Of Questionable Character [Amadeus]

[General Harken]

The Traveler's caves were often considered a peaceful recluse for the weary and the weak. Many did not understand that the well kept caves, filled with the resources necessary for life, were also a prime meeting spot when certain underhanded deals were made. Weapons in massive quantities were sold, devious plans were charted, and, possibly worst of all, assassinations were planned. These caves tended to be hidden within the tunnels that ran deep under the earth and often times they were barricaded. General Harken had laid claim to the largest of these caves and he frequently had elves of various, dubious natures met with him within it's darkened confines, away from the prying eyes of his fellow elves, away from those who would find his acts deplorable. Tonight, on this moonless night Harken awaited one such visitor.

The cave the large man occupied was dank, barely lit with only a simple brazier placed behind him. There was little furniture that occupied it, only three pieces in fact. A small, stool made for his frequent visitors, designed to make them feel as if they were children before a furious parent. It was something that Harken found necessary to do. When dealing with those of a darker nature one needed to utilize fear as a weapon or end negotiation on a rather bad note. In front of the stool was a table made of a simple, cheap wood that had turned gray with age. Cuts and gouges covered it, a sign that blades of all sorts had been slammed into the thick table. Besides those pieces there was one more, a prominent fixture in the room that commanded as much attention as Harken did himself. The man's large frame occupied it: a modest throne carved from the wood of an ancient tree, red velvet adorning both the seat and back. The figure of a dragon had been carved into it. Strangely, the right armrest, had been carved to become the dragon's head, it's eyes fixed with rubies the color of blood.

Harken himself was just as impressive as the throne, if not, more so. His tattered body terrified those that looked upon it and it released an aura that commanded respect. A pair of void like eyes peered through the darkness that shrouded him. Beside him sat his axe. Massive in size and power it was capable of cleaving a man and rider in twain with a well placed stroke. It was a warning and a promise to all of those that dared step before him while he was within his domain. It was not the most frightening feature though. Gleaming in the dark night was Harken's left hand. It was a marvel of technology and magic being the first prosthetic capable of being operated in battle. Tonight that hand had been swapped for something more ornate. Black metal with golden trim was attached to his arm. Spikes erupted from it's knuckles. Though Harken had never used this hand for combat he was confident in it's abilities.

The man sat, his usual mirth and good cheer replaced with a solemness that he reserved for such occasions. He waited, his chin resting upon the knuckles of his hand made of flesh, for the one he had called forward tonight. Harken had been in the bloody business of war for a long time. Assassins came and went and he had just lost his last in a long line of them. He needed a new one, one that could perform what Harken needed when he needed and Harken was a harsh master when it came to his more devious underlings. The man coming before him would be the seventh Assassin he had interviewed that night. The others had been measured and found wanting in every aspect. What he had heard of this new candidate pleased him.

The general glanced toward the table where there laid two stacks of parchment. The one on the left was a list of the information Harken had amassed upon the subject. It was a hard task, harder than it should have been, but Harken had accomplished it. On the other side was the information regarding the job Harken had in mind. Not all of the details, mind you, but enough to wet the appetite of any assassin that was interested. As the man's black eyes scanned over the area there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he said, his voice deep and gravely. Two men garbed in gray armor shuffled in. Their were part of Harken's security detail. He was no fool. He knew that there was a chance the assassin would turn on him and a chance that he would kill him, though he hated to admit it. It was his men's duty to prevent the man's escape and, in the worse case scenario, report his departure.

"My lord," the smaller of the two said. "It's late. Maybe he forgot. It isn-"

"Silence!" The word was spoken softly but carried the weight that could stop an army in midstep. "He will come." he said, unmoving in his throne. Harken's black eyes shifted toward the door that had remained open and silently commanded his men to leave and resume their posts. Oh, the assassin would come. Harken was sure of it.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

He had never worked for a general before. In fact, he was cautious about it. The young Amadeus had arrived far earlier than his schedule described, about the afternoon. He had a quick snack of berries and even enjoyed a light meal before he heard arrivals. He was in the room before anyone else was, even his perhaps-employee. When people started to enter, he climbed and found a dark ledge he could hide away. There he stayed, motionless, for hours.

