Zitao woke him at dusk and told him of the journey ahead, half a day away in Eurong. 'Meet me at the towns northern gate as soon as you're ready. Wear something comfortable for now.' 

Sehun blinked back the sleep from his eyes, trying to register the voice that had never actually directly spoken to him, not actually able to identify it as Zitao at first due to their lack of passed words. A quick process of elimination and then the realisation that today was his contract day. An unpleasant feeling rested in the pit of his stomach. He shook himself off as stupid, willing for the feeling to be changed for excitement, but no matter how much he tried, he still didn't really want to kill anyone that day. His mind set wasn't correct and he felt too sluggish, a burden against his agile counterpart for the day. 

To say that Zitao was mysterious would be an understatement, because Sehun had yet to see him or hear him for a few days, and none of the other members had any idea where he could have gone. He had left Sehun's room that morning before he'd even had a chance to wipe away his weary vision and he felt none the wiser about Zitao from first time to the current. 

The previous day Yifan had briefed Sehun on the contract, a game of sorts in which they would all be locked in a house. The first person to find the key would 'win', except it wasn't a game, there was no key, and nobody would be leaving the house at all that night. 

'This will call for stealth. I can trust you to be quiet in your method, can't I?' Yifan had asked, pacing from one end of his office to the other, hands clasped behind his back. Sehun squirmed in his seat. 'I suppose so.' 

It wasn't that he couldn't. He could. Practise had become a ritual and exercise was done every morning and night to maintain flexibility and strength, clothing was light and steps were noiseless. It was that the contract seemed ridiculous. 'I can get someone else to do this. You don't have to go forward with it if you're uncomfortable as you seem. Why are you unwilling?' He stopped his pacing. 

'Honestly?' 

'I wouldn't ask for lies, Sehun.' 

'It's Zitao. I don't understand him. He's so quiet and I don't think we'll work well together, or even get along for that matter.' He finally vented. There wasn't any relief in his words. No weight had been lifted from him like he thought it would. 'He's scary, and I know that sounds strange coming from a person who recently joined a...cult of sorts, but it's true. How can I trust him when I feel like he would kill me given half the chance?' 

To Sehun's surprise, Yifan started to laugh, not loudly, just knowingly. 'I don't want to spoil anything for you, but if you fulfil this contract, I think your misconceptions will be corrected.' 

And so despite his anxiety, Sehun was still going to aid in the assassination.

Back in the present, Luhan groaned from the bed next to him, rolling over to face Sehun. 'Good luck...remember to wash your hands afterwards.'

Sehun must have looked at him oddly or at least questioningly, because Luhan mumbled 'dirty fingerprints' before turning back. 

Kyungsoo, despite obviously not being a morning person, still agreed to make Sehun breakfast. He was grateful for it. After studying maps he found that the journey would take much longer than he thought it would. Before heading to the northern gate, he stopped by the stables to fetch his horse. She seemed to be grumpy after being made to move so early in the morning but perked up when offered an apple. It felt strange to ride at first, too high up and too fast, but once used to the pace he remembered how enjoyable it was, to feel the morning wind blown over the sea cut at his face and push his hair behind him, to grasp at reigns and feel his feet firm in stirrups. 

Zitao was stood a short distance away from the gate, and when Sehun looked for a reason why, he found one in the town guard looking at him with narrowed eyes. Zitao's horse was an inky black, even darker compared to the pale of his own horse's coat, and where Sehun's was smooth and elegant, Zitao's was lithe and powerful. He was the horse's neck affectionately before he noticed Sehun's arrival, at which he hopped on to it's back and trotted over. 

Strangely, the silence he expected wasn't a problem. In fact he wasn't sure that he was travelling with Zitao at all, but rather an unknown twin who had inherited the talkative gene. He proved to be a fine companion in travel, full of stories about his childhood in Guildar and never short of questions to ask Sehun about his life. When they stopped for water by a fast running river, Sehun was in awe after realising that Mantis, the EXO member he had heard the most wonderful stories about, was taking him to fulfil a large contract and he showed no hesitance in his praise. He felt bad for being so wary in the first place. 'I heard that you killed a whole camp of necromancers single-handedly.' Zitao shook his head. 'That isn't true, both Jongin and Luhan were with me and they did a lot of the work' 

'Well is it true that you launched a sneak attack on a bunch of pirates by hiding on their boat for a week?' 

