Yaksha sat at the bloodseal tavern once more. Already had he met one assassin here. Now, another was expected, hopefully one who would follow orders. He sipped absently at his trademark neon-green drink. The scent of aniseed filled the tavern, and Yaksha licked his lips. "Exquisite. I absolutely LOVE this Cute." He leaned back in his chair, humming to himself.

Another note, this one much less formal. "Slazhar Rex. I know what you are. Meet me at the bloodseal tavern ASAP. I have given you 500 gold to pay your expenses to meet me.
-Y" He smiled devillishly, his fiendish nature hidden cosmetically, but it still leaked through in his mannerisms. He winked over at the bartender on duty lavisciously, assuring her that she would be as thoroughly enjoyed as his drink, if given the chance. She flushed a bright pink, but tittered nervously.

Yaksha sighed aggrevatedly, and began to tap his meticulously manicured nails on the top of his table. "Come on, Slazhar, I'm a busy man, and you're holding me up...." He rose his head when the door opened, giving off an air of practiced disinterest. Wether or not this was Slazhar, he was prepared nevertheless. He sipped at his drink again, humming just loud enough to fill the tavern.

But it was Slazhar that walked trough the doors, the tall fiend calmly closed the door behind himself and then his red eyes scanned the area carefully. He did not know what his contact was looking like, but he was bored and a job could be what he needed right now. He slowly walked further into the tavern, people did not really care about him...many odd people have walked into this place over the years and it was nothing new.

His weapon was hanging from his belt but it was out if sight to the people in the room. His eye again scanned the room and then he walked over to the bar, if someone wanted to meet him then they would noticed that he was there...if this person knew who he was. He did not think much about what job it could be this time, it was just money and nothing more.

Yaksha was already behind Slazhar, a hand on his shoulder. "Come, Slazhar. Sit, let us talk." He was smiling mirthlessly, obviously just as a show. He winked once more at the bartender, and motioned at his table. "Two more glasses, if you would." He sat at his table, and winked, pointing to the chair. "We have much to catch up on, Slazhar. I've heard many good things about you. But, I think it's about time we start our interview."

Yaksha leaned forward on the table, his lips peeling back into a dark rictus. "So, Slazhar. Name's Yaksha. As you could've already guessed, money is no object in this situation. I can guarantee you 100 gold a day, expenses, and a hefty bonus for doing a good job." He pulled back as the barkeeper brought two more glasses of the neon-green liquid, which caused him to cry, "Ah, it's here! Drink up, Slazhar, it's not often you find such a delicious drink in such a secluded bar."

He downed his own glass quickly, licking his lips. His normally warm, brown eyes had turned yellow and elliptical, as if his body was a mere puppet, and some evil feline was staring out of its skull. "I'm sure my reputation has preceeded me today, but that is really of no consequence. I have one question, though." He leaned close, making sure no one else could hear him. "Provided you were employed, would your loyalties lie with me...or with my gold?"

Slazhar was not suprised when the stranger arrived, and the fiend did not say anything...he simply did as he asked and sat down. He watched the man carefully as he was ordering the drinks. He still did not say anything and he was simply listening to what this one had to say. Of course he knew about him very well...since he got the note he made sure to do some work on his own and found out more about who he was going to work for.

He began to speak first after Yaksha was done with his talking, and the sound of his voice was deep and echoing like from inside a cave. But it still sounded like the sound of an insect in some ways. "Well the payment sound fair to my ears" he began and moved his gaze to the drink, he picked it up and watched the liquid for a moment before he took a sip from it. It had a nice taste but it was a little to sweet for him.
"Yes I know who you are, most likely as much as you know about me."

He made a pause and took another sip from his drink.
"and about my loyalty, I have my honor and is loyal only to that, If I agree to do a mission then I will do it to the very end." he closed his eyes for a moment and calmly placed the glass on the table again. "That is one of the few things I´m very strict with."

Yaksha laughed, and then flagged the waitress. "More, if you would." He turned to Slazhar, and winked slowly. "Absinthe is an amazing thing, and manmade. One of the strongest drinks you'll ever find, and a hallucinogenic to boot." He chuckled mirthlessly, and handed him several coins. "That should pay for any drink you'd like. Now, Slazhar. I'd like for you to meet my other servants."

Yaksha rose from his chair, and motioned for Slazhar to follow him. "He should be waiting at the address I gave him. Like a good little puppet." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, whistling as he walked. "We'll grab my assistance, then we'll all go back to the tavern, and get some drinks."

