Makings of a Monster

- "How are things?" asked Allonia with genuine interest. She and Winski were sitting in a tavern in a lone corner safe from unwanted listeners. She actually fancied an ale, but out of loyalty for Winski she ordered juice instead. "You really gave up drinking, huh? Well done!"
- "Have to admit that I had help, as you know," Winski said. They had chatted now and then, but hadn't really had time to properly talk since Allonia had so dramatically saved her friend, Sarevok and Jelena from Reiltar.
- "So how is it?" she grinned.
- "You know. Bliss. Feelings I never believed existed. Makes all that stuff I used to talk seem really stupid," he answered.
- "Actually I don't know, but I knew that the stuff was stupid," she laughed.

- "But seriously, are you sure that Reiltar knows nothing? I hear that he goes pretty over the top with the whores so that they are scared of him. If he's kind of substituting or something?" continued Allonia in a worried tone.
- "But why wouldn't he come after us then?" Winski frowned. He had been worried. The tension between everybody was just palpable, and he knew Jelena was scared.
- "Duh, Winski. He's afraid of me, and I bet he's also afraid of Sarevok. I'd like to see him try to give him a beating now," she grinned. "And after that day he probably realized that he could kill someone if he doesn't cork that temper a bit. He doesn't want to go down with manslaughter. Killing wives, employees and adopted sons is still illegal, I believe."
- "That can't be all of it. If he was sure he could try the infidelity as a legal case."
- "He probably isn't. He senses it, but can't believe it. Or perhaps he just senses that his chokehold is slipping, but doesn't know why. All I'm saying, I'm worried and you should be too. I mean, everyone can see that you have changed. Perhaps some of them think it is because you gave up booze, but..." her voice trailed off and she shrugged.

- "I... value different things now. I think I have lived my life a wrong way and I want to make it better. With her." Winski still flinched at the idealistic words, but being with Jelena had made his automatic reaction somewhat less intense.
- "That's... nice. Good for you." She smirked and made a little pause. "I didn't mean to sound sarcastic, it is really good that you have found a reason for such a change. But there's this teensy problem. Reiltar Anchev."
- "Tell me about it," sighed Winski. He pressed his wrinkled forehead in his hands and gazed the worn-out table with ale stains. "We have plans, though. We want to move away from Sembia and start a new life." He didn't mention that the plans involved killing Reiltar. The fewer people knew about that the better.
- "And what about Sarevok?"
- "He is supposed to come with us. I wouldn't leave him. Screw the Iron Throne, with his skills he will be an outstanding warrior anywhere. Now he is in love, though. If it is for real, perhaps the girl will follow."
- "Tamoko. She is a fine woman. No wonder the kid is so smitten. Have you met her already?"
- "Nope. Sarevok will introduce her to us tomorrow. But gods, he says that he loves her and they have been together... what? A week or something?"
Allonia shrugged.
- "Since when have you been an expert in matters of love?" she asked. "He just does everything with all his heart and then some. There is no lukewarm for Sarevok."
Winski nodded.
- "And if you worry that Tamoko isn't worthy, well, I don't know her that well, but I know extraordinary and spirit when I see it. Of course, her looks aren't bad either..."

Allonia looked Winski straight into eyes.
- "You are going to kill him, aren't you. I mean, you may be in love with a good woman, but you haven't lost your brain over it. You know that he would hunt all of you down. You could bring him down with several murders, for starters, Jelena is his wife, and Sarevok is the prince of Reiltarlandia he is building... don't tell me you would feel bad about killing HIM."
- "I wouldn't," answered Winski, eyes serious. "But Jelena would."
- "By Mask. You REALLY are in love, aren't you," sighed Allonia.
- "Hey! I..." Winski couldn't really explain it. He didn't condemn Allonia for killing people impersonally for living, but he still believed it was a good thing that Jelena thought that was wrong.
- "..love her. Yeah, yeah. I can TELL. I just worry. Don't screw it up. Given that you will have to do it, if you really want to be free. Any of you. That is one assignment I could do on the house... but it needs a careful plan, as you no doubt are aware."
- "Well, I think Sarevok wants to do it himself. He believes he won't be free of Reiltar and the hate he feels for him until he has personally killed him. Reiltar in his head, I mean," explained Winski.
- "Tsk. Unprofessional. You never should personally do assignments your feelings are involved with."
- "He isn't a professional that way. A professional warrior, certainly, but there's passion involved in killing for him. You know that."
- "I know. But even if I was to kill Reiltar, and I think the kid must hate him a good deal more than I do, I wouldn't actually do it myself. I'd just put the plan together and let someone competent gut him or whatever method was chosen. And with guy like him it would best be either a fake accident or mugging gone wrong or as clean and easy as possible. Something tells me Sarevok would want it slow, messy and painful."
- "I promised to help him, anyway. A long time ago. Otherwise he would have either gone berserk and killed Reiltar without any plan or then been broken. He was just a small kid then. And Jelena will go along with it as there is really no choice."
Allonia nodded. At the moment she was relieved that she had never known true love or had people she would be responsible for. It was much less complicated if you just had good friends you liked and that was it.

As they hugged each other and parted ways, she whispered to Winski: "Just tell me before you go. I have a plan for a lengthy assignment myself."