Kiori sat in his guild quarters, polishing off his sword and wondering when the guildmaster would call for him again. He was a well built man in his mid-twenties, strong but not bulky. His hair was dark brown and was kept short, and his eyes were even darker. One would usually expect a fighter to have many scars from his numerous battles, but this was not the case. Scars were for mercenaries, those brutes that would charge into a battle at a moment's notice, relishing the adrenaline rushes derived from chaos and brutality. In their reckless line of work, a scar or two was not uncommon. But scars meant mistakes, and assassins did not make mistakes.

With a sigh, Kiori put his sword away and laid down on his bed. The mattress was made just too his liking, not too soft, not too firm, and the sheets were of the finest silk money could buy. Indeed, at the snap of his fingers he could have any luxury his heart desired from fine wine to fine women. It wasn't a bad deal. All he had to do was get a little blood on his hands every now and then, but blood would wash right off. Still, Kiori wondered what his life would be like if he didn't have this power.

The door to his room opened. It was the guildmaster, the one man in the world who could enter his chamber without an invitation, or even a knock. The guildmaster was a pale, gaunt man. Most people would think that they could snap the man in half if they wanted to; they would be wrong. "You have a contract," he said simply and placed a piece of parchment on his dresser. There was no need for a briefing. Kiori knew how contracts worked, and he knew how to kill even better. Without another word, the guildmaster left Kiori to read about his new mark.

"Rylee Jamison," he read aloud, and then suddenly he stopped. He knew that name. "Rylee Jamison..." he knew her. He shook his head. No, it was just a name, a common name. The girl he knew wouldn't be stupid enough to desert a guild. Besides, even if it was her, this was his job. Kiori gathered his things together and prepared to set out. All he had to do was get a little blood on his hands, and that would wash right off.

Filth clung to the underside of her boots as Rylee weaved through the narrow city streets, it must've rained earlier that day seeing as the path was literally flooded with raw sewage. In one word it was disgusting though not as if she had any choice otherwise. The lone woman had no destination in mind nor any goal beyond simple survival, it had only been mere minutes since she ran off, uniform and all, even then an assassin without a doubt was already on his way. Rylee's distinct navy blue long coat made her to be the least inconspicuous target ever, perhaps it would be best to find something else to wear, she skid to a stop right in front of a garbage pile, it had to be quick there was such little time.

In the end she settled with some old curtains, while not even clothing it had to do. Rylee threw the nasty cloth over her head, blocking the short-cut, brunette head of hair from the world. The lack of sleeves hardly made using her arms easy, but as far as pretend cloaks went the curtains honestly didn't do too poorly of a job with luck no one pay her any mind, expect probably for deadly assassins. If it came down to it Rylee had to fight, she was trained, and while not gifted with magic, a little bit of skill goes a long way. The Police's Sword in her possession was forged for anything but real combat, still in a pinch it could still at a minimum injure a man.

Back on the run, back to weaving to and fro through tightly packed buildings, back to dreading every second as each one could easily be her last. Hours passed by at an agonizing slow pace to Rylee's perspective, somehow she managed to see sunset, the last rays of sun bounced off the twilight clouds, it was beautiful, and perhaps she would've stopped to admire the sight if the threat of death didn't loom over her. Night had to be much more dangerous after some consideration she opted to squat in the nearest abandoned building, there was hardly a shortage of them. Her choice was at one time a tavern, sometime in the past patrons flocked to this hall, but no longer. One could only imagine why the ex-owners were shut down, maybe they couldn't make payments on time... in the now however it served to be a temporary sanctuary, how much of a sanctuary it really was remained to be seen.

Kiori walked through the streets of Cedarburg discreetly armed to the teeth. The only visible weapons he carried were his pair of swords, one longsword and one shortsword. There was a knife hidden in each boot, as well as a secret blade built into their soles. The pockets of his vest held a half-dozen throwing knives, dipped in poison of course. His leather cap was his one piece of armor; between the two layers of armor was a wire mesh which would serve as a line of defense against any brazen arrows that dared to fly towards his head. Even the cloak he wore had a single razor wire running through it, which Kiori could pull out in a pinch. And yet people would see nothing more than just another wealthy guild member flaunting his fancy swords.

It was a gloomy day and looked like it could rain any minute, but privileged people such as Kiori needn't worry about such trifling things as weather; all his clothing was enchanted to be water-resistant so any rain would simply roll off of him. Rylee Jamison... That name kept ringing in his head over and over. He knew she would be somewhere in this city. When he inquired at the gates nobody fitting her description had left yet; he "politely" asked the gatekeeper not to let anyone fitting her description leave. She'd look different now anyway. I'd never recognize her... It was rare for someone in the police force to abandon their guild, and members of law enforcement had the distinct disadvantage of being both well known among the rich, and reviled by the poor. Lips were very loose when he inquired about her. She didn't even want to join a guild. She said she wouldn't...

