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Description
.a f r a i l e x i s t e n c e.

I s e u l t
CHAPTER TWENTYTHREE
something to be desired

Family. Huh, that was something I hadn't contemplated in a long time, a very long time. It was a very foreign feeling to accept unto me. But I suppose with time, I would learn to embrace it. At least that's what the optimistic side of me wanted to believe.
The Breton man before me held my hand longer than I felt comfortable, and I glanced around nervously. He chuckled again and lifted my hand to his face, causing me to tense uncomfortably, and he kissed the top of my hand, then released it gently. "My name is Vicente Valtiere, it's a pleasure to meet you." He looked down at me, smiling warmly. "Lucien has told us all about you, and I am quite impressed with your skills, if Lucien speaks truthfully of it."
I nodded a bit, "Good to meet you…Vicente. I'm Iseult…" I frowned, looking away. It was hard to look him in the eyes, his pale red eyes and pale complexion was unsettling. The way his skin was thin over his face, he almost seemed starving.
He laughed a bit, causing me to jump "No need to be afraid, I serve Sithis before my self, Iseult. I will not be spilling any blood if it's not to send someone into the void." He smiled "You may unclench your fists if you wish." He said kindly. I looked down, not realizing I had my fists so tightly held together that they had gone white. I blushed slightly "F-forgive me sir…I didn't mean to insult." I looked down at my feet in shame.
"No worries, it happens all the time." He nodded in understanding. "But, shall we get down to business, Iseult?" he asked, and I nodded slightly.
"Splendid! One moment please." He turned away, walking over to a chest, opening it and taking out a key. As he came back to me, I took a moment to take in his appearance. He wasn't a bad looking man, he just seemed…frail. He had medium brown hair, pulled back and tied, hanging loosely and reaching just passed his shoulder blades. He handed me the key saying "This will unlock a chest in the living quarters, which has a bed for you to sleep in. There are others that sleep in the same room as well, if you move higher in rank, you will get your own quarters as well." He nodded. "Till then, I will step out so you may change into that armor Ocheeva gifted you. You will find it will fit like a glove, it feels like wearing…well…nothing." He laughed and walked out of the room, closing the big heavy wood doors behind him.

I nervously slipped out of my flimsy fur armor, shivering a bit as the cold air touched my bare skin. I spotted a mirror in his room, and looked at it in shame, wanting to shield my face from my body. I turned away, only to look back, and see that those scars from Steffan were still there on my lower back, four long scratch marks, and seeing them made me tremble. He scarred me physically, as well as emotionally. Something that will follow me forever, even though he now lies dead, it was sad really.
I held out my new armor, it was really beautiful. It was black and deep purple on some areas, and light, yet sturdy. I managed to slip into it, the gloves, boots and all. It also had a loose fitting hood on the back, more like a shroud than a hood. Good, I hated tight fitting hoods.
After I had changed, I opened the door, to see Vicente leaning against the wall across from the door. He lifted his eyes to me, gasped slightly, then smiled. "It looks great."
"It's…tight." I said uncomfortably, and he smiled "It's meant to be, it moves with you, nothing to cling to surfaces. I believe you will find it most useful in your ventures."
"I see."
"Indeed, I'd hope so." He smiled again, he was always smiling. I couldn't understand how, being a pale vampire murderer, that wouldn't allow me to smile.
"What's next? Do I get my first contract?"
"Oh, by Sithis, no dear sister. Not yet."
I frowned a bit "Why not? Am I not skilled enough?"
"Dear sister, it is not that you lack the skill necessary to kill. It's like this, a blade can kill, that's for sure. But a honed, clean, well sharpened blade is a deadly weapon that when wielded by the right hands, can be used to bring down the target any way the wielder sees fit, not just my stabbing or slashing crazily."
I lifted a brow "Are you saying I'm a dull blade?"
"By no means. You are just not honed. You can kill, but you need to be trained to kill. You yourself must become a weapon, with and without blade."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. "Hmm…makes sense…"
So I was going to be trained, honed, sharpened into a deadly weapon, a tool to be used by the Brotherhood. While a title like that may insult others, it gave me a sense of belonging. Something to be desired, a prize.
"When do we begin?" I asked solemnly.
"Ambitious one are you?" he said "Well, you should get some rest, you look rather pale." He chuckled, and I lifted a brow.
"Alright, see you in the morning then." I said, turning away and walking out the door.
He smiled a bit, I could feel it in his voice.
"See you in the morning, Iseult."

