Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Setting the stage

Chapter 60: Setting the stage

Lucius was sitting at the table in the meeting room, not betraying any emotions. When Thomas came inside the room, he stood to stare. Lucius winked at him, just like he had during their chess games, when he was about to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat.

The siren sat down as far away from the vampire as he could, and waited. Today, Lucius was going to leave, and it would be decided if Thomas himself left with him. Together with his party.

The silence stretched between them, until finally, Lucius snorted.

"Are you going to ignore me — now? And here I thought we had something special. A two-way bond," Lucius said, and he got the reaction he was looking for. Thomas flinched at the mention of the bond. His hand went to grip the dungeon core, a barrier appeared around him. "Wimp."

It took everything from the summoner not to flinch again. In a one-on-one fight, he knew he couldn't take on Lucius. Not even with the harp. Which begged the question, how had the hag landed him in the hospital wing?

"Thomas, not that I care, but how has the weight loss thing going for you?" Lucius asked, feigning disinterest. "It is an order for you to tell me."

"I lost another kilogram and 900 grams," Thomas blurted out, and then placed his hands on his mouth. Trying to keep his silence.

"Well, you should have lost more. I take it you can't even follow simple instructions?" Lucius smirked down at him. Thomas's eyes narrowed. This sort of treatment was nothing new. He had gotten it from classmates, his parents, authority figures. If the vampire thought that he could hurt him like this, then he had another thing coming.

"Your simple instructions nearly killed me," Thomas snapped. Trusting in the barrier and Lucius's desire to keep on living to keep him from harm.

"Would that they had gotten you killed sooner," Lucius lamented. Something in Thomas shriveled up, and he felt the pain at those words. They had been friends, at one point. And, as much as he didn't want to let it, the words hurt. "What, did I strike a nerve?"

"No," Thomas lied.

"Why is it that I am alive now, Tommy. The truth now, it is an order," Lucius said with a smirk. Thomas had many chances to kill him. Many reasons to do it. Back in the dungeon. Last night, when Lucius had taken liberties with the man. Yet, Lucius was unharmed.

"I still remember the time when you were the only one who believed in me," Thomas said through gritted teeth. "You played chess with me, kept me company when you could, gave me the diets, and the book."

"And you repaid me by killing off my friends," Lucius snapped. "If I was really so precious to you, you would have listened to me!"

"Eight hundred thousand children, Lucius," Thomas snapped. Eyes blazing with indignation. "What are the lives of even the best of the guild, compared to that many children?"

"Do you know how many more lives will be lost, now that the guild doesn't keep the king in check?" Lucius asked, leaning back in his seat. "We take the occasional job for royalty, but we have kept the peace."

"A bloody peace like that is not worth it," they both heard Rina come into the room. "Tommy, did he try to hurt you?"

She was staring at the barrier around her friend, and then at the vampire, who didn't look to be taking any moves to attack them.

"We were just talking," the summoner told her. Lucius snorted at that. Teri and Lester came inside the room after Rina, and took their seats.

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"If the vampire stays here, then the survivors of the guild will come back with the army to Yaranhold," Lord Vermont spoke. "I can't be known for harboring the three of you, either."

"Typical noble. They saved your hide, and now you are throwing them to the wolves," Lucius looked to be even more amused than before.

"Yaranhold will collapse the entrance of the Alchemist's Lair behind the four of you," Lester continued, not caring for the vampire's words. "And you will only come back, when everything has been said and done."

"You can't just chase us off," Teri spoke, eyes disbelieving.

"We have to stand trial for the death of the guild members, Teri," Rina spoke.

"Why? They wanted to come in here to pillage and destroy!" Teri snapped. "They are the villains here, not us."

"The trial will be quick," Thomas patted the mockingbird, which was resting on his shoulder. "And we will be found innocent. Everything will be pinned on Yima."

"You little bastard," Lucius spat. "Wait, sorry. You are not little. I dare say that no one will ever call such a fat piece of scum like you little."

"Say whatever you want," Thomas had a blank expression on his face. Lucius was doing this to punish him. Yet, the sin was something he would repeat, if the opportunity presented itself. He didn't feel like bowing his head.

"Everyone will believe that the Blood Bane managed to capture a single party," Lester agreed. "With the Alchemist's Lair collapsed, anyone who tries to come here will have to do so through the Mammoth's Graveyard."

"Why don't you just break off the country while you are at it? You will get to be king," Lucius said, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "No more taxes paid to a cousin who was born on the wrong side of the sheets. No more groveling."

"If Yaranhold breaks off, then other cities will break off as well. United we stand. That is our country's motto. I will not trample it," Lord Vermont said.

"It sounds an awful lot like we will be the ones to get the bigger end of this," Teri said, looking at Rina for some backing.

"Be that as it may, we can't deny that people died, Teri. Nothing bad will happen. Once Lucius picks the new king, we can break the cycle that has ruled this country for centuries," Rina told him.

"But they will throw us in prison!" Teri protested.

"Doesn't matter. We will live, which is more than can be said for those that died in the tunnels," Thomas stopped him from protesting further with a look.

"Oh, you do feel guilt, then?" Lucius's red eyes were staring into Thomas's brown eyes.

"They were my friends too," was all the siren said. 

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