Solo Time for revenge V: Finale

[Brandon Blackwing]

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The 1st Of Summer 514AV
Directly following the events that took place in “Time For Revenge 4”


The two men stood on opposite sides, a couple of meters between them, a distance that could be crossed swiftly, only a step or three would be needed. Brandon was panting already, adrenaline rushing through his veins, primal fear having evoked the trembling and enhanced physical abilities. With it came increased reflexes and enhanced senses, all just so he could survive, be it by running or fighting. The thief had chosen the latter, he would not leave without his possessions, the curse of greed that never failed to sway the bat’s mind and decisions.

Dimitri let his weapon crack through the air a couple of times, each time the Kelvic flinched, the deafening blast of sound denting his determination with ease. The conman laughed in short barks, amused by the reaction his foe gave, and cracked his whip again, with the same effect. Brandon could not help it, being an animal in human disguise –how adapted he may be to the human world- his instinct was still fully functional, and was both an advantage as a disadvantage, since it sometimes told him to take actions that contrasted what he was about to do, hindering his functionality.

“You know, there’s a difference between whips. The one I use is just a regular one, used to drive cattle to a different place, makes a lot more noise than others. Then there are whips with metal or so attached to the tip, making them capable of tearing through flesh, whereas mine does not.” He paused a brief moment, possibly sensing the bat’s change in attitude, he added: “Make no mistake though, it is still a tool used to discipline and teach servitude, therefore capable of inflicting pain better than you can imagine, despite the minor wounds it causes.”

Brandon frowned upon that statement, there was something strange going on here, why would the conman suddenly tell him that the injuries his whip would give him wouldn’t be so bad? Also, why then try to scare him away with a next statement? He decided to ask, it wasn’t like the man disliked to talk, he had noticed Dimitri actually seemed to love to use his voice. As expected, the swindler did not mind him asking at all, gladly fulfilling the bat’s request.

“Why? Simple. You cannot win this, and you seemed to have realized that too, thus I decided to give you hope. Hope is what causes people to despair when their worst fears come true, and this is what will happen here. When you have been disillusioned and know you cannot win but still keep fighting, that will be because you hold on to that spark of hope. However, the longer it takes, the more you suffer, the more you will feel the despair, you will be crushed by your own hope.” A sick smile had surfaced on the swindler’s face, he seemed to enjoy what would come next, however… “But, generous as I am, I will give you one last chance. Run now, flee from the Peaks, away from the city and you will keep on living. Or stay and fight –or do I have to say ‘be slaughtered’?”
“Do I get my stuff back if I run?”
“No.”
“Hmpf, then you’d better prepare yourself, or the one who will despair is you!”
“I admire your courage –or is it stupidity? This is what I was talking about, you seem to have regained your spirit, your will to fight and your determination, however, it will all be consumed by the one emotion that has been given birth to by hope, you don’t stand a chance.”

The reaction the conman was given was a snort, and the sight of Brandon assuming a battle stance, feet at shoulder-width, knees slightly bent and hands at eye level, hands relaxed, but ready for action. “You know,”said the thief, “there are two kinds of despair. There’s the kind that freezes a fellow on the spot, but there is also the kind that makes beasts go berserk, with surprising action as a result. It is said that desperate foes are the most dangerous ones, since they are capable of feats the rational mind would not allow to happen.”
“I thought I’d told you; I have worked with animals before, predators feared by many -mountain lions for example, but when my whip cracked they became as tame as a house cat.”
“Oh yeah? We’ll see about that!”

Though, despite his tough attitude and words, underneath the façade he tried to keep up, the Kelvic was frightened to death, the confidence of the man before him had a negative effect on his own, and therefore the bat had imitated him, hoping it would have the same effect on Dimitri himself. Though not only his confidence was worrying, but his weapon was as well. The whip was fast, and the noise it created had made the suspicion bubble up that being hit by it would indeed cause a lot of pain, the thought alone made the bat tremble in fear. There was not much he could do, but there was one thing, if he could attack before Dimitri had a chance to react, then maybe, maybe he would have a chance. Disarming the swindler was top priority, then he could focus on dealing damage, beat the guy to pulp, but first he had to take care of that whip of his. The black orbs steeled their gaze and focused it on the conman’s right hand and arm. He’d have to be fast, and be prepared to dodge, how impossible it may be. Disarming him was his only chance, one he was determined to grab with both hands. Slowly, the thief readied himself to sprint towards his foe, his upper body lowering, coming almost horizontally. One leg was placed back, the most of his weight put on the leg that would propel him, and then with the tensing of muscle and swinging of limbs he charged.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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The bat didn’t get very far, the distance that had once seemed short now was impossible to cross, for legs were not faster than a whip, or the arm that steered it. While Brandon charged at his opponent like a madman, Dimitri reacted by swinging the weapon forward, a small flourish was added, as if the man imagined he was in a circus or something. The whip’s tail hit the bare flesh of the bat’s chest, leaving a stripe of torn-away skin, which slightly started bleeding. Though the wound was but a minor abrasion, the pain was –just like the swindler had warned- intense.

