Everlaating Tides

She blinked at him as he slipped the kimono over her, tentatively touching the fabric as she looked down at the ground in shame. He owed her no kindness, she had attempted to rob him and even kill him, yet he was being kind to her. “Thank you,” She whispered, in a voice barely audible over the wind. It was a difficult word for her to utter, one she had not used in many years, in a thankless society that had spurned her into thievery.

“What exactly is it that you do milord? You spoke of war, and how you had turned your back on those who would monger for bloodlust, milord.” Not sure what he wished to be addressed by, she adopted the civil title that had been drilled into her since childhood, keeping her eyes averted in shame that she had actually intended to kill him.

He gave her a smile, and nodded to her words, even the last ones. HIs form, would slightly relax more, but always alert, not just for her, but this world in whole. " Your welcome. Now stop looking down, when someone speaks to an equal, they do sot with eyes locked." He spoke, his hand soft, lightly caressing her cheek, and lifted her chin with a finger. Hopefully placing them in eyes contact.

" Right now I raise money for my orphanage. Even with a big coffer from the treasury my father left, taxes and other transgressions to make it seem not so much." He held no smile anymore, even as he stepped down,to let the people rule, did not mean they did so without greed, causing far more hardships. For any but them and rich merchants. " I would have you work in it, carring for them beside me, and when I travell protect me."

She looked into his eyes in shock, blush coloring her cheeks at having been reprimanded. She smiled weakly at him, a smile that soon faded after he spoke of the orphanage. A sword could have hurt her less then his admittance to running an orphanage, that she had almost robbed him, had almost killed him to get his money. She fought back tears of rage against herself, noting in her mind a penance was due for her actions

“I hardly doubt someone as pathetic as me could be adequate protection for you. Anything that could overpower a caster such as yourself could easily take me out.” Bitterness was tinged in her voice, but not towards him. The bitterness lay in not only that she hated herself for failure in combat, but never more in her life was grateful for that failure.

His eyes took in the blush, and just wished it had been in courting to have happened. She was beautiful, though this pain in her was hitting his heart with the same strikes as any weapon. Or magic. He smiled back, his finger leaving her chin, though it did caress her jaw softly, tenderly. " That may be true, but you do not give up, and I see much in your skills aswell as heart and.....mind."

" I will teach you if you wish, spar with you until you get close, or maybe untill we comme to equals. I know magics, weapon mastery, all taught by palace guards and mages. I am not saying you stay, there is no wanting to take your freedom. I hope you forgive the slavery talk, it normally makes others back down." He spoke his hand cupping her cheek, before returning to his side. and the other infront of his jeans.

“A fool also does not back down though. If I…if I had killed you, all those children would of suffered more. I am worse then what I pegged you to be. I would sooner take my own life then let children suffer because of me…yet I nearly did, in my ignorance I almost caused a great deal of strife.” Her frown deepened as her mind brooded on this.

She briefly acknowledged his mention of magic, and simply smiled sadly at the slavery intimdation. “Thank you for the offer to be schooled in the arts, but I doubt magic which help me any, and my father’s own combat style is suitable for me. I am his legacy sadly, the last survivor of the school, Jerai made sure to hunt down those who were my father’s students in fear of assassination.”

' Sigh, stop beating yourself over it." He twapped her on the head, not pulling back, thtough not enough to do more then lightly hurt.

" Its in the past and can stay there. It is fine, you are here, and so am I. Your choice, you can come and help, or leave. I have womens clothes first. I do enjoy you naked, but there are alot of bandits that strike these roads. And you would be killing them, but there are those whom use magic attunded to do worse then mine." He moved his hand, it stayed on her cheek, even if she pulled back he would follow. " And it was then he used the powers they would, not death magic but all the same. And in her mind she would see herself being raped by multiple partners, by them all, and the stimulations would be in her body lighting her sensitive parts.

Then he withdrew sickened by his used of that and his psionics from such. " Sorry, but thats a taste."

" So?"

The visions he slipped into her mind hit her like a brick wall, revulsion recoiling through her body as her eyes widened in shock. Head swimming, she couldn’t contain the disgust, falling to her knees as she retched loudly, unable to stop herself. It was several moments before she brought her body back under control as she weakly looked up at him.

“What the hell was that?” her tone was demanding, but her eyes were wary. It had made it feel almost as if it had actually occurred. Thinking about it brought an involuntary shudder as her eyes focused intently on him.

" That is what happens to alot around here. What I try to stop as I can, and beleive me, that was just a magic version. One alot can do aswell, just to watch you squirm. But they don't stop." He looked to her, sympathy playing in his eyes, aswell as a similar disgust. He had violated her and felt bad, perhaps he would deserve some punishment later. He looked to her.

" Some at the Orphange are like that, others having been broke. So don't be so thinking you have it hard. Imagine them. I need help, I am asking, I can't help them all." He would softly sigh. " If not, then I will see you saftly through this area."

Struggling back to her feet, she nodded grimly at his words. “I will not abandon them; I will work along with you for now. Lead on to the orphanage….I’ am sorry, but I do not thing we introduced ourselves while I was trying to stab you with those daggers.” She frowned softly, letting it fade away as she shifted uncomfortably.

His words did not sit well with her, even if he did not want her help now, even if she was spurned in the future, she would dedicate time to tracking down and silencing the bandits that plagued this area. The toll to the underworld would but weighed and measured…measured well once she found the bandits.

