Mirashi backs away from Wild Helm until they are about 5 feet from each other.
"My name is Mirashi Iso. I am from an island to the east of this land, but I have traveled around the world in my lifetime. My original mission here was to slay a man, a rebel against his lord. I was hired by a King in the far west to track him here and kill him before he could get established here."
"One of the challenges I have undertaken in my old age is to not know the name of my victim. I have been an assassin since I was 20 years old, and there isn't much left that can challenge me. I no longer care about my old contract, however."
"Shard was a special woman. Just speaking with her for a few minutes, while we fought, instilled me with a deep admiration of her. That was an unusual thing for me; I have met very few people in my life that I respect or care for. She was the first in 23 years."
"Shard was suicidal, however. When I bested her in combat, as I knew I would, she demanded death. I tried to dissuade her with tales of the life she would miss. She continued to ask for death. I pleaded with her to become a nun. Still, death was her desire. So I killed her, in a slow manner, so that she could contemplate life as she died. Some call me cruel for it, but I think it was necessary."
"When Shard died, she took a part of me with her. The part of me that cared about anything or anyone. I hadn't met anyone like her before, and I doubt I shall ever do so again."
"As she died, Kith spoke from within her. This was a disaster; while Shard was what I would consider a friend, Kith was a popular dojo master with a great record. 45 years of experience as an assassin told me what I needed to do."
"That night, I snuck into Kith's room at her dojo and placed her body there. I slipped out undetected. The next morning, I went to the dojo to 'speak' with her, and 'found' her dead. Soon after that, I encountered the one known as Archangel. He challenged me, and I defeated him easily. Once the celestial being was lying at my feet, I felt a new power infuse me, unlike anything I had ever felt before."
"This power fueled my body and mind, filling the void that Shard's death had created. I can feel it now, ebbing and flowing within me. It fills me with rage, and an urge to destroy, burn and kill. I fight these urges, as they aren't productive, but they remain still."
"To be honest with you, dark stranger, I know not the purpose of my life now. But I have told you my story; now I would like to hear yours."
Mirashi sits and waits patiently.