Third week of March, Royal Guard Tower, Otrera was in her office dispatching a mission to Morrigan and Nora, they were already uniformed for the mission, Morrigan even wore her old gloves that covered up to her forearms, covered her palms, leaving only the outside fingers, it was a black glove and with a serpent in low relief that was coiled in the glove.
– What is today's mission? – Morrigan asked, already used to it.
– We found an old acquaintance who might know about Madame Stroika's whereabouts and strategies… Her second-in-command at the time in the stroikan empire, Lukov Kharkov, if there's anyone who might know anything or even be involved. – Said Otrera exposing the target's profile, he was a man with evident Stroikos features, his white skin, his grayish brown hair, 1.92 tall, reddish brown eyes, he was 56 years old.
– Where is the old man? – Morrigan asked indifferently.
– In Stroika, in a bucolic region, he went into exile, he has a village, Vlatlavia, 3,000 inhabitants, normal civilian mages, he also lives with his family there... Invade and discover what you can, I leave it in your hands... And Morrigan, you know how to proceed. – Otrera said that he knew very well how Morrigan could be hard-line.
– Why send two mages? – Nora asked.
– I thought you'd love to have this experience, to see one of the legendary mages on a mission up close, but if you don't want to, Mor is totally capable of doing the mission alone. – Said Otrera who already showed to have more affection in speaking to Nora.
– I do want to go! – Nora said excitedly and afraid of losing the opportunity.
– And Mor, bring me one of the bastard's wine, I found out in the file that his lands are wineries. – Otrera said, she loved a good drink.
– Of course. – Morrigan laughed.
***
Vlatlavia, was a region in the interior of Stroika, very bucolic, grape plantations as far as the eye could see, and a small town that seemed moved to that, very beautiful and peaceful, and in the center of the town there was a large mansion that was the biggest house in the city, and it belonged to the Kharkovs, they were having a family lunch at a long table, Lukov headed it in civilian clothes, at the table was his family.
Sonja Kharkov, 53, her eyes were reddish-brown, her long dyed brown hair, her white skin; she wore a beautiful, jute-cut, V-neck dress that looked like a "T"; she was Lukov's wife.
Eron Kharkov, 27 years old, his eyes were reddish brown, his light brown hair thick, his skin white; he wore fine sport attire; son of Lukov.
Eliza Kharkov, 33, her eyes were dark brown, her light brown hair short and curly, her skin white; she wore a beautiful, diaphanous-cut dress; she was Lukov's daughter.
Vladmir Kharkov, 30 years old, his eyes were reddish brown, his hair black and thick, his skin white; he wore a white dress shirt and black pants; he was Lukov's son-in-law.
Vlázia Kharkov, 12 years old, her eyes were reddish brown, her hair brown and long, her skin white; she wore a thin red one-piece sport suit; granddaughter of Lukov.
Téon Kharkov, 9 years old, his eyes were reddish brown, his light brown hair, voluminous and dense, his skin white; she wore shorts and a green polo shirt; grandson of Lukov.
The last of the family present was a baby girl who had Lukov's features, looked no more than six months old.
Lunch was quiet and very pleasant, but when the locals least expected it, and then a huge magic seal appeared on the floor of the checkered dining room from which Nora and Morrigan materialize, Morrigan had an almost sadistic look in her eyes.
– Lukov, long time, no see? – Laughed Morrigan moving closer to Lukov, all the others could barely move, Morrigan had trapped them with her magic in the chairs they sat.
– Shadow, what are you doing here? This is private property and we are not at war. – Lukov said as if he wanted to intimidate the mage.
– We came because we want some information about an old acquaintance of yours... Helloise T'chebova... Madame Stroika, we want to know where she is. – Morrigan said going to Lukov and sitting at the table next to him.
– I don't know anything about her, I've been exiled here for ten years, it was a condition I asked the Supreme Court of War to surrender. – Lukov said nervously.
– Come on, Lukov, make it easier to both of us... If not, I'll open your wife in half. – Morrigan said with all the calm in the world.
– I already told you, I don't know anything, I haven't heard anything about Helloise for ten years, please leave us alone, the war is over. – Lukov said nervously, he knew that even being one of the most powerful members of the former Stroiko Empire, he was no match for Morrigan and much less for her accompanied by another master mage, his family members were not all military and neither were at the level to represent threat to master mages.
– Morrigan, don't you think we should let the family go? We just need him. – Nora said that she was starting to get nervous, it was one thing to get tough with an investigated who is known to be a warrior mage, another thing is to hold his family hostages.
– Let them go? How do you think he bought this place, Nora? Do your children, grandchildren and wife know how you paid? Who had to die for this, Kharkov? – Morrigan said sadistic.
– Please do not involve the children in this. – Lukov begged. – I do not know anything. –
– Grandpa, what is this girl saying? – Vlázia said, she was afraid.