'That one is slightly more true except it was a few hours rather than a week. Where do these rumours even surface from? We take great care in remaining anonymous with our crimes.' Zitao closed his eyes and laughed for a moment in disbelief.    

'You're hardly anonymous. You all leave things behind after you kill people. Besides, you walk around with a katana. You're not inconspicuous.' 

Zitao looked thoughtful. 'You're right...here.' he pulled out some papers from his bag and passed them to Sehun. 'Profiles for the targets.' He responded when Sehun looked at him with a confused expression. 

Tao and Sehun,

This is all I managed to dig up on such short notice. Apologies for the lack of information on Sooyeon. 

To be killed: 

1. Name: Taemin
Age: 21
Notes: enjoys talking about his art. Has a gallery in Eurong. 
Side note: If you talk about the contract to Jongin, do not mention Taemin. 
 
2. Name:  Rain 
Age: 32
Notes: extremely interested in the royal families of the dry lands. 

3. Name: Sooyeon
Age: 25
Notes: no information found

4. Name: Leeteuk
Age: 31
Notes: does not have a cheerful disposition, avoid angering him to earn trust. I followed him for a couple of hours and he seems to dislike a lot of people. 
Side note: after following him into a tavern he began shouting at me for drinking milk instead of ale. I don't like this guy. I definitely see why the contractor wants him killed.  

5. Name: Luna
Age: 21
Notes: well educated and usually up to date with current affairs. 

From Yixing
(p.s I'm still really upset about Leeteuk so please kill him slowly) 

'How did he know this information?' Sehun asked once he was finished reading the spidery black writing. 

'Quiet observation beforehand. The rituals before a kill are what matter. The constants are already apparent to us leaving only a small amount of variables for us to work with. A well demonstrated assassination is three parts planning to one part labour. Your accompaniment on this contract with me has altered the variables and so we had to undergo more preparations than usual, hence the lack of information on them.'  

Zitao began packing up his things, indicating for Sehun to do the same. 

'We should find a place for the horses to stay then walk the rest of the way to Eurong.'

Sehun began to grumble and ask why, Zitao replying that it was easier to make a sly retreat by foot and gave them more options for hiding if they were for some reason discovered midway through their current mission. 

After finding a clearing for the horses, tucked away and seemingly uninhabited, they walked on to Eurong. Legs got wearier and patience frayed at the edges.  

'It's not long now, Sehun. Maybe another couple of hours. Just appreciate the scenery while you still can.' 

Sehun folded his arms against his chest and looked solely on the ground, bringing up dust as he trudged forward, not looking up even when Zitao made appreciative sounds at bird calls and bluebells. 

'Have you ever been to Leus?' Zitao asked him sometime later after the silence had become unbearable. 'No.' was Sehun's reply. 

'It's where I grew up. It's magnificent in the spring time.' 

'Do you miss it?' Sehun kicked a pebble in front of him, hands tucked into his pockets. He wouldn't say he was sulking, just contemplating. 

'Yes' There was a longing in Zitao's eyes and a waver in his voice 'Do you miss your home town?' 

'Not at all. I don't ever want to go back.' 

'Why not? It's where your family are.' He could see Zitao looking at him from the corner of his eye, his face full of question. 

'Why would I need family if I have EXO?' Sehun laughed bitterly. 'In my mind Senihayl was perfect, but the more I think about it, the more I remember how much I despised it. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder but in my case the distance merely opened my eyes.' 

Zitao was silent for once in the journey. 'Why did you first kill?' he finally said. 

'I realised that if you don't kill first those you despise, then you never get to kill at all because you're already dead at their hand.' Zitao nodded along to his words. 'But the thing is, once you kill one person it's hard to stop.' 

'It does take a certain amount of self control once you understand you have the power to take another life.' 

'I don't know if you'd understand it like I do, Zitao.' 

'Understand?' 

'You know, I don't have a family anymore. I killed them.' Sehun looked at his hands, seeing them like they were still tainted. 'I was so angry with them.' 

He raked his eyes over the scenery, the ground, anywhere but Zitao's face. 

'I cannot judge you when I too have killed out of anger.' 

Sehun screwed up his face. 'I'm a monster, you should judge me. You should hate me like I hate myself. I killed my own mother and father, thank God that I don't have any siblings because I would have killed them too.'

'Why did you?' Sehun hated how calm Zitao managed to be, despite his confession. 