He would nod, and start to lead, handing her the weapons back. " I am Reease Agustus. One time KIng of this land. " He sighed at that, and shook the bad memories of his ascension to throne from his mind. Also his wanting to give it up, as the people fought in council to what to make him do. HIs wanring was real, there were those whom had done things to both the kids and women he watched over. Many in their beds because they could do nothing but stare.

It was a long walk, thirty minutes worth, and he talked now and then showing her things to look for, and any hideouts they used. His hands stayed upon him, or next to him. He smiled, only lightly as he showed her the large manor. It had been redone to include seven wings. " Here we are." Many kids played and a few women, those that helped as he supressed the dark memories of those men.

She smiled half heartedly to him, “Keanna Tokai, thief and orphan.” Her gray orbs swiveled to follow scenery as they trundled on. She absorbed everything he divulged… in case she saw the need to come return through her and take care of these bandits once they had bunkered down.

She frowned at seeing the faces at the orphanage; even she could see the haunted expression some of them bore. “How many people are you housing here currently?” She asked curiously.

The manor was large, it looked more like some large keep, with its garrisons built into the sides, Three hundred foot high it could be seen from long away, well when he lowered the illusion to keep it from Bandits and even his people on the council. They just met him in towns, or the palace they had take as their estates. He shrugged at that, let them die in it all they want. All of it was kept in great shape, the stones of the outsiide, to the timbers inside and upon the roof. It was shingled, the shingles Even were new, he had done it himself, no one to help, and he would not endanger the women, even those that just sought a home. Yes, widows and other women worked here, and few males would ever be seen, reasons were usuall, only those fully trusted worked here and lived with their wives. He tracked each, there were temptations to a man, even he would take walks, for reasons of heated feelings some women or girls held. He did not need it, no, not in this dark world. Old enough some might leave and go to a town nearby, only memories of happiness, and his watching over them as always. Some were happy with husbands, others working on love. He did not watch them after that. Never.

It held a place on the roof, sometimes he held veiwing and teachings. Yes, he was their teacher, and they students, aswell as the women their teachers. So here and there were children studying. As they moved by, many smiled and waved, a few hug and welcoming Keanna. " Ah Keanna, a pretty name." He smiled. " Keanna Tokai."

" Housing, about ten men married to the women i hired as teachers, or those wanting to come back and help." He smiled to a few, sharing the light saddness with some even children, whom held dolls or animals to themselves. Stares so lost. " Not many come back, and that is good. Life is theirs to explore. But help is hard to find, and males, well...." He was sad by that, some could even turn from good men. " I would say women around a hundred, and children two hundred." A large number for sure, but this land. Without a leader. Only the Rwhols helped, family to him, and trusted.

She looked about the manor in awe. Shocked by the sheer number of people living at the manor. “You have enough people living with you to constitute this place as being a village. How has it avoided detection for so long? Surely even you have rivals who pay a pretty coin to find you out here?”

Being tasked as his bodyguard began to worry her, with so many people around, many of them could be used a collateral to make sure he did not try anything. She simply shook her head, from out of the cauldron and into the cooking fire it appeared. “It’s a truly amazing thing here your doing Reease.”

His eyes locked upon hers, as he tied the kimono, and took her weapons, replacing them on her in new sheaths. His hands then handed her one of the girls whom at first shyed away from him, but to Keanna she would roll up in a fetal position and hold her bunny, and suck a thumb. He made sure Keanna was ready to hold her. Before turning and walking further, to the garden complex of the side, where he grew their vegetables and fruit in the orchard. " It basically is, though keeping them in one house is alittle much, I need to build homes, but it is hard, not trusting others, and if I used magic, what if anti magic came near?

" Thank you, this is the garden where we grow the produce for all us. You can take any you want aswell, some come for snacks. Especially the little ones." He tickled the girl, and made her smile, handing them both a tomatoe apeice. " I keep enough traps, illusions, and more. Any whom come hostile will never find it, only those if I walk in a hidden grove." He said lightly.

She frowned inwardly, magic made her nervous, and this sounded like it was bathed in such a thing. Shrugging, she knew she would just have to bear with it, she had given him her word to help, and she wanted to help all these children dearly…and another reason she would never admit, she was actually starting to like him. He was the first person to ever show compassion to her since her father’s death, the only person who didn’t scorn and spurn the little street urchin sobbing alone at night.

Smiling, she risked only a brief glance at him, before settling her attention on the little girl in her arms. “And what is your name, cutie?” The child fit snugly in her arms, Keanna settling her in the crook of her arm.

The little girl would smile up at her, her lips still in a laugh, she smiled up. " Sahra. Is me." She smiled and ate into the tomatoe, her mouth then smiling when she swallowed. " Kee-anna? Are you staying with us?" She waited, holding one hand upon Keannas arms. She was happy, and looed lightly better then when they first seen her.

" Sahra there, is my little buddy. She oversees the people and makes sure they get what they need." He looked at the woman beside him, and tickled them both. " She is my fathers second daughter. Her mom should be aorund aswell. But him..." He talked in her mind, not to upset the little one. - Took out thirty of them before they got him and Dad after. A man I held as Uncle. She is my friend, if you need help anytime. Call on her. Seems she likes you-