Being hit felt like being smacked in the face with the palm of one’s hand, only harder, louder and with less acreage delivering the hit, resulting in more pressure on the bat’s flesh, which caused a wound instead of just pain. That was but the first part though, what came after was more or less the same as with abrasions received through falling, however, more painful. It wasn’t the same kind, no, this was more of a mix between throbbing and burning, the place on his chest feeling as if it was on fire, the area around the wound red.

Needless to say that the effect it had on Brandon’s action was gigantic. Flinching, he jumped back, stumbling backwards a couple of steps after the landing, his whole body trembling again, eyes wide. Stunned he gazed at his chest, watched the blood flow with a mild surprise, as if he couldn’t believe what just had happened. Dumbstruck he moved his trembling fingers towards the burning spot of his skin, recoiling quickly as a sharp jolt of pain shot through his body. Brandon could not comprehend the meaning of this, he did not understand what just had happened. He had not seen the man move his arm, he had not seen the whip slice through the air as it had made its way towards him, but he had felt the pain and he had seen the results.

He could link the two with each other though, he had seen the swindler reposition himself and grin at the display, he could make the connection between the pain he experienced –was experiencing- and the word the beast tamer had spoken. There was but one conclusion: the whip. And then came the anger, the defensive instinct he possessed that came into action, the anger that told him to give the causer of the pain a message, to show he’d better not mess with him, that he’d better leave him be. The same instinct that made bats who felt human hands wrapped around their tiny bodies squeal and bury their small but wicked teeth into the flesh of the captor, the same instinct that made any wild animal attack that which hurt them –as long as it wasn’t higher on the food chain and or there wasn’t an escape route available. Something between a hiss and a growl of pain and anger was produced by the bat’s mouth and vocal chords as he once again charged at his opponent.

The outcome was the same as last time though, except for the fact that the Kelvic now knew what exactly had happened and had seen the movement of the arm, but that of the whip was impossible to track. Another red-with-blood stripe was drawn on his chest, the thunderous noise of the whip hitting the spot enough to make the bat cower in fear and pain, stumbling back again. The conman made use of that opportunity to strike another time, and after that one came another and another, until the Kelvic had managed to get out of the swindler’s range, panting and huffing, trembling, bleeding and afraid. His chest had been decorated with quite the collection of wounds already, thick red liquid slowly flowing out of all of them, dying the bat’s torso crimson.

Dimitri let his raised his arm again and Brandon jumped backwards, not wanting to experience the extreme pain again. The only thing that kept him here was his greed, not allowing him to leave without his stuff, and his pride did not want to either. What kept him on his feet was probably the adrenaline rushing through his blood vessels, dimming the pain that came after the strike of the whip, allowing further actions, but it wasn’t like all the pain was gone, he could still feel it burn, his raw flesh throbbing and aching. At least the conman wasn’t using a slave-driver’s whip, Brandon was sure he’d be crawling on the floor, howling due to the pain right now. Not that he didn’t howl when the whip impacted on his flesh.

Another try, the bat would give his assault another try, maybe he could try to zigzag towards Dimitri? Worth a shot, but still the outcome was the same, new marks displayed where he had been hit, but Brandon kept trying, persistent as he was when it came to his belongings. More than once the attempted a different strategy, but it did not change anything, only the place of the new wounds, not there were various ones on his arms as well. Tired, the thief panted heavily, gasping for breath while he tried to come up with a new plan. The essence did not change, he still needed to disarm him, but his method became a little more … drastic.

He could not get close, every time he did he got whipped, there was not even time to quickly step out of the reach of the weapon, he’d tried. Dodging was impossible as well, but the swindler’s aim was always the same, Brandon’s torso; the marks on his arms came from trying to dodge, thus altering his direction and the place he was hit. So, if he could just anticipate and grab the tail of the weapon –there was no need to get too close to Dimitri himself, he could just jerk the whip out of his grip from a distance- he could turn the tables. And if that didn’t work then, well, maybe he’d consider running- but he’d rather die. Okay, maybe not.

For the he-did-not-remember-the-how-many-th time, the bat started a charge assault again, albeit considerably slower due to exhaustion, pain and mental stress. Dimitri’s arm went up, Brandon raised his own arm in front of his chest, and as the conman’s arm came down, he attempted to prepare himself for the pain that was sure to come by gritting his teeth. And it came, but preparing for it was a waste of time, as one couldn’t be prepared for something so intense and sudden as this. However, what could be done, and what Bran had done, was spinning his forearm fast in wide circular motions. Though it seemed not really something useful to do, it caused the whip to be wrapped around that arm, rendering Dimitri unable to retract the sweeping tail of leather, however, it hurt a lot, Brandon needed all his willpower to hold on as the leather rubbed his fresh wound.