After a couple of hours of asking innkeepers and tavern owners about a "Miss Rylee Jamison," Kiori came to the conclusion that she was hiding somewhere away from the public eye. It was probably one of the better courses of action she could have taken. If nobody could see her, then nobody could talk about her. However, there were only so many places where nobody was. This wasn't his first time hunting for his mark through the streets of Cedarburg, and it wouldn't be his last. He knew layout of the roads, the alleys, who owned what shops. He had to know; an assassin's work could take him anywhere in the world, and it was never good to let the prey have the home field advantage. As his eagle-like eyes scanned the streets, though, the path to his prey became illuminated. It was fortunate that the streets were so filthy. Rylee's boots were filthy as well.

The pattern that would have been invisible to any ordinary person was clear as day to the seasoned assassin. Boot prints matching the pattern that officers wear. Not the even confident stride that they typically held; this person was running. Based on the physical description of her size, these boots were the correct size for the target. Kiori had found the track to his prey, now it was simply a matter of following them to the end. Rylee was clearly panicked. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to her direction. Hell, if she had just stayed on the main road, her prints might have been lost in the crowd, but this course of action was the downfall of her strategy. Before long, Kiori was standing before the abandoned tavern.

"It's a shame, they had good whiskey," Kiori whispered as he stood before the doors, his demeanor stoic, his eyes blank. She thought it was disgusting when I smuggled some of my dad's ale for us to try. I wonder what she drinks now... He picked up a rock and hurled it at the window of one of the neighboring buildings. The sound of shattering glass would do two things: first, it would mask the sound of his swift entry into the tavern. Second, it would hopefully startle the target. If she moved to investigate the sound, he could hear where she was hiding. So, Kiori stood silently in the threshold of the building, eyeing the shadows and listening for the sounds of creaking floorboards.

Rylee found her resting spot on the second floor within one of the many rooms that if she were to guess once served as sleeping quarters for patrons, specifically it seemed like the common room given how large the space was. The fugitive sat on a rickety bench, looked as such and most definitely felt as if the entire piece of furniture was about to give. There was still some daylight left, stray rays bathed her face it was good, comforting and warm. None of that however could calm the rising anxiety within her, maybe she made the wrong decision by camping within this decayed structure there were not a lot of options to escape, not to mention even in the commons there wasn't enough space to maneuver in a fight, and... Rylee let out a drawn out sigh, the worse part of being hunted wasn't the actual hunter, anticipation was the real current threat.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere, partly on purpose as to stomp down more pessimistic thoughts as panic was the enemy, the first step to victory was to maintain discipline through crisis, just as her gui- just as her former guild taught. Remain calm in the face of danger, that's what Corey used to say, even if not a mercenary the Constables still had a job to do and that job came with all the dangers with none of the rewards. All those mundane hours wandering through the streets of Cederburg, dealing with drunks, looters, and the occasional wanna-be crime lord all made to be basically the gutter work deemed too menial by the mercenaries. Looking back now Rylee was starting to feel better, she will never miss that... among other personal reasons, there was no way she would ever regret running even if at that moment an assassin was closing in upon her. A strong mind was the second step to victory.

*Crash*

The sudden intrusion of her thoughts was anything but welcomed, rather then becoming alarmed Rylee was more annoyed, at first that is, until the realization dawned that something, or much more importantly someone had to be the cause. It was now or never, it could be the assassin, maybe somehow he fumbled giving away is position? Probably very unlikely assassins were legendary at their craft, but what could it mean, maybe it was a stray animal like a cat, or maybe some haphazardly placed object fell only to shatter a window... somehow. Rylee shook her head, it really wasn't the time loose herself in a tangent. Careful not to give herself away, she was hiding after all, she stood up from the bench, the wood groaned now free from her weight. She made her way forward, one step at a time, that is until one board creaked quite loudly underfoot, she froze imminently knowing full well the possible repercussions of her mistake, if the assassin was there he must've heard that, so much for a game of cat and mouse...

Kiori's plan worked almost too well. It was only a matter of seconds before he heard the telling creak in the wood that revealed Rylee's location. He wouldn't make such a mistake. Many people fled into rickety old buildings, thinking they would be able to at least hear assassins coming, but the assassins were taught some basics on how building were constructed. Kiori knew where the main beams were in the floor and roof, meaning he knew where to step if he wanted the floor to remain silent. With footsteps as silent as a cat's he crept over to the staircase. He gently placed his foot on one step after the other, the beating of his heart the loudest sound his body was making. He slithered through the hall, and finally arrived in front of the room Rylee was hiding in. He hadn't drawn any weapons yet, which was unlike him; the split second it took to draw a sword in combat was wasted time, even if his opponent was just a constable.

Without any further hesitation, Kiori pushed open the door. There was no need for stealth at this point; once he saw his target, there would be no escape. With a brief scan of the room he saw her standing there, terrified, but it was unmistakably her, the Rylee Jamison he remembered. Of course she was grown now, but her face was fundamentally the same. His hand hovered over the hilt of his longsword, but he didn't draw. Why couldn't he draw? She should have been dead already, and Kiori should have been on his way back to the guild, but he simply stood there, frozen just as she was. Then, a thought entered his mind that should never trouble any assassin: I wonder if she remembers me...