– Calm down dear, everything will be fine. – Eliza said, she hugged her three children.
– Lukov, if you know something, please tell me my love. – Said Sonja fearful for her children and grandchildren.
– Morrigan, is this necessary? – Said Nora begged.
– Believe me, this is not revenge, it's just a coincidence, but it will be delicious, it will... Each nation has to do the most for itself and the others take care, allies are "convenient friends" when it comes to international politics... One more chance... What do you know about that Stroika bitch? – Morrigan said with frightening calm and conjuring huge dark serpents that curled around the family and even the baby, but didn't hurt them for now.
– I already told you I don't know, Morrigan, please, please don't do anything to them. – Lukov said asking for forgiveness knowing everything he had done.
– As if that would move me, I know you Lukov, and you know me, open the game now and maybe I'll let someone live. – Morrigan said that with a movement of the wrist made the serpent of darkness kill Lukov's son-in-law strangling him and eating him little by little.
Lukov's relatives were shocked, Nora was too, but she was too stunned to even act.
– Better thank me for starting with the son-in-law… Next will be your son bites the pillowcase, Eron if I'm not mistaken… What do you know about Helloise? – Morrigan asked as if it was still just a conversation.
– She's alive and recruiting from what I've heard, but she's gone off the map, that's all I know. – Lukov said nervously.
– Until now you "did not know anything about the Stroika", and this information is already passed. – Morrigan said pulling a glass of whiskey and at the same time making the snake of darkness crush and devour Eron.
– No! – Sonja and Lukov shouted.
The children were scared.
– The next ones are your grandchildren, and the baby goes with them like snake food. – Said Morrigan who still stared at Lukov without any remorse.
– Morrigan, this is going far. – Said Nora worried about the children.
– Am I? This man in front of you was the second-in-command military of the Stroiko Empire, he killed, massacred and as a rule raped several mages and mages in the war, this man is anything but an innocent little old man, he was responsible for killing the Tempest clan, Edward is the last Tempest alive, Lukov raped Edward's brother, William, before killing him... In addition to being responsible for an attempted terrorist attack before World War VI broke out, the same attack that killed my own parents, but again, it doesn't matter to me, I'm just finding out that he's not a good thing, so just in this waste of time, your daughter went round. – Told Morrigan, who in the meantime sent another serpent of darkness to crush and swallow Eliza. – Now one more chance and this time I won't spare your grandchildren, what do you know about Stroika? –
– She's setting up an international network of hideouts, her generals are well spread out and she occasionally uses my village to transport resources, personnel, food and weapons, but I swear that's it, I don't even get involved in the schemes anymore , I just want to live what I have left of life in peace, I have cancer, I'm already paying for everything I've done. – Lukov begged.
– Why do I think you're still hiding something from me? Every time you drop something, but since you were nice, I'll only take your wife for this insolence of deceiving me with something I already know, I want accurate information, that that bitch has an international network, I know, that she's involved with trafficking I know, she's involved with terrorists Kora'q I know, I want places, I want names, I want details you worm and I know you have the information. – Morrigan said that he did not hesitate and send his serpent to devour Sonja.
– My love! – Lukov exclaimed who was devastated. – Please, you took away the people I loved the most, but please don't touch my grandchildren. –
– Grandfather! – Teon exclaimed with fear.
– Get this shit! – Lukov said that he finally relented and handed over a series of documents, stratagems and some timetables and timetables, the village of Lukov in the end was a kind of facade for M. Stroika.
– You could have saved us all this time and blood, they should have been worth very little or think I didn't have the courage... I have no pity, nor do I feel sorry. – Morrigan said, stroking his head and taking the documents and information to Nora. – The ones you killed died because they were weak, this isn't revenge, I'm just being practical and it's a bit of divine justice, TSC! –
– You're not letting anyone get out of here alive, are you? – Lukov laughed, who only at that moment realized he would not get out of there alive.
Morrigan then reached Lukov's ear.
– Do not think for a minute that if it were necessary I wouldn't kill them, but I will not kill three children like you did in the Tempest palace, but you will not come out alive, I have something very special for you. – Morrigan said cold and morbid, Lukov was being entangled by snakes made of runes, they gave lethal shocks and an unbearable pain, he would not die quickly. – I may not be getting revenge because I just understand that it was an incident of war, but I didn't say anything about not getting revenge for Edward who is my heart brother. –
Morrigan took advantage and saw that they had four unopened bottles on the table of the wine that Otrera wanted, she took the wines and went to stand next to Nora who was shocked.
– Boys, if you want to come after me in the future, try your luck and remember well, it was Morrigan Shadow who did all this, it is me you must hate and hunt if you want revenge, no one else. – Morrigan said a little emotional, she knew what it was like to lose your family because of the war.
