The Warlock Pt. 09

"If you sent some hard PG-13 or light R rated stuff Gwydion would bust a nut. He would be too embarrassed to say or do anything if you sent stuff like what Xandra just sent me," I said with my eyes closed.

She looked thoughtful.

"So some racy lingerie shots with some bare tits and maybe a full frontal shot or two." she said almost to herself.

"When we're done killing these Vampyres I'm going to need to stop by Victoria's Secret on the way home. Can I have some cash or a card? Or do you want to come in?" she said with an evil smirk.

I reached into my suit jacket and brought out my wallet. I carry two thousand dollars cash in hundreds with me at all times. Any more than that and the wallet gets too thick and can spoil the lines of my suit. I counted out five hundred and handed it to her.

"I don't want to see it, I don't want to know about it, and we can be done talking about this at anytime," I said.

"I take it that means you don't want to take the pictures?" she asked with a downright wicked smile.

The car pulled to a stop outside an abandoned building. Chloe got that look on her face like something smelled bad.

"This must be it. Time to kill some Vampyres," I said as I bolted outside the car and away from this awkward conversation.

Chloe snickered as she got out of the car on her side.

"Saved by the bell, eh Pops?" she laughed.

"Time to get serious Chloe," I replied. "These are the nest guardians; they're going to be a lot tougher than the swarm we just faced."

"I figured as much, but I've been working on something while we were driving over here. Unlike SOME people. I wasn't distracted by nudie pics." She smiled.

The building's windows were all boarded up. She walked over to one and I saw her focus her magic. She punched a fist sized hole through the wood. Then she did another seeming impossible task. I saw a green smoke coming from her hand, pouring into the hole she had just punched. Five minutes later I saw traces of the smoke escaping through little cracks in between the wood slats that covered the windows. Every few minutes the smoke would rise to another floor. By the time it got to the top floor there was some pounding on the boarded up windows up there. The pounding stopped. I saw smoke coming from the door on the roof and I knew that the entire building was full. I looked over at Chloe and she pulled her hand away from the hole.

Chloe looked at me and gave a huge grin.

"The weakest ones are vaporized. The moderate and strong ones are dead-dead now. There were two that were head and shoulders taller and smarter than the rest. I moderated the gas at the last second to put them asleep so you could get some questions answered. Now, I am going to sit in the car because I don't want to get filthy before I go try on lingerie. Is there a spell that allows us to clean ourselves up without having to take a shower?

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The door was locked but it only took a quick magical augment of my strength to break it open. The smoke rolled out. As I stepped in I expected to have to pick my way through bodies. But then I remembered she said the weak ones were vaporized. All Vamps can see in the dark so there were no lights on in the building at all. With all the windows boarded up it was almost pitch-black in here, so I cast a spell that let me see in the dark. I could hear some coughing and crying coming from the basement, so I slowly made my way there. There were four iron cages containing four or five human per piece. The prisoners were all shocked and battered. One was a little girl of about seven or eight who just sat there staring at the wall. Instead of opening the doors and getting them out of there immediately, I wove a giant sleep spell and settled it over them all. When I was done here I would make a call to the fire department and police to get them out. As they started drifting off the little girl turned and looked at me. I could feel her inside my head and when she found what she was looking for I heard her murmur.

Sleep now. Help later. Okay. Crap. This girl must be an empath. I had to get her to Droga.

I opened the cage she was in and picked up her slumbering form. She was skin and bones and weighed almost nothing. I carried her back up and took her outside to the waiting car. Chloe came out and looked at me oddly.

"Have the driver take you back to Droga's place. Make sure he takes care of this girl. Be very careful around her; she's an empath. She should be sleeping for another hour or two, but guard your thoughts very carefully. Come back and get me when you're done." I told her.

"Sure thing Pops. Be careful okay?" she said as she took the still-sleeping child from me.

I looked up at the building and thought of the two creatures up there who were probably running the show. I started feeling anger rise. I didn't know it, but I had popped into my fiend persona. There was no one around to judge me now. I was going to get answers, and there was going to be pain.

I stalked inside.

