The Crimson Assassin

Chapter 8

"Where the hell have you been?" Castol demanded, but didn't receive an answer. Not even any other sign of acknowledgment.

Elentiya was busy reading a new novel and too entranced to realise what was going on the outside world. She knew he was in the room, but that wasn't enough for her to drop her enthralling book.

"I said; where the hell have you been?" Castol demanded again. This time he knocked the book out of her hands. His frustration taking the better of him.

Elentiya scrambled towards the book. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I was here the whole day."

"Well after you-" He paused in attempts to speak more calmly.

The book's spine was out of place now and the pages were all bent. "Look what you've done! This was a limited edition," she said as she shoved the book in Castol's face, "That was easily 100 stirlings, now it's probably only-"

"Will you just listen when you're being talked to!" Castol interrupted angrily. Finally there was no sense of defiance from Elentiya. He used that moment to recompose himself.

"Well after your hasty exit," he paused waiting for any witty remarks. None. "The other Captains and Seric, generously decided not to shorten your time, but it has been decided that I will be your trainer for the exhibition. You lost that choice when you demonstrated your inability to make correct decisions."

"So I should've just sat there and listened to their blather?" She complained.

"Yes."

"Well you obviously don't know how assassins work."

"No I do not and I don't plan to."

The air was filled with electricity. Sparks were flying, but not in a pleasant, romantic way. White hot hatred was being radiated off both bodies in the room. Elentiya felt her rage overflowing again; she urgently tried to calm down before problems started to occur.

"I would calm down if I were you. If you don't want to reveal some important secret that is." Castol said calmly.

"What do you mean?" She replied, knowing what he was talking about. It was like he was reading her mind she thought, but dismissed it because she knew it wasn't possible.

"You know what I'm talking about, and no it's not like I am reading your mind. I am reading your mind."

He said it so easily and calmly that it left her gobsmacked. Elentiya Savie stunned, it just didn't fit. If he can do this then what else does he know? She thought. It wasn't a nice feeling for Elentiya. Even though she was an assassin, she had never liked to always be on guard.

"You can calm down." Castol explained, "I can only hear your primary thoughts, hearing secondary thoughts involves contact. My mental abilities aren't anywhere nearly strong enough to be a threat to you."

"Ok." She said perplexed. It was extremely rare to find a man blessed by the gods these days in modern Terran.

"Good, now can you start to trust me a bit more. If I'm going to be your trainer, you're going to need trust me, as do I."

Sure, that's easy enough for you to say, Mr. Soothslayer, Elentiya thought, only to see Castol break down from his usually calm, cool and collective facade. Laughing?

"You know its soothsayer, right?" he laughed.

"Yeah, but I thought it fit better with you being a warrior." She replied almost with pride in her naming skills.

"Yeah, I kind of like it. Maybe I'll use it one day." He laughed, "I really should explain to you want primary thoughts are, but if you knew I would never be amused like this again."