Kiori's body relaxed and his hand moved away from his sword. This was the first time a target ever saw an assassin with his guard down. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Hello Rye, long time no see."

Rylee's mind instantly went blank, or maybe it went into overdrive through unfiltered panic wasn't like she could tell anyway. After her blunder there was little time to regain any composure, truly the assassin worked quickly, seemed their skill wasn't exaggerated unfortunately. Perhaps also unfortunate in other ways she couldn't understand what the assassin's greeting meant, do they somehow have history together... impossible. Rylee had no idea who Kiori was, not anymore.

Another thought flashed through her mind, the assassin appeared so casual in his stance, plus he hasn't even drawn a weapon be it a sword or any other shady weapon possibly in his possession. Is he toying with me? Where is my "quick death?" Rylee expected to already have a blade straight through her chest, or more preferably dead after some sort of fight, not that dying was anything preferable in the first place. A warrior's death had more appeal to her, at least some control over her destiny though a struggle, yet even though she still stood, alive, this assassin stopped to greet her. Why?

Then it hit her, this was an opportunity, a sliver of a chance to survive after all. With a rough motion Rylee tore the ragged curtains off, it would serve to encumber her. Of course she still wore her uniform, the blue long coat that marks constables, hesitation was the enemy and so was the man before her, without missing a beat Rylee drew her sword. Blade wielded in her right hand she automatically entered a fighting stance, facing down Kiori with the side of her body.

"I don't even have a ghost of an idea who you are, but I will not stand to be toyed with. You came to kill me, so do your job, however I promise one thing, I promise that I will not hand over my life willingly, maybe I don't even have a remote chance to live, but I will be damned if I were to roll over and die!" Rylee issued her challenge, fueled by the bravado and stubbornness that had been with her for long as she could remember, even has a kid she acted as such, especially when backed into a corner.

"I've changed that much, have I?" Kiori replied, but Rylee quickly made it clear that she had no intention of trading words. Stubborn as ever. He could be sure that as a constable, Rylee was at the very least proficient with that blade; it would be unwise to continue facing her unarmed. So, in a single, practiced movement that came as naturally to Kiori as breathing, he drew both his blades, longsword in his right hand, short sword in his left, and was immediately in a combat stance. His body knew exactly what to do. Rylee's stance was basic, her style easy to dismantle. His mind whirred calculating the first three, four, five, six -- no, it wouldn't get that far -- moves of their exchange. Every possible thrust, parry, and maneuver was accounted for and Kiori had his optimal response prepared for each. And yet, he didn't move.

It's just a little more blood, he thought. Another drop in the bucket. Yes, this is the Rylee I knew, but that was over a decade ago. We're different people now, and we know nothing about one another... Why did he need to convince himself to kill her? The contract was all the convincing he needed, and if that wasn't enough then the fear of his guild's wrath should have done it. How pathetic was it when the target was clearly more eager to kill than the assassin? That was enough. No more thinking. Just let his body do what it knew how to do.

With that, Kiori was finished ruminating, and began his attack. With hawk-like swiftness he stepped in. He made a sweeping motion with the short sword that would seem like a wide attack, but that was just a ruse. Human instinct would be to block, and that's what he wanted; the short sword would hold his enemy's blade in place, and the real attack would be a thrust from the longsword. This maneuver alone had been enough to mortally wound half the targets who had engaged with him in open combat. He wondered if Rylee would be able to survive.

Who is this guy, do I really know him... or knew him? Rylee dealt with people often, a constable's job entails plenty of interaction with common folk at least lot more than actual combat. This assassin almost seemed honestly trying to communicate, even though he showed literately no emotion he wasn't attempting to deceive her through some sick tricks of empathy. Rylee started to seriously consider dropping her blade, maybe for the first time in history a target could talk things out with an assassin, there wouldn't need to be blood. Ideas of peace quickly shattered once the assassin accepted her offer, despite her newly emerged second thoughts there was no turning back. He held back once more even though both swords were drawn, really was an assassin having doubts?

She was heavily outclassed here, in skill, strength, probably speed, and for sure in power who knew what magic her opponent had... yet none of that mattered, for she was going to survive this what she lacked in combat ability she had to make up in raw spirit, just with the simple notion of a will to live. The assassin made the first move of their skirmish, a frighteningly fast strike with his left weapon Rylee felt herself jump back before even commanding it so, thanks to constable drills being so ingrained one of the first lessons was never to block with a sword, especially with the Police's Sword as the metal would likely snap with any meaningful force. She barely made the dodge, she actually felt the air displaced by the short sword, if it were not for the adrenaline coursing through her veins it was clear she wouldn't have been fast enough meaning the blow would've hit.

