Chereads / Biting Fate / Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: Twist of Fate

Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: Twist of Fate

Looking out the window he sees brightly colored foliage painting his garden with amber sheen. The trees sway gently with the autumn wind. The ground is carpeted with a variety of shades, of yellow, brown, and orange leaves. 

He opens the window to let in some fresh air, then leans on the side of the window to admire the scenery. A gentle breeze pushes his loose hair away from his face, and the scent of slightly damp earth brings forth a forgotten memory. 

A lady with long lustrous amber hair holds his hand as they walk past the garden. Her eyes sparkle with joy as she tells him about a match she won that day.

How did he forget the bitter-sweet kiss they shared under the maple tree?

Soft golden amber, truly a lovely color.

Lost in his memories, he forgets he has a guest.

Seeing his friend quiet and silently looking out, Jack decides to get to the point so Luis can enjoy reminiscing some bitter-sweet memories the only thing that makes Luis smile these days. 

"So, Luis, you should come and just visit my auction house these days," Jack loudly declares to get Luis's attention back. 

After a long silence, Luis replies

"You mean your black market auction house?"

"Yeah, you know the place where elite wizards, warlocks, witches, sorcerers, and other curious individuals go to seek out interesting banned items by the churches," Jack explains as he refills his teacup with more of Luis's specialty brew. He even reaches for another chocolate muffin. 

Jack adds as he swallows a mouthful of muffins, 

"You never know what you might find. Maybe something interesting enough to keep you from turning into such a relic~" 

"A relic doesn't sound so bad," Luis retorts as he eyes Jack reaching for his fourth muffin.

"Oh you, don't you want to find something that gives your life more color, more pizzaz!" Jack exclaims as he wipes his fingers with a clean cloth after eating his fifth muffin. 

"Hmm," Luis answers as he looks back at his garden. 

"Come on! I'm sure you'll find something. At least something to keep your mind on for a time to ease your long deep-seated sorrow," Jack states with an exaggerated falsetto voice

"Don't you want to do something that would make your savior, slash~, lover happy about saving you long ago?

"Hmm..." Luis looks back at Jack and then at the fading picture of Alysia he painted centuries ago hanging on the wall of his office. 

"Well, I at least got you thinking~ that's good enough today." Sensing his friend's slight shift in mood, Jack jumps to his feet and takes one last muffin. He happily waves goodbye to Luis as he sees himself out of the office. 

After Jack leaves, the office silence seems to echo past conversations from the past. Luis stays quiet seemingly straining to hear the words of his lover. A weak smile emerges for he knows it's a fool's hope. 

What would Alysia want me to do?

I just can't see the world as something worth exciting over for anymore.

Sigh 

"I've been coup up here too long it seems," Luis mumbles as he sits back in his chair and looks over the piled-up paperwork from the council of elders. After working for a long time, Luis finally finishes his work and is about to go to his room when he catches a glimpse of Alysia's painting. With the moonlight illuminating the picture, Luis unconsciously bites his lower lip and leans closer to the painting. 

I miss you, so so much...

Sighs 

After a while, Luis finally heads to his room. He sits on his bed with sweet memories of them in the past replaying over and over in his mind. He tries to get some sleep but to no avail. Taking a stroll in the garden to hopefully tire him out, Luis hums the song Alysia would sing when she thinks he is sulking. But the truth is, Luis loves the song because it was the song that played when they first met at the night market. 

With memories of the past keep haunting him, he can't help but sit down and look at the night sky. The familiar garden, the never-changing night sky, and the fact that Alysia isn't here anymore make Luis tremble with longing. 

"A fresh scenery might just be the thing to keep me going," Luis says out loud to break his chain of thought that would likely lead him to memory lane once more. 

So he decides to go to the auction house. 

Wearing a robe with top-tier illusionary enchantment, Luis enters the famous El Espejismo Auction house. The one Jack owns and personally manages. 

Jack Sabio the well-renowned jack of all magic and a top producer of special-grade health potions. A foolish man who believes that Luis is his best friend. The man who revolutionized the magic society by making them accept unconventional ways to apply magic in daily life. 

