Masks of our forefathers (closed for La Reina)

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

It was some hours later that Zahl made it to his home, he slipped off his now bloodied cloak and shirt, tossed them to one side and sat down in his chair, the chin of his mask resting on his palm as he stared at the still fiery coals. It seemed like the family of the murdered man was hell-bent on killing Shaundi, well not only was he more than sure that she was innocent, the whole damned city was sure of that. There was a loud knock on his door interupting any further thoughts,

"Enter!"

The door slowly opened and one of the guards entered, the mark on his cheek a silent testimony to Shaundi's spirit.

"Thank you Sargeant, I hope you now understand that you should treat women better?"

The soldier muttered something and stepped aside to allow Shaundi to enter.

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi was still cursing the lot of them when she heard the door opened. She didn't stop her tirade, but her hands clenched signaling she was aware of a presence at her back. She would have kept going if someone hadn't cleared their throat trying to get her attention. She stopped and counted slowly to 3 trying to let her anger simmer down. She slowly turned and saw 6 armed men staring at her. She slowly smiled. "So a simple slave needs a half dozen men to claim her? The slave of the Dark One is just as ferocious as the Dark One himself," Shaundi smiled and stood up preparing to fight.

"Follow us." Shaundi narrowed her eyes, but took a step forward. "Bring your belongings." At the glare from Shaundi the soldier quickly added, "Please."

Shaundi wasn't sure what he was talking about until she turned and saw her mask. She glowered as she put the mask upon her face hiding her eyes to the world. She followed the maze of men and was surprised she was leaving this wretched place. For a moment she was afraid they were leading her back to her own people where she would be sacrificed, but soon she was in familiar territory and she knew where she was going.

She stepped into her home and when the door closed she turned to Zahl. She stayed very, very still not moving a muscle. Finally she took off the mask so he could see how truly angry she was. She still hadn't said a word or moved except to take off that damned mask. "You left me. You abandoned me."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

The only part of him that moved was his eyes, he looked at her, clearly on the verge of argument and then he looked back to the coals. Then he got to his feet, placed wood on the coals, stoke a little flame to live and stood in front of the fire in just his boots and pants, fresh cuts all over his body blending with the previous ones and crossing old war wounds. When he finally spoke his voice was soft and very neutral,

"If I had done what you accuse me of, why were you under guard in the safest place in the city? Why are you here again? I did not abandon you, I prevented more treachery that could have ended your life."

He turned to face her, then motioned her closer with one hand,

"Come here."

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi waited. She watched him very intently waiting for him to say something ... anything. He didn't speak. She started to get angry, but stopped herself from beginning to yell at him. She had to control herself or risk the situation getting out of control. When he went to the first she gave a loud huff of annoyance. Was he not going to admit his wrong doing?

His words made her pause. Is this truly how he saw it? "Am I not safe in your care? Am I safer in another's?" She threw the words at him. "Can I not take care of myself? I survived this long from them I can survive longer!"

He wanted her to come closer and at first she wanted to refuse. Had every intention of refusing, but with a sigh she stepped closer. She didn't say it, but she was screaming 'what?!'

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

"You nearly died the last time you were in the arena, you clearly do not seem to understand that by keeping you safe while I fight will just increase your standing with the people."

He took her hand and wiped it over the blood seeping from one cut over his chest,

"My blood is the blood that will flow until the people of Zahul decide that enough is enough and declare that if another is sent to challenge for your death, war will be waged and Zahul is a city you do not want to fight...ever."

He took her hand and looked at the blood on her skin, then dropped her hand,

"You promised food. I'm hungry."

 

[La_Reina]

"I wasn't IN the arena. You were. I wasn't expecting to be in battle when you were in it." She huffed and shook her head. These people were not her people. She didn't expect anything from them. She looked at the blood on her hand. She knew it was Zahul's and she should stop upsetting him. She had to mentally count to 10 to calm down.

