A bitter wind caressed the orange flame like a starving lover, sending
shadows dancing on the dark timber walls. Quill scratched on parchment by
the light of the candle, moved by a spidery hand so pale it seemed to be
touched by death. Khissa exhaled quietly. Her mood was foul this evening; a
score of her soldiers had started a brawl in a nearby inn and killed five
onlookers, two of them just out of boyhood. With a straight face she had
slain her men without question. She did this without regret; there wasn't
an excuse in the world to murder innocent children.
One of her long, razorblade nails tapped the mahogany table. With derision she finished her report of the event and returned the quill to its inkwell. "Idiots," she muttered, lowering her head to the table and basking in the peaceful silence of her tavern.
All was interrupted as the main door creaked open, spilling silver moonlight onto the worn floorboards. It seemed to wash over the entire room; even when the glow touched the candle flame, it extinguished, as if it was never meant to be. A powerful crackle of magic commanded the air. Khissa glanced up only for a brief moment, but then the light was gone, hidden behind a man of great size. His stature demanded respect, but after he set dark blue eyes on the woman before him, he wavered and stepped back in shriveled surprise.
Khissa slowly pushed herself to her feet. For a moment, a ripple of emotion distorted the icy bearing she usually kept, but then was gone as she slid the chair neatly under the table. Her tone was monotone, steady. Cold. "Benzunah."
The man couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. As he took in her armor, the scarred insignia on her breastplate, he finally turned away in disgust. "I heard you might be in town." His own voice was quiet. "Though I never expected you to come back here. Our home."
She laughed scornfully. "Our home? You still dare to return here after you tore my heart out and trampled it?" A chilling smile adorned her lips. "You amuse me."
"You've changed." Benzunah walked further into the clammy room and closed the door. He leaned against it as he faced her. "You were never this cruel."
"I am only what you made me."
He sighed, lowering his head. Long strands of brown drifted across his eyes. "You know I loved you."
"That's why you went off to war for months and left me here to fend for myself. That's why you returned and made me into your whore. Am I right?" Khissa leaned upon the table, watching him flinch at her harsh words. "To deny it would be a black lie, my dear husband." She spat the last word out in contempt. "I loved you and you took my innocence. My life. Ravaged everything I had and threw me aside like I was your dog. This time I won't come crawling back to lick your feet. It's over, Benz. I have another life to live now."
"It wasn't like that." Benzunah stepped forward, his hands out in passive justification. "I had to go to Ri'Hahn to fight. Caerrick needed me. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but if I had waited for you to return both he and his troops would have died. Caerrick is my friend."
"And what about when you returned?" Claw-nails tightened into the polished wood. "You took advantage of me. Wouldn't respect my decision to stop. and then got angry. Angry at me! Angry because I wasn't in the mood for your pleasures! I told you I never wanted to see you again and I meant it."
He wished he could argue with her, but finally Benzunah closed his eyes, the massive shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked hurt. When he spoke, he spoke softly, and his fist clenched at his side as he suppressed his emotions. "All right, Khissa. I'll go. You won't have to see me again, if I cause you so much pain."
Khissa said nothing. The silence was deafening. Through the Lifebond she shared with him, she could feel his sadness, his regret. His misery. Benzunah swallowed and nodded. "As you wish."
As he turned to leave, Khissa stepped forward, but stopped herself. As if he could sense it he looked over his shoulder at her. His voice broke the heavy air around them. "Khissa. Promise me, at least. Promise you've learned from my mistake. Promise you won't trust as easily as you trusted me." He paused, and then exhaled softly. "And promise you won't forget me. I loved you, Khissa. I think I still do."
She stood still as stone, denying him an answer. She looked aside. Benzunah watched her hopefully for a moment and then opened the door, vanishing into the murky night. In that one split second he was gone.