His other hand coiled the whip around itself, allowing the wounded arm –actually the freshly wounded arm- to let go. Then with a mighty tug, one in which he incorporated all his strength and weight, practically throwing himself backwards, the Kelvic jerked the weapon from his opponents grip and threw it in the fire. A smug grin plastered on his tired face. “Discipline animals you said? Only the weak-willed would give in out of fear for minor wounds like these. The fear of pain is effective, yes, but you’ll need more to break my spirit than that!” the bat taunted, nearly forgetting he had been tempted to run more than once.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Even though the whip was being consumed by the orange flames of the bonfire, Dimitri did not look worried at all, if anything, he seemed to be even more relaxed than before. Of course, in his current situation, Brandon wasn’t really considered a threat. The bat was tired, wounded and sore, he was still breathing heavily and trembling like a leaf. Not very intimidating unless one included the look in his eyes, the fire that burned inside those black holes of darkness, the hate that flared into life when the whipping had started, and the fixation on revenge.

Brandon was tired, yes, but the hate fueled his body, it was what kept him going for now, to pay the swindler back for what he had done to him. Sure, the wounds were minor, but the pain was not and the burning sensation caused by the injuries did not fade. It hindered his breathing, the wounds on his chest stabbed him with needles every time he took in a gulp of air, the ones on his arm impeded the movements of those limbs. Just holding the battle stance was a tiring task, holding up his arms caused jolts of pain, though the thief did not give up just because of that. It had been decided he’d resist until he would draw his final breath, and if he had anything to say about it, that would not be soon.

“So, you feel confident in your abilities because you managed to disarm me? Well, guess what? I did not come here with just a whip as weapon, I also have- unh!”

What he was about to say was interrupted by Brandon’s assault. The Kelvic had had enough of the haughty talks of that annoying object of his obsession and rage and had charged towards the swindler yet another time, unhindered by the feared whip since it had been eaten by the hungry flames already. While Dimitri talked, the bat had launched his body forward, arms outstretched with fingers reaching for his enemy. Both of the limbs attached to Brandon’s shoulders had wrapped around the conman’s hips and as the Kelvic’s body collided with his foe’s, the balance was lost and both fell on the ground.

The advantage was Brandon’s, as he landed more on his enemy than the floor, he needed far less time to get back up and positioned himself on Dimitri’s chest, his knees shackling the conman’s arms to the floor as he rained punch after punch on the swindler’s face. A savage contentment filled his being, he found pleasure in inflicting pain upon the person who had done the same to him, he enjoyed getting back at him, settling the first part of the score. Punch after punch came down on Dimitri’s features, the man attempting to wriggle free, but to no avail. Every single blow the bat threw at his foe also damaged his own flesh, the injuries on his body sending waves of ache through his torso.

The rage and contentment faded soon enough, when the bat thought they had both suffered equal amounts of hurt and when the barrage had drained his strength away, his last couple of blows weak and slow. Even though he had stopped his attacks, he did not get off the man, feeling too exhausted to move, now that part of his mission was fulfilled and his opponent did not move -unconscious perhaps- there was no immediate need for haste. Instead, the bat took a moment to see where exactly he found himself, it did not take long for him to see they were on the edge of the slope, one meter more to the right and they’d have fallen or slid down, the slope steep enough for both. Brandon sighed and started to get back to his feet slowly, the pressure on his foe’s body decreased considerably.

And that was the moment the swindler had been waiting for, apparently having lied still to deceive the bat yet another time, he had awaited the perfect opportunity to strike. His hands shot up like hungry snakes, grabbed the Kelvic’s shoulders and rolled to the right, while pushing the thief’s body away. It happened too fast for Brandon to react, only a moment to curse inside his mind was all he received before he was thrown over the edge.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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In all honesty, Brandon had imagined his fate would have been worse, there were a multitude of reasons for that, though the most prominent one was that he had overestimated the steepness of the slope, mistaking it for a cliff. Instead of falling to his doom, the bat found himself smacking down on an oblique plane, then tumbling and rolling further away from the top of it. Though glad his life had been spared, he did not enjoy his prolonged life just yet. The mountainous nature of the slope scraped his bare skin while he rotated head over heels, not to mention that all that spinning gave him a headache.

Finally though, when the bumpy ride came to an end, he could barely move, nausea and multiple new bumps and bruises piling up and claiming their toll, the older ones not included. There was not really a need to move anyway, Dimitri was up there, he was down here, he could just go back later, when his dizziness was over and when he’d rested a little. That annoying headache would flee then too, which would improve his overall recovery even more, but first he had to rest a little. Not long, just for a little while.

A peculiar sound, however, interfered with his plans. Languidly he rolled his head to the side so he could get a visual to link with the noise and was rewarded with the hilarious and frustrating sight of Dimitri half sliding, half running down the slope. He couldn’t just leave Bran be, could he now? Well, it wasn’t like the Kelvic could leave Dimitri alone either, there was situation to deal with, revenge to be extracted. A huge sigh escaped Brandon’s respiratory system, and with too much effort for such a simple task, he sluggishly hauled himself back on his feet, just as Dimitri reached the end of the slope.

