Chapter 27: The labyrinth of addiction
With yet another flip of a paper, Avery groaned out of boredom.
The desk full papers had barely diminished, the piles stayed that, piles.
Had he known these boring tasks would fall upon his shoulder, he would have just gathered his knights and straight up killed everyone.
From the moment he had entered, he should have gotten rid of them.
He had free rein over everything that had any involvement with the vampling.
Anything, so rationally the elf would have been included with that anyhow. Yet he had promised to spare their lives and now he had papers to read.
He was getting derailed from his thoughts, his mind once more picturing the elf on his knees. Dirtied but electrical storms in his eyes made his looks even more enchanting, godly.
Avery would never deny it, a person being handsome was just that, handsome.
He was far more intrigued by the way his expression could change.
Right now ,still walking between the rows and rows of children, his face showed just that bit of thoughtfulness. The golden, glimmering shield around made him look even more godly.
Maybe he shouldn't have told him to wash up, as admiration striked in those brats eyes as he 'freely' walked around.
Avery had taken note of every single, important fact in the surroundings, the minute they walked in. In fact he could even do it with his eyes closed but no the elf just had to waste time waltzing around. All so he didn't have to help with the god damn paperwork.
It didn't help his temper that the three pests behind him whispered between each other in nervous tones, he was just itching to wrap his hands around their throats to shut them up!
His eyes scantily looked over the papers, papers that recorded everything.
The moment the plant was found, records of experiments, carried out with the sole responsibility to find out what could happen. That combined with the minimal ability that the village displayed, made it shocking that they had come so far.
Not that it had come easy, as experiments had left more than a dozen stuck in comas. Most never woke up and after a while they had been eased into the darkness.
It was only when someone had woken up that the villagers realized that the ones who used the drugs were taken into a reality like nightmare.
Only children remained safe from it and later on they where put to work because of that fact.
Well....that was until the vampling that is.
Speaking of that ,focusing a ring of light lilac appeared in Avery's eyes, revealing the way the golden shield operated and was made solely for the elf.
But that wasn't what interested him, it was the numerous internal injuries that the elf had. The way cracks practically made up the other's core.
Wounds that were visible had healed for years but would never disappear.
They were grievous enough that they would bother him for years to come.
And seeing how such heavy wounds don't just appear out of nowhere, Avery was all the more curious how the elf had gotten in such dire trouble.
It didn't look more than a decade old and for the past fifteen years the elf had been staying in Aesteamore kingdom.
Had he been attacked, it was possible seeing as Avery could envision himself doing that or maybe that was just his temper speaking.
Either way no one in his right mind would dare harm a noble from the elven realm...well Avery, himself, had never been in the right mind.
It wasn't only him, at least dozens around the world, would capture an elf if they could.
It was...just too tempting!
Besides, if no one found out there would be no one consequences, so why not take the risk?
The elf had noticed his stare and light lilac quickly faded, a devilish grin appeared on his face before he turned back to the desk and the papers with experiments.
Honestly, who cares?
All the failures and deaths caused by a measly but powerful plant, written in dozens of papers.
So excessive!
But it made him think, would they also note down everything if he went on a rampage and killed half the village?
Now that's something worth trying out.
With eyes glinting, a small trace of bloodlust lingered around him.
A rise of vindicated pleasure rose inside him as the three losers flinched and backed off.
His fun moment had soon been disrupted by the very distinctive and silky voice.
Paper quickly discarded, floating down to the ground as his hazel orbs looked at the elf right in front.
Even with the large amounts of wounds, the elf clearly knew magic.
If they were to fight, there would be a large possibility Avery would lose.
However in the right circumstances and taking advantage of the elf's weak spot he would win.
That was something to look forward to, having the elf kneel in pure defeat would be everything!
"You gave your word."
"I haven't even done anything."
"You were thinking about it."
"I won't deny that.
Say, how do you think those adults will react when I slaughter their children and leave them with nothing? Would they sink in despair?"
The trio flinched but hazel orbs were solely on Aethelstan as he received their looks of pity. An elf that needed nothing of that sort, as he rummaged unimpressed through the papers.
"You work for the princess, shouldn't you just be a good little boy?"
With a low grunt, Avery spoke up.
"Who wants to be good!? Besides that means absolutely nothing. What made you even think I was anything but evil!?"
Avery sounded truly wronged at the accusation of having to be good. A snort left the elf at the wrongness and an all too triumphant smile stretched wide on Avery's face at the chuckle.
Aethelstan had seen it, turning page after page as he marked down that reactions made the boy happy. "Well maybe you're trying a little bit too hard?"
"I haven't even gotten started." Hazel eyes glinted and he had been sure there was something in them mere moments before he had reached the desk. But whatever it had been had since vanished.
While he had been walking through the rows he had made up his mind, the bond was slowly growing and it was high time they figured out how it worked completely.
The fact that Adrian would definitely be confronted by countless difficulties in the future only made him feel more certain in using this bored human.
He wouldn't deny that when Adrian came into his life, a warmth long lost slowly returned.
So without a doubt he could do something as easy as take commands from someone, arrogance wasn't exactly something he cared for and beside that Avery would have what he wanted.
Something interesting.
He could extract information from him, read the books and Avery could demand whatever he wanted
A fair trade in some ways yet Avery was not aware it was a trade.
"What are you thinking?"
"Worried that I plan to get rid of you? And here I started to believe that you were just plain evil."