He dared not even breathe as he watched other assassins walk in. Some he recognized. Some he did not. Eventually, they all left, and it was his turn... he was the last. The others seemed good enough for the job, why interview so many? The general must've been looking for someone special. Halfway through, he became restless and for fear of moving too much, he took his fear and became the darkness, invisible so long as light did not shine on him.

Finally, his turn. He waited, nervous. Then, the guards came in, saying he might not have come... but he was already here. What a strange bit of irony. Carefully, he took out his blindfold and silently slipped it on, tying it around his head and then slipping out of his little crevice.

"Oculus...ready to stand and serve for country, General Harken." He spoke quietly, stepping out from behind the throne and into the light. His blindfold showed nothing, but his hearing told him of the crackle of fire, and his voice echoed off the walls, sending him mental pictures as clearly as if he had full use of his eyes. As well as the stool he was supposed to sit on.

Of course, he was a good little assassin. Amadeus walked quietly towards his seat, taking out a small dagger. Albeit, with his close proximity to the General, it was no surprise the guards who already were edgy by his sudden appearance similarly unsheathed their weaponry. He turned his heads towards the direction of the soldiers, as if looking at them. However, he turned and sat at the stool he was meant to sit on.

"I couldn't believe the General would invite me to a place so remote if it wasn't to kill me off. It turns out you are far more honest than past employers." His tone was chilling, he expected this, it was easy for him to fall into his cold exterior mask as merely another assassin, despite his odd appearance and his blindfold hiding the one thing that others rarely saw.

As far as he knew, the general had collected information about him... the general had information on the other assassins as well. Of course, how anyone got information off him he did not know. Unlike others, he was extremely meticulous with covering his tracks and being completely invisible. It would've given the General quite a run for his money to find anything about him other than his alias and how to get any messages to him. However, surely, the General didn't know about his... deformities, so all would be well.

More out of respect than anything else, the Assassin waited for his prospective employer to say the first words of the interview.

[General Harken]

Harken made little to no reaction at the sudden sound of a young man's voice. The brazier behind him cast a light that illuminated all that was before him, yet kept him shrouded in a haze of shadows. It cast an eerie glow upon the boy's face, the blindfold adding an air of mystery to him. Harken mentally flicked through the list of information that he had acquired about the lad. Most of his Intel had been gathered from former clients of the boy. One would be surprised how easy it was to make a nobleman sing when his lands were in danger of being swallowed up by the large shadow that was Harken's domain. It was only natural for the General to want information on the boy that sat before him. He needed to know if he was trustworthy, efficient, and, above all, capable. From what he gathered he was all of those. Gathering information was an integral part of war. Without gathering intelligence on the opposing army a general was left blind, open to any form of attack. It was, simply put, good business to be informed and one had to make sure that they were good when in the bloody business.

When he drew his weapon, a dagger, his own men moved. Harken brought up his steel hand, the magic within forming it into a sign for his troops to cease. "If the lad wanted to kill me he would have done so already. Besides, I doubt that you lot would be able to stop him anyway." he said, his voice chastising. The soldiers hung their heads and sheathed their weapons. Harken meant no disrespect towards them and was honored by their sense of loyalty. Now was not the time to be jumping at ever shadow, especially the shadow before him. Even after the pale, lanky shadow spoke Harken allowed silence to build up before gracing him with a response.

"I am no honest man, Oculus. My record in battle and the rumors flying about will show you that much. In truth, I have very little in the way of honor when it comes dealing with those of a more dubious character. But yes, I have not called you here to put an end to your career." he said as he shifted in his seat. His hands, both flesh and metal, came together, the contrasting fingers linking meshing. "I have a business proposition for you." he said sardonically. He touched his lips to the cold metal, taking comfort in it and taking the cold to freeze his blood for his next orders. "Actually," he said from beneath his hands, his voice still carrying strongly, "I have multiple things to propose to you." Harken glanced at his man and signaled for them to leave before returning to his former position.