The swindler almost fell on his face when the steepness disappeared, but he managed to stay on his feet, arms flailing wildly in the progress. For one or other reason he had brought his backpack with him, which he threw aside. “I came to understand you wanted to move or battle to a different stage,” the conman joked dryly “I must say though that your descent was quite amusing. You must have trained a lot to acquire such level of …. Elegancy.” A mocking grin accompanied his statement, evoking a snarl from the bat, who narrowed his black orbs in fury. So that piece of shyke swindler thought he was funny, eh? Well, he’d give him something to laugh about! Both Brandon’s hands clenched into fists right before he brought them up in front of his chest and made his knuckles produce a cracking noise, an obvious threat.

Wasting no more time, Brandon rushed towards his opponent once more, one arm high, fist drawn back, readied for a new attack. Dimitri did not move away, instead drawing a dagger that he had hidden under his clothes, a weapon Brandon recognized as one of his own arsenal. “Oh no you don’t!” he yelled, grabbing the wrist of the arm that held the dagger while spinning around and digging his elbow into the swindler’s stomach. The conman defended by simply tensing his abs, but that was just delaying the outcome. It was not without reason that Bran was considered a quick learner when it came to physical skill, he learned from his own mistakes faster than he did from anything else. Dimitri had disarmed him with a backwards headbutt just bells –or had it been not that long?- ago, the pain and surprise had forced him to let go of the weapon. Now it was the bat’s turn to use that trick, and he did. The elbow and the head struck in quick succession, and while Dimitri blocked the first blow, he was unprepared for the second, his fingers let go of the dagger’s hilt, the blade clattering on the ground, a useless piece of fine craftsmanship when there wasn’t a hand to wield it.

Though this action made his foe flinch and stumble back, Brandon knew there was no place for mercy, nor time to wait for the man to recover. He was too dangerous to give him both –or even just one for that matter, he had proven that more than once today. Thus the bat lashed out, giving the man everything he’d got: a hailstorm of punches, elbows, knees and occasionally kicks was aimed for the swindler, who had recovered with stunning speed and blocked the multitude of what was thrown at him. Indeed, the multitude. While he was on the defensive and backed away slowly, the conman could not block not all of Brandon’s fierce and relentless blows, suffering damage was inevitable. However, he did manage to successfully unleash a counterattack that turned the tables in an instant, now Brandon was the one having to defend himself, smacking the swindler’s punches out of their trajectory, blocking his kicks with his forearms and stopping the elbow- and knee-blows with his palms, but he too could not prevent being hit several times.

The battle shifted a couple more times like that, sometimes tilting in the bat’s favor, sometimes in Dimitri’s, but both parties managed to land blows on their opponent, and both blocked most of the attacks that came their way.

Until Brandon found himself unable to react fast enough to dodge or block the final kick the conman attacked him with. The swindler’s foot planted itself on Bran’s chest, the wounds he had been able to ignore in the heat of battle screaming in his ear, as he was sent flying, crashing down on his back a few meters more backwards than where he had been standing before. Winded, he coughed a couple of times, moaning in pain as he tried to get up, his fingers touching a cold and flat surface. Eyes were not needed to recognize the object, his fingers slowly slid around the hilt of the dagger –that’s what it was- and with a groaning exertion he rose once again. Dimitri beckoned him, and Brandon switched his grip to the one he’d learned from Neslir, back in Spring. His arm swung upwards, his wrist cocked back and with a step forward, the downward arch of his forearm and a flick of his wrist, the cold metal tool slid out his grip, his fingers stroked it lightly as it sped forwards, towards its prey.

Whether Dimitri made an attempt to evade the blade or not, it did not matter, the distance between the two fighters had been too small, there was no time for the swindler to get out of the way. The question that was on Brandon’s mind though was one that made him frown at the conman’s actions. Why did he allow me to grab the dagger? Why did he just stand there while I got up, why did he not stop me? He’d had enough time for that… Then the steel tool buried itself in the man’s chest, his expression one of extreme pain as his flesh was penetrated. The blade had hit the mark, whether it had been a lucky shot or Fate that had guided the bat’s hand, the dagger pierced Dimitri’s chest with its metal sting, though it did not get very deep, exhaustion had drained Brandon of his strength, his throw weak. However, the thief did not care, he was already fixing that issue, storming towards his foe with a battlecry resembling the bestial, triumphantly roar of a predator that knew his chance had come to strike, the Kelvic drove the weapon deeper, the pommel of the dagger digging into his palm.