'I don't even remember. I was just blood hungry and they were there for the taking I guess. It's all such a blur. One minute I was coming home and then the next I was standing over their bodies with blood up to my elbows.' 

Zitao cast his eyes to the ground, hidden by long dark lashes, and sighed. 'We all do things we are ashamed of. I will not look at you differently for your admission. Thank you for telling me. It's funny how different our circumstances are. I think one day you'll think differently about yourself.'

'What do you mean?' 

'I used to be like you, at war with myself, but then I found the truth. Although I do not like it, I have come to accept it.' 

Sehun tried to delve into what Zitao had said but he remained silent about the subject, changing it to talk about their tactics for the guests. 'Do not wait for me. If you see an opportunity to kill then take it. It's important that no guest sees another be killed though.' 

'They're locked in though. It's not like they can escape.' 'It's easier to deal with one guest at a time rather than five all at once though is it not? We can make it into a game and score each other points for creativity.' Zitao smiled weakly at the Eurong town gate.

They changed into formal clothes of silk and velvet, grey and silver for Sehun and blue for Zitao.

They were sharing a room at an inn for conveniences sake and the logic that they weren't actually sleeping there but rather just using the room as a place to prepare themselves. The look the innkeeper gave them would haunt Sehun forever though. 

'I can't take my blade with me, she's too big so I won't be able to hide her.' Zitao pouted, hugging the sheathed katana to his chest. 

'How will you kill then?' 

'I have some things on loan. Poisoned sweet rolls were the work of Minseok and Kyungsoo as well as a special concoction in this vial.' he held up a tiny glass bottle 'Yifan gave me a roll of piano wire, and with Jongin's encouragement I can use things left around the house. I'm going to try to be creative.' 

Sehun pulled a face inadvertently. 'It comes so naturally to you all, doesn't it?'

'Some people are born to kill same as some are born to die at our hands. It's just the mechanics of the world. It's not especially fair on those who are going to die but there's usually a good reason that we have to rid them. Anyway, a job is a job, even if ours is deemed socially unacceptable.' 

Zitao and Sehun were the last to enter the house after spending quite sometime looking for it, despite the directions Yifan had provided. Eurong was a maze of a town, all the buildings grey and joined together at the sides with narrow streets in between their opposite houses. Apart from different coloured doors, the houses and businesses all looked the same, no variation in their shape or size. Sehun noted that there weren't any plants in the centre of town, a far cry from Senihayl where their would be something blooming in every direction in pastel tones and fragrant scent. 

They heard the door lock quickly behind them when they entered the house. 'The final guests!' they heard someone shout from inside the house. Locating the source of the sound they found five others  gathered in the dining room. 'These houses seem so tiny on the outside, all squished up, but now we're inside it feels a lot bigger.' 

Sehun thought to the profiles. It was Sooyeon who spoke first. 

'Why are you acting like that's a good thing? It means we have more places to look and in turn it will take one of us longer to find the key.' Leeteuk spat back at her. He turned to Sehun and Zitao. 'Nice of you two to finally show up.' 

Sehun noted a prolonged look in his direction, eyes that recognised him vaguely but not able to pinpoint exactly where from. Leeteuk was of course the man who once taught him how to read and write, but the change in Sehun's face made him seem nothing like the young boy he used to be. It would be strange to kill someone he'd known again.  

'I think you're forgetting that this is a game. It's meant to be fun, not a big competition.' Taemin said with a smile. 'I wonder who our generous host is?' 

'The letter I received was anonymous. That's rather suspicious if you ask me. I'm hardly going to pass up the chance though.' Leeteuk said apathetically. 

There was a tray of drinks on the side that had gone untouched and Sehun watched as Zitao made his way to them. He had seen the glint of the tiny glass vial in his hand. 

'Wow, that painting is gorgeous.' Sehun said, pleased when they all turned to look at the picture on the wall rather than Zitao poisoning the wine, all except two of course which he kept for himself and Sehun.

'Hardly, the brush are childish and the picture falls flat.' Taemin scrutinized, putting his face right up to the painting and casting a scowl at it. 'It's not something I'd want on my wall.' 

'And how would you know about decent paintings?' Leeteuk snarled. 

'I'm an artist myself. You may have seen my work in the City. I also have a gallery in this town full of my latest work. Surely you've seen that?'

'I doubt it.' 

