When Niero had left the mansion, amidst the cloudy winter sky, a weak sun was hiding on the horizon.
Von watched Niero go, as he had never done before. From his bedroom window he could see the entrance, and he found this sensation strange. The feeling of looking at someone through the window. This was a shrewd man, he knew it at the first moment. As he watched him leave, that feeling entered the door of his heart and made it beat faster. Not that he related his feelings to that blood-pumping organ, but he knew it was racing faster than before.
He had always been rational. He could even call himself responsible. He had his two feet firmly planted on the ground, a closed fist, and an impenetrable mind. That was how he had survived until that moment, by repressing his emotions and letting his instincts flow. He had always considered himself an animal, a lone wolf, an excellent hunter. Until Norgard Chasseur drove the cursed sword into his belly. It hurt more than physically, his own pride was being pierced by the blade.
An enemy blade.
No matter who he was. He had played dirty... But Von knew the world, knew that if he didn't play against the rules of the game, he too would lose. He danced to the beat of that twisted music that was the life he knew. Maybe there was no salvation for his world, tomorrow was always a maybe. But that cursed man, on the same day that he had stuck his sword into him, had stuck his existence into him. And a scar in the region of his abdomen. It was a kind of mark. Like being branded like a horse.
Animal or man, it didn't matter in the end. Von still had that necklace the general had given him. A gift or not, it made domination clear. The moment he had seen Niero leave, he understood.
His dependence, of his liking for submission, of the clarity of domination and not wanting to be free.
After all, to be free like that was almost suicide. Only the strongest survived in that underworld.
When Niero left, those weak sun rays blurred his vision. So weak that they were almost invisible, but his eyes saw nothing else. A vein jumped in his face. No, this could not be what he thought it was. If it was, Von wanted to die instead of having that strange feeling inside him. That strange sensation that had a property as ridiculous as its name. But that he had never even felt. Jealousy.
He didn't like the idea of anyone so close to the general other than himself. He didn't like to fight hand-to-hand with someone as strong as him, he liked weaklings. They were easier. He didn't like the way Norgard treated him, didn't like those eyes trying to see into his soul. He didn't like the way Norgard and he looked alike.
Niero looked at him deeply as the general did, the same way he himself could not do with anyone. Maybe with Sophie, but just by looking at her green pupils, he knew what they meant. Because she didn't want to hide it, never had. But just with him? He who locked his mind from strangers, who built a wall over his eyes so that he could see no one but himself. He who merged his Instinct with the steel of his blade, he who breathed ego. Just the one who could not kill? Even win...
He and that fucking sword. But Niero was someone who could not kill. And someone who didn't want to kill either.
.
.
.
By nightfall, the snow was stagnant on the grass. As it had snowed so much over the days, that huge green lawn had been covered with that white layer.
There were few lamps outside the house, but one was always kept lit. It faced the window of the room Blair was in. Sophie had pushed back the curtain and was watching the insects around the yellowish light. She was sitting upside down in a chair and her head was resting in her own hands on the back of the chair.
She sighed.
She had lost count of how many times she did that. She wasn't bored, but there was something strange inside her. She didn't like that room, that light coming from the window always disturbed her sleep. But why on earth did she even see when insects and more insects started to swarm around the light?
She knew she had already been in that same position for several hours, just staring at nothing and waiting for it to look back at her. Not that Sophie could see the situation she was in clearly and precisely, but she could see several filaments. And when she extended them...
Surely thinking and reflecting was not something she was used to doing. However, since the day Samantha had returned, she had forced herself. She forced herself so much that she managed to tell Von the story of her mother. This was not torture. Going into the depths of her mind was not as painful as she thought it was. It was true that she felt a certain repulsion for those who only think about their own pleasure and stupid feelings. So it echoed in her mind, "Why am I still here?"
She had entered the room a few hours after Niero had left and had remained stagnant, just like that snow. She didn't look at Blair's face for a minute, just pulled up a chair and sat down in that strange way. Something seemed to catch in her throat. It was the same feeling as when she had seen Samantha transformed. And in that moment, Sophie broke some of her pride to try to understand herself.
She was beginning to create affection with that damned child. After all, she was to blame. There was no use in putting the blame on Von, for it was her only. She could see it clearly at that moment. Ever since this man had arrived, a red line of mistakes had been crossed. Mistakes that she had not admitted to herself before.
Nor did she feel childish about repudiating her feelings towards this man. It was so clear that this was going to happen, but Sophie didn't even consider falling in love. After all, nothing was happening in her head. She was a kind of old machine, still working fine, but not at its full power. She couldn't see herself before, but at that moment she was reflecting as she had been doing for months.
