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From: eccentric genius <eccgen@hotmail.com>
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Subject: Re: AFiW: Familiar Vows
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Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 08:19:27 -0500
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===================

A few preliminary reflections, more pssibly to follow:

I recommend you do not have lead characters with extremely similar names. It
is best if they do not even begin with the same letter.  a classic example
of this is Tolkiens LOTR. You almost have to take notes to keep track of
Sauron and Saruman. I'm not sure I ever got them straight.
Regards,
The Editor
"Fox Cutter" <lmb@ieway.com> wrote in message
news:42cmc0p76sngqgtmkog54omrr4grmssuv0@4ax.com...
> Well we have an new "A Fox in the Works" up, this one is a little
> nastier then usual, probably in a firm R rating. Just so you are
> warned ahead of time.
>
> As always this story, and the whole series can be found at
> http://www.chaos-keep.com/
>
> As always don't forget about the Fan Club and the Forum! I like to
> hear from the fans, it's how I know you are out there.
>
> --Fox Cutter
>
> =====
>
>                        Familiar Vows
>
>                             By:
>
>                          Fox Cutter
>
> 11/07/1999:
>
> I sat on the floor, my legs folded under myself and my tail
> draped over my paws as I watched Fox go through the slow and
> controlled motions of a sword fight. Terminus was holding a
> second sword, leading my husband in the exercise.
>
> They were doing this in the gym, one of the larger rooms in
> the house that Ravindar had converted for my training. With
> soft mats, and abundant clearance it was the best place for
> them to work on Fox's skill with a blade, and it was a
> blade. Both of them were using real swords, with only some
> minor padding to prevent wounds.
>
> Terminus moved with a grace that seemed out of place on the
> large mongrel canine. His firm body moved like water,
> sweeping and bending with the blade as it sliced through the
> air. The man had spent most of his life training and living
> as a knight on a fairly medieval world, and had never let
> his skill slip after Fox had brought him to Prid.
>
> My husband, on the other paw, had to work hard to keep from
> cutting his own fingers off. It had been over a year and a
> half since he had any training with a sword, and it showed.
> The gleam of sweat that covered his skin reveled just how
> long it had been since he had done any real training at all.
>
> At least he was trying to get back into shape; he had
> started to develop a small gut since the founding of the
> shipyard, and I wanted to see it slip away before it grew
> any larger. I'm sure he felt the same way, even though he
> protested that he liked his weight.
>
> Our two shadows stood a few feet away, flanking the door to
> the room. Ravindar looked a bit amused at the actions of his
> charge, but hid it well. Santhara was less generous, and
> seemed to be holding back the occasional laugh.
>
> The two of them were starting to form up as a respectable
> couple, even if Ravindar seemed a little clumsy when he
> tried to be romantic, but at least he was trying. I thought
> it was sweet, and I had offered to help him in any way that
> I could.
>
> Fox pulled his sword back, finishing the current set of
> moves. It had been his sixth time through them today, and
> the first without a major flaw.
>
> Terminus smiled, his jowls pulling up slightly as he nodded
> to Fox, "Much better."
>
> My husband nodded, resting his sword on the ground and
> wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Wish we started with
> these, instead of the sparring," he said, panting softly.
>
> The large dog shrugged, "I thought you were in better
> shape."
>
> "So did I," he replied.
>
> Terminus chuckled and fished through his pockets, coming out
> with a half smoked cigar. He clamped it in his muzzle, but
> in keeping with the house rules didn't light it. "You will
> be again soon enough, and I'll make sure to bring the
> practice swords next time."
>
> My husband nodded, running his hands through his black hair.
> "That would be appreciated."
>
> "I would also like to see what your skills are like in your
> other forms. I suspect that the added agility they posses
> would be a great asset to you in a fight."
>
> Fox sat down on the mat, rubbing his left shoulder. "I'll
> arrange it some time," he replied with a wince of pain.
