worthless and get rid of him."
"You don't understand, Kilig. There's peace down here. There's a university blossoming in Godwalkar. Yes, the kings fell, but you don't see the noblemen fighting each other for a piece of land. This is a society of merchants and scholars, not warriors and hunters like in the north."
"Why do they think we're the barbarians, then?" Kilig asked, puzzled.
"Precisely because you're not warriors. A man who can't hold a sword isn't a man in their eyes. And I've always abhorred weapons."
"Is it your half-blood?" Kilig was curious now. Although Guisarme was also half-blood and that hadn't stopped her from choosing the assassin's path.
"No, there are Genn warriors with the Varian King. It's just not for me. I want more from life than just fighting and breeding, breeding as much as possible and with as many women as possible since the mortality is so high!" Lekhni rolled his eyes. "My mother almost couldn't believe that my father wasn't interested in taking a second, third or fourth wife."
"That many?" Kilig couldn't believe his ears. "And did you find someone or were you pushed to marry as soon as possible?"
"Well, that was another reason to leave," Lekhni grinned. "There's nothing worse than an unmarried scholar in Havenstock! Am I one of those perverts who love other men? The horror!" he mimicked the northern barbarians quite well. "I guess they were glad to get rid of me."
"Are you?" Kilig blushed and hesitated. "Are you a... pervert?"
"Not really." Lekhni shrugged. "I have other things on my mind, that's all."
"And do you think that men who love men are perverts?"
"I think that love has no sex. You'll never know who you'll fall in love with. And honestly, whatever you do in your bedroom is nobody's business."
Kil
ig grinned. "So did you ever fall in love?"
"I don't think so." Lekhni shrugged. "I guess I haven't met the right person. I've had bed partners, but they didn't last."
"Oh. And don't you miss it? Sex, I mean?"
"Nah." Lekhni made a disgusted face, and then smiled. "I'm older than you, Kilig. It's okay if you have sexual urges. And don't let anyone tell you who you should spend your life with."
"I'm not. But I don't see what's left of my family much anymore."
"And have you told them you're in love with Saif?"
"Uh... no. They wouldn't understand."
"I guess not." Lekhni sighed. "I'm lucky, I had a Genn father who always backed me up. He calls me Silverleaf, and he gave me his love for history. But he stayed with the Varian King and often fights by his side."
"And do you think they stand a chance to beat the Blackmore?"
"Who knows. They've been going at it for almost sixty years now... and there are powerful shamans in the east. The Varians also have a new cult spreading – a Supreme Being of love who deprecates war. Who knows if this new religion will put an end to the conflict..."
"A religion... with only one god?" Kilig asked, incredulous.
"I know, it's sick." Lekhni shrugged. "Which gods do you believe in?"
"Actually, none. No god saved me from my abusive father," Kilig grumbled.
"What a godless barbarian," Lekhni teased. "If you want the truth, ask the Magical Races. But remember you'll never understand how the Immortals' minds work. They probably don't care about your petty troubles because they see the bigger picture."
"Like, they let my father abuse me so Saif could come along and sweep me off my feet?" Kilig asked with a grin.
Lekhni burst out laughing.
"Kilig, you're too smart for your own good!" he said then. "But yes, that's very close to how they work."
"And how many are there?"
"Five – Air, Water, Ether, Fire and Earth." Lekhni leaned towards him with a conspiratorial look. "If you want to pray, think of Earth. That's the Immortal who takes care of Humans."
Saif & Kilig Page 6