Norgard was an untouchable subject. Her relationship with her father was a roller coaster, but Sophie realized that perhaps all her relationships were like that. Which pointed directly at someone herself. How could she be so stupid as to sit in that room, watching that damn light she always hated?
But she didn't feel weak either. She looked at the last few months as a distant viewer as if it wasn't directed only at her. After all, she had influence. Someone was doing her head in, even if that person didn't want to. She was only in love, and this should not change her income and ideals. But it had, it had changed to the point of making her think. It was not the word they classified as love, she knew that this was far from being true...or not. And she also knew the difference, only before she didn't want to.
She was like a spoiled child afraid of losing things. "Losing what?", echoed in her head. The only thing that was hers was about her life and her skills with blades.
.
.
.
On the Cerminian street beds, you could see the snow shoveled for passage. It was not snowing but the air was still cold. Von and Norgard walked with their hands in their pants pockets, each of them letting out icy air as they walked. They looked like two shadows, far apart from each other, yet hungry for glory. After all, to be a good killer, being a sadist is essential.
Both were clad in black clothes, they did not go out like this. Von had let his hair down, but put on a gray cap. His brown hair swayed lightly in the faint wind from the west, accompanied by his scarf of the same color.
The scarf smelled peculiar.
It was the first time that General Chasseur did not have his hair tied up in a small tail close to the nape of his neck, as was customary. His red hair, a little lighter in color than Sophie's, was loose and still thrown back. However, Von noticed this.
Just after dark, Norgard had gone to where he was still training. He was training only in anger, he had to get over that man who had invited him for a walk. Von could not decide if he had done this out of fear that his soldier would not return, or simply to spend some more time with him.
Either option showed that Von was Important, and some of his uncertainty was gone with that gesture.
They went backwards from the underground, heading east and near some factories. Von had ventured into that region before, but his strong security prevented him from doing things he would have loved to do.
There wasn't much vegetation in that place either, just rocks, hills and ungrown grass, all covered in snow. Seen from above, the smoke coming out of the factories joined and blended with the mist. They walked further and further, and Von even considered the possibility that they might end up on the beach that he loved so much.
Von had entered one of those factories without fear of dying.
They arrived in front of a restaurant and Norgard stopped. Von thought it strange that there was such a place in this region, because houses were rare. But he imagined that those factories did not move by themselves. They entered in silence, as had been the entire way. There was some swearing due to the indignation Norgard felt at seeing Von not question where they were going.
"I will go as far as you want me to go," was what he had replied. Both Norgard and himself were surprised at what was said, but Von didn't care about the truth.
The restaurant was not fancy like the one the night before, but it was not a falling apart restaurant either. It was a strangely ordinary place, in a way Von had never seen before.
Neither extremely rich as he was beginning to know it, nor extremely poor as he was used to. He felt in the middle of the edges, in a common place. Strangely ordinary.
Norgard spoke to a man that Von paid no attention to. The general headed for a wooden staircase, and he just followed him. They found themselves on the second floor, where there were some people. Slyly, Norgard walked to the balcony of the place and contemplated the landscape.
Not that it was beautiful or even worthy of a painting, but what Von saw was still surprising. The smoke coming out of the chimneys and blending with the dark sky was breathtaking. He had never seen anything like it, and a feeling of nostalgia invaded his body.
Why did this peculiar region define Cermina so well? The answer lay within himself, and Von wanted to find out. However, from a large tower that was a little way away from them, fire was unleashed into the sky. Von's brown eyes twitched at the sight.
A millisecond later, the fire ceased. And soon after, it rose into the sky again. He couldn't look away, he stared unblinkingly into the movement of the flames. He could see from the brightest yellow to the orange embers and black smoke coming out. The flame went out and lit again and again.
- We are right on time. - Norgard spoke as he walked to the wooden stand and leaned on it. He looked at Von for an answer, but only saw air coming out of his mouth. Norgard allowed himself a weak smile.
- Did you like it? - He looked again at the large flames reaching to the sky. - It's the burning of gas. Beautiful, isn't it? -
Norgard's words took a while to make sense in his head. He was so stunned by that flame that there was a daze. Much like Diana Hoziv's day.
- Yes. - That was all he could answer, still slightly numb.
- I like to come here to think a little. - Von leaned close to Norgard, paying attention to his words but not ceasing to be fascinated by the fire.
- This landscape is typical of Cermina. - Von smiled as he spoke. -I've been this way a few times before. -
- You passing the first factory is already a great achievement. This restricted area is the rottenness of Cermina. -
- That's why you brought me here? - He smiled. - I'm going to end up finding dirt in this war? -
-That you have already found. The moment you set foot in the mansion, we were already vulnerable and you became an accomplice. -
Von just sighed.