Without any time to react Kiroi fell forward into a thrust, the longsword being the weapon of choice this time, even though Rylee made some slight distance the length of the blade was still able to make contact, it was brutal as the metal tore through her left shoulder, good news it could've been much worse since she was saved by her off center ordination, a result of that same jump. The pain was bad, yet she had to ignore it not even daring to clench at the fresh wound, the bleeding may stop on its own least that's what she told herself. It was bad Rylee knew conventional tactics will only get her killed, it was becoming very clear that a straight up fight would only result in her death. Honestly without any true consideration to formulate a sound plan she went with the first idea that came up, it was be fast, or be dead.

Rylee dropped to the ground, hoping that somehow the remaining light emanating from the disappearing sun would be enough, just enough to blind the assassin for a second, that's all she needed. With all her might the former constable stomped hard on the ill-maintained boards beneath them, if there was a support beam under the planks, she was dead, if was open space down there, than maybe...

*Crack*

She could break the floor, throwing the two down the first floor.

Rylee was able to dodge his strikes, which was impressive in and of itself, but it bought her only a few seconds. She dodged backwards, meaning she gave up some of the precious space she had in this room. One more move like that and her back would be against the wall, no more dodging. Killing her was now simply a matter of controlling her movements. However, as Kiori's longsword thrusted forward, something strange happened. The metal bit into Rylee's flesh, but Kiori himself cringed as if he had been struck himself. Was he relieved that he had missed her vitals? More importantly, why had he missed her vitals?

It wasn't Rylee's sunlight trick, but the assassin's momentary hesitation that allowed her to carry out the plan. It was reckless, dangerous, and impractical, but because of that the assassin wasn't able to anticipate what she was planning. Kiori made another thrust with his longsword, this time making sure he was aiming right at her vitals, but just as he was about to guide his blade into his target's chest, he felt a feeling of weightlessness. Indeed, the building was in a sorry state. The wooden planks had not been maintained, nor had the roof. Drips and drops of water had created a foundation of mold, and the recent shower left the planks soft and fragile; it was amazing the floor hadn't collapsed on them already.

The two tumbled down, the sudden drop completely throwing off Kiori's strike and leaving a rare opening, though capitalizing on it mid-drop would require a remarkable level of agility. Still, it was not enough to shatter the assassin's concentration. He focused on righting himself and maintaining his balance as he fell. His feet touched the first floor. Good, he had control now. His legs bent as he landed to absorb the impact and his swords flew up in a defensive stance to stop any desperate strikes his opponent might throw his was. Everything was still under control. If she ran, he could catch her; if she fought, he could kill her; if she had inadvertently disabled herself, well that was that.

Rylee didn't expect the boards to give so easily, the floor probably would've collapsed anyway leaving one to wonder how it managed to remain "stable" for long as it did. The good news, she was able to do something that the assassin didn't expect, bad news after the explosion mud and wood settled Rylee found herself lying flat on her back, not obviously injured any further unfortunately it didn't matter. Seemed she made her situation much worse, now in a vulnerable position without new options. At that point there wasn't anything else to try, no other trick to attempt, no other potential way out, completely trapped and awaiting death to come.

She stared up at the still-standing-assassin, from the start of this encounter one question remained within her mind the question of who exactly was this man. She should've been long dead if just half of the rumors surrounding the blood soaked reputation of the assassins held true, yet there she was yet alive. Even then Rylee was virtually defenseless her enemy still stood over her not carrying through his given task, again it all begged the same question. Who is he? Are other assassins like him? What is going on, this can't be normal could it? Not for some ruthless killer.

From her new perspective Rylee could see more of this man's face, despite the worsened lighting conditions for the first time she really saw who he is. It was perplexing obviously there was nothing confusing about the assassin, one nose, one mouth, and two eyes making him a perfectly normal human, yet from the far regions of her unconscious a sense of familiarity arose, a sort of paradoxical feeling of comfort. She squinted, eyebrows furrowed as Rylee tried her best to process the fresh information, naturally she went back to the very first words uttered "Hello Rye, long time no see." Maybe it wasn't so impossible they met before, there clearly had to be a connection sometime in their history.

"Rye. You called me Rye earlier... why did you use my nickname?" Rylee ventured carefully, "Although more importantly where did you hear it from? No one has used that name for a long time, not since..." Then it all snapped together, metaphorically speaking, it almost seemed down right stupid she wasn't able to piece it together before. She found the answer from which a wide eyed Rylee practically whispered, "Kio?"

Before the dust even cleared, Kiori saw that his target was prone, complete open and ripe for stabbing. Just one thrust of his sword and it would all be over. Yet, the dust was given time to clear and Rylee time to ascertain his identity; Kiori was just standing there. It was barely discernible, but his hands were clenching the swords a bit too tightly, and his arms were shaking, not from fear or fatigue, but from something else, something deeper. It was as if his years of bloody conditioning and the last shred of humanity that he had managed to cling to were having a tug of war with his soul. He couldn't kill Rylee, but at the same time he couldn't put his swords away. He was stuck. Then, Rylee spoke.