The same man who is surprised to see Luis in his auction house.

"Luis?Luis!" Still in disbelief, Jack calls Luis a couple more times while poking Luis in the side. 

"Yes, yes that's my name. So quiet down Jack," Luis answers as he slaps the poking finger of Jack.

Grinning from ear to ear, Jack gives Luis the best seat in the house, the butterfly balcony room! 

Luis smiles at Jack and goes to his seat. 

"Heheheh," Jack chuckles to himself as he double-checks the items on the list for tonight's auction. 

"Wonder if any of this would appeal to Luis. Ah, but it's already great that he visited today!"

Luis settles in and has a grand view of the stage. He doesn't expect much but is just here for the change of pace. 

After the seats were filled, the stage with an elegant backdrop shimmers. Then the bid caller with a sleek bow starts the auction.

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to El Espejismo! The auction house that brings 100% satisfaction every time! Now, let's begin the auction!" 

The opening is well received by the audience with resounding enthusiastic claps. Luis on the other hand leans back on his chair to make himself comfortable. He isn't interested in the auction but more in seeing other people's reactions. 

"Now for the first item, it's an elusive item that took almost a century to track down. The item that high priests from any church totally and ultimately abhor. An item that can cure, buff, purify, and heal instantly without using mana. An item so precious that even the late dragonkin Asteria the sage tried to obtain."

Hearing the introduction of the item the audience whispers disbelief and awe. Some even tremble with excitement. Some are already scheming about other ways to take the item if they can't bid for it. 

The myriad expressions of the audience amuse Luis. With his incredible sense of perception, he could observe without external tools to aid him. The reactions are more interesting than the item itself for Luis since Alysia is friends with Angelica. So her tears aren't something he would like to have. 

"That item is none other than the mystical tear of the golden muse Angelica!" The starting price is 10,000 esos!"

Hah!

Luis can't help but laugh when he hears the price for the tears. Angelica will be upset if she hears that her tears are only that much, but then again she might just sulk and then come to tickle Jack nonstop to make him cry and sell his tears claiming it's hers later to get back at him. 

The bidding gets intense.

"30,000 esos! 50,000 esos! 100,000 esos!" 

"100,000 esos! Going once. going twice and sold!"

100,000 esos, that much money could hire a group of elite mercenaries to guard you from one end of the continent to the other. That includes food, shelter, and weapons, Luis thinks as he looks at the audience below him. However, that much is nothing compared to Luis's annual income which he hasn't used for two centuries now. 

"On to the next item! The Legendary Elixir made none other than Richard the Mad!" 

Immediately the bidding starts even before the bid caller could say the starting price.

"300,000!"

"500,000!"

"800,000!"

"1,000,000! A million! 2 million! 2.5 million!" 

"2.5 million esos going once. going twice and sold!" 

Seeing how the audience is going crazy for an elixir that isn't appraised makes no sense for Luis. So he shrugs and smiles thinking that maybe Richard, an old acquaintance, created something great while he isn't paying attention. Luis even ponders why the title Mad stuck. Alysia would surely laugh and tease Richard relentlessly if she knew the title she gave him stuck until now...

Luis's smile quickly disappears with that thought. 

"Alright everybody on to the next epic thing!" The bid caller announces after settling disputes about the previous item.

"The cursed necklace of Beatrice the bewitching Siren of the floating Islands!" 

Women start screaming and men sigh for that necklace alters the wearer's total appearance to match their ideal image but with a catch, they must produce an offspring with the one they love within one year for the effects to last a lifetime. If not, they will be cursed to be the most hideous thing they could imagine. 

Luis frowns, that necklace was the only thing that the famous grand-aunt of Alysia left for her inheritance despite her being a well-renowned grand witch. Alysia didn't care for it and sold it out of spite. Her grand-aunt from her mother's side just stood idle when they were falsely accused by the church of Esperanza of practicing taboo spells that ultimately led them to exile. 

Funny how even here I find traces of Alysia...oh Alysia...

Getting tired of watching Luis, leans back and closes his eyes blocking everything out. 