- If I were to tell you or Sophie, the dirt you will find in this war... - The gleam in Norgard's green eyes was frightening.
- I confess it's better than almost starving to death. - Norgard laughed.
- That's right. -The light from the flames brightened and darkened the faces of both of them. - Don't you think they're about the same frequency as a heartbeat? -
- The way they release the flames?- Von stared at that light next to him. He hadn't stopped to think about it, but they were quite similar.
Were they trying to imitate the beat? Or were their hearts trying to match that troubled and perverse moment?
It didn't matter, Von realized that it was beautiful and that it was worthy of a painting.
After all, that was Cerminian beauty. Beauty in doom, in tragedy, in the filthy, in the breakable. It wasn't about fleeting masks or hypocritical ideals, it was about a troubled essence. That place, that flame, was perhaps Cermina's heart, pumping blood and inspiration to those soldiers who would soon go to war.
Von could clearly see why he was there. He was being treated like a Cerminian, and not like a rat surviving in that city. It was the first time since he was born that he had changed his mind when he saw a landscape. Before it was just amazing, now it was beautiful.
- It really was... -
.
.
.
The day had dawned cloudy, as was usual for that time of year. Something that the assassins took a positive view of. Everyone was in a wing of the headquarters that was next to the entrance to the mountain. There was a giant gate blocking the entrance, and that was what the nine assassins were waiting to open.
They didn't have much time for goodbyes or recapping the plan. When Von and Sophie arrived, all that was missing was for Liz to arrive for them to open the gate. Seeing her arrive accompanied by Tyr, Von didn't think it necessary to pay more dull attention to their behavior, since they had both left through the High Command palace. He didn't think it necessary, for if Krauser had other plans, they would take precaution in not being seen.
Which made Von laugh, since the way Sophie told him this made her some sort of stalker.
Norgard was there. In fact, there were several people who were not the assassins who were there. Even though it was a mission for those nine, Von noticed how each person running around put their trust in them.
Each of the assassins carried their particular and most practical arsenal. General Chasseur was one of those responsible for this mission, he would hand out headsets where each one could hear the others, and also a map of the ship.
The gate was opened and they could glimpse the three black motorcycles and the three black cars. Without much ado, Marlena and Tilian got into the car and drove off down a road that skirted the mountain. Gior followed them after a few minutes, and thus began a camouflage.
Gran Tlaboc was undoubtedly the most technologically advanced city-state in Verulian. There were roads that were not so busy, but when approaching Gran Tlaboc, they were very crowded. This was the reason that there was a reasonable difference in distance between the motorcycles and the cars.
Von had learned by rote how to control a motorcycle. The general and Sophie told him how to brake and accelerate, but in practice this did not do much good. As time went by, he realized that he couldn't go full throttle or he himself would end up falling. It wasn't as hard as he imagined. And the wind colliding against his body was a pleasant sensation.
The difficulty was medium, and Von laughed. It was much better than a horse.
It was three hours without a break until they passed the mountains. The roads between Lotev and Gran Tlaboc were very busy, which was not surprising considering that these are the two most evolved City-States.
Arriving in Gran Tlaboc four hours later, Marlena and Tilian arrived at the main port. They left their car in a place where the others could not see, and began to pack their equipment to climb the ship.
The Deep Spear was indeed the largest ship in the port, with a few others compared to it. However, it was obvious just by looking at it. It was giant.
The brunette woman began to spy on the movement inside the ship while Tilian arranged her shoes and gloves for the climb. When they found a good moment where the people inside the ship were distracted, and they started climbing.
Sophie got off before Von. Instead of her car getting out in front, she did. The order was not to leave the vehicles too close together, and that's what she did. When she saw that she was reaching the port, she turned into a dead end street and left her motorcycle there. In any case, they would return by ship.
Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe it was simply fate, but none of this changed the fact that both Von and Sophie were a lot alike. He was the last to leave and had the same idea as the redhead. When he saw a good street to turn onto, he ran into Sophie, almost running her over.
-It's better to leave it somewhere else. - She said, swerving away from the bike.
-I'm not the one who's late.- He replied, parking the bike next to Sophie's.
-This way they'll suspect that we're together. - Von removed his black helmet and stared at the glowing green pupils.
They were not angry, just indifferent. However, indifference was not Sophie's strong suit.
- Then you will like it. - Sophie heard him trying to tease her, but only loosened the belt around her waist.
She glanced at Von, who was already almost at her side, and spoke into the small microphone:
- Haust on the field. -
- Sumar on the field. - Von spoke soon after and Sophie again looked at him with a dark glint in her eyes, and just walked towards the port, not caring.
The only thing he did was swallow dryly as he thought he could no longer decipher her either.