Death Dealers

Gareth stood, his arms clasped behind his back, studying the fish as they swam past the window that was the entire western wall of his rooms. These had been a gift from the emperor himself for “services to the empire.” The brazier in the corner flickered as the door to his room opened. He knew who it was, even with his back turned. Her soft movements were a comfort, one of the small comforts he allowed himself. “You’re late.” He observed. He felt her smile. He couldn’t really explain this. His eyes never left the seascape and the air stilled as the door shut, but something in her tone showed a smile. “I did not know we had a scheduled meeting.” His eyes followed the dragon shark as it swam past the great glass barrier that separated him from the ocean.  “Someone must clean up the mess you death dealers make.” She remarked as if to explain why she was later than normal. With anyone else that remark would have been acrid. In his presence, there was a hint of sympathy and tenderness. “Marcus has been dealt with..” He heard her intake of breath and added. “He lives and is unharmed. It was not a sin for him to pursue you and he is of no threat to the crown. I do not kill without reason or need.” Her hand touched his shoulder. “ Look at me.” He turned and their eyes and then their lips met. Her eyes were the color of the morning sea when the first light filtered through the waters. Perhaps this was why he loved this room, it reminded him of her. He gently moved a strand of her raven locks that trailed over her face.  “I know you and accept you. At first, I did not understand my attraction to you, but now I know. Despite your calling, you are gentle. You’re the best assassin in the land, one of the strongest magi, and yet you feel. Both the assassins and the magi are supposed to be without emotion. We do not pick our callings, our birth dictates them, but despite your proclivity for death, you value life.” She stated as they pulled apart. This time he kissed her. He felt her arms move up to the clasp at her neck that supported her dress and she released it. He felt the folds of silk cascade down her body and make a blue puddle on the floor. She was his and by some miracle he was hers. This union was not forbidden but was unprecedented. She was life with an unmatched ability to heal and he was an assassin. Their respective orders hated each other, but somehow, inexplicably, they had found each other. *** She watched as he went through the moves of Chi-con-Wu-ee. His body was hard, being forged by hours of rigorous training at the hands of ruthless instructors. His moves were fluid and beautiful in their deadly fluidity and at the age of eighteen he was already known as a grand master. It was those moves that had gained her interest eleven years ago, way before she understood the lust that now called them to each other. She had sought him out and they had become friends. Their instructors and family did not know what to think of this friendship but had condoned it. Unlike the other students who partnered with individuals from their respective organizations, they had taken biology, anatomy, and strategy together. She had also chosen to study his form of martial arts and he hers. Despite this, or because of it, both of them had excelled in their academies and were at the top of their orders even before completing school. “Join me.” He invited her without looking at her. Sweat trickled from his short brown hair and made rainbows on his skin. She loved the way the light filtered into this room. She stood and pulled on the robes he kept for her in his rooms. He turned as she approached, easily landing into a defensive stance. She attacked as he had taught her. Then they danced. In some ways, this dance was more intimate than s*x. It was a dance with death. She held her own for about three minutes before he tapped her in a place that would have caused instant death had he given any force to the touch at all.  This would be her record for the morning and only once had she ever lasted even a second longer. After three sessions, they moved to the peaceful martial arts of Ki-lom-ee. These movements were designed to bring inner peace and balance within the body. “Do you know where you are being deployed?” She asked. “We are being sent to opposite realms. I have the northern frontier and you are on the southern fields where the fighting is harshest.” He replied evenly, then he looked at her. “You’ll be safe; when you need me, I will be there.” He promised. “How is that possible?” She asked. He smiled.“We’re connected, you and I. Distance has no effect on this bond.” She looked at him, his face was impassive. He showed no sign of the distress she felt. “We are the best the empire has, we are both needed where we will be of most use. Take care of yourself, and remember our time together. I will do the same,” he replied. “But you just made our love legal.” His eyes sparkled at her words. “Then it can wait, duty is what we were raised for. My heart will not change on a single tour.” He stated, then gave her a gentle kiss. Chapter 1 : To the South Esrea watched Gareth disappear into the crowd. She didn’t have time to spare, but she lingered for a moment. She hoped that his path wouldn’t fully claim him. She knew he had assassinated before, but a single assassination was different than the hunt he was being sent on, and her studies in healing had taught her that such hunts were unhealthy for the mind and spirit. She slowly turned and walked to the docks. The bustle of the city did little to cheer her. It was as if she could already feel the distance between her and Gareth increasing. She practically had to push her way toward the docks.  