The Thrill ... (Aliyah 4)

[Mikayla]

Author's note: Once again I am writing a story while trying to reconstruct our role-play without benefit of a log or screenshots - I tried taking screenshots of the RP here, but somewhere along the way I must have done something wrong because it did not work. So, what is below is my best reconstruction of events and dialogue, from Aliyah's point of view of course. Some of the conversations have been condensed, because they were too long to portray in whole. My apologies to anyone I misquote or mischaracterize.

I have to especially thank Aitana (Nisha) and Loulabelle (Koriasha) who are the central characters of this story, aside from Aliyah. Though they do not play a direct role in this story, I also have to thank Mr Duncan (Rain), kiyoti (Ali'Hussein) for influencing my character heavily over the last few weeks, and thanks also to vergin_sacrifice (Bellie), Thinkpig (Sayid), and Darugith (Redara) who played alongside Aliyah through much of what is below.

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The Thrill ...

Aliyah crouched over a dead gnoll. The beast was still warm, its lifeblood steaming on the cold stone floor of the dingy cave. She set aside her bow and drew her killing-knife. Sliding the knife into the beast’s neck, she made an incision length-wise from its jaw to collar-bone. She peeled back the thick, hairy skin from the muscle and fat beneath. Carefully, she cut through the muscle until she found what she was looking for; the large blood vessel that ran through the side of the neck to the brain. She traced its length with the tip of her knife, tracking its course and noting what protected it. Here, she said to herself, here is where I cut.

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“I like falling in love.” Nisha said. “But I don’t like it when it becomes work. I don’t do relationships.”

The words rang true and Aliyah had no reason not to believe them. Aliyah was also smart enough to know that Nisha was not about to change, certainly not for Aliyah. There was no future here. Nisha’s words should have ended Aliyah’s crush on the beautiful bard, but that did not happen. Aliyah’s desire did not diminish with the realization that Nisha would come and go as she pleased. Why not? Probably because Aliyah never thought she had a chance to be with Nisha at all, and certainly no chance to keep her even if they did have an affair.

Nisha’s blunt, honest statement resonated with Aliyah, and not just for its open frankness. She had long heard that many people enjoy the thrill of the chase more than the kill itself. Nisha was one of those. It was falling in love, and having others fall in love with her, that appealed to the bard, not being in love. It made sense, Aliyah supposed, as that was really her job; Nisha was a performer, a musician and dancer whose very purpose was to get the attention of others, entice them and entertain them, for awhile, but never forever. To make others fall in love with her, if ever so briefly. Love, Aliyah supposed, was just another kind of performance for Nisha.

For Aliyah, love was a mystery. She was infatuated with Nisha, and thought this could be love – maybe Aliyah’s first. Aliyah wanted to find out. The difference was Aliyah was less interested in falling in love, and more interested in actually being in love. Still, Nisha’s words did not dissuade Aliyah. Aliyah felt little fear or trepidation; Nisha would either be with Aliyah, or not, and she would either break Aliyah’s heart, or not, and either way, Aliyah would learn something from Nisha, even if it was just how true heartache felt.

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"Go go go!" Ali'Hussein yelled. There were more gnolls in the large cave than they had thought, and they were coming. The crew ran. Aliyah ran passed Rain who had paused to throw an axe from the mouth of a short corridor exiting the large cave. She slipped by him and ran to the other end of the corridor where she turned and loosed a shaft towards the on-rushing beasts. The gnolls were horrifying; seven feet tall, lean, covered in coarse hair and topped by a hyena’s head. Although they had fangs and claws, these gnolls were all armed, and the one leading the charge was carrying a huge shield and a battle axe.

Ali’Hussein ran passed Aliyah as her arrow left the string. “Don’t stop, don’t stop!” He was yelling. Aliyah turned and followed into the next chamber. She ducked behind a pillar that stood just beyond the door, and drew her long-knife. Rain ran passed her on the left and the axe-wielding gnoll followed, its weapon held high for a strike. Aliyah moved quick - quicker than she knew she could - coming up behind the raging gnoll, grabbing it by the scruff of the neck, and plunging her blade into its exposed armpit.

The second gnoll paused when it saw Aliyah suddenly appear, and the pause was fatal. Rain turned on his heels, stepped up and swung his greatsword in a perfect horizontal arc, taking the creature’s head clean off its shoulders.

The raging gnoll with the battle axe rolled at Aliyah’s feet, blood streaming from its wound. Its black eyes found Aliyah’s and she stared back. It was dying. She felt elated. Once again she and the others had danced with death and come away alive. And she had killed again. She watched the gnoll’s eyes lose focus; the hate and anger draining away, black orbs rolling up and staring at nowhere in particular. Then they were still and dark and empty. It was dead. Beneath her dark hood, Aliyah smiled. She had no idea why this brought her so much joy, but it did. A moment ago, she had been terrified. Now she was euphoric. She was no warrior, no solider or hero, but she did enjoy this.

