Trapped in Darkness (Canos)

[Canos]

Canos knew that a bribe was a good way to get a grimy person off of her. In this city people were very susceptible to money and it was a good idea to try and bribe him. However, Canos couldn’t simply let her go that easily. It would probably work but he could think of fallacies in even that plan. For instance, she had taken a moment to respond and she had also pried his hand off of her arm, which was never a smart thing. She should never really ever touch a person that was confronting her because that was a sign of aggression. She also had looked away from the perpetrator and that could have given him an easy chance to jump on her and do something. But Canos let her do what she needed and thought she should do, closing his hand around the money. Canos pocketed the money but kept the mean look in his eyes and on his face.

“Do you think I can be bought like a common thief?” He asked, moving both of his hands onto her arms and pushing her up against the bedpost. “You disrespect me by thinking I can just be paid off like some common whore.” Canos yelled. He was going to have to be far more assertive and aggressive than most people would. It was to prove a point, but it was a good point to prove. She had the right idea when she apologized, but she would have to do more than give him money, even though it would work for the majority of people in the city. Canos began to get into character very well now; as if he was a trained actor; in a sense he was but not in a sense that she knew of. He leaned forward and brought his head up to her neck and moved it up to her face. “Its been a while since I have had a woman.” He said with a smirk. He wondered if she would be able to tell if he was still acting. It would be interesting to see her reactions.

[Andromeda]

Andromeda felt him grab onto her arms and push her against the bed post. She knew that if this was a man on the street, she would probably have to resort to something more... drastic. She watched his head as it went up to her neck and moved up to her face. She shifted slightly under him as she glared into his eyes. She tried to think of something to do to him so that he would leave her alone. Oddly enough, it was hard for her to tell if he was still acting anymore, but she figured that he still was. Most men in this city didn't have the company of a woman in who knows how long. Which would make it why it was so dangerous for her to be in the city alone without any protection or guards.

Andromeda moved her leg and wrapped it around his waist. At the same time, she reached down and pulled the knife out of its sheath around her leg and she put the point near his crotch. "I'm sure that it has been awhile and your going to have to wait longer now." Andromeda said as she looked into Canos's eyes. "Let me be on my way, or I will make sure that you will not be able to have another woman ever again." Andromeda whispered in his ear. To anyone that would be around them, it would look like Canos and her were sharing an intimate moment and they would have kept walking by. Andromeda smirked slightly as she moved the knife a little closer to him, proving her point.

[Canos]

Canos was pleased by her creativity. She threatened him without ever actually making it seem like a threat to anyone except for the person actually tying to do something her. Canos looked into her eyes with fury and anger for a moment but then changed a much more pleasant look as he smiled a bit, pulling away from her. He moved his hand down to her hand that was holding the knife and took it firmly before he slid his hand over hers and took the knife from her hand and stepped away from her after a moment. “That was good my dear. Of course I would rather you not have had to use a knife but I don’t think very many people would do that. But you have to be ready for anything that might happen.” Canos said calmly. He walked over to the opposite bed post and pondered his thoughts for a moment.
Perhaps I could send someone with you for protection. They would not be near you all the time, just around in case something happened. It is a thought…”Canos said calmly, pondering his new idea.

He then walked over to the bed and looked at her. “In any case, it is late. You should get some sleep. There is no use in you being exhausted in the morning when I teach you how to use these.” Canos said, putting his hands on his pair of swords. “If you are not already tired then I assure you that you will be once I am done with you tomorrow.” He said with a smile. “Is there anything else I can get you then my dear?” He asked. He was pretty sure that he had gotten everything possible for this woman. He had been nicer to her than he had been to most women. He knew that if Ravyn found out then she would be jealous and there was a good possibility that Andromeda would end up dead. It was just another secret that he had to keep from Ravyn. He didn’t like keeping things from her because when she ended up finding out, things didn’t go very well for him. In any case, he would let her get some sleep now and he would come back in the morning to check up on her.