After a few minutes of walking, she could see the flags flying on the masts of the ships over the low buildings that made the dock district. A few more minutes had her walking down the winding avenue called the coast road. Her eyes scanned the harbor. Hundreds of ships lined the harbor waiting to be loaded or unloaded. Her eyes went to the southern portion of the harbor where the military ships waited in a quiet line. Which was her ship? “Esrea…” The call cut through the crowds and the normal noise. She scanned the crowd...there, pushing his way through the crowds was Surin. He was tall and handsome and he filled out his healer’s robes well. She smiled. He was a friend and one of the few students that actually competed with her in skill level. He met her and took her bags. “You are assigned to the Emperor’s Revenge. It’s the flagship. Only the best for Esrea.” He said good-naturedly. “If you spent less time wooing anything with two legs; you’d have the flagship also.” She said with a smile.   “I’ll walk you to your ship. Or your bedroom, whichever you prefer.” He stated, with his charismatic smile. He led her through the crowds to the long lines of soldiers waiting to be assigned to a ship. He pointed to a thick man to the far right. “That is who you need to see.”   *** She stepped onto the gangplank with her papers in hand. Butterflies were in her stomach; this is what she had trained for. She was going to the front. She paused for a moment to study the ship. It was huge, it had three masts that reached for the sky and was more than a hundred feet wide and four times that long. The Empire loved its ships.  The highest rank in the Empire was Lord of the Navy. She sighed, she didn’t like ships, they never stayed still and were crammed with unwashed bodies. Cleanliness was the life of a healer and she had learned that the assassins guild promoted the same detail to being clean. It made sense, anyone who used poisons and even disease to kill would understand the importance of keeping it from harming them. A man cleared his throat and she turned to find her grand master.  “Are we dreaming of Master Gareth, or simply restricting progress?” He asked in a gentle tone. “I was just thinking how miserable this trip will be,” she replied. The man placed a hand on her shoulder. “It will be well. Distance doesn’t affect the heart negatively. I will wager it will let you see if it is lust or love that joins the two of you. Assassins and Magi are known to be enchanting creatures.” She nodded and walked up the gangplank. *** A man standing on the deck took her papers, he studied them a moment then looked at his book. He pointed to the back of the ship. “The healers are stationed back there. Someone will guide you to your cabin.”  She nodded and headed towards the back of the ship..the stern is what it was called. She’d need to get accustomed to nautical terms. Her cabin was shared with six other healers. Fortunately, they were all women. This wasn’t always the case. Healers were trained to be comfortable with all anatomy, including their own, and nudity didn’t bother her, but it was inconvenient to share a room with someone of the other s*x if you weren’t planning on enjoying them; men and women had totally different hygiene concerns. She knew these healers by reputation. She hadn’t been placed with the other acolytes. It was common in war settings to partition people by skill, not rank. It made it easy to know where to go to find the skill you needed. She turned from the trunks to see them studying her. She gave a proper curtsy and cast her eyes down. She knew she wasn’t their equal. Her gifts gave her unique abilities in healing, but these women were skilled in the art. Two of them had no magical potential but were still known to be among the best healers. “Well, at least she knows her place...I’ve read the reports…” The woman shook her head, a few strands of gray escaped from the tight bun on her head and waived freely in the air. “Child, I see promise in you, despite your choice of a mate.”  Another woman, perhaps ten years younger than the first, placed a hand on the older woman’s shoulder. “Eva, from all reports, Gareth is honorable, we don’t choose our callings or our heart, only our actions.” Eva glared at the woman for a second. “How can she bed someone that’s sole purpose is to kill? A soldier is one thing...a death dealer...the name says it all.” The woman ignored Eva. “Yes, you are the subject of gossip. Your choice of lover was unconventional, but then you were friends well before you were lovers. I will make this very clear. Our personal lives are just that, personal. Unless you are asked for an opinion, keep it to yourself. We are here to ensure the health of the crew. Everyone in this room is more than capable of doing that.  I requested Esrea because she can fill the void that we cannot and we can help her. Unless she breaks the code of a healer...she is not to be put on trial for personal choices.” The woman paused. “I am Constance...Chief healer of this ship. Welcome child. I am not always so accommodating, but I find it refreshing that some ideas are being challenged. We all serve the Empire.” Esrea curtsied again. “Thank you, Madam Constance.” The woman smiled. “Is it true that you have mastered both our martial art and the martial art of the Assassins?” “I would not say that I have mastered Chi-con-wu-ee, but I am proficient in it. I find the two arts very similar and complementary.” Constance nodded again. “I want you to draft a report on the similarities and differences in the skills and how they affect the body. Such a study has not been done in more than a thousand years by someone skilled in both arts.” She paused again. “Part of my duty is to assess the training of the crew and assure that it is not too strenuous on the body, I’d like you to join me in these assessments.” Esrea bowed her head. “It will be an honor,” she stated.