'Art is a personal taste.' Luna spoke for the first time since Sehun and Zitao had arrived, her words thoughtful and planned. Taking a look at the pretty young girl, Sehun wasn't sure what she could have done to deserve murder. Zitao had told him before hand not to question the contractors wishes though if they wanted to expect payment in full.  

'Anybody thirsty?' Zitao asked innocently, pulling out a charm that Sehun had not yet had he fortune to come across, his eyes dark and a cat-like smile resting at his lips. Prettier than both Luna and Sooyeon.

Luna was the only other guest to accept a drink, the other's aching to get going and not be halted by food or drinks, holding the glass in her hand for an impossibly long time and mindlessly twirling the stem before actually drinking. 'Half an hour.' Zitao whispered into Sehun's ear, making him shudder with the sudden closeness. 

'Shall we begin searching now?' Zitao asked and noises of agreement were made all around. 

Once confirmed that they would start, Sehun wandered off upstairs whilst Zitao went to the kitchen to plant the sweetrolls, standing by them to encourage whoever wandered in to eat one of them. It was unlikely that they would be the reason for anybody's death but it was better to plant them than to not try at all. He was tempted to eat one himself knowing how wonderful a chef Kyungsoo was but he questioned whether his own death would be worth it. With a full plate on the table he went to see how Sehun was coping but was halted slightly along the way before he could do so. 

Sehun, eager to show that he was capable, found himself in the master bedroom and waited patiently for someone to come along. The bedroom confirmed the house to be owned by a person with money to spend, the bed large enough for a small group of people, the covers made of silk and cotton. The wardrobe was stuffed with clothes fit for royalty and the furniture was no less than sandalwood, giving off its own earthy aroma. Rich reds and sombre purples, the opposite of minimalist, with golden cups scattered and a well lived in feel. Sehun felt like he was intruding.  

When he heard the unmistakable sound of feet on the stairs he hid behind the door, knife braced in his hand. A shadow stood at the door, pausing before entering the room, and Sehun found himself with an arm tight around Zitao's neck. He pulled away immediately and Zitao rubbed at his neck with a frown. 'Sorry.' Sehun was quick to say, but Zitao brushed him off and went to go sit on the bed. 'Play along.' 

They remained silent, sometimes keeping eye contact, other times looking anywhere but to avoid the complications of blushing. 

Another body came to investigate the unexplored room and Zitao jumped up and pretended to search the room, turning to face Taemin. 'Oh it's you. I thought it was Rain. I really don't trust him, but I think you're honest enough.' Zitao smiled and looked at Sehun who was still behind the door, hidden. 'What do you say we team up and split the gold halfway?' 

'I suppose we could make a deal...you get twenty percent and I get eighty.' Taemin said thickly, hands on his hips. 

'Well that hardly seems fair, does it?' 

'You don't look to have fallen on hard times, meanwhile I have paint and oils to buy. Why do you need the money?' 

'I don't. I just like things to be equal. Perhaps Sehun would like a share in it too?'  

Zitao stood back as Sehun came out from behind the door and slammed his blade into the back of Taemin's neck, the weapon long enough that it pierced all the way through his skin and pointed out the front of his neck like a needle piercing fabric. Zitao tutted at the man on his knees, gurgling noises coming from his throat as blood ran from the corners of his mouth and down his pallid chin. He tried to speak but it proved too hard, the blood bubbling too much to let words through. 

Sehun pulled out the knife with some effort, dislodging it from bone. 'Necks are remarkably tough.' he panted, sapped from the exertion of pulling the blade, wiping it on Taemin's tunic until it came back clean. 

They hid his body in the wardrobe, covering him with layers of clothes. 

'Well he was a pain in the neck.' Zitao said quietly and Sehun sent a glare in his direction. 

'You did not just say that.' 

'One down, four to go. Nice work Sehun, I'll tell Yifan of how useful you are.' Zitao grinned, an odd sight to see him with his teeth showing, perfectly straight in his mouth. 

Sooyeon was found by Sehun shoved under the dining room table with a carving knife sticking out of her stomach and a roll of bandage wrapped around to quell the noise, slowly soaking in her own sanguine blood and leaving patterns on the pale carpet with her fingertips, the ending to her memoirs. He was awed that Zitao had worked so fast and completely without his knowledge. 

'Well that's two down.' he muttered to himself, leaving the room. He found Zitao in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub whilst Rain hunted though the various cabinets, conversation initiated between the two of them. 'I heard Leeteuk talking of treason earlier. He plans to assassinate the Eurong royal family once he has the gold. He said he'll use It to a sword.' 