>
> I stood up, and walked across the mat. Dropping down to sit
> behind my husband, I started to gently rub his shoulders
> through his sweat soaked shirt.
>
> He let out a soft purr, hunching his shoulders slightly as
> he began to relax. After a moment he lifted his hand, and
> placed it gently on my paw. "I love you, hon," he whispered.
>
> "I love you, too," I replied as he turned his head to kiss
> me. It was a change from a few days before. The coldness had
> melted from him, leaving him his warm self again. The kiss
> was strong, and his touch felt good.
>
> Fox pulled back and started to tug at his shirt, tugging the
> damp fabric from where it clung to his skin. "I better get
> cleaned up before I get you all wet."
>
> I giggled softly. "Is that an invitation?" I whispered in to
> his ear.
>
> He smirked and pulled us both to our feet. "Next time," he
> promised. "I think I just want to sit in a warm bath for a
> few hours."
>
> I nodded, tweaking his left ear. "I have some bath oils, you
> might want to give them a try."
>
> "I will, love," he said with a purr, kissing me softly on
> the lips before pulling away.
>
> I watched him walk across the mats, his legs wobbling with
> each step. Terminus was at his side a moment later, helping
> him along. I started to follow after them, but came up short
> after a few steps as Samantha stepped into the room. She
> glanced at me for a second before turning her attention to
> my husband as he walked past her, Ravindar following behind.
>
> She shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room.
>
> I jumped forward and said, "Samantha, could I talk with
> you?"
>
> The young woman came to a sudden stop, and slumped her
> shoulders as she turned back to face me. She looked for all
> the world like a child who had been caught doing something
> that she shouldn't. "Yes Oriana?" she asked, pulling herself
> back up as she spoke.
>
> By now Santhara was the only other person in the room, and
> was waiting next to the door, watching with a curious look.
>
> "I have something I need to show you," I told her.
>
> Her fabric tail twitched in annoyance, brushing against the
> floor behind her. "All right," she said, a touch of worry in
> her voice.
>
> "Come with me," I said as I walked past her and into the
> hallway. With only a glance over my shoulder to be sure that
> she was following, I headed towards the disused wing of the
> house. My heart was pounding in my throat as I moved, but I
> kept my anxiety out of my tail. If I was right, by the end
> of the day I would have fully returned to the Guild.
>
> The wing was made up of nearly empty rooms, with a few
> pieces of furniture that the previous occupants had left
> behind. Kalle was the only person who had residence in this
> wing, and she was talking about moving closer to everyone
> else. The last room in the hall was used for the storage of
> Becky's old things, but no one ever went in there.
>
> I stopped in front of a door half way down the hallway. It
> was closed, and unlike the rest of the doors, locked. I took
> a moment to open it for the human. As she went inside
> Santhara took up her position outside the door, where she
> stood when I came to this room. This time I shook my head
> and motioned for her to come in as well.
>
> This was my private room, a place I could go that only I
> knew about. Fox knew that I had it, but had never tried to
> find it, as far as I could tell. It was a place to go when I
> wanted to be alone, away from even my husband. It was also
> the best place to keep information about the Guild.
>
> "What's going on?" Samantha asked as I shut the door behind
> us.
>
> "You'll see," I told her as I walked across the mostly empty
> room. Two small documents hung on one wall, one for each of
> my entries into the Guild. This was the only place I felt
> comfortable displaying them. The only furniture was a pair
> of soft chairs and a table by the window, which was loaded
> down with books. Books also filled one of the chairs...
> along with a couple other items that I should have hidden
> before I brought another person in, but I had forgotten
> about them.
>
> I did my best to hide my embarrassment about the toys as I
> walked to the table and picked up a trio of data PADDS.
>
> I turned on the top one, and unlocked the data on it with my
> thumbprint. I turned back around and walked back to the
> human, holding the PADD out for her. "Is this him?" I asked.