OOCHm.... I think I overdid it a little..... but well, EPIC BATTLE SCENE!!!! (Or rather, that's what I hope it is)

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Slowly, with pain etched on his features, Dimitri fell down on his knees, right before he collapsed on the spot, his back slamming onto the ground. “Fool,” he spoke with raspy voice, just as Brandon fell on his behind, his knees suddenly unable to carry the weight of his body. “You can’t do anything right, can you? The heart is located on the other side of one’s chest. You are supposed to stab me there,” he tapped the correct spot with a trembling finger. “Never mind though, I’ll need a master healer to fix this wound, I won’t survive without one… Don’t-” interrupted the conman as Brandon was about to get on his feet, mumbling something about this not having been part of the plan. “-get up, this is how it should end, this is what I came here for… Don’t look so surprised, if it hadn’t been, you’d be the one bleeding on the ground right now. ”

“…”
“I am curious though, what exactly was your plan? … Let me guess, knock me out, take back what’s yours and make a run for it? Hahaha! You’re too naïve, Brandon.”
Said Brandon said nothing in response, instead he let himself fall on his back as well and stared at the sky, where the stars and Leth’s one eye returned his gaze. It was a beautiful night, a very nice contrast with the events that unfolded in the realm of the mortals, confirming the fact that Gods and men were separated by a huge canyon, distant from each other. “I could have just tracked you down and … well … have had a nice, friendly chat.” Oh, the irony. “But well, seeing as this is how things turned out, slightly different than I had expected, I guess I could tell you my story, you know, as a way to kill time.” A grim soft chuckle transformed in a terrible cough. “What do you say?”

“Do I actually have a choice in the matter?”
“You don’t,” Dimitri smiled “You are the only person I can still tell, Brandon, there will be no ‘later’ for me anymore –don’t protest! This is how it is supposed to be.” Though his breathing was unsteady –Bran suspected the dagger had pierced a lung- Dimitri seemed utterly calm and peaceful. At peace with his coming death, or so it seemed.
“Why I am saying that you ask?”
“I said nothing,” Brandon remarked dryly, interrupting the swindler’s sentence.
“Your face tells it all.” Dimitri shrugged lightly, though it seemed to cause him a lot of pain. “Just let me tell you!”demanded the conman, almost begging, almost. “A long time ago, when I was still a young lad, I had the chance to have my future being laid bare for me by an old seer. I wonder where exactly that was … not important though. She warned me that the future is not set in stone and that her divinations were vague most of the time, and that knowing one’s future could not necessarily be avoided, no matter the knowledge of the happenings to come. Also that sometimes it might cause paranoia and other bad mental conditions. I chose to listen anyway. ”

Truly, Brandon was fascinated by what the swindler had to say, it was interesting. People who could see in the future, they actually existed? Brandon had always thought they were but fairytales and bed-time stories. Legends and myths, but they were true? So then the Gods and Goddesses were also? Seeing is believing, and though he wanted to believe they did exist and that they did watch over this realm, he had never actually thought they were real. The names, the rituals, the prayers, they actually meant something after all? Brandon was not entirely convinced just yet, sure, he had honored a couple of the divine, but it hadn’t been true faith … or had it? Anyways, Dimitri seemed certain of it, not doubting what the seer had said, Bran wondered what it was.

“She said –I can’t remember the exact words- she said she saw me die. No friends or family nearby to weep, there were mountains near. I then asked who, who killed –or would kill me. A bat, she said, it will be a bat.” The bat swallowed, that was quite a detailed description of the scene here, what had he said? Vague? No way, this was clear enough for him. This was more than enough to convince the thief, Gods, miracles and whatnot, this vision Dimitri had described had convinced Brandon of their existence. There was no doubt left, they were as real as the rocks that hurt his rear. There was one thing he wanted to know, a question he did not dare to ask –actually, so he realized, I’d rather not know the answer to that problem. The Kelvic had been pondering whether –since those actions he would take had been predicted years ago, before he was born- those actions had been chosen by himself or if there was someone unknown, someone extremely powerful who had scripted all this. He did not want to know, he’d rather live the illusion than face the horrible truth –if this was an illusion and that other reality, that is.

“So, that’s what I mean when I say ‘this is how it should be’. I had forgotten that prediction, I’ve never thought about it after a couple of months had passed, but it suddenly popped back in my mind as you grabbed that dagger. I didn’t understand at first, that bat-thing…it didn’t seem right. However, I recalled your expressions and screams during our meeting here… you- you are one of the Kelvic, aren’t you? ” Brandon nodded in awe, he was good, well, not like he’d done a good job hiding his nature. Dimitri seemed content with it, closing his eyes and took a deep breath in.

“As for the tale I wish to tell you… Care to listen?”
“I’m all ears,” the bat whispered.

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credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

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Before the man could start talking, however, the swindler’s body convulsed horribly as a terrible cough escaped his mouth, it wouldn’t be long before Dira would lead him to his next life, it seemed. Dimitri’s shirt had been a light grey before, but now it was stained with a large reddish stain that grew larger every chime, slowly expanding. It was a good thing the dagger was still inside the wound, if not the conman would have died of blood loss already. Either way though, there was not that much time left, Brandon knew that within chimes Death would drain the little life Dimitri still possessed.

“I wasn’t always a criminal, I already told you I was a beast tamer long ago, right? Well I was part of a troupe of entertainers: magicians, knife throwers, acrobats, jugglers… We were a … travelling circus, if you will. ” The conman’s corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his eyes clouded. “We were not really successful, but we were a tight group of friends, a family. It was during a visit in Sylirias that I met the woman who’d become my wife. She came to me after the show, she was very impressed by my performance… ” His voice trailed off, his mind enveloped in happy memories.

