Bab 35: Vandryk Roe § the fallen

Aethelstan's voice sounded so blood drippingly sweet, the deranged glint in his shining silver eyes reflected nothing. His calm demeanor was nowhere in sight as if it was never even there to begin with.

His provoking question directed to the leader of forty nine bandits, who were specialized in their choice of work. They were very strategic in the way they took over the mansion.

First they destroyed the runes and with that simultaneously got rid of the runes master, then they meticulously rounded up all inhabitants before enjoying a meal like never before.

Now Aethelstan was curious as to who they were here, him or Adrian.

Yet that was rapidly pushed back as the answer to his provoking question was splattered all over his face.

The boss ,who's name was Vandryk Roe, had now enclosed his hand around the robber that had protected him and closed it tighter every passing second.

Closing it so hard that mere seconds later blood seeped past the holes of the hand.

It must have been a rollercoaster for the robber, from enjoying a rich meal to fighting and killing his comrades. After all that he met a fatal end at the hand of his boss.

An ending that had left him unrecognisable, face flattened by the mere strength of Vandryk.

Truly an unfortunate day, if only he cared. Even the boss didn't seem to care much about his fallen as he just dropped the body before swatting away another one of his controlled robbers. And unlike Adrian, the robber didn't heal as his body loudly hit the wall.

The captees attention focused on the crashed down body, a few wondered if the person in question was still alive, a few like Avery shrugged it off. They were more than used too.

Even Adrian ,who had experienced very few deaths except his own and only non threatening injuries had watched, heard the crack and saw the lifeless body fall down without any reaction.

All that Adrian did was gaze over the person before shifting back to Aethelstan, who had never looked less like him.

Aethel hadn't even moved, merely controlled the strings of a dozen people yet Adrian had to admit it suited him.

Aethelstan had always been patient, he hadn't seen him do anything so violent but Adrian knew very well that the other had experienced quite a past. A past without a doubt left him feeling cold.

Aethel never told him about it but nonetheless Adrian knew. Not everything as Aethelstan always closed his side of the bond in his weakest moments.

As if there was something he wasn't allowed to feel or see.

Well with all the power and as omniscient as the other was, it was only normal he felt the need to hide some things or even flaws.

A slight smirk passed Adrian's face but not everyone was so at ease.

Dawn ,who had been having a hard time since he left the vampire kingdom, was even more restless at the closeness of so many humans.

Even more tense, he kept feeling things that weren't there, senses of danger provided by his deluded thoughts. A fact that left him closely clinging to Adrian.

Quilt simmered inside him, the young boy must already have a lot of worries and here he only added more. But he couldn't help it, in this land of bad memories and unknowns, Dawn couldn't help clinging to the only thing he had.

He could've gone to Aethelstan yet right now he terrified him and Dawn would never disturb the others as he made their chances of escape better.

Aethelstan...was everything he was once, only better and stronger.

He reminded him of a better him, a character and person long since gone.

Yet the way the other killed people without a word was way too familiar.

Scathing gaze as he looked at those around and played with them as a puppeteer would.

Because of him, people lost their lives like ants. His provocation, something so unlike Aethelstan, caused another three robbers to die.

The crack following the third's death made him cling even tighter to Adrian, the sound was something he had experienced way too many times.

He felt like such a deadweight, a deadweight to Adrian when he got knocked out and here once again as he stayed useless, fear chaining him down.

He feared the future and what it could bring but was startled out of his strance as a sigil burned in his skin. Surprised he looked at Adrian, who merely silenced with a soft smile.

The sigil as dark as night vanished shortly after.

As if aware of what was happening, silver eyes laid upon them before turning back to the approaching Vandryk Roe, silence had descended in the dining room as all those controlled by Aethelstan died.

All except one.

Forty- nine robbers yet that number was rapidly reduced as four of the hypnotized died brutally at the hands of their leader. Another five got killed as soon as their stunned comrades woke up.

By then ,however, his plan had already succeeded.

As his ten hypnotized warriors killed a total of twenty. A total of twenty robbers lost their lives to trusted comrades.

Turning to the only hypnotized member left, Aethelstan calmly said. "Before you go, why don't you take one with you.

Spear clenched in her hands, she turned and in one smooth move threw it, watching as it embedded in another robber. Fear engulfed in his features as he crashed down in slow motion, still conscious as blood ebbed away.

Same fear washed ashore on the face of the spear wielder as a hand cut off her airway.

Crushing it as the last thing she saw was her spear reflecting in her eyes.

Thirty-one, a tiny smirk made it's way over Aethelstan's face, only to vanish in obscurity.

''So what are you going to do? I'm still ,ever so, at your mercy.''

Disbelief crossed the face of Vandryk Roe before deciding on the next best course of action.

"It seems you need another pair of chains.

They told me you where strong but this goes beyond that"

The person that had been following and accompanying the boss everywhere, was now handing a specially crafted and modified pair of cuffs.

Squinting his eyes, Aethelstan refrained from questioning how they got their hands on such a rare magical object.

"Who says I will agree to that?"

Twirling the chains in his hands Vandryk Roe drawled out. "You will or I will just visit that little vampire over there.''

''He has nothing to do with this though?"

"I think he does. You see, my very nifty assistant enlightened me about something very interesting.

Our captees apparently spoke of a thingy thingy or as they afterwards so carefully mentioned a bond. Now I'm not stupid, you two have a connection so better hurry up and decide.

With a glare in Avery's direction Aethelstan answered. "Really now? It seems you have me cornered. Do as you please?''

Avery huffed as he watched the new pair of chains wrapping around the elf's wrists. It had been too easy, the elf only twitchingHe had dutifully ignored the way Adrian gasped out loud despite the amount of time he and the elf have spend together, Adrian still didn't have any of Aethelstan's stoicness

When annoyed that would break however and Avery quite liked that fact, except now he was the one that felt annoyed as two chains clasped around the elf's wrists and connected with a wisp of magic

A pair so special that even the princess could only gain access to one when asking her father the king. The thing about those chains is that they not only restricted the use of one's magic but in fact used it to power themselves.

A type of magic typically engineered by the kingdom's sorceress but to find it here was unheard of.

Made special in the way that they only listened to the one that had put the chain on the intended prisoner whether it be a human, ork, mermaid or in this case an elf.

Chains of such quality were kept away from commoners and even high ranking nobles. It was considered illegal to possess them, so if anywhere to be found it would mean punishments of the highest order.

Once you have them and put them on someone you could restrict their entire movement, they would be left unable to do anything without permission.

If you don't want them to walk anymore, the chains made use of the captees own's magic and forcefully cuts off their tendons.

Even Avery found them marvelous, an incredible discovery, having the power to be able to restrict even the smallest of things with just a few words?

Marvelous.

What makes it even better is the fact that the chains can even nullify poison, so if the unfortunate victim wants to die by poison, it would be completely useless. Nifty advancement, ecpicially in casing where criminals were to be questioned.

A discovery that came with a lot of work and even more sacrificies as it took years to perfect.