>
> "What? she asked me before she cast her eyes down to the
> PADD. They narrowed to tight slits as she focused on the
> image it was displaying as her face started to contort. "Oh
> yes, that's him," she said, her tail starting to flick with
> anger.
>
> "Who is it?" my bodyguard asked, her curiosity getting the
> better of her as she looked over Samantha's shoulder.
>
> "Dillen Serina," the young women said through clenched
> teeth. "How did you find the son of a bitch?"
>
> "It was easy enough--there was a contract on his head," I
> replied. "It took a few days to track him down, but I know
> where he is."
>
> She nodded, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and into
> her mouth. Before I could say anything she summoned a small
> ball of fire and lit it. "Shit, where is he?" she asked.
>
> "I take it you want to come along?" I asked, knowing what
> the answer would be.
>
> "Are you kidding?" she asked, smoke trailing from her lips.
> "I'm going to rip him to pieces!"
>
> I shook my head. "It's my contract, I'm the one who has to
> kill him."
>
> Her eyes narrowed as she finally looked up from the PADD,
> glaring hard at me. "What the hell do you mean, you're the
> one who has to kill him? You know what he did to me!"
>
> I nodded, "And that is why I recognized his name. But this
> is my job; killing him is my job. I couldn't get access to
> the full information unless I took the contract, and I am
> now obligated to carry it out."
>
> Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared at me, glowing
> anger spreading over her face. "What the hell are you, an
> assassin?
>
> Santhara stepped forward and set her paw on my shoulder,
> pressing gently against me. "Yes, she is. As am I," she said
> the words with more pride than I would have.
>
> The young woman gulped, and glanced at the burning cigarette
> in her hand. "I see," she said, looking around for a place
> to put it out.
>
> "I would like your help with this. I can't let you kill him,
> but I could use you help."
>
> She snorted, finally settling for lifting her foot, and
> grinding out the foul-smelling thing on the sole of the
> shoe. "Why? Your guard here seems to be the better choice--
> keep it in the company, as it were."
>
> "She is an apprentice, I cannot aid her," Santhara
> explained.
>
> Samantha tilted her head, looking a bit relieved as she
> said, "So you're new at this?"
>
> "Something like that," I replied.
>
> "So why did you take this contract... trying to get on my
> good side?"
>
> I shook my head, reaching out to the PADD and scrolling it
> slightly. "Because of this," I told her as I tapped the
> screen.
>
> She looked down at the PADD, her lips narrowing as she read.
> I could tell when she got to the pertinent section when the
> blood drained from her face. It was the same reaction I had
> to the detailed description of what the man had done to a
> young girl he had found in a private home. The girl was
> dead. He had killed her, but only after torturing and raping
> her first.
>
> Samantha turned the PADD and shook her head. "I'm going to
> help, but I want to watch the son of a bitch die."
>
> "Deal," I replied.
>
> * * *
>
> 11/09/1999:
>
> Very few things in this world take little to no planning,
> and you just can't run off at the drop of a hat when the
> moment takes you. This is even more true when one has
> children, especially as I couldn't take them along with me.
>
> Fox knew where I was going, but that was a given. I wouldn't
> leave for anything without him knowing how to find me. If I
> wasn't back in two days, he would send in the cavalry. Not
> that it would matter; with Samantha and Santhara at my side,
> if I didn't make it home, there probably wouldn't be any
> need of a rescue.
>
> But I had a plan. Samantha was going along with it, and Fox
> had given me his blessing, even if not his permission. Our
> departure was quite, neither one of us said much to each
> other. He did accept the new location of my Guild badge,
> under my left sleeve instead of over my heart.
>
> We said our parting words, both of us hoping that it
> wouldn't be the last time. Fox looked a little pained as he
> watched me open the fold, but held himself back as the three
> of us stepped through the fold.