“The troupe stayed in the city for a season, during which she and I spent a lot of time together and when our circus left, she tagged along. A couple of seasons later we married.” Suddenly, the conman’s features turned sad, his voice hesitant and pained, the happy memories turned into bad ones, the ones he did not want to remember. “Not that much later, about a year I guess, the troupe was in financial trouble. People found us outdated, not spectacular enough, we –as entertainers- had failed them. We realized soon, but we did not change our shows, nor our acts. We loved what we did, and we did it for our own pleasure, not for the people’s, whatever they might believe. ” He sighed deeply.

“Before long, the circus had lost all financial support, and the audience also. We had no money, we could not do what we loved to do anymore. The troupe had been falling apart since the first notion of the trouble had been recorded, but now even the most optimistic ones of our family left, only a persistent few remained, I was one of them.” Dimitri paused for a few ticks, staring at the moon and stars, Brandon waited patiently, a revered silence descending upon the duo. Then, the swindler continued : “The little money we still had left was gone within days, even the small core crumbled into pieces. I had to take care of my family, a daughter had been added, and I searched for a job. No-one wanted to employ me, I even applied for the jobs no-one wanted to take, but to no avail. I guess I looked too much like a beggar… Then, there appeared a man before me, he said he’d give me work and he’d pay well for my services. I, the fool, grabbed the opportunity with both hands, desperate as I was. At first, there wasn’t much I had to do for him, sometimes he just asked me some questions, other times just asked me to deliver a message or retrieve a package for him… he did pay well though.

The money I earned saved my family, I became relatively wealthy once more, and we were happy. However, it was then that my savior started demanding things of me that were not exactly legal. Still, I did as asked, but after a year or so I was fed up with it. I was being led down the path of the criminals, a path I did not want to walk. I thanked my employer for his kindness, and told him I wanted to quit.” Another string of coughs, even worse-sounding than before. “The man –I called him Mr. Black, for he always wore black clothes, and his hair was black too- revealed that he could not let me go. I said I wouldn’t tell anyone, but he shook his head. He claimed that he had seen this coming and that he’d sent someone to ensure of my loyalty. I did not know exactly what he meant, but I had a bad feeling.

I stayed under his command, but when I and some others had to rob a jeweler for him, I refused and turned my back on Mr. Black. When I arrived at home, my wife had been murdered. I can still see it vividly, it haunts my dreams still.” The sadness was unmistakable, Dimitri’s voice was but a whisper, a tear rolled down his cheek, but he kept speaking. “Mr. Black arrived a chime or two later, and coldly said that this was just a warning to show that he did not bluff. If I disobeyed again, my daughter would be next, I knew that much.” Tears flowed freely now, unrestrained salty droplets pearled out of his eyes, and yet, the crying man did not stop his tale.

“I left my daughter in the care of a friend, one I could trust as I was ordered to move to another city. I sent half the money I earned to my friend, compensation for the care of my girl. I have searched for a way out of the group ever since, but I couldn’t find one and I did not dare to try anything. My daughter- I would not-” This time, Dimitri interrupted as he could not speak anymore, an uncontrollable sobbing took over and Brandon stared at the ground. “I haven’t seen her in ten years… She grew up without a father, without a mother … and though I would have loved to be by her side, I could not. I never stopped thinking about her, everything I have done has been for her sake, every damn job I have done, every dirty petching task I had to do, it was all for her- I did not think about myself anymore, I did not live for myself, but at what cost. I suffered, I despaired and I worried. I became numb, a shell of a man. I did not want to die like this, I wanted to get out of the grip of that man and I realized there was one thing I could do to free myself: the only way out is to die. Though I feared that suicide would get my daughter killed as well, so I set this up when you came along.” And he smiled, the conman smiled.

“Brandon, this is my dying wish, a favor I want to ask of you. Take my life, end my misery, cut me out of this circle of suffering, for I can take it no more.” The bat was taken aback by this request, wasn’t the swindler dying already? Wait, that expression of pain, even now, he was suffering, that wound would not kill him immediately, but would push him towards his demise slowly and painfully. The kelvic could help him, he could free him from this world, he could liberate the swindler from his bonds, he could show him mercy. A nod, he accepted and his hand moved towards the hilt of the blade. “Wait Brandon, there’s one more thing.” the dying man interrupted “Mr. Black is back in town, when I die he will lose one of his contacts in this city. He will look for a replacement, possibly you. But you can escape! I have observed you, you don’t have anyone you hold dear. Not in this city, and if there are others, he will not know of them. Brandon, you will take my place, but fear not, for you do have a way out.” He beamed him a gentle smile, one of comrades, strangely enough.

