"These are all of them?" A man wearing a turban which was wrapped around his nose and mouth to conceal his identity said as his heavy lined eyes which was the only visible part glanced at them.
"Yes my Lord." A lean woman whose red hair was braided beautifully to the side and pinned with different golden jewelries said as she made a face to tell them to stand appropriate.
Kamigani watched the man as his eyes kept sweeping over them like he was in a deep thought. Each having their own weapons.
Kamigani's choice of weapon was two small swords not more than twenty inches in length. They all have veil covering their faces to hide their identities since anything can go wrong, even though she was only a slave but their mistress wasn't ready to ruin her fake cotton selling business.
Kamigani hated her mistress but they can't runaway since they would only end up getting caught by bounty hunters. She had already given up the idea of running away since it would do her no good, it would only lead to her death.
The turban man stood up and walked up to them, he checked the spear one of them was holding. "Spear?, not good too long." he moved to the one with a whip. "Too slow." He muttered before moving to the one holding an axe, he shook his head before standing in front of Kamigani.
"They are all good." The redhead woman said as she drank her tea slowly. She glanced at the tea the client didn't touch. It wasn't new for a client not to drink the tea she serves them, she was only trying to be polite.
"This one will do." He gestured to Kamigani. "I hope she can do a clean and neat job Ayante." He said to the redhead woman.
Kamigani knows assassinating people can never be a neat job. There was always a lot of blood since she only uses her sword.
"Of course." Ayante nodded as the rest of them turned and walked into the inner room leaving Kamigani, Ayante and the turban man.
"Do you know what you are going to do?" The man asked Kamigani as he sat on the chair he occupied when he came in.
Kamigani almost snorted at the stupid question he asked. "Yes my Lord." She said and tried to sound boldly as she could.
"I am no Lord." he said too quickly.
Kamigani was trained on how to talk to a client. If it was a man she would refer him as a Lord and if it was a woman she would refer her as a Lady. "I apologize." She had met many men who were Lords but pretended to be a messenger with the intention that if they fail and were caught the guards would not search the High towns and nobles houses.
"She looks young and strong." He turned to Ayante. "Can I have her after the deal?"
Bloodsucking pervert!
Kamigani rolled his eyes mentally as muttered a curse. What won't she give just to run him through with her sword.
Ayante chuckles. "I'm afraid she will end you in your sleep."
It wasn't the first time a client made an advances towards them but she didn't like how his eyes was on her like he was taking every inch of her in his memory and undressing her.
"I am a tough man." He chuckles. "Anyway here." He produced a small bag from his waist pouch and tossed it on the table.
Ayante quickly grabbed it like it would disappear if she blinks. She opened it and checked the contents. "Pure gold." She brought a shiny piece. "Now tell me who it is you don't want to see tomorrow's daylight?" She almost squealed happily.
"A warrior. Who needs to be silently killed if your petty girl doesn't want to end up dead if she fails." He laughed like he just said something funny and Ayante made her fake convincing laugh along with him.
Kamigani stood her ground, it wasn't the first time she heard such a statement. In her entire mission she had only met one challenge once, it was the guard of the lady she assassinated that caught up with her and was a skillful fighter but she was able to escape with a few scratches.
She doesn't fear death, she had been trained not to but she had to survive to obtain her freedom from Ayante even though she knew it wasn't happening anytime soon.
"We meet a lot of challenges." Ayante said.
Kamigani almost rolled her eyes since she doesn't understand the word 'We' Ayante casually said.
"None like this one." He narrowed his eyes. "If it is successful I will cast your fingers in gold to last you a long time since I have a feeling you will refuse the offer when I tell you who is it."
"We don't back down." Ayante was beaming from ear to ear.
"Very well, I will see you in three days time." He declared and stood up abruptly almost knocking the chair off.
"Three days?" Ayante sounded baffled as she quickly placed her tea cup on the saucer. "Why?"
"That's when you will know who your girl has to end." He turned to Kamigani. "You train well because I don't understand why you only have women Ayante." He complained.
"What a man can do a woman can do better." Ayante repeated the words she used frequently before gesturing for Kamigani to leave as she led him out.
Kamigani bowed before joining the others in the room, she removed her veil and placed her swords neatly on her small table.
"Kamigani please come back." Huare said.
Huare was one of them, sold to slavery by her father. She was once very close to Kamigani until she started making advances towards her but Kamigani made it clear she doesn't see her that way and Huare said she understands.
"Not only three days." She said nonchalantly before joining the others by the fire.
"Cool." Axin said as she kicked off her shoes, she patted Kamigani's head before jumping on her bed.
Kamigani stared at the fire, she was found ashore with no memory. She wandered around till she was caught by a group of merchants that sees no use for a small child and decided to sell her into slavery, she was sold to Ayante.
Ayante took her deep in the mountains to a cave where she met the others who were undergoing training to be an Assassin.
All she knows was the name Kamigani sounded familiar so she decided to go by the name. Sometimes she used to wonder how old she was. Huare told her she couldn't be more than twenty while Rora said she should be between twenty and twenty two since it seems she was found when she was ten or twelve.
Kamigani trained for the rest of the days and the third day she was ready. She waited for the turban man to come and he finally came with a small sack of gold. Ayante wrapped her hands around the bag smiling until the man told them who Kamigani had to assassinate which made Ayante dropped the bag so fast due to shock, her smile fell and her mouth hung open and Kamigani went pale but the man reminded Ayante how he would cast her fingers in gold.
Ayante had to think for a while, Kamigani hopes she disagrees. Ayante had to paced back and forth in the room till she came to a conclusion and she finally agreed to the absurd mission which a single mistake could jeopardized them all.
That moment Kamigani prefers death, she would never be able to forgive herself for what she was about to do.