>
> As the light cleared we found ourselves in a small storage
> room. Boxes of canned food and bottles of wine lined the
> wall. I punched the buttons on the controller, closing the
> fold behind us as I took the place in.
>
> "Nice place," Samantha commented as she started to riffle
> through the boxes of wine. "It wasn't what I was expecting,
> but they have a nice selection."
>
> "This is where we should be, but we aren't here to shop," I
> said as I walked to the single door in the room. Cracking it
> open, I peeked out into the hallway to find an undecorated
> corridor, the kind you would find in the back of any hotel.
> Which was good, because that is exactly where we were
> supposed to be. "Looks clear," I told my friends as I pulled
> the door open and stepped through.
>
> "Where are we?" Santhara asked as she followed right behind
> me.
>
> "The Grand Psion Hotel," I replied, "They know about the
> fold, so they won't question our arrival that much, but I
> would rather you didn't steal their stock."
>
> She nodded, "On the way back then," she said with half a
> smile as we walked down the hallway. After a moment we found
> our selves in the hotel kitchen. One of the workers, a
> petite wolf who came up to the top of my chin smiled as she
> saw us, and hurried over. "Hello there, what are you doing
> here?"
>
> "We just came through," I replied, motioning back the way we
> came with my paw.
>
> The wolf nodded, craning her head to look at my friends. "So
> I see. This is the first time this has happened on my watch,
> so I'm not quite sure what to do."
>
> "I could use some help with the phone. I may be able to
> speak the language, but I can't read it." I said with a
> small shrug, feeling a bit sheepish at the admission.
>
> The wolf smiled and vigorously nodded her head. "Of course,
> if you and your friends would come with me, I'll take you to
> the phone."
>
> "Thank you," I said and followed her back down the way we
> had come. Soon she and I were in a small room, and she
> dialed the phone for me as I rattled off the phone number.
>
> "Who is this?" a very male voice said on the other end of
> the phone.
>
> "Mr. Serina?" I asked.
>
> There was a pause on the other end of the line before a
> response came. "That is me."
>
> I smiled and gave Samantha a thumbs up, "I've heard about
> you, Mr. Serina, and I am interested in your services to
> retrieve an item that has fallen into... the incorrect
> hands."
>
> He chuckled, "You may call me Dillen. My aid is not cheap,
> but if you are willing to pay the price, I would be
> interested in talking to you."
>
> "I can afford your price, and say... ten percent of the cost
> of my item. This needs to be done quickly and discreetly...
> could we meet tonight?"
>
> "Of course," he replied, sounding very pleased with himself.
> "Meet me at Dingo's in two hours. I'll be the human in the
> back of the bar, by the music machine."
>
> I smiled and gave a nod to the look that Samantha gave me.
> "I'll be the lioness," I told him before replacing the
> receiver.
>
> "We've got him," I said as I turned to face my friends.
>
> Samantha smiled, leaning back against the wall as she pulled
> out a cigarette. "Good!" she said, almost bouncing on her
> toes.
>
> I turned to face the wolf, smiling presently to her. "Now,
> how do we get to Dingo's?"
>
> * * *
>
> Dingo's was not a place I would take anyone to. It was a
> dingy little biker bar on the outskirts of a large
> industrial area. There probably wasn't anyone else around
> for miles, and the whole place had a smell like wet paper.
> It was the perfect location for this meeting.
>
> As the three of us approached the door of the bar, I could
> feel the eyes of the dozen men that stood outside as they
> followed our every step. This was not the place one normally
> found a woman that wasn't dressed in leather. At the door I
> turned to face my friends. "Well, this is where we have to
> split up." I said.
>
> Santhara nodded, she knew this was coming. She had to stay
> outside, to insure she didn't help me. Samantha, on the
> other paw, had a small side trip she needed to perform.
>
> The young human adjusted herself and smiled at me. "I'll see
> you in a few minutes," she said as she spun on her heel,
> walking briskly away from the bar. I suspected she would
> have no problem finding the clothing that we needed.
