From The Ashes

Chapter Two - House Of Smoke

Arvayn Bryvaris

Arvayn stood as far away from Malarin as he possibly could without risking toppling off the roof. The distance he was trying to put between himself and his former master was short lived however, as Malarin advanced on him. Accepting that he was cornered, Arvayn did the one thing that, in his mounting dread and panic, seemed to make sense. He drew the short sword sheathed on his back and brandished the blade at Malarin, his eyes wide with the shock of what he found himself doing.

Malarin stopped, a look near sadness spreading on his face. "Don't look at me like that, boy." He said softly, cocking his head sideways in as innocent a manner as he could manage. "So full of fear. When all I've done over the years is treat you as if you were my own son. I've never hurt you before, have I?"

Arvayn bit his lip, the truth of Malarin's words hitting him hard. Still he stood his ground, "You compromised my freedom." Arvayn retorted, "You planned to have me serve you until my dying day! True, I owed you an immense favour, but eight years of servitude was more than enough for recompense."

Malarin laughed and shook his head, "You honestly believe that I kept you around all of these years to pay a debt?" He laughed again, with a lot more mocking, "No, boy. Think. I trained you, utilising your already impressive acrobatics, into my greatest creation. My most prized associate. My own protege. True, I did, at first, only keep you around to repay me for saving your life. The medicines and treatments I provided for you did not come cheap. But you managed to present me with treasures twice that worth in your first year alone. I kept you around because you were valuable, too valuable for me to let you go."

The blade of Arvayn's sword had lowered while he listened to Malarin speak. So Malarin hadn't kept him around to repay his debt, he'd already done that.

Arvayn's shock however, was quickly replaced by anger. Malarin had told him all these years that he had to repay his debt, that that was why he was still out on the dingy streets of Kriggan stealing whatever sparkled from the bags and pockets of innocents, that it was why Arvayn was still stuck serving him after all these years.

In light of the intensity of Arvayn's shock and rage, he could only manage to hiss out three words, hardly audible over the crackling bellowing of the flames dancing their way towards him from the base of the tower.

"You lied. Why?" He failed to keep the tremble from his voice.

Malarin's reaction to Arvayn's statement only managed to infuriate him further. Malarin shrugged carelessly and said simply, "I did what I had to do in order to keep you by my side."

Arvayn raised his sword once more, twisting the tip of the blade out from under the grasp of a roof tile. He could feel the worn leather bands that wound around the hilt through his gloves, so tight was his grip.

"I didn't want to stay by your side. I never wanted to stand by your side in the first place." He growled, through teeth so tightly gritted they hurt. "I've been your prisoner all these years. Today is the day that comes to an end, finally."

Malarin scowled and drew back the folds of his cloak, like a curtain revealing the actors on a stage. Only, instead he revealed his hand, resting upon the hilt of a sword at his belt.

"You are mistaken." He hissed back at Arvayn, his eyes shining with a wildness Arvayn had never seen before, "Nothing changes on this day. As I said earlier, you're too valuable for me to let you go. I also intend to take back that little treasure you stole from me."

Arvayn hid his fear behind a bitter smirk, "Neither it nor me is ever going back, Malarin."

Malarin could hardly maintain his patience any longer. He drew his sword, revealing a blade so smooth and dark that it was only visible when it caught the flickering reflection of the fire below.