It seemed that he wasn't unrecognizable after all these years after all. She remembered him, she remembered his nickname. When was the last time he'd heard his name uttered with even a drop of compassion in it? In fact, when was the last time anyone had used his name at all? The guildmaster simply needed to look at him to address him, any business he conducted was under an alias, and his targets never knew his name. It was one of the guild's tactics to dehumanize the assassins; they were weapons with a single purpose, not people with individual names. But hearing her say his name was like a sudden burst of nourishment for his shriveled, withering soul. His stoic expression was cracked with the beginnings of a smile and he replied with a nod. He lowered his swords. "Yes, it's me..."

Kiori had no idea what to say next. As a boy he had never been short of words. In fact, the adults usually found him obnoxiously talkative. But for over a decade speaking had simply been a means of acquiring information with him. Assassins didn't need "friends." Those assassins that did associate with one another were so depraved that they would just as eagerly put a dagger in a "friend's" back as share a mug of ale. They were like rabid wolves barking at one another just to hear how loud they could bark. So, when it came to this, talking to a normal person, hell an old friend, he was at a loss.

Kiori let out a sigh and shook his head. "Why did you do it? I'm sure you realize the mess you made with all this, so why the hell did you think it would be a good idea to abandon your guild?" His tone was harsh, but his reprimand was filled with concern rather than malice. Nobody escaped the guilds. She was dead; they were dead. Her reasons for leaving wouldn't change that simple, undeniable fact, but at least he'd have a chance to chat with an old friend before they died.

It really was him, Kiori was physically right there after so long they've finally crossed paths once again. Rylee didn't want to admit she all but forgot of him, too much has happened over the last decade yet even that that was no reason to forgot her best friend. He'd changed a lot, by so much she didn't recognize him until coming face to face. Kiori was too somber not much of that boy from their childhood seemed to remain, they used to do everything together there was never a time Rylee was bored when in his presence, the guilds really had twisted him into something else. Above all this he manged to smile, admittedly it barely counted as one, yet that meant some of that child stayed with him this reassured her, reassured her that Kiroi couldn't be completely lost.

Rylee said nothing in response to Kiori's questioning at first until with closed eyes she slowly shook her head, "This isn't how long lost friends greet each other after fourteen some odd years, you know give or take." she then flashed a light, yet somewhat half-hearted grin, "Shouldn't you instead be saying something like 'Sorry for trying to murder you and for stabbing you in the shoulder.' least that's how I see it." Rylee's banter was similar to when they were kids, however here it didn't feel as legitimate she wasn't trying to force it of course, at the same time she also felt out of place doing so.

Her smile faded from view, a reflection of a serious tone. Rylee sighed and leaned back facing up towards the gaping hole above. "I can't tell you why I did what I did... I want to tell you, at a minimum you deserve to know, but... I don't see you understanding even I were to tell you. Its all a very complicated matter, there isn't just one reason it by no means is a cut and dry deal." She wasn't lying, even if back then they were inseparable friends, today they lived in two extremely different worlds, her as a constable saw Cederburg in a much different way than Kiori the assassin saw the same city, though this was an assumption. Rylee waited for an answer, it was his turn.

Kiori was caught off guard by Rylee's response. Ask a question, get an answer; that was the way his world had worked up until now. He had forgotten that without the shroud of fear that covered him as an assassin, people had to earn their answers from one another through trust and conversation. A more appropriate way to continue the conversation would be-- Kiori cut his own thoughts short. Was he really unable to hold a conversation except as an outsider mimicking the behaviors of others? He had lost more of himself to the guild than he thought... No, it wasn't quite lost, he had just misplaced it. Already, hearing his best friend's voice was reviving a part of himself that he had almost forgotten he had. "You're right," he said at last, "that's no way to greet a friend. But just so you don't hold it against me, you drew first." There, at least he remembered how to parry her sarcastic thrusts.

Rylee was vague in saying why she left her guild, though. Kiori wasn't happy with that answer at all and he was about to press her further on it, but checked himself. He hadn't even put his swords away, and here he was popping up out of thin air after fourteen years and demanding that she justify her actions to him. The next thing Kiori reclaimed was common courtesy; he was acting like a pretty big jerk. Twelve-year-old Kiori would have stood by Rylee unconditionally, and asked questions later if it even mattered to him. Finally Kiori took a deep breath and sheathed his swords.

"I guess I'm not really one to criticize," Kiori said in a stoic voice as he walked over to help Rylee off the ground. "As of this moment I'm no longer a member of the Assassin's Guild, though I would imagine my reason is quite a bit simpler than yours." He said the words, he knew they were true, and yet it didn't feel real. He had every right to be panicked, to cower in solitude in vain hope that he'd be overlooked. But somehow, whether it was because of his mental conditioning or some unknown factor within his being, he was still completely calm. Then, his cold, calculating mind got a crazy idea. "All things considered, I'm not to keen on rolling over to die either. The longest that it's ever taken an assassin to kill a target is twelve days. What do you say Rye, want to try to beat that record?"