Once the door was firmly shut behind them Harken glanced over the man before him. He was an odd looking fellow. Pale as a sheet of paper and dressed in black. The fact that he wore a blindfold over his eyes only made him stranger. Harken had not heard of any sort of problem with his eyes, though several sources spoke of the cloth he wore. If the boy was blind he hid it well and performed his profession better than most with sight could. "Before we get down to business would you like a refreshment?" he asked. He straightened, placing one hand upon an arm rest and raising the other. Two large fingers came together creating a loud snap that echoed through out the room. The door opened once again and a man dressed in fine clothes entered. "Wine, perhaps? I have a marvelous vintage that I reserve for occasions such as these." While his words were pleasant they were just as cold as the boy's.

"I find it best to loosen the tongues of those I talk to before engaging in any form of negotiations." he said as he took up his first position, his chin returning to it's perch.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The Assassin would be lying if he said he was not nervous when the soldiers left and it was just the general and a blind assassin. His employer could probably crush his throat with one hand and break his ribs with a simple throw. He was imposing and frightening, but at the same time, what scared Amadeus most was not Harken's brute strength but his own awkwardness.

It could easily trip him up here, especially with such a customer. "Multiple?" He questioned. However, before anything could be explained or answered, a servant arrived with alcohol. Oh no, alcohol. He enjoyed the taste but it loosened his tongue a little too much... He nodded and spoke anyhow. "A bottle of white wine, aged at least ten years." He ordered in a polite coldness, without a please or a thank you. Well, assassins were never known for their manners. He once heard of a group of gentlemanly assassins who would wish peace on whoever they killed, but of course he was not sure if the group even exist... assassination was a strange profession.

The wine was poured and Amadeus found himself sniffing a glass of wine, checking. With blindfold on he couldn't see the color, of course. It smelled fine. He wetted the wine on his lips, waiting for any tingling or numbness. There was none. Then, he finally sipped after many tense moments, waiting for some kind of poison. There was none, again. He seemed to visibly relax a bit once he was assured by touch and smell that he would not be killed... tonight, anyhow. Tomorrow was an enigma he'd rather not have to worry about. He waited for his employer to get a drink if he wanted, then when they were alone again he spoke.

"So, shall I be assuming you have a list, General?" The assassin spoke in a coldly honeyed tone, ignoring the nervousness he felt beneath. He took another sip of wine, then set it on the floor as if ignoring it. It was surprising, he was blind after all, but knew exactly where to place things as if he could see perfectly well. Ah, the magic and wonder of his Mother's shame. The mere thought burned hotly in him, an anger he chose to put away for when he was truly alone with no General Harken breathing down his neck.

For now, he had to pretend he was just another assassin. In reality, assassins understood each other very easily- no one wanted this job. Those who did want the job were typically low-class, even suicidal. Little more than bloodthirsty murderers. Any assassin worth his money could bet that they never went into this trade willingly. Some were like him, who were raised since childhood. Others originally sought to kill only for revenge- but found that by the time they killed enough to satisfy their revenge, the lifestyle had already taken them and labeled them as an assassin until the day they died.

No one ever mourned the invisible.

These thoughts stirred as Amadeus thought to himself, before he finally decided that that was enough thinking for now. He had to concentrate on the General's answer, for it would tell him how tasty this job would be. Considering it was such a high class employer, he hoped the pay would be especially handsome.

[General Harken]

Harken nodded his acceptance to his steward and the man vanished out the door. For several moments he was gone leaving the General and the Assassin in silence, the roar of the flames and the crackle of the lumber that fueled behind him providing the only sounds. The steward returned with a cask of white wine that had been kept in the Harken home for years. As Harken was never one to drink wine its value had been lost upon him. He had found that it was a useful bargaining tool as people who often saw the make found the vintage to be rather difficult to acquire. The steward sat a chilled glass before the assassin before pouring the white champagne into his glass. He imitated the same movement before offering up a glass to his lord. Despite his dislike of wine Harken took it and grasped it between his middle and ring finger and allowing the bowl to rest in his palm. He swirled the contents of the wine as he awaited the assassin's next words. His dark eyes became lost in the swirling semi-clear liquid.

