Outside of Volmiir castle, stands a wooden carriage girded with metal accents and pulled by a pair of black horses twice the size of those in my old world. Their manes are brilliantly cared for and even appear to shine in the bright, afternoon sun. Atop the carriage, seated in the riders seat, is a black haired, red eyed man sitting with his back straight and his defined features on full display.
[Kai] "I take it this carriage belongs to Lord Dreyus?"
My voice appears to reach the driver's ears but he refuses to budge. Perhaps he needs to be prompted.
[Kai] "
I smirk as I whisper the words. For a moment, it would appear as though it failed, however soon enough, his façade begins to crumble and his mouth curves into a wobbly smile. Eventually the man is drawn into a fit of unending laughter, falling from his position atop the carriage. I kneel down to quietly speak with the spasming figure who tries desperately to stand but fails miserably.
[Kai] "How rude of you. I didn't know Lord Dreyus' men were so disrespectful."
I can see the anger in his eyes but it truly loses any credibility when the rest of him is laughing uncontrollably. I lean in closer, only a few centimetres separating my mouth and his ear.
[Kai] "Did you know? You can actually die from laughing too much. Your body fails to take in enough air and your lungs continue to contract. Eventually, your body will begin to shut down from lack of oxygen and even your heart and brain will fail you."
After whispering these sweet words into his ear, the look of anger in his eyes appears to have been replaced with one of astonished fear. Likely at the fact that I'm threatening him with torture and death by laughter. The idea itself is somewhat idiotic but I'll take my enjoyment where I can get it. It's not like I could carve him up out here anyway.
[Kai] "So. Let's try this again. How many people did Dreyus bring with him?"
[Man] "F-F-F-F-"
[Kai] "F-f-f-fucking speak."
[Man] "Four!"
Surprising. I had expected only Dreyus and Juren but to think he went ahead and brought a few extra friends. That could throw off the plan a bit. If they're hunters like those two then I might need help taking care of them. Seyird? No. I can't ask him for help. He would hold it over me for the rest of his life. Valentina? She would be more likely to charge in head first than anything. I can't rely on Verren since he's got his own part. I suppose I'm doing this on my own. Standing up and straightening my coat, I leave the coach driver to his fit as I make my way towards the castle entrance. The people who know who I am bow in respect, letting me pass without worry.
Now then, if the party's in the main hall, that would mean most other areas are currently unguarded, including the quarters of Dreyus and Juren. I make my way through the labyrinthian hallways, ignoring the smell of sweets wafting through the air, permeating my enhanced sense of smell. Why must I be tormented by such an aroma when such important matters make it impossible to partake? Perhaps I'm cursed. I wouldn't put it past that creature to make my life as uncomfortable as possible on top of forcing me to hold the lives of those I care about atop my shoulders, like a puppet with a hand shoved firmly up its rear. Shaking the thoughts from my head, I instead decide to focus on the hard clacking sound of my boots on the hard stone floor. Thanks to this slight distraction, I manage to arrive at Juren's quarters much faster than I had expected.
[Kai] "
My senses are suddenly flooded with a remarkably clear image of Juren's room. Though I say clear, in reality it's more like seeing through glass on a cold morning rather than completely visible. Disregarding the luggage that decorated the room for now, it doesn't appear as if anyone is inside.
[Kai] "
A clicking sound resonates from within the lock on the wooden door. Placing my fingers around the knob, the door swings open with ease. I step inside, quickly and quietly shutting the door behind me.
[Kai] "Alright. Let's see what we've got here."
I mutter beneath my breath as I begin searching through the vampire's belongings, careful not to disturb the items to the point that he would know something's up when he returns. Seconds turn to minutes as I peruse his belongings, finding nothing but spare clothing and a few pieces of gold, silver and copper scattered throughout his pockets. I copy one of the copper coins for use in the future before placing the original back in its place. I would be lying if I said that I'm not becoming frustrated at the lack of incriminating evidence. Where could he possibly be storing everything.