It was all too clear that Kiori wasn't used to normal socializing anymore, almost painfully clear to Rylee it was depressing really seeing such a good friend end up like this. Not that she turned out perfect either, even then she couldn't bring herself to fully trust him though Kio was her best friend to an almost dangerous fault, Kiori the assassin was a member of the highest power within the guilds that fact alone meant he still kill her at any moment. Suppose it could be worse than holding a few trust issues. When offered a hand Rylee hesitated for a split-moment, not for long, and probably not too noticeable, now standing next to Kiori she listened to what he had to say next.

Least to say Rylee was utterly surprised, it was all too sudden for Kiori to renounce his membership like that especially with zero convincing from her. She wasn't sure if to be relieved that someone else stupidly opted to walk alongside her, or terrified at the unexpected decision, mainly that somehow this was some twisted roundabout way to knife her in the back. Rylee did nothing to hide her shock and not entirely on purpose yelled, "What the hell! You show up after all this time, and not for the most pleasant of reasons, just got out of a little scramble with me, then go off join me in a slow suicide! I- Jesus this is stupid, even for you Koi... just come on... yo- you going turn coat so suddenly!"

Rylee stopped mid stride into her mini-outburst, and took a deep breath, she stepped back from the now former assassin to lean on the nearest wall. His reasons possibly couldn't be to take her down in some insidious fashion, would it be all that bad to think maybe Kiori still honored their past friendship? She had to give him a chance, especially if she wanted to live, the rest of her existence wouldn't be a long one alone, plus she can't ever dream about defeating another assassin... yet Kiroi easily could.

"Alright Kiori, even thinking about dying to some assassin's blade is depressing by itself. Here's what we're gonna do, sleep on it, emotions have to be running high for both of us, a bunch of complex, tangled and confusing emotions brought about from this less than happy reunion." Rylee started to unbutton her coat, "I got a plan, first we clear some room, then I use my coat as the worse bedding ever, you figure something out yourself, and we sleep. Today's been way too much, and at times like this I say just calling it done is the best option, now come on kick some wood around."

Before actually kicking around wood she finished undoing the last button, then obviously slipped out of the coat. Underneath Rylee wore a very white button shirt, constables had only one uniform for both men and women, that said the shirt wasn't completely white anymore as blood continued oozing from her fresh shoulder wound, by then the cloth was heavily saturated crimson still Rylee didn't seem to pay any heed.

Kiori wasn't surprised by Rylee's reaction; hell, he could hardly believe what he was saying himself. However, the rules of a contract were simple: kill the target or become the next target. Once a contract was made, there was no taking it back, there was no "passing" on a contract, and there were no exceptions to any of these very simple rules. The moment Kiori had decided not to kill Rylee was the moment he had abandoned his guild. Still, he could understand how someone who was not familiar with just how ruthless the Assassin's Guild was, even to it's own, could see it as a sudden decision, but really it was just the only logical course of action to take after an illogical decision like refusing to carry out a contract. Based on Rylee's "plans" though, it was clear that she was woefully unaware of how his guild operated.

"Sleep is important," Kiori said, "but the two of us must never be asleep at the same time. Even though news of my refusal to carry out a contract will take time to reach the guild, it is not inconceivable that this was all set up as a test. They don't want their assassins to have any emotional ties to the world, and they will either fix or dispose of assassins that are found to have such a weakness. If they knew that we were friends from the same village, then they may have deliberately chosen me for the contract to test for that weakness. If this is the case, then there is an observer somewhere in this city preparing to dispose of me, and then complete the contract." He spoke as if this were all simply a matter of fact. This was not a clever ploy or sly tactic; this was normal operation, and it was just a slice of the atmosphere that made him into the killer that he was.

"We'll sleep in shifts," he continued as he began making space as Rylee had requested. His mind was already thinking of their next move, but Rylee was clearly exhausted, so he would spare her his ideas until the morning. Then, his eyes fell on her still-bleeding shoulder. "But, before anything else, we'll need to dress that wound." Kiori had on him a few basic first-aid supplies for a worst case scenario, but he had never had to use them in his work before. He never dreamed that their first use would be on another. From one of his pockets, he took out a small roll of bandages, and an herb that would help stop the bleeding. He approached her with the supplies, but stopped awkwardly when he reached her. As a constable she should be more than capable of dressing the wound herself, but it would certainly be easier if he helped her. Would she trust him to do it? Despite all his training in strategy and tactics, he couldn't find the answer to this basic dilemma, and so he stood there looking quite dumb, waiting for Rylee to make the decision for him... if she even realized that there was a decision for her to make.