Harken took a sip of the sparkling wine before responding to the man's inquiry. "You're quite right. I do have a list of requests that I will ask upon you if you choose to accept the job. " Harken motioned toward the document that was on Amadeus left, the right containing the information he had gathered on the boy. "The details at the moment are sketchy, to say the least. In short, I'll require your services frequently. So much so that you might say that I'm employing for a long term endeavor of mine. In no way do I require your services exclusively though. You will be free to work for whoever you wish. If you choose to accept this agreement I can honestly say that you will be handsomely rewarded. No small fortune I sure you. Between the funds I shall provide you and your payments I assume you could retire." Harken once again began to gentle tilt his scarred hand to swirl the contents of his glass.

He wondered if the man would be brave enough to accept. The several men and woman that had come before him had all refused his proposal, some of them in a rather rude way. Despite their refusals Harken allowed them to leave unharmed. Though once they left the safety of his stone reprieve they were fair game for the small unit of men that Harken had positioned around the outskirts of the caves. Five men armed with crossbows joined by two mages of ill repute. A crossbow bolt to the chest often ended a man's life immediately. That in conjunction with the magic of the mages was a swift and almost instantaneous death. As Harken had said earlier, he was by no means honorable when it came to his dealings in the underworld. The fact that he was scouting assassins would be enough to mobilize several forces against him. From both the Dark Kingdom and within his own.

Harken's reputation and connection with the underworld of the Light Kingdom was well known. No one could do anything to him about it due to his standing and political power. Out of fear the left him to his own devices and out of respect trusted him, though not all followed that example. Several attempts had been made on his life due to his connection with the underground world of crime within the Light Kingdom and another four for being the leader of the Queen's army. What most of his peers did not understand was that Harken didn't allow the portions of the underworld he possessed to run rampant. Instead he channeled their more vile habits to be used to his advantage and against his enemies. This meeting was a clear example of that.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The assassin tapped his foot a moment near his wine glass to figure out where he had left it, before scooping it up a moment and sipping it again. Hmmm, it was a nice proposal. It told him he had a solid job for weeks, maybe months, as well as he would have enough money to live at least semi-comfortably. At least he would have enough for food and shelter, the leftovers no doubt used as bribery for whenever a job required it.

There was a silence between employer and employee for what seemed like an eternity underneath a few moments. Amadeus had to think a few moments as to what he should do. Then, he heard the distant but unmistakable sound of a crossbow into flesh. What... were there battles going outside? Or... He shivered a moment, dare not thinking the consequences of refusing such a fine job offering.

"I think you have yourself the assassin for the job, General. I accept. However..." He waved his hands in front of his face a moment, showing clearly that he had his blindfold and he couldn't see. Of course- he couldn't see at all what was in front of him... he was no magic man, he could not read paper via echolocation. He needed to use his eyes for that. Taking another sip of wine, he took a few moments before sipping again- he really did enjoy the flavor of the wine.

"I can't read paper with this blindfold on, if you're planning to hand me a list. You'd have to either read it out to me or simply let me read it myself privately where I have no need for the cloth over my eyes." His words were plain- expressing a fact that he could in fact see perfectly fine- the reason for his blindfold was still unclear. He was quite content not letting the General know anything more about him other than what he already knew- how proficient he was, that he didn't need his eyesight for more than reading, and that he could see perfectly well.

Amadeus remained quiet, seeing if the man would wish to take up his acceptance and they would continue their conversation or perhaps they would simply leave together, of course he had no qualms with either. Another sip of wine, and more silence passed. Perhaps, to two other people, it would be awkward to simply stay in the silence of a fire's crackle. He personally found it very comforting, silence was something he was used to. With the noise of the fire, he could study the general closely without his eyesight. He was imposing, large, obviously dressed to intimidate.

Something was funny about one of his arms. A look of concentration came a moment from his face, the crackle of fire was not enough to properly assess what exactly was there, just like it couldn't before tell him exactly where his wine glass was, it was simply too broad and far away in order to hone in one details. He opened his mouth and let out one loud, solid, click. Suddenly everything came as a perfect picture in his mind, but one thing in particular stood out.