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“We need to talk.” Aliyah said to Nisha. The two sat at a table in the Golden Oak. None of the other crew were around. “You said you like falling in love, but not the work that follows. Not the relationship. Alright, I can accept that. But … before you move on, I want you to tell me. I mean, if you are going to be with someone else, I understand, just let me know first.” Aliyah was less afraid of a broken heart than she was a broken crew. Aliyah was not even certain she and Nisha were going to be together, but if they were, she did not want the crew torn apart when Nisha decided to move on. Aliyah pictured walking in on Rain and Nisha, and the thought enraged her. On the other hand, if Nisha just told Aliyah first, she might get her heart broken, but there would be no anger at Rain, or whoever was the new object of Nisha’s lust, for going behind her back. Aliyah might not be able to hold on to Nisha, but she wanted to hold on to the crew.

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“Hey, Nisha, I think we found another beauty for your harem.” Aliyah called out. The crew was traveling south from Silverymoon and had stopped in at High Hold along the river. Aliyah walked into the Hold, looking for arrows, and came upon a beautiful and exotic looking woman with elven features sitting at an outdoor table, drinking alone. She wanted to strike up a conversation, but Aliyah wasn’t sure how, so she made a joke of it. One Aliyah would rue later.

There was no response from Nisha, and Aliyah realized the bard had not followed her into the Hold. Bellie, the halfling lass, was there, as was Redara, the Calishite mage, but no Nisha.

Aliyah returned her attention to the woman at the table and began asking questions. The woman’s name was Kori. Like Nisha, she was a performer. Originally from Suzail, she was apparently living in Baldur’s Gate now but travelling to Silverymoon.

Kori was very beautiful, like Nisha but in a different style. Kori was clearly checking Aliyah out, which flattered Aliyah, but there was something predatory in Kori that was missing in Nisha. And Kori’s confidence … it was attractive and disconcerting at the same time. Aliyah did her best to stand her ground.

“Do you always ask strangers so many questions?” Kori had asked.

“Yeah.” Aliyah replied matter-of-factly. “I am the mistress of blunt and inappropriate questions.”

Kori just smiled, and was not put off in the least. Kori asked what Aliyah did.

“We kill for coin.” Aliyah answered flatly. “Mostly goblins, orcs, gnolls, and things like that.”

A faint look of disgust passed over Kori’s face, but her response was more inviting. “I might have need of swords for hire sometime.”

“You can usually find us at the Golden Oak in Silverymoon.” Aliyah told her.

Ali’Hussein walked up and reminded Aliyah that work was waiting. Aliyah had no idea what to do with this beautiful, intriguing, and slightly intimidating half-elf woman, so she just made her good-byes and left.

As they walked Aliyah kept thinking about Kori and Nisha. Both were beautiful. Both were dangerous. Both were drawing Aliyah’s attention like a moth to a flame. Nisha, however, was the more familiar – a Calishite, who Aliyah had fought beside. Kori was a foreigner, of mixed-race, whose motives were entirely unknown. While intriguing, the encounter with Kori also left a small pit of dread in Aliyah’s stomach. That woman could get me to do something stupid. Aliyah thought. And that is a danger greater than any sword.

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“Come with me.” Nisha said to Aliya. The two were sitting at their usual table at the Golden Oak, with Rain and Redara.

“Uh oh.” Aliyah replied playfully. “I think I am in trouble.”

Nisha led Aliyah out of the Oak, into the dark streets of Silverymoon’s night. They walked along the river quays, and then passed over the mist-bridge. Along the south bank of the river was a grassy strip of land with a handful of wooden benches.

“Sit.” Nisha said. Aliyah complied. Nisha dropped a bag to the grass and withdrew an apple, then an orange, then a bunch of grapes and a chunk of bread. A bottle of Evershimmer followed soon after. The bard drew a small knife and sliced up the orange, feeding Aliyah a juicy wedge when she was done. Nisha pulled out strawberries, something Aliyah had only tasted after stealing them from a vendor’s stall in Calimport; she had to eat them on the run because the vendor had seen her and his sons had given chase. Aliyah remembered laughing with a mouthful of strawberries, juice running down her cheeks, as she fled through the alleys of the Erare sabban. The taste had been so sweet, the fear so intense.

Now the taste was even sweeter, but the fear was more intense as well.

As Nisha sliced up the appled and fed Aliyah a slice she began talking. “I originally planned all this so we could come out here and you could tell me about the stars, like we talked about.” Nisha said. “Instead, I have to talk to you about something else.”

Aliyah suddenly felt afraid. She had either done something wrong or Nisha had already found someone else to fall in love with. “Have I offended you?” Aliyah asked, hoping to discover which calamity had befallen her.

“It is not your place to invite others to my harem.” Nisha replied.