They arrived at a ran-down building, where Nikki stood at the corner. Doubtlessly he had been waiting for a small while, but Yaksha felt no guilt. "Hello, Nikkolai. I'd like you to meet Slazhar. He just might be joining me. Wouldn't you come join us for a drink?"

Slazhar accepted the money and looked at them for a moment, then he shook his head and placed them inside his robe and stood up from the chair. He did not know what his possible employer was up to and neither did he care much about it anyway. He was interested in the money and did not care how the one he was working for was thinking, there was many weird people in imythess.

He walked right behind him and his eyes quickly moved to the new stranger, he did not say anything to the boy when he was presented. He simply nodded slightly.

Nikkolai had waited for a while before coming to Taras. It had taken him a while to figure out his way around the city, considering how big it was. He had asked for directions multiple times, only to each time seem to become more and more lost. Each time he came upon the wrong street address he questioned what was written on the paper, thinking that perhaps it had been some cruel joke. Yaksha didn’t seem like the type to do that, though; the man had been incredibly kind to him and there was no reason for Nikkolai to doubt him.

Finally he had found the house! It had been nerve-racking to walk up the steps, but he had done it, simply because Yaksha had instructed him to. It wasn’t his place to disobey, nor did he have any reason to. However, upon knocking, Nikkolai had received no answer. The address was correct, though, and without any lamps on inside the home, it led him to believe the other male was simply not home. That had been depressing, but Nikkolai had taken enough time just to find it – he wasn’t going to leave and come back at a later date. With that decision made, the fairy had simply sat himself down on the front steps and waited patiently, whimpering once or twice.

Not long after, Yaksha came into sight, along with someone else at his side. Nikkolai’s eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened, an expectant smile on his face as well. He stood up immediately, folded the paper, and put it away when he was spoken to. He turned to Slazhar and nodded, his smile widening. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said kindly. He then returned his attention to Yaksha, nodding a bit hesitantly when asked if he would join them for a drink. “Sure, of course,” he said. Not only was it not his place to deny an invitation, but it would be rude and he really had no reason not to go with them.

Yaksha smiled at Nikki, and hugged him tightly, whispering hurredly in his ear. "Your mother's name was Suzette Virendra." He pulled him even closer, then pulled away, smiling toothily. "Well, I'd say this is a time for celebration, wouldn't you?" He turned to Slazhar, and made a bow, his arms sweeping out. "Lead the way, my friend."

Once they had returned to the bar, Yaksha tapped on the bartop. The barkeeper looked up, her flush back. "2 bowls of Tiết canh, if you please. Fresh." He sat down at the table from earlier, and sipped at his glass of absinthe. He slid the glass of green liquid across to Nikki, the scent of aniseed rising from the glass. "Take a sip, Nikkolai. It's one of the best drinks you'll find."

A waitress dropped 2 bowls on the table, and Yaksha smiled beamingly. "Ahhhh, delicious. Here, Slazhar. I made sure to get you a bowl. It's always best fresh." He turned to Nikki, and tilted his head, smiling innocently. "Care for a bite, Nikkolai? It's quite delectable."

Slazhar calmly watched them but he did not say anything for now...he had no reason to do so. He still did not know what the job was anyway...but that would come with time. He walked with the others back to the tavern and he sat down again.
He looked at the bowl in front of him, he nodded to Yaksha and then he slowly began to eat from the bowl, it was nice but of course he had been eating this before. It was nothing special.
His eyes calmly moved around the room as he was eating, they stopped at Nikko for a moment...the boy was a silly sight...he had an aura of navinity around himself and it was silly really.

He shooker his dead slightly to the drinking offer to the boy...he did not look like he could take it very well and would most likely begin to see things pretty soon...but then again that was not his problem anyway.

"Your mother's name was Suzette Virendra."

Nikkolai returned the hug just as tightly, glad to receive the embrace. To be embraced was to be accepted… at least, that was how he saw it. There was a smile planted on his face up until Yaksha mentioned his mother. At that point, the smile was wiped from his face and his eyes went wide. There was a flash in his head and he shook a little bit, seeing the shadowy figure look down in disdain.

“I can’t believe that this monster is my son.”

His eyes went even wider. He couldn’t see the face, the body, or any physical features, but the male voice was all he needed to hear. When they began to walk, he simply followed numbly, shaken to the core from that flash. He tried to remain solid on the outside, though, not wanting to worry the others when they had been so kind as to invite him to come along with them.

