Escorted to the whore's guild.

The Akkadian knew Bishir. To operate in Al Areth it had been necessary for him to join the guild, an unaffiliated assassin plying his trade would have been targeted with every resource at the guilds disposal. Although he had paid his dues and made the necessary tithes on money he received from clients, he had kept his distance from the guild otherwise.

The guild's rules were few and simple and generally in keeping with the Akkadian's own unwritten code. A child's **** could not be bought, killing should be swift and as merciful as could be achieved and though armed retainers could be killed if necessary to reach the target or effect an escape, mass slaughter was forbidden. In return for paying his dues and keeping to the guild's rules an assassin enjoyed the protection. The assassin was the weapon, if a target's family or friends sought **** they had to seek whoever wielded that weapon, the client who hired the assassin.

The Akkadian knew that he could seek the guild's assistance. What the Sorceress had done to him to secure his cooperation would have been regarded as an affront to the guild. All their considerable resources could be turned to exact **** for such an insult to their craft. However the Akkadian expected that their solution would be to have the Sorceress eliminated and the witch was still his best hope of reversing the spell that was upon him. If at all possible he wished to restore himself without revealing to any others the transformation that had been wrought upon him.

Beside the Akkadian, Naerwyn had tensed up and drawn slightly away from Bishir. Her hands were upon the red cords wrapped around her forearms. The Akkadian stepped close to his redheaded companion and laid his soft hands upon hers.

"If these men wanted our lives then would have slain us already." The assassin told his friend. "Fight them now and we will both die in this street."

"Perhaps so Minaja." Naerwyn replied, clearly unhappy at the idea of surrendering without a fight. "But for all we know the whore's guild mean to have us slain anyway. I would rather face a swift **** in combat than an humiliating execution."

"This could be so." The Akkadian conceded. "But perhaps your An'na Undei will look after us. You told me yourself that she cares for even whores and thieves."

The thief still looked displeased by the choices she faced, but after a heartbeat she nodded and removed her hands from her cords. The Akkadian turned his head and nodded to Bishir who had waited patiently for the women to answer him.

"Very well. We will accompany you to the guild of whores." The Akkadian told his fellow assassin.

"A wise decision little one." Bishir replied and relaxed slightly and smiled. "It will be my pleasure to escort two beauties on such a fine afternoon."

Bishir waved to his men and the four junior assassins melted back into the shadows. The Akkadian did not doubt that they would still be shadowing them, but discretely at a distance rather than an obvious armed guard. Bishir obviously fancied himself as something of a ladies man, the senior assassin chatted and smiled courteously to both the Akkadian and Naerwyn as they unhurriedly made their way towards the whore's guild.

The whore's guild held their court in an annex to one of the grandest temples in Al Areth. Dedicated to the various goddesses of love, beauty and sexual pleasure, the temple was a splendid ediface of polished marble, finely worked sculptures and painted frescoes. The senior guild whores, part prostitute part priestess worked from the temple and the Akkadian knew that Minaja herself was high enough amongst the standing of her guild to have her private rooms here.