"Fine. Go sit, I'll prepare some soup." She ushered him towards is favorite chair and went into the kitchen, slamming cabinets, and banging things down on the countertop as she prepared a meal.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

He sat down and stared into the fire, he did not worry about her slamming things down as she worked. She was angry and did not seem to understand, if she gained enough leverage with the populace any threat directed against her person would be an insult to anybody around her and he would not have to fight for her. A mocking smile came to his face, hidden by the mask of course,

"What happened to the pie and bread you wanted to make? I do not think I'm sick enough to eat soup."

He picked up a rag and wiped away blood that oozed down his chest, looked at the blood for a few moments and placed the rag aside. In time yes.

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi had already started the soup when his words rang out to her. She growled, mumbled, and had to stop herself from pouring the barely hot contents on his head. "If you want pie and bread then I'll make you pie and some freaking bread!" It wasn't hard to switch the ingredients though she turned the soup into a broth.

She was still muttering and bitching to herself not once leaving the kitchen. The cooking helped calm her somewhat and by the time the meal was done she was only seething and not in a rage. She found a tray and put two bowls of broth, a good portion of bread for them both, and two pot pies with two chilled glasses of flavored water. She went to him intending to eat by the fireplace when she stopped.

"Why are your wounds still bleeding?" The tray shook and Shaundi had to put it down or fear dropping it. "Why aren't you better? Should I call for that doctor guy?!"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

He shook his head and then did something very uncharetaristic, he undid the snaps of his mask and slipped it off. He turned to look at her,

"I am still bleeding as I did not dress or look after the wounds."

He kept looking at her, his face as impassive as his mask,

"Should I bring you a chair and table for what seems and smells to be a great meal, better than any food I am use to. Broth, pot pie and freaking bread."

A slight twinkle crept into his eyes as he said that, deliberately teasing her for losing her temper with him when she was in the minority seat so to speak

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi shook her head her hands still full of food. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do first, dress his wounds, smack him, or kiss him for finally taking off that mask. She knew that had to have cost him or ... dare she think ...that because it means so much to her to see his face he did it. It touched her, but she couldn't show weakness. "I think your face is beautiful. Might be more so if you smiled."

Shaundi turned and went to the table and placed the food down. She returned with some bandages and scissors. She moved to him and started wrapping his bandages. As she worked a question gnawed at her and she decided to finally ask it. "How do you do that? I can see the smile in your eyes, but if I wasn't looking at your eyes or was far away I couldn't tell from your face. Why? Why do you know show facial expressions?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

"I never have to use it, behind the mask the only expression we do use is our eyes and bodies. That is the only way to really communicate, very few people outside of the city knows how it works."

He watched her deft hands bandaging his wounds,

"How did you become so adapt with binding up wounds?"

A dry chuckle escaped his lips,

"Surely you did not bind up the people you hurt when they overstepped their bounds?"

 

[La_Reina]

"Well, I think you should use your face more often. Makes it easier to see and interpret." Shaundi continued wrapping the gauze around him until she felt it was snug and secure. She didn't want him bleeding out. Especially if it seemed he would be fighting again for her safety. Shaundi almost forgot she herself had been injured and she began to breathe a bit heavily just from the small exertion.

"I only hurt bad people and nope I didn't bandage them up. I left them to die." She laughed lightening her harsh words. "I didn't think I was that good at this. I was just going on instinct alone. I hope I didn't hurt you anymore than need be." Shaundi stepped back and examined her handiwork. To her it looked alright, but she wasn't a nurse and she truly had not a clue what she was doing. She just hoped she didn't make it worse.

"I don't want you moving and reopening those wounds ... again. We'll eat here. I'll bring you your food." Shaundi got up quickly and fetched his food before bringing it to him. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it."

 

[DeathsKnight]

He shook his head,

"No you didn't hurt me. In fact you did a pretty decent job for somebody who doesn't do it often."

He leaned back in the chair and looked at the fire,

"That food smells great, I'll have that along with some wine."

He kept looking at the fire,

"What is it that you want in life? Surely even you must have a dream."