>
> I took a deep breath, feeling myself begin to shake. I
> balled my paws into fists and tried to control myself. I
> could feel my bodyguard's paw on my shoulder, squeezing
> gently. "You'll be fine," she told me.
>
> "Thanks," I replied, wishing I felt as confident in my
> abilities as she did. I let out a long breath and I flicked
> my ears up, tucked my tail against my leg and pulled my
> trench coat tight around myself as I stepped inside.
>
> The inside was worse than the outside. Dark, damp, and
> smelling of sweat. The floor crunched under my bare paws
> from Thryn knows what, and the wood under it was sticky,
> pulling at my pads. No place on my world would ever allow
> its floor to be kept in such shape; it would have been a
> health risk. For myself I wished there was enough light to
> see by, so I could watch my step.
>
> Even in that light I could still see my prey, a handsome
> human who was relaxing in the back corner. His blond curly
> hair framed his face and seemed to glow in the weak light.
> He was dressed in sharp clothing that made him stand out
> even more. He looked professional, like he had just stepped
> out of an office.
>
> He saw me and smiled, motioning for me to come to him. I
> moved gladly, a small smile on my muzzle as I keep one paw
> near my needler. He pushed out a chair with his foot as I
> approached, and I gladly sat on it.
>
> "Dillen?" I asked as I rested my paws on the table. I
> regretted it instantly. The surface was sticky enough that I
> wondered if I would be able to pull them free.
>
> He nodded. "That is me, but I do not believe that I caught
> your name," he said with a smile, showing off damn near
> perfect teeth. Samantha was right, he was someone I would be
> willing to follow into hell if he asked, I was glad I knew
> better.
>
> "Magenta," I replied, using an alias that I had used back
> when I had run around the multi-verse with Fox. "I'm pleased
> that you could meet with me on such short notice."
>
> "My pleasure. Your offer intrigued me, but I need to know
> how you have heard of me," he asked, leaning forward
> slightly over the dirty tabletop.
>
> I shrugged. "In my business you hear a lot, and you once
> removed a few items from a vault that was under a former
> lover's control. So when my husband took a few of my items
> with him when he left, you were the logical choice of who to
> call."
>
> Dillen chuckled and folded his hands together. "I see, so
> you are familiar with my skills and abilities. That is very
> good, it saves us some time. So what exactly are the items
> that I will be retrieving for you, Miss Magenta?"
>
> I smiled back at him and leaned forward. "Item, just one
> small thing, an artifact from the Nisqually home world," not
> that I knew if such a place existed, Fox had given it to me
> as a world that didn't exist, so I could use it with
> impunity. "It's a fertility goddess. My ex doesn't need it,
> and had no right to take it."
>
> He smirked slightly, "And what have you hidden inside the
> goddess that makes it so valuable."
>
> "Nothing, the artifact is rare, and worth quite a bit,
> otherwise it wouldn't be under lock and key." I replied.
>
> Dillen nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "What kind of
> vault are we looking at here? What kind of security does the
> building have?"
>
> "It's a private home, located about twenty miles away from
> here. The house is part of a gated community, which will
> slow down the cops if you trigger an alarm," I said, making
> it up as I went along.
>
> He chuckled and shook his head slightly, "I don't trigger
> alarms," he said. "Is it in a vault?"
>
> "It's a safe in the back room, comes up to right about here
> on me," I said, hold my paw at chest level. "Two dials and
> two handles."
>
> His eyes locked for a moment on my breasts, and he started
> to smirk, clearly liking what he was seeing. "Sounds simple
> enough. I'm familiar with the model, but have never seen one
> that measures up to such a beautiful woman as yourself."
>
> I had to stop myself from laughing. Instead I raised a paw
> and used it to cover my muzzle, acting like I was
> embarrassed. I doubted he was interested in me as a person,
> but if he liked my body it would make the rest of the night
> go easier.