"One of your arms aren't real." He spoke this not as a question but as a fact of a small surprise and plenty interest. Well Well- the general had some scars on his face and flesh, yes, but he was missing a whole arm. There was something else about it too, but he would have to use another click if he wanted to find out exactly. The arm seemed to be very intricate, there was plenty detail put into both the outside and the inside of such a fake arm... he wondered if it worked just like the real thing.

[General Harken]

Harken almost sighed when the man informed him of his blindfold. He had hoped that his small demonstration would in fact prove that the man had some ability to see. The man, however, kindly informed Harken of his ability to see. Harken lifted an eyebrow, wondering how exactly the man was able to see with the blindfold on and why exactly he was wearing it when he could see perfectly fine. Whatever the case was Harken was delighted that he had the services of this particular assassin. The strange air of mystery about him intrigued Harken greatly and he wondered what his true nature was like. "Excellent," Harken said, "I'm glad at least on of my chosen few was intelligent to accept my offer." Harken drained the glass and placed it by his side. "My men are probably bored to tears taking out those that refused my offers." Harken said as he rested his chin upon his hand.

"The list," he began as he looked toward the table. "Is on your left. As I said the details are vague but you will be brought up to speed before every mission. Your will receive the briefing for your first mission here later on tonight." he said as a grin graced his scared visage for the first time that night. There was no point in playing the cruel dictator now that the lad was already in his grasps. He watched the boy for a moment as he took a sip of his wine and then created a clicking noise. Harken arched a brow in wonder as to why he had done such a thing. Almost immediately afterwards the assassain brought forth a question which made Harken laugh softly. "Aye," he said with a nod.

"I lost my arm back when I was still new to the art of battle. I made this one as a substitute so I could continue on fighting for my country. I earned the moniker Harken the Heavy Handed at one point because of it. Kind of fitting as I'm never one to check my blows." he said as he slammed the metallic hand down onto the throne he sat upon create a loud resonating clang from it's mostly hollow insides. "That name has been long forgotten though." he said as he picked at his throne with the metallic fist. "As you probably heard it's made of metal. Rather difficult to deal with on a hot day." he said, making a joke to lighten the mood that had been building since the man's entrance.

"Anyway," Harken said as he stood up and advanced forward. "I'll have none of this General nonsense coming from you, Amadeus." Oh yes, Harken had learned of the boy's real name or at least what he was most frequently going by. "Since me and you will be working together rather often it'll be easier for the both of us to simply drop the formalities." Harken stood before him and picked up the pile of papers that had the information regarding the operations he had planned. He leafed through them before finding the most appropriate for Amadeus' proving and placed it on front. He placed the stack back on the table before placing his hands behind his back. "Your first target shall be General Titus of the Dark Queen's army." Harken waited before providing the man with anymore details before continuing.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

Amadeus listened to the man's story closely, although his face was unreadable- with no eyes and his lips kept motionless, one could question whether or not he was listening or just running about in his own imagination. However, he would be a fool to not know well to listen when a man spoke, especially to answer something curious.

Then, a loud clanging noise. If he was able to mentally shut off his abilities, he would, just like a man who would close his eyes to bright light. He flinched and immediately covered his ears, as if to try and stop them from ringing. Ugh- had this man no ability to be the slightest bit kind to a man who used his ears for sight? Albeit, he did not tell the general this, surely he didn't know... ah, then he couldn't blame him for the mistake. Regardless, he had a good picture as to the man's fake arm, hollow but well-built and it must've taken weeks of research to make such a model. He had never seen the likes of it before.

"...Mind not making such a loud noise, Gen-" He caught himself. Although surprised at the fact that the man knew his actual name, he chose not to say anything of it... if he discovered who it was, then that man would be dead within the day, top priority over any other mission would be to take down whatever poor bastard decided to spill any information on him. Not like the man would give out much information anyways- he believed Harken knew better than to deliver information that would have people on his side dead.

"...Harken... Mind not making too much noise? Taking away one sense heightens all others, or so they say." He asked politely, tapping his foot again to figure where his wine was and picking it up, before sipping once more, now having a glass in his system. He took the sheet to his left and ran his gloved fingers over the paper, as if touch would help him read the ink. He folded it and pocketed the note- he would have to read it later.

