Tenaka and Kriella walked along the passageways of the Labyrinth in
silence. Tenaka was confused. For some reason that he could not understand,
walking down the passages with this woman made him feel things he had never
experienced before. He found that he, not normally a curious man, wanted to
know everything about her. He absently wondered if she felt the same thing
about him.

Kriella also felt this, but she knew what the feelings were. She had been
in love before. Nothing had ever come of it but a few enjoyable nights, but
she recognised the feelings. She also wanted to know about Tenaka. He had
said that he had eleven and a half hours left. It had taken her two hours
to merely enter the Labyrinth. Either the man was incredibly talented or
incredibly lucky. And by the way he had held his sword earlier, she was
guessing that it was not luck.

"You said that you are an assassin. The Dreadlord implied that he searched
for great men and women. I took that to mean heroes."

"You think that slaying dragons makes a hero? Slaying dragons does not make
a hero. A hero is one who fights on behalf of the poor or oppressed. A hero
is one who fights for the common good in all things. A hero thinks never of
glory in their actions. A hero never considers themselves to be a hero."

"Thank you for the sermon. So, how does an assassin become what you just
said?"

"You are referring to assassins of the Dark Brotherhood. I have never been
a member of that society of the damned. I have only killed those who
deserved to die."

"I do not judge them. Their actions judge them. My first victim was the
leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Since then I generally act against nobles
who the commoners are too afraid to go up against. For the past few years I
have been following what I believe to be my true calling, however. I have
been, one by one, exterminating the Dark Brotherhood."

"I was fatally wounded in my last battle. I usually like to sneak up on my
quarry but this one was cleverer than most and saw me. It was a tough
battle, but I beat him. The problem was that he almost beat me too. As he
fell, he plunged a knife into my side. A little while later – I have no
idea how long – the Dreadlord came to me and healed me. He then asked me to
take this test. I agreed. You?"

"I managed to catch Vampirism about a year ago. He came and promised
healing if I completed the test."

"It was. For the whole year I felt perpetually weak. I could not bring
myself to drink the blood of another person, so I fed on animals. It was
not really enough."

Kriella opened her mouth to speak and then disappeared. Tenaka looked down
in shock and saw the pit that she must have fallen into. Questioning the
wisdom of such an action he dived into it after her. He seemed to fall for
ever, but then suddenly he saw the floor approaching and cast a 'Slow
Falling' spell. He touched down gracefully and looked around for his
companion. Not seeing her, he conjured up a small flame to illuminate the
area. Now he saw her, feeling the walls. It appeared that she had little in
the way of magic. Either she had used up her mana, or she had no ability.

"It's a place you put people to forget about them." He looked around the
oubliette and saw piles of bones all around. "It appears to be in regular
use."

Tenaka cast the spell and picked up Kriella. As he rose above the ground,
he absently wondered why no others had escaped this way. As he reached the
exit, he realised. It had closed! Their only way out was blocked! Slowly he
lowered them back down to the oubliette.

"Indeed. Could you not merely open the blockage with a fireball or
something."

"I could try, but I believe it would be fruitless. Many, if not all of
these people must have tried similar things and none of them managed to
escape."

"A hero never considers himself to be a hero," Tenaka responded with a
smile.

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