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi placed his food on a nearby table that was within arm's reach. She smiled at his praise as she went back to the kitchen. She had seen a bottle of something dark black. She wasn't sure what it was, but now she wondered if it was wine. She retrieved it and held it out to him. "Is this your wine?" Who drinks black wine? She popped the cork and knew it was the wine, but the wine wasn't black. The bottle was. She just assumed it was a clear bottle. She found a glass and poured him some. She placed the wine bottle next to his food, in case he wanted more to drink. She opted to stick with water.

Shaundi returned having thought on his question. She finally had an answer. "Before, back home, I wanted a loving husband who thought of me as an equal and not pretty fluff on his arm. I wanted kids lots of them at least 8. Now... Now I just don't want to die. I dream of waking up tomorrow safe."

It was the truth. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"And you Dark One. What is you dream about at night?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

He cocked his head to the side,

"If you can make a black wine with the same full taste and smooth on the palate then I'm sure you will make a fortune here in Zahul."

He listened to her talk of wanting to die, so that is why she was so eager to die, to go to the Otherworld. Her question made him think, it was a good one. What did he dream of?

"I dream of killing. Of creating a river of blood that washes away the dark, dreariness and gives me a woman that will accept me as I am. One with fire, passion and is not afraid to stand up for herself..."

He paused,

"Somebody like you."

He picked up the almost purple wine and took a sip,

"A warm house where the sun can shine, where my weapons are rusty and not needed. A place where I can wear my mask if I choose to, where I can express myself and just...be."

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi shook her head. She would prefer if the wine were red, or pink, or white, but not dark and black. Seriously, these people needed color back in their lives badly. Shaundi was slightly taken aback when he announced he dreamed of killing. The more he spoke the more she got into her and she even felt the blood lust that this city seemed to thrive on. Than he looked at her and said he dreamt of her and she knew this was the moment when she had given herself to him.

"You have a place like that here. You can retire and your weapons can become rusty." Shaundi took a bite of the food. "And about the 8 hellions? Would you like to have that many kids running afoot in your home?" Shaundi wasn't going to look at him, but she needed to know the truth. She turned and continued eating waiting to see if he wanted kids at all.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

"Retire? I will be a very old man and in this parts there is no sun that can warm a home."

He took a bite of the food, it tasted very good and he took another bite, leaning into his chair he contemplated her question.

"8 children...I would like that, but not as a retiree. I'll be over my sixties then."

He poured himself another glass and drank as he started to eat,

"Unfortunately I mean too much to the magister to get him to allow my retirement."

 

[La_Reina]

"Than train another in your steed. Leave this place to someplace warmer." Shaundi watched him. She was hoping to overcome all his objections. Well all except for 2. Him being over his 60's when they had their 8th child and the Magister not letting him retire. She had no answers for that ... well she had a suggestion for one, but the other she could not help with.

"We could get started now and have as man children as we can. Mayhaps we'll have twins or triplets to help with the numbers." Shaundi laughed thinking this was more fantasy than anything else. This was all dreams. In reality she was a slave to a man who killed for a living in a city that craved blood. This was no place to raise a family, plus she wasn't sure as a slave here if she would get to keep her children.

"As for the Magister well...replace him, kill him, or just threaten him. If that doesn't work make out an agreement or something?" Shaundi was just spit balling not believing anything she was saying as she picked at her food.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

"Train another?"

He actually chuckled at those words, the humor once again not touching his face.

"In all of Zahul I will not find a Dark One as you call me, an executioner must be imposing, powerful, skilled and imensely loyal. So loyal that he would kill anybody who dares to breathe the suggestion of removing his master the magister."

He eyed her,

"But you are safe for now, you did not know."

He ate a while and then pushed his empty plate aside, pouring more wine,

"And a start we do have, it is up to you to see if we are...compatible."

A strange flicker passed in the back of his eyes and he looked into the fire, sipping his wine,

"Fetch your training swords."

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi was in mid bite when the implications of what she had said caught her. She lowered her head. "I didn't mean any disrespect. I was slightly kidding and just throwing words out. Though I do not like your Magister." She was forgiven before the words left her mouth, but she wanted him to know that she would never sully the name he was loyal too even if she herself thought the man less than her Dark One.