“I have offended.” Aliyah said, bowing her head in shame. “I’m sorry.” She knew Nisha was talking about the night Aliyah had met Kori. Aliyah had told Nisha about the encounter, and later, at the Golden Oak, Nisha and Aliyah had found Rain and Kori sitting at a table talking. Kori was deviously flirtatious with both Nisha and Aliyah, and Aliyah had left the table that night thinking that if Kori could have her way, she’d take both Aliyah and Nisha, probably at the same time.

“You offend yourself.” Nisha said.

“I … huh?” Aliyah was confused.

“Do you remember what you said the night we first talked?” Nisha asked.

“Uh .. yeah .. I think.” Aliyah did not know where this was going.

“You asked me not to be with anyone while I was with you.”

Aliyah nodded. “Well, yeah, I … I really just want you to tell me before you go with someone else. I know I can’t hold you.”

“When you invite someone else to be in my harem, you insult your own worth.” Nisha explained.

This was new. Aliyah listened, and everything Nisha said seemed to make sense, but Aliyah could scarcely comprehend it. Aliyah? Have worth? She’d been scorned, discarded by her family and declared dead, After that, she lived as a gutter rat for years. After her second time at sea, her own people, the people of Calimport, decided to execute her. Aliyah had no worth. So far as her family and the people of Calimport were concerned, she was better off dead. Why did Nisha think otherwise? Aliyah did not know, but she resolved to learn from what Nisha was saying; if Nisha said she had worth, Aliyah would try to believe it, and act like it, even if it felt like a lie.

“This is work.” Nisha said.

Aliyah thought that was the death-kiss for the relationship. Nisha had been very clear about not liking the work relationships brought. Thinking it was over before it started, Aliyah dropped any pretense of defense.

“Insecurity is a bitch.” Aliyah said. “And I have plenty of it. I have all this guilt from the shame I brought my family. And I have all this anger from the way they treated me. And I don’t know how to reconcile those two things. So, I say and do things I shouldn’t say or do.” There was some hard truth.

“Aliyah,” Nisha said softly, “I want to fall in love with you. I want to twirl your hair in my fingers and kiss you and have sex with you.”

A spark of hope flared in Aliyah, but she was unsure how to fan it. “That sounds beautiful.” Aliyah replied. That was also truth, though what good would it do?

“You have to let the past go.” Nisha said. “The past is gone.”

Aliyah nodded.

“Tell me the truth.” Nisha said. “Do you want me to be with you alone? Or do you want to share me with others?

Aliyah hesitated. Do I tell her the truth? Do I put myself out there, knowing that I will get hurt, or not? “I want you to be with me.” Aliyah said. “And no one else.” Truth it was.

“Alright.” Nisha responded. “But then I want the same promise from you.”

Aliyah looked at Nisha. “I make you the same promise. Happily.”

“And I don’t want to hear about the men and women you find attractive, and I don’t want you disguising your own desires with talk of my harem.”

“Alright.” Aliyah nodded again.

“And you have to let the past go.” Nisha said. “The past is gone.”

Before Aliyah could agree, Nisha leaned in and kissed Aliyah. The kiss took Aliyah off guard, but she felt an instant heat, a longing, a passion awakening deep inside her. The beautiful bard tasted like strawberries, her skin was softer than silk, and she smelled like a garden of flowers in spring. Aliyah returned the kiss, with as much passion as she dared, afraid to break the spell or ruin the moment. When Nisha finally pulled away, all Aliyah could say through breathless parted lips, was “Gone.” They kissed again, and Aliyah knew she was, in fact, gone. Long gone.

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As Aliyah traced her blade down the dead gnoll’s exposed artery, she thought not just about killing, but about Nisha and Kori and all that had passed between them so far. Kori’s appearance precipitated Nisha’s talk with Aliyah, which in turn led to the kiss. The best kiss of Aliyah’s life, in fact. The kiss that she had been searching for all these years, since first trying to kiss Noor al-Fulan.

Was the timing coincidence? Was the talk and the kiss really precipitated by Aliyah’s boorish behavior? Or was Nisha just a little jealous?

Aliyah did not know, and she did not like not knowing. She knew she was falling for Nisha. Well, she knew she had already fallen for Nisha. Indeed, looking back on it, Aliyah realized she had fallen for Nisha the first moment she laid eyes on the beautiful bard as she stepped off the boat on to Rivermoot’s shores. Had Aliyah been chasing Nisha all this time? Yes, she thought, I certainly have. Have I enjoyed it? No, Aliyah thought, I certainly have not. I enjoyed the kiss. More than anything. But the fear? The insecurity? The suspicion, the hope, the longing, the wondering … I do not enjoy these things.

Aliyah slipped her blade through the gnoll’s muscle and behind the artery. Slowly, she, twisted the blade until the edge faced upright, just beneath the fat arterial vessel. Cutting from the inside-out prevented the artery from retreating into the muscle and fat – instead, the tension of the body worked against itself, holding the artery tight while the knife severed the artery with a single clean cut. Nisha may enjoy the thrill of the chase, Aliyah thought, but for me, its the kill.