Kiroi wasn't wrong by a long shot, even she wouldn't put it pass the guilds to test their assassins like this if some observer had been watching them they probably could expect a fight very soon. At the same time though Rylee had to wonder why he broke his contact so openly if he already thought as much, either he got careless, which frankly was too unlikely, or he simply didn't care, in which case could be considered fairly reckless on his part. In the end it didn't matter they couldn't know the immediate repercussions until it happens, he was right about taking shifts, yet beyond that there wasn't any use worrying more. Rylee nodded her agreement without a word, half of her focus was devoted towards good old wood kicking anyway.

That is until Kiroi offered to wrap her wound, of course she was going to handle it herself but not until later, there was still some minor work to do besides losing a little blood wouldn't be the end, however seeing as he wanted to deal with it then she didn't object. Rylee patiently stood still waiting for Kiroi to fish for his supplies, looking at what he brought it wasn't anything fancy, just some bandaging and blood-clotting herbs. She was about to roll up her sleeve before noticing his hesitation, and actually for the first time since their reunion looking a bit unsure of himself. It didn't take long for Rylee to reach some conclusion, perhaps it wasn't quite the cause of his hesitation but she could hazard a guess, they weren't kids anymore so well, touching someone of the... other gender... now probably came with its own share of awkwardness.

Rylee shook her head, and smiled. "Suppose I'm not too sure on what's going in that head of yours, but... I also guess all this," she motioned towards her entire body, "Could be a bit awkward for you, it has been many years after all... I uh, I can handle this by myself if you prefer, wrapping some cloth isn't too complicated after all." Without waiting on a response Rylee grabbed the medical supplies straight out of Kiori's hands, then proceeded to another part of the tavern to work in peace. It would be another seven minutes before she returned to help Kiori finish clearing the rubble and then to set up for night.

Kiori was taken aback by Rylee's assumption about his hesitation. Shy about a woman's body? No, he had gotten past anything of the sort long ago. The Assassin's Guild makes sure to satiate the primal urges of all its members, providing a steady flow of courtesans as a reward for successfully completing contracts. Needless to say, Kiori was quite familiar with female anatomy, even desensitized to it so that it would be nigh impossible for a target to escape via seduction; perhaps that was part of the guild's machinations as well. "Ah, no, it's not--" but Rylee had taken the supplies and walked away before Kiori could correct that misconception. Now that he thought about it, though, he never had looked at Rylee with those kinds of eyes before; the Assassin's Guild had taken him before he had the chance to.

So, with Rylee not permitting them to discuss survival strategies and only a menial task at hand, idle curiosity managed to squeeze its way into Kiori's mind. He wondered what would have happened if the guild never scouted him. He probably would end up doing the same grunt work for the guilds that his father did. Rylee too; there was no way she would willingly take on the role of an idle house wife. He then wondered what their future together would be like. There would be no reason for them to move, and there were too good friends to simply drift apart. Then, in his reverie, he saw a young Rylee donning the blue constable's coat. Would she?

Kiori remained quiet when Rylee returned to finish setting up for the night, but his mind was abuzz with new questions. He remembered how as kids they could share literally anything with one another with complete confidence. Never had they betrayed one another's trust and never had they let a secret fall onto the wrong ears. Now, after all the swathes of blood he had wades through, Kiori realized that he wanted that back. But, he couldn't just pretend that a decade and a half hadn't passed; that unconditional trust was no longer there. All forms of trust had been gone from his life for so long now, that he almost forgot it ever existed. How could he get that trust back? He had no idea, but perhaps the first step was just to talk.

"Hey Rye," he said, breaking the silence that never would have existed between them as children. "When I saw that you were hiding in a tavern, do you know what my first thought was? 'I wonder what she likes to drink?'" His voice was gentler now, real interaction with another person kneeding the stiffness out of his voice. Sure, it wasn't a very funny or clever remark, but for the first time in the gods knew how long, Kiori heard a human voice come out of his mouth.

While Rylee was away there was a lot to think about now finally having some time alone, after all that's happened she simply couldn't get the opportunity to properly process everything. First though she had to focus on her actual task, while not specifically trained to treat injuries it was standard fair for a constable to be knowledgeable in the bare minimum. Once her sleeve was rolled up it became clear the gash wasn't too harsh, nothing too deep or long, without wasting anymore time she got to work. During this time though Rylee's mind drifted else where, really it was almost too real that just within the last hour she met an old friend, got into a fight with deadly intent, discovered his identity and then the same man pledged to stay by her side. Again it was too painfully obvious Kiori was morphed into someone else during his time with the Assassin's Guild, the boy she once knew was warm, friendly, and extremely talkative, not this solemn assassin just in the other room. Rylee didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't help not nearly feeling the same level of friendship towards him anymore, if anything she somewhat feared him...