"Surely there is another who can be as Dark as you? In all of this backwoods fucked up town there is none?"

She decided to ignore that comment on her deciding if they were compatible. She wasn't sure she understood what he meant. Was he saying ... yes he was attracted to her. The fucking they shared told her that, but was she more than just the slave girl he bought, taught, and fucked. Was she ... more.

Those thoughts were removed from her mind the moment he said training swords. She caught up quickly and grabbed them before slowing down and realizing he shouldn't be doing this. She put them down on the table and went to him empty handed. "I don't think it's wise. I just bandaged your side and you should heal. Let's stay and continue talking or," she smiled knowing he wasn't big on talking though she was. "You listen and I'll talk or we'll sit in quiet."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

He raised an eyebrow,

"I did not say that I am going to partake and you should know better than to disobbey me...Shaundi."

Her name added as an after thought sounded more like a dark threat, just because he liked her and have allowed their coupling, she still had to listen to him.

"By the way, you can still talk while you train, you have proven that. Now be a good girl and listen to me."

The words and the tone of his voice did not fit, that cold, hard edge masked under a velvet coating. He waited in silence, silently willing her to refuse, to stand up against his wishes.

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi nodded. She had assumed he was going to join her and that wasn't right. She went back over to the table and got the swords. She returned with the weapons. "I have them right here and I'm always a good girl."

She laughed knowing that wasn't exactly true. "Though I would request that don't train right now. You are hurt. I'm hurt and I think we should both rest." Shaundi wasn't being defiant, but she wasn't doing what he wanted either. She placed the weapons on the ground and smiled.

"See how much of a good girl I am?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

He shook his head, she was not being openly defiant, so he could not act against her, instead he gave her a feral grin.

"Good girl you say? Well then, pick them up and hold them, don't worry little one, I am not going to drill you into the ground."

He got up and towered over her, the look on his face one that was not to be triffled with. He waited for her to comply and then showed her a few moves with the dual blades, moving slowly more out of thoughtfulness than display. It was all part of a combination, when he was sure she had all the single moves down, he showed her how to combine them. With the right speed it would be deadly and there was just one way of stopping it. He added logs onto the fire and watched as she moved, he was right. With teeth she would make the perfect tiger. He sat down and when he was sure that she would not forget, he stopped her.

"Allright Shaundi that is enough. Now was I that hard on you?"

He waited for her to pass close to his chair, reached out and pulled her onto his lap, the swords still in her hands.

 

[La_Reina]

Shaundi did as told and as he went through the steps she realized how much she loved it here. Here was the only place she could learn to fight and how to defend herself or what she was more than willing to do attack. Shaundi practiced it over and over until she started to feel her chest grow sore. Than she just went through the motions trying to invoke muscle memory.

Shaundi twirled and her blood red hair flared around her and billowed out. She stopped letting her swish around her and she looked at her Dark One with a hungry dark growl on her lips. Just let anyone else fuck with her. Shaundi stared at Zahl and shrugged. "It was a little difficult, but not overly," she laughed at her sarcastic reply.

She was pulled into his lap and she gave a mock scream as she looked at a man that made other grown men cry. She flipped her leg over his lap, straddling him. She leaned forward their swords scant inches from impaling them both. "Anything else you wanna," Shaundi licked her lips, "teach me?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Zahl the executioner

"Now that would be interesting, what could I teach a tired lady, whose voice sounds like she would love to get naked and do all tje fun, dirty deeds that one only read about."

He chuckled and without warning gripped her hair in his hand pulling her to him, the point of her training sword digging into his chest as he kissed her. There was no question about it, the kiss held more passion than his eyes or even body displayed, his fingers held her silky tresses as his tongue invaded her mouth, forcing her lips open and searching for her tongue, his actions almost seemed heedless of the danger of the two blades, but the danger added a different type of erotic to it. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked deep into her eyes,

"Perhaps in the end you will have to teach me more."