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08:44 PM

[095.] Duel

Braeden was trembling. He was looking at his feet, and his face was hidden. “So…” he said, “You’re a traitor, too?” he looked up. Riley had never seen such a maniacal face. Braeden had been driven to insanity. “That must be right. Everyone’s a traitor! No one is trustworthy!” He dropped his sword and drew out his dual blades and charged at Riley. She blocked and dodged his first attacks. “So, you really are pretty good! But I’m better!” Braeden shouted and laughed out his words. His eyes were terrifying, but Riley never lost her cool.

In the midst of the fight, though, Riley’s face came incredibly close to Braeden’s at one point. She saw that he was crying. He was crying. He had been hurt. He was hurting so badly it had driven him to the brink of insanity.

Braeden abruptly stopped fighting. Riley had dropped her axe and had done it purposely. “Pick up your weapon,” he choked out, speaking a bit more seriously than he had sounded before.

“I will not,” Riley forced down a sob as she quietly spoke.

“Pick it up!” Braeden shouted.

“No!” Riley shouted in return.

“Why not?! This is what you have trained for! This is what you believe in! Taking out assassins, right?”

“Yes, stopping the assassin’s guild is what I’ve trained for. But I never imagined there could be good people among assassins,” Riley said.

“Good people? Ha! Me? A good person? You’re out of your mind! Anything good that I’ve ever done was only to prevent my cover from being blown. And you think I’m a good person?” He laughed, but he looked disconcerted.

“I know you’re a good person,” Riley’s words made him snap.

“Shut up!” He charged her again, pinning her to the ground with his blades crossing over her neck.

“Go ahead and kill me,” She stated, simply.

“Why would you want me to do that?” She could tell that his sanity was nearing its complete return.

“Because it’s better than my having to fight you,” she closed her eyes. “Yes,” she reassured herself. “I would rather die than have to continue fighting you this way.”

“Why?” Braeden was sincerely interested in her answer.

“Why do you truly think I never told you that I knew you were an assassin? There were plenty of opportunities where I could have killed you, but I didn’t. Why do you think that was? I refused to believe that you were an assassin to begin with for a long time. So why?”

“That’s what I’m asking you: Why?” Braeden earnestly awaited her answer.

“I love you, Braeden,” she finally said.