Description
.a f r a i l e x i s t e n c e.

I s e u l t
CHAPTER TWENTYTHREE
something to be desired

Family. Huh, that was something I hadn't contemplated in a long time, a very long time. It was a very foreign feeling to accept unto me. But I suppose with time, I would learn to embrace it. At least that's what the optimistic side of me wanted to believe.
The Breton man before me held my hand longer than I felt comfortable, and I glanced around nervously. He chuckled again and lifted my hand to his face, causing me to tense uncomfortably, and he kissed the top of my hand, then released it gently. "My name is Vicente Valtiere, it's a pleasure to meet you." He looked down at me, smiling warmly. "Lucien has told us all about you, and I am quite impressed with your skills, if Lucien speaks truthfully of it."
I nodded a bit, "Good to meet you…Vicente. I'm Iseult…" I frowned, looking away. It was hard to look him in the eyes, his pale red eyes and pale complexion was unsettling. The way his skin was thin over his face, he almost seemed starving.
He laughed a bit, causing me to jump "No need to be afraid, I serve Sithis before my self, Iseult. I will not be spilling any blood if it's not to send someone into the void." He smiled "You may unclench your fists if you wish." He said kindly. I looked down, not realizing I had my fists so tightly held together that they had gone white. I blushed slightly "F-forgive me sir…I didn't mean to insult." I looked down at my feet in shame.
"No worries, it happens all the time." He nodded in understanding. "But, shall we get down to business, Iseult?" he asked, and I nodded slightly.
"Splendid! One moment please." He turned away, walking over to a chest, opening it and taking out a key. As he came back to me, I took a moment to take in his appearance. He wasn't a bad looking man, he just seemed…frail. He had medium brown hair, pulled back and tied, hanging loosely and reaching just passed his shoulder blades. He handed me the key saying "This will unlock a chest in the living quarters, which has a bed for you to sleep in. There are others that sleep in the same room as well, if you move higher in rank, you will get your own quarters as well." He nodded. "Till then, I will step out so you may change into that armor Ocheeva gifted you. You will find it will fit like a glove, it feels like wearing…well…nothing." He laughed and walked out of the room, closing the big heavy wood doors behind him.

I nervously slipped out of my flimsy fur armor, shivering a bit as the cold air touched my bare skin. I spotted a mirror in his room, and looked at it in shame, wanting to shield my face from my body. I turned away, only to look back, and see that those scars from Steffan were still there on my lower back, four long scratch marks, and seeing them made me tremble. He scarred me physically, as well as emotionally. Something that will follow me forever, even though he now lies dead, it was sad really.
I held out my new armor, it was really beautiful. It was black and deep purple on some areas, and light, yet sturdy. I managed to slip into it, the gloves, boots and all. It also had a loose fitting hood on the back, more like a shroud than a hood. Good, I hated tight fitting hoods.
After I had changed, I opened the door, to see Vicente leaning against the wall across from the door. He lifted his eyes to me, gasped slightly, then smiled. "It looks great."
"It's…tight." I said uncomfortably, and he smiled "It's meant to be, it moves with you, nothing to cling to surfaces. I believe you will find it most useful in your ventures."
"I see."
"Indeed, I'd hope so." He smiled again, he was always smiling. I couldn't understand how, being a pale vampire murderer, that wouldn't allow me to smile.
"What's next? Do I get my first contract?"
"Oh, by Sithis, no dear sister. Not yet."
I frowned a bit "Why not? Am I not skilled enough?"
"Dear sister, it is not that you lack the skill necessary to kill. It's like this, a blade can kill, that's for sure. But a honed, clean, well sharpened blade is a deadly weapon that when wielded by the right hands, can be used to bring down the target any way the wielder sees fit, not just my stabbing or slashing crazily."
I lifted a brow "Are you saying I'm a dull blade?"
"By no means. You are just not honed. You can kill, but you need to be trained to kill. You yourself must become a weapon, with and without blade."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. "Hmm…makes sense…"
So I was going to be trained, honed, sharpened into a deadly weapon, a tool to be used by the Brotherhood. While a title like that may insult others, it gave me a sense of belonging. Something to be desired, a prize.
"When do we begin?" I asked solemnly.
"Ambitious one are you?" he said "Well, you should get some rest, you look rather pale." He chuckled, and I lifted a brow.
"Alright, see you in the morning then." I said, turning away and walking out the door.
He smiled a bit, I could feel it in his voice.
"See you in the morning, Iseult."