Intoxicating Desires | T. Al Ghul ✔

[25]

As promised, Talia took Veruna with her the next day and they left the base without any other assassins coming along with them. By the looks of it, Talia was taking her somewhere confidential but was being careful because she knew her father suspected her just as much as he would suspect the rest of his enemies.

After a long and tiring trek in the Himalayas, they reached the hidden training fort that only Ra's Al Ghul used for training a select few of his assassins. Talia had been trained there too just like the rest of her siblings but it was the first time Veruna had come to the fort.

The assassins positioned at the gate bowed their heads seeing Talia approach and parted the gates for them.  

Veruna followed her inside, looking around in wonder. The fort was massive and the vast courtyard was the main training ground, set up with several obstacles. All the people in there who saw Talia bowed to her in respect as she went straight to the wall that held the engraved names of all the assassins.

"Mistress, how may we help you?" The trainer came up to her, seemingly appearing calm but somewhat anxious to see her there.

Usually, when any of the Al Ghuls turned up at the fort without any prior training schedule, it was for an inspection, and considering their past encounters, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"I don't require any help," she replied, "go back to your task."

He bowed his head again and then retreated to the courtyard while Talia's eyes skimmed through the wall stopping on one particular name. A few lines above it was the name of her brother Dusan and it indicated the two had probably been trained around the same time.

That simplified things a bit and gave her a believable excuse for the next step in her plan.

Satisfied, she turned back to face Veruna, a smile playing upon her lips.

"Vera, would you like to combat with any of these trainees?"

She paused but then replied, "if you say so I'll follow your command."

"This fort is used to train the best fighters in our League," Talia elaborated, walking towards the courtyard where again the trainer had stopped the session upon seeing her approach them, "I was trained here too but Father didn't allow me to bring you with me back then. But now as you are here, I want to see if you are at par with the fighters trained here."

She bowed her head, agreeing to the wish instantly, "I won't disappoint you, my Lady."

"Raziq," she addressed the trainer, "bring forth your best student."

The man nodded and gestured one of the assassins to step forward. Veruna too prepared herself, her eyes weighing out her chosen opponent.

Talia was confident in Veruna's skill even though the woman hadn't been trained at that fort. She wanted to see if her Father's so-called specially trained fighters could be bested by someone like Veruna.

It was necessary for her to judge that, considering what she had in mind.

The courtyard was cleared leaving Veruna and her opponent in the center.

And upon Talia's signal, the combat began.

The assassin was fluid in his moves, dodging Veruna's attacks and going for a blow each time he got the opportunity. While Veruna was analyzing his fighting style, being somewhat predictable intentionally.

Talia could see that and her smile widened. Even though it may seem that the man had an upper hand over Veruna and would defeat her eventually, Talia knew that wasn't the case.

They were not allowed to fatally hurt each other as they were still in the premises of the fort and it was considered clearly a training match rather than a combat to death.

But each blow they managed to hit on the other counted as a point.

"He fights well," Talia remarked to Raziq but her eyes sparkled with a meaningful look.

"We train them all to the very best of their abilities, Mistress," he replied, seemingly eased by the compliment Talia had given, "and Manav's strength is his greatest gift. He is the best of all the students I have right now."

"Have you ever heard the saying that even a mammoth can be brought down by something as little and insignificant as a bee?"

"Certainly but that doesn't seem so right now."

She shrugged the remark off breezily, "wait and watch. You will take your words back by the end."

He felt as if he had offended her and was about to apologize but she stopped him, her hand held up in a sign for him to stay silent as she didn't want anything to distract her from the combat.

The fight had taken an interesting turn. As Veruna was now aware of Manav's moves and techniques, she put that knowledge to use. Now he was the predictable opponent for her and she caught him off guard by blocking his attacks.

The dynamic seemed to have reversed with Veruna landing more blows instead.

Manav fought back but she seemed to be reading his patterns and reacting accordingly.

"Mistress, how is this..." But Raziq stopped himself in time, unsure that what he would say might anger Talia.

It didn't take long for Veruna to get even and ultimately gain an advantage over the assassin she was battling against. But Talia gave the signal for the fight to end before Veruna could win.

She had gotten the answer she needed, she didn't want Raziq and Manav to start thinking that Veruna was actually better than them. And deep down Talia knew Veruna was better because she planned her moves and that made her overcome the lack of that special training.

"You two have done well," Talia spoke up as both the fighters stepped back. "Manav, you are an impressive fighter and Vera, you have done me proud. But we must leave now. I'll come to visit some other day."

"We are always honored to have you here, Mistress," Raziq bowed and so did the rest of the assassins.

Talia nodded her head to Veruna who understood and shortly after the two stepped out of that training fort.

The gates shut behind them as they left and on their way back to the base, Talia spoke up, "you won the fight, my dear, even if I didn't let it finish."

"How so?"

"You judged his moves and used them against him, that is a smart decision considering the situation I put you in," she remarked, "it made me more certain that you are worth keeping by my side."

Veruna knew that was a compliment coming from her so she nodded, "I'm glad, my Lady."

"Maybe when we're alone you can call me Talia," she mumbled in a low voice, "I don't like to keep these titles between us. And we agreed to start over as friends, didn't we?"

Veruna paused, somewhat uncertain of the request. Only very close people to Talia could call her by name such as her family members or her partner if she were to settle for one.

It felt too intimate for someone like Veruna. Even though she might be closer to her than anyone from her family could be.

"Why do you hesitate, Vera? I'm giving you permission to call me Talia myself," Talia's voice shook her out of those thoughts, "you follow every order I give you then think of this as an order too."

"But my Lady..."

"We are alone," she insinuated, emerald eyes flickered in an unfathomable expression.

"I... I'll follow your orders," she replied at last but still hesitated to utter her name.

Seeing that hesitation, Talia didn't push it, knowing they were edging closer to the base nevertheless.

"It's alright, maybe next time," she remarked as the looming gates of the League's primary base emerged, observing that Veruna eased upon hearing that even though she had gotten tense earlier, "however, you did very well today. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, my Lady."

***