>
> Dillen smiled at this and leaned forward, brushing his
> fingers through my hair. "Don't be shy. You have a pretty
> smile, you really shouldn't hide it like that," he said,
> touching my paw with his fingers and pushing it down.
>
> "Are you hitting on me?" I asked, pulling my ears back as I
> glanced away, looking as shy as possible.
>
> He nodded, leaning a bit closer to me, close enough that I
> could feel his breath moving the fur of my face. "It's hard
> not to with a lady like you," he whispered.
>
> I giggled, turning away slightly and covering my face again.
> This was to easy for me. I was just falling back on my
> skills as a whore. The joys of working in the oldest
> profession in the multi-verse. "Will you knock off some of
> the price?" I said through my fingers, giving him a wanton
> look.
>
> He smirked, and nodded with relaxed the ease of a man who
> had just gotten what he wanted, and had fully expected to
> get.
>
> "We have to do it tonight, both the job... and... the other
> things," I blushed again, but smiled slightly.
>
> The human nodded and folded his hands together. "Then we
> should go," he said.
>
> I stood up and offered him my paw, "Let's slip out back...
> we can have some fun there."
>
> He stood up, and using my paw pulled me in close, wrapping
> his arm around my back, his hand groping my ass as we
> started towards the back door of the bar.
>
> I fell into the familiar role of the bimbo, brushing my tail
> against his leg as we walked. He reached up with his other
> hand and undid the first few buttons of my blouse, pulling
> it open to reveal my fabric-covered breasts. His hand
> slipped over my shoulder and deftly unhooked my bra; as we
> neared the door his hand was back on my front, pulling the
> undergarment free, exposing my chest to the air.
>
> He was happily pawing my breasts as I opened the door, a
> deep purr rumbling from inside of me. The funny thing was he
> was crude about it, all power but with no style. Fox was a
> hundred times better at this. Hell most of my John's were as
> well. But given that, I had to admit that I was enjoying it.
>
> We nearly fell out of the door and into the dirty back alley
> behind the bar. As the door shut, Dillen spun me around and
> pressed me up against the wall. In a moment his mouth was
> against my muzzle as his free hand started to pull down the
> front of my skirt, his other hand still manhandling my
> breasts.
>
> Playing my part to the fullest I pulled myself closer, close
> enough that I could feel the tightness of his pants as I
> fumbled with the buttons. It came as a great relief to me
> when from behind us I heard Samantha say, "Am I interrupting
> something?"
>
> Dillen grunted and pulled his face away from me, "Go away,
> we're busy," he snapped.
>
> I smirked and placed my paws on his chest and with a hard
> shove forced him a few feet away. He looked startled as I
> took my own step forward, my needler slipping into my paw
> and pointing at his chest.
>
> He looked surprised at this turn of events; his ego--and
> other parts of him--deflated as I watched. "What the hell?"
> he snarled.
>
> "Dillen, I have someone here who would like to meet you," I
> said, taking a step to the side. My breasts were still
> hanging free in the cold night air, but I didn't want to do
> anything about them until I was sure that he wouldn't try to
> attack me.
>
> Samantha took my cue and walked around to stand next to me,
> a smile on her face. "Hello, hon. Miss me?" she asked, her
> gun in her hand. The clothing I had sent her for was tucked
> under her arm.
>
> He blinked in surprise as his eyes flicked from her to me,
> then back to her. "Samantha? I thought you were dead!"
>
> She snorted, "As always, you think too much of yourself and
> your abilities," she said.
>
> "You can say that again," I added, motioning for him to move
> so his back was to the wall. He did so, but I could see his
> hand drifting towards his belt. "Keep your hands up nice and
> high, hon, no surprises."
>
> He snorted and did as I ordered, glaring at me the whole
> time. "What do you want?" he asked.
>
> "I want you to strip," Samantha ordered with a smirk.