[Andromeda]

Andromeda smiled back when he smiled at her. She unwrapped her leg from around his waist as he began to pull away from her. She felt his hand on hers as he took the knife out of her hand, her eyes moving down to his hand for a moment before they moved back up to his face. "Yes, I decided to use something that my enemies... would not expect." Andromeda said as she looked at him. She watched him move to the other bed post as she walked towards where the palantir was, but instead of looking at it, she reached inside of the dresser and pulled out a nightgown. She turned back around and set the nightgown on her bed as she crossed her arms and she looked at Canos, a small grin on her face. "A guard will probably be necessary for a little while. I am sure that once I get trained by you, I will not need one in the city as much, but more if I ever get to leave the city." Andromeda said as her eyes moved to his for a brief moment.

Andromeda nodded when he said that she should get some rest. Although she was not very tired, she knew that tomorrow, she would be. Her eyes went to his swords when he said that she would learn how to use them. "Is it possible to have two swords like yours to use in battle?" Andromeda asked softly as she picked up her nightgown again and she moved to where a screen was, blocking his view of her as she changed into her nightgown. She hung the scarlet dress over the edge of the screen as she walked back from behind the screen wearing the nightgown. It was significantly shorter, going down to barely above her knees and had some floral patterns on it. She walked back towards the bed to where he was, looking at Canos. "No, I think I am going to be good. I thank you for your hospitality towards me, Canos." Andromeda said as she kissed him on the cheek lightly, as a way of thanking him. "Have a good night." Andromeda said to him softly as she looked into his eyes, a small smile on her face.

[Canos]

Canos watched her as she went behind the screen and changed into a night gown. She was still reluctant to let him see anything and was therefore more modest than any other person he had met before. It was simply not the nature of self proclaimed evil people. In any case, she came out from behind the screen and then gave him a simply kiss on the cheek, which Canos was not used to at all before she told him thanks. Canos nodded his head and turned to go towards the door. She was going to take longer than most people; he could tell. Most of the women he had met were in bed with him by now but she was different. She apparently demanded his respected and was determined to get it by some other means. Canos didn’t know what other means she was intending but he was sure that he would find out. In any case, the day was over and he would go back to his room and leave her in her room. It would a night when he went to sleep and she did the same and there would be no bed shared between them. Yes, Ravyn would be pleased.


In the morning, Canos was the first of the two to actually wake up. Canos didn’t really sleep, it wasn’t an act of a dictator. He opened the door of Andromeda’s room quietly so he would not wake her. He walked over to her bed where she was sleeping and smiled down at her. She was still wearing her gown and she had the covers over her body. Canos was excellent at being quiet and being stealthy. He was one of the most dynamic people in the fact that he could do so many things. It was hard to think that so many qualities were in one more. It was a shame that he was evil or he would make one woman very happy. He slowly drew a knife out of his belt and approached her. He looked over at the palantir and he could see the snake’s form still wrapped around the cloth. He smirked and then lightly pressed the knife against the soft skin of her neck. “Do not let this happen to you with anyone else. Learn to sleep with one eye open my dear.” Canos warned.

[Andromeda]

Andromeda smiled when he walked out of the room as she pulled the covers back on her bed. She crawled into the bed, pulling the covers over her body. She stared up at the ceiling above her as she thought about what had happened today. Her life has changed since getting the palantir, whether it was for the better, she did not know. She let out a sigh as she fanned her hair out below her. Her eyes lingered to where the palantir sat for a few seconds before she closed them. Slowly, but surely, she felt herself falling into the darkness of her dreams.

When morning came, Andromeda was still fast asleep. She didn't hear when Canos entered her room or when he pulled out his knife. Once she heard his voice, her eyes snapped open as she let out a loud gasp, seeing him above her with a knife to her neck. She glared at him for a few moments, angry that he had awoken her in such a manor, but she knew that he was trying to teach her a lesson. She nodded slightly before she gently got out of bed, standing up and stretching her arms out in a seductive way. Oh how she loved toying with the minds of men, but instead of being like most women, she liked playing hard to get. She looked at him for a second before she walked towards her dresser, looking through what cloths to wear. She knew whatever she was going to wear was going to get pretty much ruined, so she let out sigh as she pulled out a shirt and pants, which were odd to find in the closet, but she was obviously going to need them today if she was going to move freely. She walked back to the screen, glancing over at Canos for a moment and giving him a mischievous grin before going behind it, changing into the clothes. After a few moments, she came back out from behind it, pulling her hair up and putting it into a bun before putting two pins to hold it in place. "Well, where will we be training?" Andromeda asked as she put her nightgown away back in her dresser before turning around to face Canos, leaning on one of her legs as she looked at him.

