Throne of Blood

Part I Chapter 13

"Please, please, I'm begging you. Help us!"

Ilor shot up in bed as he awoke from the nightmare drenched in cold sweat. The images of the man and woman with their penetrated throats continued to scar his mind and plague his dreams. He had hardly slept for the past several days as his unconscious self replayed the events that had transpired that night with Zavera.

Hardly believing that he could now hear people's thoughts, Ilor's training had become even more rigorous as he was pushed to the limits both mentally and physically. The day was filled with combat training with Greylor while the night consisted of learning how to decipher and filter through the thoughts of others with Zavera. He was being pushed to the limit and felt as though he would implode at any moment.

Ilor rose from his bed and began to dress himself in preparation for the long day of training ahead. He dreaded the sparing sessions that were scheduled for the morning and longed to escape this never-ending nightmare. He missed his tower and his comfy bed. He missed the crashing of the calm Val Sea and the warm breeze that blew off it. He missed his home and would have traded anything to be there now.

As he made his way into the meeting room to catch up with Greylor, he unexpectedly opened the door to find Kae waiting inside instead.

"Hey Kae...uh...I'm here for Greylor. Do you know where he might be?" Ilor sheepishly said.

"Greylor thought you could use a little break so you will be with me today," she said smiling at him, "we are going to be practicing the art of sneaking and stealing. Something you clearly can get better at." She laughed at her cleverness and stood to leave the room.

"Hey in my defense," Ilor said, smiling at the relief of being able to train with the beautiful woman, "I did get away with the gold. It's not my fault I stole it from some crazy assassin."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kae said, rolling her eyes as she exited the room.

Ilor was elated to be spending the day with her. Kae had been the one bright spot since he began his time with the Night Thorns. Her dark smooth skin, entrancing blue eyes, and easy smile made the long grueling hours a little easier. He hadn't been able to have a real conversation thus far as their meals were often eaten at different times, and training preoccupied his entire life. But now he was getting to train with her.

The two walked out into the morning sun as they made their way towards the market area. Unlike Meloas, the market of Seavern was much less colorful and exciting. It was a busy place full of bustling men and women fighting for the best price on the daily catch or, if people were lucky enough, the latest imports of fruits, meat, or spices.

There were two things the people of Seavern were never short on fish and milk. With the expansive sea before them, the fishing trade was a crucial part of the city's economy. Then with the plains to the north, the cattle were plentiful, resulting in an abundance of dairy and occasionally beef.

"When stealing from people, you must be with the flow of the crowd," Kae said. "There will be crucial times in your own missions when you must retrieve a specific item." At the mention of a 'mission,' Ilor's stomach somersaulted as he thought back to the events of the mission he had already been on. Oh, how he longed never to be a part of something like that again, and yet he knew wishing such a thing was in vain.

"Ilor," his name being called, snapped him back into focus. "The mass of people you see before you are like a wave. You must ride that wave and pick up things as you go. Fight the wave or slow down while riding it, and you may never come back up again. Observe."

With that, Kae moved into the crowd. Bobbing and weaving through the thick of the people, she bounced from person to person as they bustled about. Ilor could see a slight movement of her hand here or a smile at a stranger there as she sought out treasure amongst the chaos.

As soon as she had emerged into the depths, she resurfaced with a wide grin as she showed Ilor the spoils of her labor. A few coin purses, someone's ring (which had a rather large emerald in it), and even some necklaces that, moments before, had been strapped around necks.

"See, easy," she said, tossing him one of the money bags. "Now it's your turn. Find me something pretty, and I'll kiss you." She gave a mischievous smile towards Ilor, seeing her motivation had clearly struck a cord in the man as his eyes began to dart around the crowd, searching for the most attractive thing he could find for the girl.

Ilor took off into the crowd as he honed in on a shiny pearl necklace he had spotted a rather large, wealthy-looking woman wearing. He moved in and out of the crowd until he was mere inches from the woman. Her strong perfumed scent overpowered the stench of fish as Ilor reached for her necklace. The woman suddenly turned around just moments before Ilor could finish giving the woman a great startle at the sight of a man reaching for her neck.

"How dare you sir," she said, as the shock turned into anger. She made to slap Ilor, but not before the boy leaped towards her and snatched the shiny pearls off her neck, leaving the woman screaming for help as heads turned towards the commotion. Ilor sprinted through the crowd pushing people out of the way, leaving the waves of people stirred and unsettled as he fought against them.

Eventually breaking free, Ilor spied Kae laughing at him as she turned to run by him; the two sprinted away from the stir that had been caused.

"Smooth, real smooth," Kae said to Ilor as the two ran in and out of allies, moving further away from the screaming woman who had just been robbed of her pearls.

"Yeah well how was I supposed to know she was going to turn around," panted Ilor as they finally stopped to hide in an old abandoned tavern. "For you my lady," Ilor said as he made a mocking bow and handed the pearl necklace to Kae.

"My hero," she batted her eyelashes at him, returning the joking mood. "Put it on for me," she said, lifting her hair so Ilor could tie the broken strand around her neck.

Ilor could feel his heart beating faster as the smile vanished off his face, and he motioned towards Kae to put the necklace around her long, olive neck. He reached around her neck and began tying the necklace into place, refusing to look into her eyes as he focused on the task at hand. Her scent was sweet and floral, making his head spin as he finished securing the necklace into place. He finally looked up at Kae, who returned his gaze with her tender blue eyes. She moved slowly into Ilor and placed her soft, warm lips on his. Ilor felt his pulse erupt as the two kissed in the abandoned shack, taking away the pain of the past.

Kae eventually pulled away and gave a soft smile to Ilor. "That was well deserved, but it is time to head back. Your first assignment will be given tonight."

"My first assignment?" Ilor choked as the reality of his situation was suddenly brought back in full force.

"Yes, it is time for you to become a full member of our order. It will be difficult, but I know you are capable. We are but servants of the lord of the night. It is our duty," Kae said in a rehearsed tone.

The world around Ilor seemed a blur as the two returned to the holdup. He was not a killer. A thief, yes, but not a killer. He was unsure he could complete any task the Night Thorns might give him. As they reached the building, Ilor grabbed Kae's hand before entering.

"Kae, I am no killer. I can't--I won't--kill someone."

Kae pulled her hand away, unable to meet his pleading gaze. "It is your duty. You must."

With that, they entered the building and made their way into the meeting room, where the other four members greeted them.

"Ah, Ilor, I am glad you have arrived," started Irdel as he greeted them. "It is time for your first mission. You will be of great service to the kingdom and the lord of the night. For you shall be removing the treasurer of Seavern from this realm."