>
> Dillen blinked in surprise as I took a step forward, shoving
> my paw against his pants. I wasn't surprised to find a small
> pistol hidden inside. I pulled the gun free and shoved it
> into the waistband of my skirt as I stepped back.
>
> "Now," Samantha said, "let's see some skin."
>
> He looked between the two of us, shaking his head in
> disbelief. "Are you kidding me? What the hell are you trying
> to do?"
>
> "Not trying, doing. Now get to it!" I snapped as I flicked
> my needler towards him.
>
> He nodded, and shrugged his jacket off, dropping it to the
> ground as he fumbled with his shirt. He was having trouble
> getting the buttons free of the fabric.
>
> "Rip the shirt off if you have to," my partner ordered.
>
> The man nodded, gulping as he pulled his shirt open, the
> buttons popping free and flying all over the alley. He
> dropped it on the ground and started to work at his pants.
> While his hands were occupied I tucked my breasts back into
> my blouse, not bothering to put them back in the bra, and
> closed it back up.
>
> "Happy?" he asked as he stepped out of the pants, leaving
> himself in only his briefs.
>
> "Yes," Samantha said, and threw the clothing she had
> obtained at him. "Put these on."
>
> He frowned, bending down to pick up the clothing with two
> fingers, wrinkling his nose at the strong smell of piss and
> vomit that radiated from them. "Where did you get these, off
> a bum?"
>
> My friend laughed and nodded her head. "Yep. A really nasty
> one, too. Now put them on!"
>
> He frowned, but did as he was told, stepping into the
> stained pants, pulling them up his legs with a look of
> distaste of his face. "What is the point of this?" he
> demanded as he shrugged into the dirty shirt, it left
> smudges on his face from where it touched his skin.
>
> "Around here, no one would question finding a dead bum," I
> explained.
>
> Dillen snorted, "You killed someone for these things?
> Samantha, that's not like you," he scolded as he adjusting
> the clothing. Amazingly they looked better on him than I
> imagined they would on anyone else.
>
> "No, no, no," I replied as I looked around the alley and
> noticed a can of something a few feet away. "Go pick that up
> and take a bath," I said, pointing at it.
>
> He looked pale, as he finally understood what was going on.
> "No! You have got to be kidding! You are not going to kill
> me!" his voice started to rise as he spoke, the reality of
> the situation starting to set in.
>
> "Yes, I am," I said, smiling at him feeling strangely
> detached from the whole situation as I finally declared my
> intent.
>
> He froze up, looking at me with shock and anger on his face.
> While he was distracted, Samantha walked over to the can.
> She picked it up in one hand then spun around, throwing the
> contents in his face. He gasped and took a step back,
> sputtering the dirty liquid out of his mouth. A moment later
> the butt of her gun smashed into his perfect teeth, breaking
> three of them off.
>
> Dillen groaned, and sputtered out blood as he stumbled back,
> tripped over his own feet and fell hard on the ground,
> looking dazed. Samantha took the opportunity to dump the
> rest of the can on his head, letting the muck drip down his
> face.
>
> "Don't do this," he gasped, his speech slurred, lifting his
> hand. "I can pay you."
>
> Samantha laughed, "This is payment," she said, taking a few
> steps back, leaving him laying there and me standing across
> from him.
>
> He looked up at me, wiping the blood from his face with the
> sleeve of his shirt. It left more of a mess than it cleaned.
> "Please don't kill me," he said, starting to beg.
>
> I shook my head and leveled the needler at him. "Why? You
> killed that kid last year. Why shouldn't I give you the same
> amount of respect?" I let that sink in for a moment as I
> watched him. I smiled slightly as his eyes went wide as he
> put things together. "Goodbye," I said, and pressed the
> firing stud, sending three needles into his chest. His eyes
> bulged out as the poison flooded his system, then he slumped
> sideways as all of his bodily functions ceased and his own
> waste filled his pants.