After a long while, Luis tunes in again but can't concentrate on the items being auctioned so he leaves the room and goes to the resting area. There he explores the gaming area, where there are slot machines, poker tables, billiard tables, sniping booths, fishing subspace, chess tables, and more non-magical and magical recreation spots. 

Luis mindlessly wanders from one area to another. Getting some snacks from time to time which they didn't charge him since Jack explicitly told his staff to treat Luis extremely well for he's his best friend!

After exploring and eating as much as he likes, Luis returns to his room.

Hopefully, the auction is almost done so I can give my thanks to Jack and leave. 

As Luis once again settles in his seat, the bid caller announces, 

"We have saved the best for the last! The rarest thing we have in our inventory!"

the bid caller pauses for a more dramatic flair, then continues,

"Gifted with the skill to regenerate instantly, blessed with the skill to dispel any curse, and most importantly awakened the ancestral trait of time manipulation, we present to you a godkin!" 

Hearing those traits pulls Luis's attention to the stage. At the stage, a girl meets his gaze. His gaze is captured.

Long glistening amber hair and dark blue eyes...

No way!

Suddenly a sickening bloodthirst overwhelms him making him bite his arm just to wrestle some of his wits back. 

BLOOD! BITE! FEED! BLOOOD!

An intense impulse to tear bite and suck is driving him mad. Luis can hardly focus on anything, so when he finally gets to his senses he finds out that he just won the bid for the godkin. Amidst his internal turmoil, he unconsciously bid for the godkin and won.

A total of 500 million... 

The bid caller quickly calls Jack to let him know that it is his best friend who bid for the godkin. To avoid any unsavory accidents to befall Jack's special guest, the bid caller makes sure to send the best guard which is Jack himself. 

Upon hearing that Luis actually bid for something, and won with an outrageous bid, Jack swiftly goes to Luis's room with the intention to tease his friend. But when he enters he sees Luis's deeply biting his hand, and his eyes unfocused. 

"Luis!" 

Hearing Jack scream, Luis gets a hold of his bloodthirsty. He lets his arm free and almost falls back. 

"Luis, are you okay?" Jack supports Luis and closes the curtain to the balcony room. 

"No, but I will be I hope" Luis states as he takes deep breaths and gathers all his will to suppress his rising bloodthirst. 

Jack can't help but wonder what might have stimulated Luis's bloodthirsty that he has painstakingly controlled all these centuries. Jack then remembers that Luis actually bid for a godkin.

Perhaps, the girl who's a godkin has a stimulating effect on Luis's bloodthirsty? Should he still send the girl to Luis? But, Luis bid quite a sum for her.

"Did the godkin cause your bloodthirst to be out of control?" Jack can't help but asks as he sees Luis's fangs out and his pupils turning into slits.

"Yeah," Luis stops as another strong wave of bloodthirsty hits. He focuses on suppressing not caring about his surroundings. 

 Seeing Luis struggle, Jack immediately opens a transportation portal with the coordinates for Luis's house. 

"Then go. Shall I send her separately?" Jack urges Luis to quickly go back home to rest.

"Uh hmm... yeah, Thanks," Luis says passingly as he weakly moves towards the portal. 

Jack just nods and attentively watches Luis enter the portal. 

Luis back in his house slumps to the ground, his bloodthirst is too overwhelming making him delirious. After managing to get a grip, he goes to his room and opens his secret drawer for a suppressant drug he hasn't used for a long long while. 

He gulps it but immediately gags from the putrid taste. Still, he forces himself to swallow it. 

Get a grip Luis...

He lays down feeling drained and sleepy.

Alysia...

That is Luis's last thought as he drifts to sleep. 

After a couple of days pass by, Jack with the godkin visits Luis's house thinking Luis might have weathered the worst of his bloodthirsty and would like to discuss what to do with the godkin.

Unfortunately, the suppressant that Luis took is only able to curtail Luis's bloodthirsty for a night. So with Jack's unexpected visit with the godkin happens,

Luis sees the lady godkin, loses control, and bites her. 

With such a violent welcome, of course, she screams. But unexpectedly quickly quiets down...