He sat down with the others, taking his seat across from Yaksha. The glass was passed to him and his eyebrows furrowed as he examined it. He had never seen anything like this before, and he was a bit hesitant to try it. Still, though, if it was from Yaksha then it had to be fine. “Okay…” he muttered, taking the glass within his hand, spindly fingers wrapping around it. He brought it up to his mouth and took a small sip, allowing the liquid to pass over his tongue, down his throat, and fall into his stomach. He squinted, placing the glass down; unsure as to whether or not he liked it.

"Care for a bite, Nikkolai? It's quite delectable."

Again his eyebrows furrowed and he looked at the soup. The sight of it made him feel a bit uneasy, although he wasn’t quite sure why. He hadn’t been told to eat it, just simply asked if he wanted to. “It looks a bit… nauseating…” he muttered quietly, still a tad shaken from earlier. “What is it…?” He looked Yaksha in the eye, head tilting to the side.

Yaksha laughed. "It's blood. With some peanuts in it." His smile had grown dark and bloodthirsty at this confession. "But, that's beside the point. You wouldn't want to upset your precious brother, would you?" He smiled ingratiatingly, then turned to Slazhar. "Now, about your employment."

He leaned forward, his hands mere inches from Slazhar. "As you know, I'm quite well known. But not too liked. Your job is simple. Accompany me on my more risky travels, and you shall receive extra pay for everyone you slay for me. In some extreme classes, I may ask you to assassinate someone who truly needs to die. You will recieve bording and food for free, 100 gold a day, and a bonus to be negotiated on a case-to-case basis."

Slazhar nodded as he listened to the man talking, the job sounded basic and would not be to hard really. He had done things like this before in his life and was used to it. "Well that sounds like a good offering, and the job itself is a basic one so there will be no problem about that." he calmly moved his gaze to Yaksha as he was talking to him, "I Imagine that the holy forces in Taras would like your head very much indeed, just like with most other of our kind" he shook his head slightly and then began to eat from his food again. He made a pause after a few second. "I can kill people if needed to do so, and since you put it as a part of our contract then I see no problem with it" he calmly watched the man for a moment. "I accept your offer Yaksha"

He was a little irritated at the boy since he was so naive. But he did not show anything that he felt that way and just ignored him for how.

"It's blood. With some peanuts in it."

As if Nikkolai wasn’t nauseous enough already! All the color seemed to drain from his face and he stared at the soup before turning to Yaksha. Surely he wasn’t serious… surely he didn’t seriously want Nikkolai to eat this! He almost gagged, clenching his eyes shut so that he didn’t have to look at it. No, no, no, he was incapable of eating that. It was blood.

I’m gonna vomit, he thought to himself, taking a deep breath to try and stop himself from doing so. When Yaksha mentioned being his brother, Nikkolai’s eyes shot open and he stared at him, mouth agape. “What?” he asked incredulously, seeming to have forgotten about the blood-soup dilemma for the time being. “My… brother? What…?” That explained why he knew so much, but still, this came as a shock to him, just like having had a wife and children did. Since when did he have family?! “Why didn’t they kill you too, like they killed… them…?” He didn’t know their names, and he didn’t want to say it out loud. To simply give them a title and not their actual names seemed a bit insensitive to him.

Nikkolai remained silent while they talked about business, looking to the food in front of him once again. He took a long gulp of the drink, feeling a bit dizzy from it. While the dizziness lasted he picked up his spoon, throwing it into the bowl and eating just that one spoonful, not even bothering to chew. He just wanted that down his throat as soon as possible so that he wouldn’t upset Yaksha. Nikkolai’s breathing became slightly heavy after he did that, his head spinning so fast he hadn’t even really tasted the soup at all.

Yaksha laughed dismissively, and opened his arms wide. "Yesssss, Nikkolai. I knew your name, I knew things you never could've known. Why do you think I've been so very kind to you? Did you think I gave you such great treatment just because I liked you!?" He cackled, and pulled Nikki close, ruffling his hair. "Your brother loves you, Nikki. And we'll never be seperated again..." He laughed, and then helped Nikki back to his seat.

He turned to Slazhar, and raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Anarchy is a fine art, Slazhar. Do you have the will we need to turn this land into a festering pit of ignorance and fear? Are you ready...to turn the clock back to the fucking dark ages!?" He laughed deeply and darkly, and then lay a hand on the table. "We will be more than gods. We will be fathers to a new world!"

Slazhar ignored the two brothers, it was none of his bussiness and would stay that way to. He did not care if one used the other and the other way around...he did not care a bit about it.

Slazhar did not reply right away, he thought about the words to himself. "Ignorance is around us as it is and we can´t change that" he began calmly. "I have nothing against it really, but I have no great interest in the matter either." he calmly ate the last of his food and closed his eyes for a moment. "Maybe so, maybe not. We will see if my preception will change with time."