"Tch, you hold yourselves in such high esteem, don't you? For someone so inadvertently scarred you just like the risk don't you?"
Aethelstand didn't bother answering, inquiring eyes lingering on the burns caused by this magical place.
"Yet another thing scarred for life, ain't that right elf?"
With a frown etching in his forehead, he answered cautiously. 'I have no idea what you're implying.''
"Ofcourse, you don't.''
Did the human have an ability that could look within cores and souls alike? Much like Adrian's ability?
It wasn't a fun thought but he had seen the way Avery's eyes flickered for a second and had taken in everything within said second.
Maybe it could be another way to hold the attention of the bored youth when it faltered. Because without a doubt he would only be able to get his hands on valuable information through him as he was connected with royalty.
There were other ways but then his own identity would come into play and that was something he didn't want.
So now he had to deal with a youth that knows no privacy.
Turning, he leaned against the desk, gazing down at the other. Who had wheeled himself closer with the inexpensive chair.
There was a silent stand-off, both just watching each other.
Aethelstan didn't have time or the childish need for this, so he broke it first.
"You really are like a child. Having to be entertained."
The glimmer of victory changed to anger as his hands fisted once more in his clothes and pulled them face to face, distance practically nonexistent.
"So why don't you entertain me on my fucking lap!"
"Keep dreaming." A flicker of his fingers and the hands were ripped off.
His fabric had torn with it but soon mended themselves unlike the wounds on Avery's eyes, who carefully examined them.
Not an ounce of healing magic then.
Aethelstan didn't care as he swung a paper in front of the annoyed face.
Written right there was the testimony of a surviving warrior. One that had overcome the slaughter of his entire village.
"Read this." Unexpectedly Avery did just that.
'It was as if I returned back in time.
Sweet everlasting words that I hadn't heard in decades came crashing back down on me
Faces that hadn't been seen without blood and broken bones looked healthy and happy in my vision
Friends who I shared happy and sad memories with ,once upon a time, smiled and laughed once again with me.
It was the best but what made it even better was my young son ,barely three, clinging to my legs and asking innocently about my day.
My wife, my beautiful wife, loudly screaming at us to stop the shenanigans and get back inside before the food would turn cold.
Our dog barked and ran wildly around us as we walked back on the flowery path leading to our small cottage. A cottage filled with the everlasting smell of food and love.
The warmth of my beautiful wife as she embraced me with a welcome back. I returned and with that a hello to my daughter still in her belly.
It was ever so tempting to just fall back in, in fact I think I did.
The reality that was my life just a dream in my mind.
A nasty dream that I forgot about just as quickly as my perfect life stared back at me.
My son waved and ran excitedly towards me as I once again returned home from a day's work. My wife smiling brightly with the sun right behind her.
Picture perfect.
But not for much longer as I left with a couple of friends, out of town to enjoy a drink and our time together while my wife worked hard raising ourson, exhausted as she was.
How could I have been so tupid to leave? Blind to the fortune I had as I returned to utter silence.
Not a light in sight and not a sound around.
Utter darkness.
The dream became reality as I ran and soon the bloody insides of my dog lay scattered all around.
With a feeling of dread and pure horror I ventured further.
Scared as with every step I took, the dream came true as my tearing eyes gazed upon them and soon I stilled in front of my wife's body.
Wide smile nowhere insight as she looked on in horror, surroundings drenched in blood. Their baby she was carrying in her stomach, a baby almost fully grown was visibly taken, cut out of her.
The small body that it would have been nowhere to be seen.
Everything was the same, the mutilated body, blood everywhere and my small son nowhere to be found.
Yet his feet already walked to where the body would be found, the small boy had not even been given a chance to live. Yet again a light snuffed out too soon, while his sister didn't even grace the world.
It was clean, the way his head had been taken off. Face still looking in fear, tear tracks visible as his mouth stayed frozen in fear.
I couldn't remember how long I stayed there, frozen for the second time.
It was real, painful and still very much raw.
Yet as my eyes fluttered back open I realised that I could use my past to grow stronger, with that step I had started my journey towards revenge.
Revenge for my beautiful family.
Avery didn't change his expression, still annoyed but Aethelstan had felt the emotions that came with every written word.
It must have been a strong person to be able to write his experience down, the horrifying experience most likely replaying time and time again behind his eyes.
""What do you wa--""He's awake!""-How exactly do you know that?"
Avery had heard his exclamation and had immediately regarded him with suspicions.
It was on reflex, the moment he felt the bond open the words had already slipped. Kicking himself he reminded himself that they weren't in Aesteamore kingdom anymore. Not surrounded by people who knew of the bond.
"Do you think I would leave the boy up there with no extra security or spells?"
A wave of realisation in hazel eyes later. "No, no you wouldn't".
"Exactly."
"Yet you want me to believe that the boy woke up from a coma where 25 percent died from and another 35 percent either fell into a coma or lost some of their magic or martial arts. Especially considering the fact that those were people trained by the villagers ,with their meager resources, for weeks on end.
Yet the boy just gets out magically unscathed?"
"I didn't say anything about him getting out unscathed."
Aethelstan didn't bother with Avery anymore as with a wave of his hand he sent the chair turning in circles away from him.
Hearing the exclamation of surprise from Avery ,he snickered silently as he headed towards Adrian, confused feeling still coming from his side of the bond.
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