[Canos]

Canos smirked as she rolled out of bed and went to go change. He figured that she would wear something that she could actually move in. He knew that a gown or a dress would be restricting and he didn’t want her to be restricted at all. He smirked as she came back out with pants and plane shirt. She was not nearly as seductive looking in that attire but she still had great features. He walked over towards her with both of his swords sheathed. Then with no prior warning her unsheathed one of the swords and threw it towards her with the hilt of the sword pointed towards her so it would be easier for her to grab. Then with his other hand he took out his second sword and held it in his right hand moving towards her. He would not let her get ready or be prepared because things like this did not often happen when someone was ready. Fights could begin at any time and at any time they could start and be finished. Canos had to train her to be aware and on guard at all times, not just in battles. “You must be prepared to fight at all times, not when you want to be. You must be prepared to fight at any place, not one of your choosing and you must be able to fight any warrior, not just someone you think you can beat.” Canos cried as he ran towards her with his blade held in the air, her sword still flying at her.

[Andromeda]

Andromeda watched him as he unsheathed his sword and threw it at her. She was sort of surprised by his sudden turn to want to fight her in her own room. She thought that they would go to a training yard or something, but she could tell that Canos was trying to teach her a lesson and her thoughts came true when she listened to what he said. She knew that trying to beat Canos would be almost impossible for her to do. For once, she was happy that she put her hair in a bun before hand, otherwise it would get in her way and it might disrupt her focus in the middle of a battle.

Andromeda watched him as he began to run towards her as she reached up and grabbed the blade that was in the air. She brought it down fast enough to block Canos's attack, although she nearly stumbled back at the sheer force of his attack. She could tell that he was not going to be easy with her. "Your right." Andromeda said as she swung twice at him, surprised by how light the sword was in her hands. Her eyes flashed to his for a moment before she spun around, slashing across him, trying to at least wound him. She was not skilled with a blade, so she wouldn't be surprised at all if she was going to loose her first round with him.

[Canos]

Canos had many years experience fighting with a sword and he was good enough to know how to stop anything that she could throw at him. He was good enough to block so many other people as well. He practiced many times a day and he knew how to handle himself in any situation. He was not at all concerned that this woman could wound him. He knew that she would not be able to or if she did it would be a fluke or a miracle. She could have led on to be a worse fighter so that he would be a bit overconfident. Canos smiled as she said that he was right. Of course he was right. He was the one that had said it. Everything he had said up until this point had been correct and he knew that he was going to have to keep it that way.

Canos smirked when she blocked his first strike, which wasn’t really that skillful. It was just a simple overhead cut. She blocked it but she staggered away, which amuses him greatly. She was vulnerable and he knew that. He knew that he could dispatch her at any time. It was not too impressive to be able to kill someone in combat but it was impressive to be able to not kill someone in combat. She attacked back and Canos parried with a great deal of skill and grace. He was such an efficient fighter. It was almost like he was dancing and this fight was something that he had rehearsed one hundred times. Canos moved one hand behind his back, just using his sword hand for balance. He was not going to be thrown by this woman. “Perhaps we should put a wager on this fight my dear?” He said as he parried her again after she spun, “Let say I beat you with one hand behind my back.” Canos said, striking at her twice before repelling to a defensive position. “What is it that you would wish to have from me that I could give you as a prize hmm?” Canos asked.