((OoC: X___X wrong account. first time I've ever done that. sorry... still me, at least.))

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"Your brother loves you, Nikki. And we'll never be seperated again..."

Nikkolai laughed as his hair was ruffled, smiling when told that he was loved. Even though he had broken the rules, even though he had done the unforgiveable, he was still loved and accepted. “I love you too,” he said, more out of obligation than anything else. If someone loved him, then it was his job to return the feeling without question.

"Anarchy is a fine art, Slazhar… We will be more than gods. We will be fathers to a new world!"

His eyebrows shot up when his brother said that. Anarchy…? He wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but if that meant making a new world, he wasn’t sure where he stood with it. “What’s wrong with the world now that it needs to be changed?” he squeaked out softly. It wasn’t his place to ask questions and he immediately felt guilty for saying anything. It was his place to support, encourage, and help; not question motives. Yaksha was clearly right, even if Nikkolai didn’t really see what he was talking about.

“Sorry,” he said quickly after, looking down and away from the other two.

Yaksha turned to Nikki. "This world is corrupt. People do as they wish, with no consequence. But, when good people try to stand up against the bad guy, they get stripped of their wings, branded, and their memories stolen. This world is a pit of corruption and evil, and I intend to fix what has been broken."

Yaksha pulled Nikki closer, placing a hand on his forehead. "Nikki, I'm going to do something special for you. I can make it so you will always be able to talk to me, no matter how far. But, I need you to approve. Nikki...do you want to be close your brother all the time, no matter what?"

Slazhar laughed slightly. "Well if you ask what I think then there is no such thing as evil and good, it´s just words people made up as an excuse for looking down at others" the fiend calmly examined a setting of dead flowers next to him on the table, he picked up one of the dead flower and looked at it. "Let me tell you something boy, this world is far from great" he turned his eyes and looked at Nikki. "You know what my mother did when I was born? I will tell you what she did...she was horrified and they threw me out...I would have died but then a man that arrived and took me in as his son. Don´t you agree we should change that? No child should be thrown out by his or hers family."

He shook his head, he did not know what Yaksha was doing. But the bodyguard did not like it much, this guy was twisted...but it was their problem and he had his honor to think of, not to interfere with others lives.

“… This world is a pit of corruption and evil, and I intend to fix what has been broken."

It made sense. He wasn’t quite sure what he meant when he mentioned the being branded and being stripped of wings, but he felt like he should have. Nevertheless, Nikkolai nodded. It sounded like a noble cause and if that was what anarchy meant, then he would help them do it. He turned to Slazhar and his eyebrows lifted in compassion for what had happened to him. “I’m sorry,” he said, feeling compelled to apologize even though it wasn’t his fault. “I’ll help you both… I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. It’s wrong that such things happen… we’ll fix it.”

“… Nikki...do you want to be close your brother all the time, no matter what?"

He was surprised when Yaksha pulled him closer and put a hand against his forehead. Nikkolai merely stared at his brother, listening to what he said before slowly, numbly nodding his head. “Okay…” was his quiet, submissive response, a tiny bit afraid of what Yaksha had planned but not going to question it. He trusted his brother not to hurt him or do anything outrageous.

Yaksha's hand grew warm on his forehead, and when he pulled away, he smiled.
All done, Nikki. Get up, you're fine. His smile never faltered, and his lips never moved, but the voice rang clear in Nikki's head. Telepathy. We can share thougts and emotions. Never again will we be seperated except by choice.... He chuckled softly, and turned to Slazhar. "You start in the morning. You are free to leave at any time. Me and my brother have much to catch up on..."

He turned to Nikki, and smiled warmly. "My mother's name was Suzette. Mother of two, lover of demons and elves." He cocked his head, then leaned across the brother. "We are flesh and blood, Nikki. And I know everything you forgot."

Slazhar nodded calmly. "I understand, I will join you in the morning...If you excuse me I must go meditate for my father." he calmly stood up and brushed some remains from the flower of his robes. Then he began to walk out from the building. He turned around when he came to the door and looked back at the other two. "Where do you want me to wait for you my lord?" not that he for a second thought about Yaksha as his lord, but it was still polite to be polite. He waited for the reply before he left....after all he would have to know where he had to go.

He blinked when he heard Yaksha’s words in his head, before smiling widely. Now he and Nikki would never, ever, ever have to worry about separation again! Nikkolai never had to worry about losing a brother he didn’t even know he had, because now they had this telepathy. Thank you… he said in his thoughts, not even knowing what else to say. You’ve been so nice to me… I owe you, brother. I’m lucky to have a brother like you!