Khissa felt panic for a moment; she couldn't sense him anymore. She had always felt his presence through the Lifebond, but now there was only darkness. A void where he had been. No more. Emptiness set in and she stooped to gather her things from the table. As she started to ascend the stairs to her room, she turned to look at the door swinging wildly on its hinges from the night breeze, as if to mock her decision. She whispered softly into the air.
She hoped he could hear her.
"I promise."
One of her long, razorblade nails tapped the mahogany table. With derision she finished her report of the event and returned the quill to its inkwell. "Idiots," she muttered, lowering her head to the table and basking in the peaceful silence of her tavern.
All was interrupted as the main door creaked open, spilling silver moonlight onto the worn floorboards. It seemed to wash over the entire room; even when the glow touched the candle flame, it extinguished, as if it was never meant to be. A powerful crackle of magic commanded the air. Khissa glanced up only for a brief moment, but then the light was gone, hidden behind a man of great size. His stature demanded respect, but after he set dark blue eyes on the woman before him, he wavered and stepped back in shriveled surprise.
Khissa slowly pushed herself to her feet. For a moment, a ripple of emotion distorted the icy bearing she usually kept, but then was gone as she slid the chair neatly under the table. Her tone was monotone, steady. Cold. "Benzunah."
The man couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. As he took in her armor, the scarred insignia on her breastplate, he finally turned away in disgust. "I heard you might be in town." His own voice was quiet. "Though I never expected you to come back here. Our home."
She laughed scornfully. "Our home? You still dare to return here after you tore my heart out and trampled it?" A chilling smile adorned her lips. "You amuse me."
"You've changed." Benzunah walked further into the clammy room and closed the door. He leaned against it as he faced her. "You were never this cruel."
"I am only what you made me."
He sighed, lowering his head. Long strands of brown drifted across his eyes. "You know I loved you."
"That's why you went off to war for months and left me here to fend for myself. That's why you returned and made me into your whore. Am I right?" Khissa leaned upon the table, watching him flinch at her harsh words. "To deny it would be a black lie, my dear husband." She spat the last word out in contempt. "I loved you and you took my innocence. My life. Ravaged everything I had and threw me aside like I was your dog. This time I won't come crawling back to lick your feet. It's over, Benz. I have another life to live now."
"It wasn't like that." Benzunah stepped forward, his hands out in passive justification. "I had to go to Ri'Hahn to fight. Caerrick needed me. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but if I had waited for you to return both he and his troops would have died. Caerrick is my friend."
"And what about when you returned?" Claw-nails tightened into the polished wood. "You took advantage of me. Wouldn't respect my decision to stop. and then got angry. Angry at me! Angry because I wasn't in the mood for your pleasures! I told you I never wanted to see you again and I meant it."
He wished he could argue with her, but finally Benzunah closed his eyes, the massive shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked hurt. When he spoke, he spoke softly, and his fist clenched at his side as he suppressed his emotions. "All right, Khissa. I'll go. You won't have to see me again, if I cause you so much pain."
Khissa said nothing. The silence was deafening. Through the Lifebond she shared with him, she could feel his sadness, his regret. His misery. Benzunah swallowed and nodded. "As you wish."
As he turned to leave, Khissa stepped forward, but stopped herself. As if he could sense it he looked over his shoulder at her. His voice broke the heavy air around them. "Khissa. Promise me, at least. Promise you've learned from my mistake. Promise you won't trust as easily as you trusted me." He paused, and then exhaled softly. "And promise you won't forget me. I loved you, Khissa. I think I still do."
She stood still as stone, denying him an answer. She looked aside. Benzunah watched her hopefully for a moment and then opened the door, vanishing into the murky night. In that one split second he was gone.
Khissa felt panic for a moment; she couldn't sense him anymore. She had always felt his presence through the Lifebond, but now there was only darkness. A void where he had been. No more. Emptiness set in and she stooped to gather her things from the table. As she started to ascend the stairs to her room, she turned to look at the door swinging wildly on its hinges from the night breeze, as if to mock her decision. She whispered softly into the air.
She hoped he could hear her.
"I promise."