Then of course, came the most important bit- his target. A general? Not too shabby, but of course, he didn't quite know the details. He had killed for the dark side many times, just as many had he killed for the light side. Normally it was just petty land squabbles, assassination as a strategy in war was less common.

He spoke, but he closed his mouth again, thoughts getting a bit fuzzy due to alcohol... ah...

The assassin tried a moment to stand, but found himself disoriented despite knowing exactly where he was in the room, having to stumble a bit before finding a wall. The bad part about using a mind-depressing substance when one had already gone blind- it made him blind in the truest sense. He slid dowards and sat down again. "I... think... I'll just... sit here." He spoke, hands going to the back of his head to re-tighten the knot that was there.

Damn the wine.

[General Harken]

Harken glanced over the man after being instructed not to slam his arm down again. His eyes shifted from his hand to the assassin's features. The truth about his assassin's odd ability to see without sight was beginning to come forth in Harken's mind. Instead of putting too much thought upon it he decided it would be best for his subconscious to sort through the information while he dealt with the situation at hand. After all, how the man killed his targets wasn't that important. As long as he got it done that was all that mattered to Harken. "I'll try and refrain from doing so." he said as he stopped pacing and stood before the table.

Harken arched an eyebrow as the man who had kept his composure through out their meeting stood up and then stumbled. Harken had enough experience with drink to know how it could take a usually bright, coordinated man's legs out from under him and rob him of reason. Many of times he had been in the same situation as Amadeus, though, he'd never been in a situation such as this while he was stumbling drunk. Harken walked towards him, his footsteps echoing through the stone chamber that he used to receive his darker company. He stood over Amadeus, a looming figure in the darkness. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed softly. "Don't hold your drink too well do you?" he asked as he knelt down and looked over him.

"We'll get you some water." he said as he snapped, signaling his steward to enter once more. The older man looked over the image of his master and the one who he was doing buisness with. Knowing Harken would could easily assume that the man had injured him in some way. Harken glared at the man through partially blind eyes as if telling him to dismiss the thought. "Bring our guest some water. He isn't feeling well." he said, saving the man some face by denying the fact that he was a lightweight when it came to drinking. The steward bowed and was once more out of the door. He returned much quicker this time providing Harken with a chalice of chill water. Harken presented the glass to the man and touched the cold steel to his lips.

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

Amadeus gave Harken a rather sheepish grin when the general told him what was obvious- he couldn't handle alcohol at all. It was rather embarrassing, but he didn't mind it so much- he just had to learn how to refuse a drink. Ah, the difficulties of self restraint. Beneath the blindfold, the assassin felt his face flush and grow hot, whether it was because he felt a the stronger male's body loom over his precariously closely or from the wine... or a bit of both, he refused to think about it. Especially the former.

"Thank you." His words were a bit jittery and he flinched when he felt coldness press against his lips- no, nothing was working now. Unfortunately for him anyways, he was as blind as any other man who had no use of sight, addled mind stripped off all knowledge as to where in the world he was. He gently took the cold metal in his hands and sniffed for poisons- lapping at the water much like dog to taste for venom. Nothing. So he tipped his head back and drank.

The coldness chilled his warming belly and had him feel less addled... for now at least. Who knew how long water would last- it would be better to get some food into his system... When was the last time he had eaten? He shook his head of such thoughts before his head seemed to move as if he was staring upwards at Harken. Then he spoke, as if being too drunk to walk meant that he could still hold a coherent and intelligent conversation that he would be able to remember the next day.

He was no fool- despite his drunken state. The General was a busy man, it would do him no good an assassin who could not kill as quickly as possible. "Alright... Harken." He breathed out softly. "...Do you want the kill... how do you want it?" He asked, muddled thoughts coming out through slow phrases and repetitions. He probably should stop talking before he lost the face that Harken had saved him from losing before.

Ah well- the darkness never had face to lose.

