Kendra

Part 19

“Welcome Rimar,” said Kendra as he showed the priest into his sparse quarters.

“Hello Kendra, I hear you have a problem,” said the elderly and wise Rimar.

“Yes, an assassin tried to kill me, not only that but he is a part of a secret society of assassins sworn to kill me, beholden to Cephrasi, or at least the memory of him,” Kendra pulled out a chair for his guest.

“So you need some advice then?” asked Rimar as he waved his hand to signal he would stand.

“It would be welcome dear friend.”

“When I was an assassin in the cult of Bast those things that would make it difficult for me to kill my target would be if the target wore armour, if he was heavily guarded, if he had a food taster etc.” Rimar Continued, “You need to make sure you are alone with people you trust. Make sure if you are walking or travelling to unusual places that you have guards check out the way ahead of you. Surround yourself with men willing to lay down their lives for you, wear armour under your clothes. Get a food taster!”

“These things would restrict me!”

“If you want to stay alive in the world of men then you would be wise to follow my advice.”

“But men on the earth look up to me as a hero, I cannot go skulking around. It is not heroic.”

“Normal men, if they wanted to stay alive, would follow my advice. But, as we know, you are not normal, you are stronger and quicker and faster to heal because of your father.”

“I will not have Salinas made a widow because of some paltry assassin! I would kill them all!”

“Now that is a different matter. I cannot condone any longer the killing of men. I am in a better place. If you choose that course of action I cannot advise you any longer.”

“I know my friend, here I feel no malice towards them, there I would kill them all. Yet I must obey my inner moral code, placed there by God. I can only kill those who are trying to kill me.”

“You could lay a trap for them, act as bait, then deal with them as they try to kill you, though you must be wary if they use poison on their blades. For even one with as strong a constitution as you could still die from a strong enough poison.”

“I will think on what you have said. If I do lay a trap for my enemies then I need mortal friends to aid me.”

“I will leave you now to think my valiant friend.”

King Baran was a good friend to Kendra. He did not pry when Kendra disappeared from court. He allowed him his own rooms in the main palace. Whenever there seemed to be trouble along the borders, Kendra could be relied upon to offer sound advice and his sword.