"My mother's name was Suzette. Mother of two, lover of demons and elves."

Again, when he heard her name, there was a bit of a flash that went in his head. It was so fast, though, that he hadn’t even really registered it and he hadn’t seen a single thing about it. It was strange, and it still worried him, but he tried not to let it show. He supposed it didn’t matter whether he allowed it to show or not, though, since Yaksha would probably know because of the telepathic bond.

"We are flesh and blood, Nikki. And I know everything you forgot."

Everything…? Again, Nikkolai smiled, throwing his arms around his brother. “You’ll help me remember, won’t you?” he asked, a bit too hopeful. “Please?” Nikkolai realized that he was probably asking a lot from him, but he needed to know. He had forgotten 132 years of life… it wouldn’t be right to live like that! It simply wouldn’t be right and it was slowly beginning to drive him insane from the emptiness.

Yaksha laughed, and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't. We'll meet you outside your home." He turned to Nikki, and nodded solemnly. Of course brother. We have much to go over. But first, we have to find out just what you DO remember. Nikki, can you tell me the name of your family? His lips pulled back into a malicious grin, but no doubt Nikki wouldn't notice, and if he did, he wouldn't care...

…Nikki, can you tell me the name of your family?

At that, his eyebrows furrowed. The names of the people in his family… the only people he knew of were Yaksha and Suzette, and that was because his beloved brother had told him that. He didn’t know the names of his children, or even his wife. He didn’t know the name of his wife! The woman he was supposed to have spent the rest of his life with, the woman he had loved – he was pathetic. He was really pathetic, wasn’t he?

Nikkolai had to look down in shame. “I… I can’t…” he said softly, mortified beyond reason. “I can’t… remember them.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair, picking up the glass he had been given and taking just a tiny, tiny sip of the liquid. The glass was still more than half full, as was the bowl of soup, since he had barely touched it.

Yaksha grabbed Nikki's hand, and held it in his, his voice grave. "You will, Nikki. Stay by my side, and you will be cured of your curse. I will always be by your side, Nikkolai. I am your brother, and I will always love you. Trust in me, as I shall trust in you."

"You will, Nikki. Stay by my side, and you will be cured of your curse. I will always be by your side, Nikkolai. I am your brother, and I will always love you. Trust in me, as I shall trust in you."

A wide smile came to the fairy’s face, his eyes almost seeming to glisten. That was so kind of him! Even if they were brothers, Yaksha didn’t have to do that. Yaksha didn’t have to promise him anything, and yet here he was, saying that he would cure Nikkolai and stand by his side. Nikkolai trusted him even more now, if that was even possible. “Thank you,” he said, a catch in his throat as he spoke. There were no other words to say, really. “You don’t have to do it… yet you are… it means so much.”

Nikkolai removed his hand from Yaksha’s, still grinning from ear to ear. “Perhaps we should leave?” he suggested, though he would do whatever Yaksha wanted him to do. Considering that he was going to do all that for him, it was only right for Nikkolai to do what Yaksha told him to.

"Of course, Nikkolai. Let's go home. What's mine is yours, brother." Yaksha grabbed Nikki's hand, and helped him up, pulling him close. "Brother always knows best, Nikki. Now, say it with me..." He smiled genially, and ruffled Nikki's hair. "Also, when we're not not in public, I'd like for you to call me Lord."

Oh, good… he actually had a home now. He didn’t have to worry about inns, or money, or anything! Nikkolai almost felt guilty, but as long as he repaid Yaksha and did what he was told then they would be even. He planned on doing just that, too. “Thank you,” he said again, meaning it every single time that he said it. Yaksha proceeded to help him to his feet, which he allowed without complaint, and laughed when his older brother ruffled his hair. Yaksha was the only family he had, at least the only family he had that he knew of. He wasn’t going to let that slip through his fingers.

"Also, when we're not in public, I'd like for you to call me Lord."

Nikkolai’s head tilted to the side and he looked up at his much taller brother. “Lord?” he asked, recoiling slightly at how the word felt on his tongue. “I’ll do it if that’s what you want… but why Lord?” He didn’t quite understand what the purpose of that was, but he would comply. Yaksha was allowing him to stay at his house, tolive with him. It was the least he could do.

Yaksha merely smiled infuriatingly, and ruffled Nikki's hair again. "It's a sign of respect, Nikki. I'm giving you a home, my time, everything a brother could ever want. All I ask is that you acknowledge me as a superior, and respect all I have given to you." Yaksha lay Nikki's head on his shoulder, and grinned darkly, leading him off into the shadows....