[Andromeda]

Andromeda glared at him as he parried her attacks. At this rate, she knew that it was going to be near impossible to beat him, even though he did have one hand behind his back. She couldn't tell if he was just showing off or he was that good. Still, she kept her eyes on him as she listened to him. When he swung at her twice, she blocked one and dodged swiftly out of the way of the other blade. When he asked what she would want in return, she considered it. She could ask for anything, but she knew that she would loose in the end. She watched him get into a defensive stance as she began to circle him.

"Well, how about a set of blades similar to yours?" Andromeda said as she swung at him again. For some reason, watching him fight was making a sort of feeling rise in the gut of her stomach, but she didn't know what it was. She continued to swing at him, a bead of sweat forming at her brow as she glared at him. "Even with your hand behind your back, you will be able to beat me. What do you want if you win this fight?" Andromeda asked as she backed off into a defensive stance, her eyes staying on him. She knew that he would beat her, whether she liked it or not. Although, she did have some backup plans in case he did get close enough to her to use them. Like her hair pins, for instance, were as sharp as any dagger. She knew that Canos didn't know that and she would use that to her advantage. She suddenly lunged at him, swinging her blade while she pulled one of her hair pins out and threw it at him while she hit his blade.

[Canos]

Canos smiled as she began to circle him. He was in a defensive position and he was fully in charge of the situation. He watched her eyes, watching her feet, watching her body as it moved, watching her sword. He watched all of her motions so that he could analyze her later. He would tell her where she could improve and what she could do before each strike. For instance, she needed to control her eyes. In so many novice fighters, they opened their eyes wider before every attack and so Canos watched her eyes and knew when she was planning to lunge at him. Of course she lunged at him once again. He didn’t know she was going to use hairpins to her advantage. He blocked her attack but the hairpin caught him in the shoulder. He wasn’t planning to teach her how to use throwing devices in this room. He rolled away from her and stood up a few feet away, taking out the hair pin. He looked at it and smirked. “Ok…that’s a new weapon.” He said calmly and dropped the hairpin. “So, we want to play dirty.” He said, shaking his head with a smirk.

He came at her, twirling his sword as he walked towards her. This was merely an intimidation technique but it was impressive and it scared most people that saw it. He spun around a few times still twirling his sword and he lunged at her once, drawing back to answer her question, “Hmm, what could I want that I don’t have.” Canos raised an eyebrow and then struck at her once again. He was toying with her for right now, giving her a chance, letting her think that she would be able to defeat him or at least stand a chance. “Perhaps I shall get to see you then hmm?” He asked, circling her calmly, holding the sword vertically in front of him. “You are like my queen and like to tease me with your body. Enough of that, I wish to see what I can not have.” He put his left hand up, “But I won’t touch unless you allow it.” Canos said calmly, circling her again, waiting for her response. “And you may have your swords if you win.”

[Andromeda]

Andromeda smirked when her hairpin stuck into his shoulder. "I thought I should of improvised a little." Andromeda said as she watched him begin to swing his sword at her as he got closer. She backed up away from him and when he lunged at her, she gracefully twirled to avoid it. She listened to what he said and her eyes followed him as he struck at her and she parried it with her sword. Her lips formed into a smirk when he compared her to his queen. She wasn't expecting to be compared to the queen, which surprised her a little bit. She thought about what he said for a few moments as she circled him as well. so, what she was doing was having an effect on him after all. Of course, she wasn't surprised since he was a man and all men shared similar desires.

Andromeda watched him a for a few moments before she answered. "Well, what if you win and I don't allow you to see what you can not have?" Andromeda asked as she swung her sword down at him. Some of her hair that was held up in her bun began to fall out loosely. The last pin in her hair held what was left of the bun together as she swung at him. Her eyes stayed on him as she moved. Her attack moves were similar to any novices, so she knew that her chances of winning would be minimal. Still, she would try her hardest. At least she was able to put a mark on him from her hairpin, but she knew that in time she would probably have a mark on her as well. She jumped back into a defensive position as she looked at him, beckoning him with her hand.