“In my backpack you will find a salve to clean your wounds, as well as bandages and the money I stole from you. Your clothes and other possessions are up there, by the fire. Consider this my apology. ” He nodded lightly now, and Brandon grabbed the hilt of the dagger firmly, eyes closed and pulled the weapon free from the flesh it was sheathed in. Dimitri moaned in pain and blood gushed out the wound. A trembling hand grabbed the blade and moved it to the spot Dimitri had shown earlier. “Twist the blade …. when it can’t be stabbed deeper, ….that …. should do …. the trick…” the conman breathed, his words faint and barely audible to the human ear.

“I shall bring you deliverance, I will show mercy by ending your life quickly, your suffering has come to an end.”Both hands folded around the hilt now, trembling like a leaf, tears now flowing down his cheeks as well, and his voice cracked, Dimitri closed his eyes and smiled. “In the name of Dira, I liberate you!” the yell tore itself out of his throat as he plunged the weapon into the swindler’s chest, deeper and deeper he drove it, until it could go no further. Then with a sharp twist of his wrists, he made sure to be thorough, like Dimitri had instructed. The conman’s last words had not been lost, his ears had registered them as the blade had descended in a downward arch.

“Thank you…”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Brandon Blackwing]

x

As if time had slowed down, Brandon pulled the dagger out of the wound in slow-motion, his hands were trembling again –his whole body was in fact- and the act of taking a life had drained him of his strength, his mind was bewildered, not comprehending what just had happened, what he had done. Of course he knew what his body had done, what he had agreed on, but it seemed so stupid a thing to do right now. Gods, what have I done? The corpse in front of him seemed to beam him a smile, one of gratitude and consolation, as if Dimitri wanted to quench the bat’s mental turmoil, telling him he had done the right thing.

“Yeah,” uttered the bat, only half convinced, “If you say so. ” It had been Dimitri’s dying wish, he had done it to protect the life of an innocent bystander, someone who did not deserve to die, who should not die for mistakes made by her father. A sigh, and a smile as the Kelvic returned his gaze to the peaceful corpse, Dimitri seemed to be happy with his fate, finally free and he would be in his next life as well -hopefully. The smile broadened and with an arm the bat wiped the tears from underneath his eyes, after which he realized he still held the blade that caused the loss of life in his hand.

Brandon stared at it for a while, studying it carefully; the blood that ran down the blade, the hand that held it, and noted that it was the most humble-looking of his six daggers, the most plain and simple one that had tasted blood first, that it had killed first. He shook his head as he raised it to eye-level, the tip pointing up. Black orbs followed a droplet of scarlet sliding down for a brief moment before he spoke solemnly: “From this moment forth this dagger will be known as Abaserozt, for I hope it will not have to live up to its name. ” Another sigh.

“I am afraid, Dimitri, that -even though I only wanted to respect your last request- taking a life also takes its toll. I can only conclude that deaths like this –totally unnecessary ones- are not ours to decide to end. In fact, I don’t believe any being –except the Gods- has the right to take a life other than those necessary to survive; for food or if there is no other way for self-preservation. ” Another shake of his head. “Taking your life, even though I know that it was to bring deliverance, has filled me with a sadness I cannot describe. Only a few chimes have passed and here I am, wondering whether what I did was the right thing to do… The curse of being a sentient being, I guess.” The kelvic let out a small chuckle of self-pity before muttering quietly: “If I had been but a bat, my life would have been so much easier, I don’t think I’d have to carry this burden of guilt. Seriously, you have it easy, just dying and being reborn. I on the other hand have to deal with the grief, sorrow and guilt your passing brought me. While dying might not be that bad for the person experiencing it, it is terrible for the living… but worry not. I am not human, though I resemble one. I am Kelvic, beast in human disguise and cursed with a mind like the humans –more or less. I understand more than other sentient beings the need of death, the way it preserves life, how it gives birth to something new.” Talking with the corpse that was once a person he despised, a man he had come to respect when his life had ended, calmed the thief, the more he spoke, the more he was consoled by his own words, the less sadness was left, until he would rid himself of the burden of guilt and the weight of sorrow that tormented his mind.

“I am Kelvic, a bat, a predator. I take the lives of many at night during my hunts, I do it to survive. They are my prey, my food and I am grateful for that. If not for them I would have ceased to exist a long time ago. And when I die, I will fall to the ground, where the beings that were once my food will eat me. Along with them, the earth will destroy my body and absorb all useful things it needs to enrich itself. Then the plants that grow on the earth will use those parts of me to grow and flourish. My death will sustain the life of many others. It’s an endless circle –the circle of life and death. And that my friend,” Brandon had no idea when exactly the dead swindler had become his friend, and if he truly meant it, but he called him ‘friend’ anyway, “is what will happen to you as well, I will make sure of that. It’s not a burial, but it is way better, your corpse will ensure that others will live on, it will make your death necessary, it will be the foundation of life! It is the foundation of life! ” But first he’d have to tend his wounds though, in his current state, Bran would not be able to do much, he was tired. But rest would come later, first he’d deal with the things he needed to do.