– Morrigan, was all this necessary? – Said Nora scared.
– You really have a lot to learn... Things are not always so beautiful and perfect... I was called the Wrath of Astaroth because of that, I followed orders without hesitation, Otrera and Edward can have shame, I don't. – Morrigan said with a face of perfection and holding the four bottles and transporting the two back to the tower of the Royal Guard.
***
The two were back in the Royal Guard tower, there she was in front of Otrera, Morrigan leaves three bottles for her friend and keeps one for herself.
– I need to take a sleep of beauty now, here are the plans that Lukov had. – Morrigan laughed with a face of lightness.
– Okay, friend, later we go out to drink. – Otrera said that he had a vague idea of how things happened.
– Remember friend, not everyone has an immortal liver. – Morrigan laughed leaving with lightness of conscience.
Nora was there still stunned.
– By your face, it turned into a slaughter. – Said Otrera inviting Nora to sit down, in addition to serving the wine for both of them.
– I don't know what to think, but she was interrogating him and killing one by one when he refused to answer… Even the children she was willing to kill, I don't know how she can be so cold. – Nora said, reflecting on what happened. – But she also said everything he did, I didn't know what to do. –
– Lukov was a bastard, he did much harm to Morrigan and Edward... War is not something as clean and noble as the legends and edited stories about the feats of war seem to be. – Otrera said that she was lighting a cigarette, she was patient and would explain some very intimate things. – I don't know how much you heard, but he was responsible for killing Eddy's clan along with a special battalion during the war in an invasion of Celestia, we were at the Academy, I don't remember if it was first or second year, but we received the news of the death, after that they went to live with me during the holidays... A few years before, just before the war broke out, at the end of the V World War, there was another terrorist attack that didn't work out so well, but resulted in the death of the Morrigan's parents. –
– This part I heard, honestly I don't know what to think. – Nora said.
– Morrigan was on the streets for years, orphan and homeless for years, until we met at age 12, since then we form an inseparable trio, Edward took Morrigan to live with him, but with the death of the Tempests she lost another family, life was hard on her, a woman who had everything to have been nothing, to have died in some gutter, but on the contrary, she became one of the most powerful mages in the world and I recognize her as the most dangerous of all. three legendary mages for what you yourself witnessed... She became obsessed with knowledge, power and eternity, she saw many powerful people die, she doesn't want to share the same fate... So before you judge remember that life can be unfair and forcing our extremes. – Said Otrera smoking.
– I understand, really, listening like that, I still don't know if I would be able to, but I understand her reasons... I can't lie, my life next to hers is a perfect paradise, I can't complain... This mission it was really important, Ms. Otrera, it made me realize that the world is not that field of morals and nobility that I thought, and I promise that I will not fail in my duty. – Nora said.
– You don't have to be like her, each member of the Royal Guard is unique and special... A cold, murderous, practical, methodical mage and capable of killing a city without losing a second of sleep like the Morrigan is important, but a hopeful, gentle and powerful young mage like you is also important, each one is special and essential in their own way, Mor suffered and I went through almost everything, 26 years of friendship, 16 going through all the troubles and dramas you can imagine , and even in the ten blank years I didn't stop thinking about her or Eddy... But between us, did she at least leave the children alive? – Said Otrera who seemed to have had this conversation with someone else. And taking another drag.
– Only the children and yet for a reason I don't know, she killed the others without even thinking. – Nora said.
– My father used to say that every crazy person has an ounce of sense... Maybe she saw in them the same orphan of violence that she was, but she didn't stop killing them out of pity, but so that they could live in suffering as she did... She can be macabre at times, but she is my sister of the heart and I won't be the one to blame her, Lukov made her life hell and his luck was not to have crossed with her in battle in the war, if not, he would have died long ago. – Said Otrera lighting another cigarette.
– I understand, ma'am… It's really difficult, honestly I want to reflect on my own. – Nora said.
– Of course, come on, I imagine how your head must be even with this context. – Otrera smiled.
That mission had been impacting, Nora who was somewhat innocent for some things had had a shocking reality check, she realized that the legendary mages were much more than the glories, she knew that things had been difficult, but she didn't even she imagined Morrigan's life had been so hard, her losses and how these things had marked her, Morrigan was recognized as one of Celestia's best mages, but that didn't mean she'd had an easy life like many native master mages. noble, and deep down Nora knew that Morrigan was right, each country must defend its interests others take care of theirs, she who had to decide what kind of master mage she wants to be, and while being right, being like Morrigan is not the The only right way to be a master mage, as Otrera said each one was special and unique, she just had to draw the line of conduct, she lived a long time guided by the norms and the standard, she needed to discover herself for real of how one of the twelve master mages regarding her personality and not being molded by the greats of the past.