'Over my dead body he will. The Eurong royal family are good and honest people, why would anybody want to bring harm to them? If he were to lay a finger on them then I would take matters into my own hands. My life for the crown.' 

'He said as soon as we leave the house he's going there to kill them all while they sleep. He knows one of the guards apparently.' Zitao said, faux horror on his features, eyes wide and confused. He finally noticed Sehun at the door and broke his act for a split second with a sly smile. Rain slammed the cabinet door shut, hands balled into fists. 

He tagged along with Zitao as Rain stormed though the house, looking for Leeteuk, screeching his name. 'What do you want? Stop shouting.' 

'I'm going to kill you before you get the chance to hurt innocent people.'  Rain stared Leeteuk down. 'What are you talking about?' 

'You told Tao you're going to kill the royal family.' 

'I said no such thing! Where has this come from?' 

'Don't lie to me!' Rain shrieked, stepping closer, fists raised in front of him.  'Give me one reason I shouldn't demolish you where you stand.' 

'Because I have no intention to bring harm to any royal family!' Leeteuk pleaded, putting his hands in front of him to try to defend himself. 

Sehun and Zitao stood back as chaos played, Rain beating Leeteuk in the head with a candlestick, striking him again and again until blackness ensued for him and his skull became shards, the dull noise softening with each hit, and finally silence apart from Rain's ragged breaths. 

'What have you done?' Zitao said tearfully, kneeling by Leeteuk's body. 'You've killed him!'  

Rain's mouth gaped open, the candlestick falling from his grip, blinking wordlessly at what he'd done. 'There is no redemption for what I have done.' 

'You really like the royal family don't you?' Sehun decided to input something into the dialogue. Zitao stifled a laugh in the back of his hand then in one motion stood and reached out for the sobbing Rain, bringing him close to snap is neck, Sehun almost choking with the spontaneity of it all. 

'Sorry. I should have told you that I was going to do that.' Zitao frowned. 'Kyungsoo taught me that.' 

'No, it's fine, I just didn't expect it that's all. Only one more to go now.' 

Luna, after finishing the wine and going back for a second glass, had found herself very sleepy and sat at the top of the stairs to rest. Almost comatose she was helped to stand by a reassuring voice before being pushed down the stairs, becoming broken by the time she reached the bottom step. She would have made a grinding noise if someone was to try to move her, but nobody was left to do so, the door finally unlocked. 

Despite only conducting one out of the five kills, Zitao insisted that they split the reward halfway. 

'It was nice to work with you Sehun. Maybe we can do it again sometime.' Zitao bowed formally, parting ways with Sehun once they arrived back in Newsouth, walking him to the sanctuary door. 

Sehun was greeted eagerly by some of the others. 'How did it go?' Junmyeon asked anxiously, tugging at the hem of his shirt. 

Sehun ignored them momentarily. 'Where did Zitao go?' 

'He goes to purify himself at a wayshrine after he completes a contract.' Baekhyun told him. 'He feels guilty sometimes. We all do.' 

Sehun made his way to the kitchen, walking in to find Jongin and Kyungsoo. He covered his eyes and apologised. 

Jongin laughed at Sehun's embarrassment and he looked handsome when he did so. 'It's okay, happens all the time. We'll be more private in the future.' Despite Jongin's pleased demeaner, Kyungsoo was quickly wilting next to him in a shade of red. 

Baekhyun ran into the room with Chanyeol in tow. 'No! I refuse to not talk about just because Sehun is here. Deal with it Sehun.' 

'You have the hearing of a bat, except a really useless bat because we weren't even talking about .' Baekhyun's shoulders slumped. 'Well in that case I refuse to stop showing public affection towards Chanyeol.' He made a show of grabbing every part of Chanyeol and showering him with kisses.

Sehun stood between them, a blank expression resting on his face. 'I really don't care about what you all do.' 

so taohun centric this chapter (who can blame me?)

um also about the whole knife in the neck thing...i'm not entirely sure if that's possible but i figured that if enough force was used then a knife should be able to pierce the neck (i didn't research it but i probably should have).

i'm sorry for making Leeteuk such an , i like him in rl (not my bias but he's up there!)

sorry if i killed off your bias and did horrible characterisation, it's just that if i made them as pleasant as they are in real life then there would be less reason to have them be killed.. 

comment and sub!