>
> Realty snapped back into focus as my breathing started to
> come in short, quick gulps. "Go," I ordered Samantha, "Go
> back home. I have something to do here," I said, fighting
> back my gag reflex.
>
> She paused for a moment, a large smile on her face as she
> looked down at the body. "Can I just have a moment or two to
> savor this?" she asked.
>
> I shook my head as I put my weapon away. "I need to get
> visual proof that I did this, so it would be best if you're
> out of view when I take it."
>
> She frowned, then let out a sigh. I had told her all of this
> beforehand, but I could understand how she might forget.
> "All right, but I want copies of the pictures, got it?"
>
> "Fine, fine," I said, waving her off, I really wanted her to
> leave before I lost the contents of my stomach.
>
> Samantha looked down at the body once more and then turned
> away, stalking off into the night, her cloth tail swishing
> happily behind her as she vanished into the night.
>
> I turned away as soon as she was gone and started to take a
> series of long deep breaths. "I will not puke," I whispered
> to myself, repeating it as a mantra as I regained some of my
> composure.
>
> Once I was reasonably stable I stood up and fished the Zip
> camera out of my coat pocket. I tossed the small disk into
> the air, and felt the flash as it took a three hundred sixty
> degree picture in both visible light and infrared. It also
> snagged the life signs of anyone in range. All this happened
> in just under a second, and when it was finished it dropped
> back into my paw. I tucked it away and pulled out a small
> knife, rubber gloves and a small plastic bag. For this kill
> I would need more than a picture.
>
> Another three minutes of work and I had the requested pound
> of flesh put away in the bag, and my paws were still clean,
> at least of the real blood. Brushing them along my pants I
> stood up and walked away from the body. As soon as I was
> past the alley Santhara fell in at my side. "How you doing?"
> she asked.
>
> "Not that good," I replied, touching my stomach.
>
> She nodded, and fished out a flask from her pants. "Here,
> have a drink of this," she said, offering it to me.
>
> I took it from her, unscrewing the cap and taking a long
> drink. It wasn't alcohol, and had a slightly bitter taste,
> but when it hit my stomach I could feel it start to settle.
> "What is this?" I asked, closing the lid.
>
> "It's something for my stomach after I do a job. Thirty-
> three kills in my life and it still makes me ill," she said
> as she took the flask back.
>
> I nodded, "Four myself, two for the Guild," I said with a
> long sigh. "I'm surprised that it still gets to you."
>
> She laughed and shook her head. "You never get over it, at
> least not and stay sane. If you forget that these are
> people, you became cold about it, casual. We're murderers,
> there is nothing nice about it." she said.
>
> I let out a sigh and nodded my head. "I need to get cleaned
> up, and not just physically," I said, anticipating the
> Cleansing I would soon be taking at the Temple back home.
>
> "If you need someone to talk to, I'm always here," she
> offered.
>
> "Thank you, I may need your help. You can come with me to
> the Temple if you like. I would like to take Fox, but it
> will be a few days and one of us needs to be home." I said
> as we walked.
>
> She nodded, "I remember from last time."
>
> We lapsed into silence for a few moments as we padded along
> the dark street, waiting for a taxi to come by.
>
> Santhara broke the silence, "Oh, and Oriana?"
>
> "Yes?" I asked.
>
> "You did a good job," she said.
>
> I smiled in spite of myself. "Thanks," I said, both pleased
> at her praise, and a little worried that I was. I guess at
> this point there wasn't much to worry about. This was my job
> now. As an assassin, I had every right to be a little proud
> of it, just as long as I didn't let it go to my head, and
> kept the proper respect for those whom I had to kill and
> what it did to my soul.
>
> --------
>
> This story is copyright 2004 by Fox Cutter. Hardcopy
> reprints limited to one per person, all other rights
> reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except
> by permission of the author, and this copyright notice may
> not be removed.
>
>
>


    

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