[Canos]

Canos knew that she would be stubborn. He knew that she was too modest to be an actual evil queen or evil mistress of any kind. She just didn’t use her body like she could. Most women that gained power in this type of world had no problem with using their body to get things. She seemed to be like the woman that would try to use other means. The only problem with that was that she couldn’t fight as well as she would like, her negotiation skills could be better and she had already been captured once by mere palace guards. She was going to have to learn how to use her body eventually. Canos continued to parry and strike at her rather gingerly. He was still graceful and fluent in his attacks, but he wasn’t really trying too incredibly hard to injure her just yet. He waited for her to lunge at him once again and he stepped to the side, brought his sword down on hers and brought his right foot against her left knee with enough force to bring her to her knees. Then he simply backed away.

“You don’t need a sword to win a fight my dear, as you have demonstrated with your pin. Use your body as weapons, feet and fists are just as effective. In your case I have seen men temporarily occupied by a woman’s body once or twice during a fight. That was amusing as well.” Canos said with a smile as he began to circle her again, his eyes watching hers, “And don’t open your eyes before you attack. As for the terms.” He paused, thrusting towards her once, “I think they are far. I don’t have any other terms my dear. But if you would like, I can always make it more reasonable.” Canos said, throwing his sword up in the air and it fell gracefully into his sheath and he pulled out his knife and twirled it. The knife was a foot long and her sword was two and a half feet. It should give her the advantage. “I think it is far.” Canos concluded. “Like I said, just to look, not touch.”

[Andromeda]

Andromeda continued to strike at him, but when he blocked her attack and kicked her knee, she fell down to her knees. She glared up at him as she stood up, backing away from him. She watched him as he spoke, a small smirk rising on her lips. So, in the future, she would have to wear armor that would make most men loose focus so it would let her win the fight. She would have to remember that, so in her and Canos's next duel, she would be able to at least make him loose focus. A strand of her long brown hair fell in front of her face and she flicked it back as she watched Canos as he circled her. When he lunged at her, she parried it.

Andromeda watched him as he sheathed his sword and pull out his knife, which was considerable shorter then the sword she was holding. After a few moments, she let out a sigh and nodded her head. "Fine. You will get to see what you cannot have as of yet." Andromeda said as she circled him a few times before she charged in at him, swinging her blade back and forth. It seemed to whistle in the air as she swung it, her eyes full of fury as she attacked him. She wanted to win this fight, so that she could get blades like him. She wondered why he switched to his knife, whether it was to let her win or that he was just showing off the fact that he could possibly beat her with a knife. Either way, she wasn't letting up in her attacks as she swung at him ferociously.

[Canos]

Canos was better with short weapons than he was with longer ones. In fact, the shorter the blade, the better he was with it. He was not very effective with a huge broad sword or a spear, but he was so deadly with his short swords and throwing knives. It was really unfair to the people that he fought. They just didn’t stand a chance when they fought him. Canos loved using two small knives and in fact he had been known to kill someone with a knife from a table and those are not long at length at all. In fact, Canos was so good with knives; he could hit a moving target at thirty yards. He practiced on prisoners or on anyone else that got in his way. Hand to hand combat was a little bit different though. He couldn’t throw the knife because he would kill her, but he could still use it. The knife he chose was cleverly made. It had to spokes coming out horizontally and then running up vertically. He loved this particular feature and she would figure out why in just a moment.

Up until this point he had been toying with her to gain the advantage. She thought that she could at least content with him now that he only had a knife and he presumed that was one of the reasons she agreed to his terms. He was going to give her the swords whether she won the fight or not. It didn’t matter to him. As long as she could use them to stay alive she could have them; or any other weapon for that matter. She waited for her to get close, having to duck under one blow. Then he parried her sword with his knife and moved the knife upwards, locking it in the crossbar of his knife. He was stronger than she was and was able to manipulate her sword now. He pulled her sword down so the tip struck the ground and then stepped on it quickly with force enough to wrench it from her hands. Then with skill and quickness, he simply slipped behind her with his knife and pressed it against her neck, slightly upward so that if she squirmed or kicked, the knife would kill her. “Never be too hasty to attack your opponent.”