The backpack Dimitri had left contained indeed what he had said it would: a lot of bandages, all rolled up, a small pot with a crème inside that smelled like herbs and a small pouch with the money Dimitri had conned from him. The bat smiled, his task was done, he had fulfilled his objective, he got his revenge, though it was not something he felt proud of. Additionally, he had discovered the identity of Arthur’s killer, that Eth he’d made a contract with would be content. Though the bat could probably forget about those one-hundred and thirty kina –or had it been more?- he would be paid for his services, the guy, Arct-something, had vanished into thin air right after they had concluded their first meeting. Brandon hadn’t seen him ever again. Another sigh, one-hundred thirty kina was a lot of money … he would probably never be paid such amount ever again…

Wounds, wounds! Right, the thief focused back on the task at hand, and smeared some paste on the abrasions on his chest and arms, which had already stopped bleeding. The herbs that should help the healing process and would clean the injuries seemed to work, though the bat only thought so because as soon as he applied the salve his wounds started itching and stinging. Then he wrapped the bandages carefully around his torso, which was hard to do since his back was in the way sometimes. He also wrapped some bandages around his shoulder, to make sure it wouldn’t loosen and make his work undone, his chest wasn’t the best place to bandage after all, due to needing to breathe –which expanded and shrunk the volume and size of it- he couldn’t wrap it as tight as he’d have liked. His arms came next and were not easy either, only one hand could be used and that proved to be frustrating, but after a lot of struggling and cursing he managed anyway.

Now, since the mountainous terrain stretched out from here, the forest where the plants and animals stayed was up that hill…. Curses, he’d have to drag Dimitri’s corpse uphill… that would be tough… Oh well, though the hillside was steep, it wasn’t too steep to walk on, it would just be a drag and while tugging a dead weight along, it would be hell. But not impossible, and he would do what he’d said he’d do. With a bandaged arm the thief strapped the backpack on and then he placed the corpse on top of it, as if giving him a piggyback, ignoring the pain of his battered body, the strained muscles and exhaustion for this was something he just had to do. Standing bended over the bat bound the dead swindler’s wrists together, using said conman’s shirt. Now he wouldn’t fall off, though Bran wouldn’t be able to use his arms. Oh well, he’d manage to get up there, tired or not, he should be able to do that before he’d collapse.

“Heh, ….. Let’s get this over with!”

x

credit goes to Euthisa

[Raien Ironarm Pitrius]

XP Award!

Name: Brandon Blackwing

XP Award:
Observation +5
Acting +1
Tactics +2
Unarmed Combat +4
Dagger +2

Lore Award:
Adrenaline and Greed: A Truly Potent Combination
The Different Types of Whips
Dimitri's Whip: A tool for Punishment
An Inquiry between Opponents
Dimitri's "Generous" Offer
Greed: Passing Up Mercy for a Fight
Dimitri's Arrogance
Unarmed Combat: An Adrenaline-Filled Charge
Whip: A Tool Capable of Inducing Severe Pain
Being Baffled by Pain
Kelvic Instincts: The Startling Anger of a Bat
Tactics: Never Give Up!
Tactics: Drastic Measures
Whip Wielders: Vulnerable to a Firm Hold
Tactics: Disarming an Opponent
Unarmed Combat: Pleasure in Paying back an Opponent
Caught off Guard by a Sneak Attack!
Being thrown Over an Edge!
Dimitri: A Relentless Opponent
Dimitri: A Smartass in all Situations
Returning Mirth with a Subtle Threat
Being Attacked by Your own Weapon!
Unarmed Combat: Disarming a Dagger Wielder
Dagger: A Projectile as a Last Resort
Dagger: Striking a Felled Foe
Dimitri: An Antagonizer to the End
Dimitri's Tale
The Fluidity of Fate
Faith: Is it Real?
Faith: Was I ever Faithful?
Brandon's Revelation: Embrace the Illusion
Entertaining a Dead Man's Tale
Dimitri: An Observant Fellow
Dimitri: Once a Desperate Beggar
Dimitri: A Tortured Soul?
Dimitri's Plea for Mercy
Dimitri: A Death Dedicated to Dira
Brandon Blackwing: A killer?
Dimitri: A Friend?
A "Better" Burial

Ledger/Items:
+ All Your Possessions(Returned)
+ Bandages(Wrapped Around Body)

Injuries/Consequences:
Lacerations: Multiple lacerations of varying size and depth now crisscross Brandon's body. A few days rest are recommended, however, with some minor pain, Brandon would be able to quite easily return to his usual activities without said rest.

Sore Muscles: Brandon's muscles will be sore for the next week. However, the soreness will begin to fade at the halfway point, and will be nearly unnoticable by the sixth day, before dissipating entirely around or slightly before the seventh.

Grader Comments:
Amazing, Amazing, Amazing! What can I say other than that my friend? In your very own words "I was hooked". Seriously, it was a great read. And was very thought-provoking. Although, I may have overdone it with the lore awards just a wee bit. Still, it was necessary I say! I simply couldn't resist pointing out all the knowledge Bran would have gained in this detailed, albeit somewhat short, plot.