A Soft Chime

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Late that night, Khirs burst into Xekai's room. His clothes were torn and his hair was matted, the long claws on his hands whittled down to more like nails. His hands were bandaged and his black eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Khirs, what is it?" Xekai questioned slightly concerned. He laid a cool hand on his shoulder.

"It's Syrena. She's dead." A single tear leaked down from his eye and onto his face.

Xekai laid a hand on Khirs's shoulder. "I'm sorry. She was our greatest asset." What he said was true. Syrena could get information out of anyone except Xekai himself. She was stealthy enough to slip through a palace full of armed guards and could cause amazing distractions. She was always the one to set up the escape route and never ever missed an opportunity to get a little extra coin. "Who killed her?"

"Maybelline. She found us just outside the Karceni border. I was out hunting and Syrena was erasing our traces. She must have snuck up on her, but she didn't go down without a fight. I saw more blood on the ground than just hers. Maybelline must have been somewhere close nursing her wounds, but I didn't care. When I saw what happened, Syrena was stabbed through the abdomen. It was a sloppy wound and she would have died in more pain but she said 'give me my dagger. If this is going to kill me, it better be quicker than this.' I did and turned away. When I looked back, I found that she had slit her own throat. I buried her in the woods, marked her grave with a stone pyramid."

Xekai bowed his head in a silent prayer to any god that would listen and as a show of respect to his fallen comrade.

"I am sorry Khirs, she was a good friend to me," He finally stated after a long silence.

"Thank you Xekai. I guess the Three are now the Two."

"Maybe, but perhaps we should just stop using the title that men called us. We shouldn't let others title us."

"Yeah, nice work, Death's Chimes."

"I have stopped using that name as well as taking contracts."

"What about your robes? Do you still wear them?"

"As a sign of my old life that I have changed. I cannot just stop wearing them. I guess you could say I have grown attached to them and the memories that they bring."

"I have a question," Khirs began.

"Go on,"

"Have you ever loved? Truly loved?"

Xekai thought for a moment before saying slowly, "The name that I bore, Iakex, meant Loveless in an ancient language that few know anymore. It is true. I am incapable of loving another romantically. I have still made friends, like Syrena, may she rest peacefully in the Halls of the Valiant, and you Khirs. I would consider you both friends yet I am not sure that I have ever loved someone. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I've never loved anyone either. Well, at least they never returned the feelings because of my looks."

"Then we are similar. Why are your hands bandaged?"

"Oh, these?" he held up his hands, "I kept digging my fingers into my palms. My claws kept punching through my skin so I whittled them down so I wouldn't hurt myself."

There was a knock at the door, "It's Akirio. May I come in?"

"Of course." Xekai unlocked the door.

"Where's Syrena?" He questioned upon seeing Khirs.

"Dead."

"Oh, sorry for your loss."

"It's fine. Well, it's not, but, I don't know what I'm trying to say." The shark man scratched the back of his head absentmindedly.

"You don't need to. I know the feeling."

"What have you come to say?" Xekai questioned.

"I accept your offer. I will take the head of this force against Rollistar as the true heir."