With one last tug, Rylee tucked the end of the piece of bandaging underneath the last layer. Looking over her handiwork she was satisfied, the bleeding should stop properly within a day, especially due to some assistance from the herbs, of course her undershirt was still dyed red yet that didn't seem to matter to her. Coming back to Kiori she got straight back to menial labor, although after a minute or so she started to notice the silence between them, as kids this would've never happened least to say it was unsettling. After a wile longer Rylee considered an attempt at breaking the ice, until Kiori of all people took the initiative. He was clearly trying to be friendly, actually to spark a conversation, even if it was small talk Rylee couldn't suppress a wide grin.

Rylee stopped whatever she was doing to turn towards Kiori, "Funny seeing as we never drank, except for that one time when you swiped some ale, guh... why did you choose that for our first drink anyway? It did not go down smooth at all, hell I remember hacking up a storm..." Hopefully he remembered this, what would it say about their friendship if either of them didn't recall it, still she kept going, part of her assumed Kiori wouldn't be doing much talking himself. "Ah oh well all the same if you really want to know what I drink today, well... I don't drink actually, not on a constable's salary, but looking back ale couldn't have been all that bad, what say you Koi?"

Kiori was glad to see Rylee grin and wanted to return the expression, but it seemed as though the only muscles in his body that had atrophied were those required to make a smile; all he could muster was another faint curl of the lips. He remembered their disastrous first drink together well. The ale was horrible but he put on a tough face and pretended that he liked it. Rylee had made no attempt to hide her opinion of the drink. "I've been to many towns and cities," Kiori began, "and I have sampled drinks both exotic and traditional from all over the world, and to this day my father's ale remains one of the repugnant liquids that ever made its way past my lips. I don't know how my father drank that stuff, or how I even managed to keep it down for that matter. But I guess its a good thing that you don't drink. All alcohol does is turn decent folk into fools and fools into dead men."

The room was cleared of rubble and the bed was set up. "Well, you'd better get as much sleep as you can now. We'll have a lot to do tomorrow." As he spoke, Kiori began walking about the room, surveying the building for anything that could be used against an intruder. "I'm going to the cooking area. I'll be back," he said quietly, and proceeded to examine that area. Just as he figured, their cook had left behind a couple of knives. They were not particularly large or valuable, and they were dull and rusted from exposure, but they were not beyond repair. Rylee's constable blade was a far more effective weapon, but if they were going to survive she needed at least one spare weapon.

He returned to their room with the knives in hand, but didn't bother explaining what he was doing with them. If he could clean them up tonight, he could give them to Rylee in the morning and explain how best to use each one. For now, it was best that he held them lest any intruders decide to use them instead. "I'll wake you when it's time to change shifts. Goodnight." It seemed that the warmth that had been so desperately trying to force its way into Kiori's voice as soon as he took his role as a vigil. Even though meeting Rylee had rekindled some of the humanity within him, it would take more than one meeting to undo the mental conditioning of the Assassin's Guild.

"Good to know I wasn't alone, makes me wonder where he found that stuff anyway." Rylee laughed, still grinning, "Although you've never told me it came straight from your father, you little delinquent." This kind of interaction felt good, and a bit reassuring as this was another piece of evidence for Kiori not being too far gone. If he can still hold a conversation then there was enough humanity left that maybe she really didn't have to worry. It was a comforting thought, sooner rather than later they could be close again, all the same part of Rylee doubted that would happen, and if so it cannot be for a lone time.

Rylee eventually broke off in order to pick up her pace, it was starting to get late and if either of them were to get real rest, they couldn't take much longer. After a short while their sleeping area was ready, just as she said, Rylee's coat was laid out to function as a bed, it wasn't much but it kept a layer of protection between her and the floor. After they were done, Kiori excused himself saying that he wanted to visit the kitchen, paranoia welled up within her, what did he want from there? Did he wait until she finally lowered her guard enough to complete the contract, he had some sick pleasure, born from the Assassin's Guild, to give her false hope before delivering the final blow. With an anxious hand, Rylee clutched the hilt of her weapon in a dead grip. Just in case...

Minutes later Kiroi returned, he returned with knifes. Rylee was about ready to pounce, that is before a rational voice called out, pointing to her that it made no sense for Kiroi to show himself openly like that, or to find weapons when he still kept his two swords. She dropped her sword, quietly, hoping not to draw attention to the fact she almost drew it again. The ex-assassin came up to her with the decision that he'll take the first shift, Rylee nodded she felt numb and it showed, not looking nearly as cheerful like earlier, with luck Kiroi wouldn't notice considering he had to be bad at telling human emotions due the Assassin's Guild conditioning... right?

Before going down to rest, Rylee spoke, "Try to relax even though you're playing guard, shouldn't let yourself get overstressed. Stress is an insidious killer, you know." She attempted to smile, yet this one didn't feel real. Rylee gave her goodnight and lied on her "bed" purposefully turned away from Kiroi, her sword held close in her arms, her head swarmed with conflicting ideas and emotions. On one hand she desperately wanted to trust him on an unconditional level like before, however on the other she absolutely couldn't deny the sheer fear and distrust she actually felt. Sleep was out of the question, in the end Rylee pretended to do so until it was time for her shift.