It's at that moment that my mind reaches a conclusion by itself. A possibility. With a high chance of being correct. Before I can finish the thought, my senses pick up on an approaching danger. Someone is walking down the hall. I need to hide, but where? I could escape the window but there's no ledge on the guest quarters windows and I'm sure they would be suspicious of a couple of fingers hanging on to the windowsill. Under the bed? No, that's much to cliché, as is the closet. I suppose that only leaves me with one choice. Leaping up, I grab ahold of the wooden beams in the ceiling and lift myself up. Positioning myself mostly in the shadows and out of sight, I wrack my brains for any words I can use to further hide myself.
[Kai] "
With
I'm torn from my thoughts when the door creeks open and the man himself walks into the room. Shorter than I had expected, his feet, clad in black boots, hit the floor with a surprising amount of weight. His black coat tidily hangs over his purple top. He gazes around the room, giving me a clear view of his deep crimson eyes before he runs his hand through his hair, sweeping it back. On his middle finger, a small, black ring resides with a purple gemstone jutting from the centre. A storage ring. I had a feeling that would be the case. He lets out a sigh as his eyes scan his belongings. Is it paranoia or, shit. I left the door unlocked. He runs his fingers through the drapes on the window, caressing it like the hair of a lover
[Juren] "You can come out or you can stay in the shadows, it matters not. Just know that even if this wedding were called off. Even if I or Lord Dreyus were to die. That could not be called a victory. Those who represent a threat will be expunged from this world at his hands. I suggest you kowtow before you burn up."
Without another word, a purple light escapes from the tips of his fingers, suddenly setting the drapes alight with a dark purple flame. The flames engulf the drapes like a hungry animal tearing into its prey.
[Juren] "I much prefer the sight of he setting sun to the dreary darkness inside. Strange, isn't it? For a vampire to enjoy the sun."
[Kai] "
The silenced word escaping my mouth, the magic fire is successfully extinguished, leaving charred markings on the remains of the drapes. This is my home, if anything is going to burn here, it's his corpse. The man in question lets a small smile appear on his face.
[Juren] "Impressive. To extinguish my flames with such ease is one thing, but to completely disguise all traces of your own magic is on another level. I look forward to meeting you face to face."
He leaves the window, letting the setting sun shine through, illuminating the room in an orange, incandescent glow. He saunters towards the door, taking one last glance back into the room with a snide expression, scanning for the intruder, for me, before finally relenting and leaving the room. The door closes with a gentle thud but I don't dare to move for another ten minutes, just to be sure he doesn't return. Once enough time has passed, I cancel the spells keeping me hidden and drop nimbly onto the bed below. Letting out a sigh as I place my feet back on the stone floor, I walk over to the window where Juren once stood. I give the drapery a once-over and sigh at the destruction. Honestly, these people just can't seem to respect other people's homes, not that I can say anything. I wonder if that hole in Solben is still burning...
[Kai] "
The curtain begins to slowly stitch itself back together, erasing any charring in the way as it recreates its former image.
[Kai] "That should do."
Now, let's go over what I just learned. To start with, Juren, the servant and right hand man of the one trying to steal Lucile away from her home, is a dark magic user. A dark mage. According to the dark guild, he's incredibly dangerous. I had thought it simply meant he was intelligent but if he's talented enough to cast magic chant-less, then he could be much more of a threat than we originally thought. Lastly, he's being backed by someone; likely someone powerful. His connections to one of the Demon King's advisors is known, as is his servitude to Dreyus but he went out of his way not to say their name. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm playing directly into somebody's hands. Well, it's no use thinking about this kind of thing now. My stomach is empty and the wedding isn't until tomorrow. The welcome feast awaits.
Having made my way back to the main area, I find myself standing before the two massive doors that lead into the main ballroom where the welcome party lies. Taking a deep breath in and out, I push open the doors, greeted by bright lights and the sounds of pointless chatter. Never in my life, this one or the last, did I think I would ever come to something like this. Whether it's the hunger, the anxiety I once had coming back or simple nervousness being around such a large amount of people, I feel sick to my stomach.