[General Harken]

"Aye, there's no need to thank me." Harken said as he took the cup and placed it by Amadeus' side. "We'll have to get some food in you in awhile. I know it doesn't sound to appetizing at the moment but it's what's best for whats ailing you." Harken said, giving boy a smile he probably couldn't see. Harken was adept in the art of staggering of drunkenness and the impending doom that was the next morning. More than once he had awoken only to feel like the south end of a north bound horse and probably smelling much worse. He often never had any sort of recollection of the night before and often awoke next to strange women. Luckily for him he had never awoken next to a surly dwarf or, as the joke often went, a satisfied one.

Harken shifted and then took up a rather undignified position on the ground sitting next to Amadeus. He found it was better to speak to drunks while in a similar position, not to say that the blindfold wearing lad was a drunk, but at the moment he was rather close to being one. When he started to talk of business Harken laughed softly. "Amadeus, my lad, you are in no condition to speak of killing at the moment. Though, if you killed the general in this state I'd have to considering upping my payment. Killing a man as drunk as you are would certainly be some trick." he said as he leaned his head against the stony wall, his close cropped hair being moistened by the condensation upon the cave walls. "Like I said most of the details are on that piece of paper. Whenever you're feeling a little more coordinated well discus the details of the death." he looked around and turned his thoughts to how the boy was able to locate various items within the confines of the room while blindfolded.

He thought back to the actions the boy made and what he knew about his profile. He knew he always wore the blindfold and several times folks had mentioned the man making an odd sound such as a click or that he was always tapping his feet. Harken blinked as he thought of how his arm had brought the boy pain and his mention of taking away one sense strengthened the others. He figured the boy used a combination of the remaining four to function properly. Hearing was most important to him. Harken had never touched the boy and the warmth that the fire gave off surely hid his body temperature and taste and scent would have little use in this musty environment so that left only one. Harken decided to bring up his odd ability later once the boy was, as he sad earlier, more stable.

"A bit of advice for any sort of future dealings. Avoid any sort of liquor or at least ask for it to be watered down. There isn't any shame in that. It's always good for a man to have his wits about him when dealing with things of such a fragile matter."

[Seccom Masada-Sensei]

The assassin nodded and simply gave the General a sheepish grin. He understood, but whether or not he took the man's words to heart past his addled and foggy mind was a completely different thing. He leaned against the wall and pressed his warm cheek against the cool wall, touch was all he had left now that he couldn't quite use his sound pictures anymore. How... unfortunate of him. He shouldn't have had the wine but...

"It's not..."He paused, as if he forgot what he was going to say. When he remembered, he continued. "...not... like that. I... usually... don't earn enough... for a good glass." He gave his silly grin again, which, had he removed his blindfold, would've looked particularly diabolical. However, thanks to his blindfold, he looked just a bit strange but nothing bad, a blind man who found something funny while he was drunk.

Of course, it was a lie that he didn't earn enough. If he wanted he probably earned enough to live in a good home and have food regularly. However, most of his money was spent on poisons, herbs, antidotes and a multitude of things pervading to his job. What he had left over was for taverns to sleep in(those were expensive), music, and the occasional whore whenever he decided he needed the company. Although, it was always a little awkward when the woman expected a session of sex and he asked only for a talk, company, and the feel of a warm body against his during the night.

Somewhere in his mind, a little voice wondered for a moment if he could ask the man in front of him for the same thing. He flinched at the thought and covered his face with a heated blush. Ah- what was he THINKING?! Surely the wine had totally gone to his head. He sighed a bit, before chuckling and ultimately laughing at himself and his own thoughts, though he realized that he had never spoken this to Harken- though he imagined his reactions would be just as hilarious.

He snorted and forced down a laugh from the thoughts- maniacal laughter from nothing but his own thoughts would only serve to frighten or even irritate the General... if he wasn't already. It only made the situation worse that he only had himself to make him laugh- Harken wouldn't be off making jokes to the drunk and he never mentioned any thoughts he had right out, he'd be chuckling to what seemed to be nothing.

"I've... killed a man before... drunk, you know. It was... a fight. The... man... wanted my seat... my... so I fought him... blind too. Slashed... right in his eyes, then... got his neck. Always... surprises me... how much blood... the amount... comes out of a man..." He breathed softly, obviously meaning to boast but rarely was the job of assassination something to be proud of.