The Wielder of Death Magic

Vengeance looked at Svipe, and a few seconds passed. Their story engraved in his thoughts.

“Doctor...”

“Svipe,” the tone changed, “-tell me, boy, what’s your greatest wish?”

“My wish?” he tilted his head, “-are you serious? Doctor, we don’t have time. Tell me, are we friends or are we foes? We’re running out of time.”

Vengeance snapped at the television, the latter toggled loudly and played the news. “Hurricane Toria has intensified in the last few hours. The sea’s temperament has altered significantly. Gusts in exceedance of 280 km/h have been reported. It is advised to stay off the roads.”

A cold stare landed on an ecstatic Svipe, “-no way your master leaves in this weather.”

.....

“How can you be so sure?”

“I have you,” he smiled, “-are you not the head of security?”

“...”

“Tell me, Svipe, what is your purpose?”

“I said it before, I want to return my tribe to what it used to be. I will carry my people’s blood further.”

“I doubt you will,” he narrowed, “-Svipe, let me ask you this, have you ever impregnated someone before?”

“...” a sharp pain dug through his heart. The words flew like darts. The pause and gradual intensity of Vengeance’s demeanor, “-why would you say that?” he said with a hint of timidness.

“I’ve read the papers about your people. It’s an interesting read. I can’t say so without further testing, but I can definitely say, the toll of your people’s lack of genetic pool has taken a tremendous effort on your reproductive system. Nature is all about balance, and to make one stronger and faster, the repercussion wasn’t the split personality, no, it wrapped her wrinkled hands around your balls.”

“Excuse me?” he cringed; “-the image’s bad enough. Why would you?”

“To give the crude taste of reality. Svipe, things aren’t looking good.”

“So, what about me?”

“Who knows?” he shrugged, “-can’t say so without the appropriate test. The Aisik people will live on. The women,” he sighed, “-the women your people so carelessly discarded will carry on the bloodline. It will be filtered... more people will have access to said genetic pool... tis the end of the Aisik people’s physical strength. Such is evolution, you were simply dealt a bad hand.”

“What about you, are you not human?”

“No, I’m certainly not. I’m, what you call, a vampire. Must have heard our name be whispered, the Order of the Nightwalkers. One of my brothers saved records related to your people’s existence. The people you swore loyalty to, yes, Cimier and Alphia, they sold your women and burnt the records. You’re mission here was a simple case of luck, they forced you into an impossible situation and when the war was over, you were stricken from the records. If it was Hidros who’d lost the war, you can be certain an order to eliminate our spies and terminate their operations would be issued.”

“...”

“...”

A poignant silence settled. Both men did their calculation, rather, it was Svipe. He went through scenario after scenario, ‘-the doctor’s a weird guy. He sees through my fa?ade and knows about my past. What should I do, what can I do?’ flash images of Umi flooded his mind, ‘-the lady’s kind smile. She believes in me... she rescued me even if my mission was to infiltrate Istra. I’m where I am because of her. Thoas abused and ignored her, she reminds me of my mother... how my father would ignore her, how she would always prepare a warm meal for when I returned home from the mountains. They’d share her around, they’d share women... why did I remember,’ he shoveled his face into his hands, ‘-I’m so stupid.’

‘Drawing onto his deepest fear, tugging at his heart and showing what he wants to hear and see. You shouldn’t force someone into your line of thinking, instead, you should make them see that what you want is in their favor. Mental sleight of hand. To think master has mastery over the very art itself. I’m already shoulders deep into my own thoughts, how can you breathe when you are being dragged by multiple possibilities, a wrong move, one wrong word choice, and the fragile hold snaps.’

“Doctor,” Svipe rose a fearsome gaze, “-my question, are we friends or are we foe?”

“What would you say we are?”

“I don’t know?”

“I’d reply with a partner,” he reached for a drink, “-we’re not friends, we’re not foe. We’re partners. It goes beyond that,” he sipped, “-for partners work as one bound by a shared goal.”

“I like that,” he also reached for a drink, “-you’ve convinced me, Doctor. I have another question.”

“Go ahead.”

“What’s your end goal here?”

“End goal?”

“Yes, what will become of Istra?”

“Istra will remain the same,” he sipped, “-I’d never be so conceited to think I could change an entire town,” he exhaled, ‘-I’m not the one you should be asking that question to. There’s someone who’s conceited enough he thinks the world is his playground,’ a weirdly comical grin broadened.

“What’s with the expression?”

“Remembered something funny. As for the question, it will fall into her hands. I think putting Umi on the task will increase her confidence. Besides, we don’t want some other Thoas to take over the city.”

“Time to make our move,” he rose, “-Thoas Duquant’s staying in the city, at the Esma Hotel. He should have moved to the harbor and boarded his private yacht. The seas’ rough so I think he’ll spend the night in Esma.”

“Because the mistress’ arrived?”

“You know?”

“No, I guessed,” he gulped, “-as for the assassination, leave the matter to me.”

The door opened, and Svipe exited first, “-should doctor really be killing people?”

Vengeance looked him up and down, “-haven’t I already killed your men?”

“Ah,” Svipe slowed his step, “-I guess it was a stupid question.”

“Not stupid,” he paused, “-just dumb,” they cackled.