I made it up to the top floor inside the building with no problems. There were two forms laid out next to the window and I took these to be the ringleaders. One looked like a typical skinhead with the leather jacket and the tattoos and piercings. The other looked decidedly out of place; he was dressed in an Armani suit and his shoes must have cost at least 500 bucks.

What the hell was a Nosferatu doing slumming with a Blood caste?

There are two types of Vampyres; the Nosferatu class is the cultured and urbane Vampyres that you've read about in Dracula and other popular works. They are tough, patient, and very structured. For a long time they held to the bloodlines and limited the number of Vamps in the world. About the time of the Industrial Revolution however, things changed. No one quite knows how but all of a sudden a new breed of Vamp came onto the scene. These were loud, uncultured, and disorganized. They had also developed certain traits. They were less sensitive to the sun for starters. They were faster, quicker, and stronger for another. They also didn't care about who they infected and how many people turned. This was one period when the Paladins had earned their keep. They'd gone and started cleaning out the nests of new Vamps, dubbing them "Blood caste." They'd also gone and pressured the Nosferatu to get their house in order. Things ended up working out. The blood caste seemed to hold themselves in check a bit better, while the Nosferatu worked diligently to keep the rest of the supernatural community off their backs. These days there is always a nest of 20 to 30 Blood caste in any given city. They pretty much seem to keep themselves in check, though, and the Paladins generally let them live.

As I was pondering why these two would be seen together, I heard a whimper from a closet to my right.

I cast a spell to make the room as bright as day, then whipped open the closet door. As I expected the guy that fell out of the closet couldn't adjust his eyes quickly and was momentarily blinded. I recognized him.

Jordan Roberts. Aeromancer extraordinaire. Magical sniper for the wetworks division of the Arcane Council. Right hand to Luthiar Falstaff. This walking corpse was probably the man that had shot my friend. If he came up chased by a Wraith, I would know we had the right guy. I sent a hard fist of air into Jordan's jaw. He dropped like a stone. I turned my attention away from him and focused on the two Vamps, who were beginning to come around.

I lifted the Nosferatu up with air and summoned two silver spikes. I leaned him over the desk and impaled his wrists to the wood. He came to with a short scream then just laid there, breathing heavily. I summoned two more spikes and impaled his legs to the desk behind his kneecaps. I used my magic to turn the ends of the spikes into hooks.

I then did the same thing to the big Blood caste boy, except he whined and screamed like a little bitch. I walked around the desk and sat down in the chair. Their faces were reflecting the pain they were in but the Nosferatu seemed to have better control. I leaned back in the chair and smiled.

"First let me disabuse you of the notion that you are going to be able to get out of this with no more pain. I am going to hurt you both for two reasons. Firstly, because you harbored an enemy of mine. I have made it clear to all that this man was wanted by me. You chose to ignore that. Secondly, because you attacked me and my apprentice. There is a saying: "When you come at the king, you'd best not miss". You two missed. Now I will give you a chance to mitigate your pain. I want a few details. If given those details promptly and completely, I will end your pain early. If you try to play games with me I will extend your pain greatly. Scream if you understand." I said as I heated up the silver in the spikes.

Blood caste boy was going to break soon. Anyone who started screaming this early into a session didn't have the mental blocks needed for the pain.

"Now I don't know your names and I don't really care, so I am going to call you Bob." I pointed at the Nosferatu. He hadn't made a sound since the initial spikes went through his wrists.

"And I'm gonna call you Frank." I pointed at the blubbering Blood caste.

"What do you want to know?" Frank sobbed.

"Oh Frank, that would be too easy. You tell me what I want to know. Or you can tell me what you think I should know," I replied.

"Drake came to-- AHHHH!" he screamed before he could finish his sentence. I had summoned a red hot poker and shoved it into his left cheek.

"Frank, what did I say his name was?" I asked casually.

"BOB! BobBobBob," he started chanting.

"Very good Frank. Now continue."

"Bob came to me and said he had a deal to hide a Wizard that was on the run from someone. He said something about the dirty undead energy we Blood caste exude would mask his presence from the Wraith. When I found out who it was he was hiding and who he was running from I wanted nothing to do with it. Bob said he had a plan. Bob said we could take care of you. Try to swarm you when you least expected it and then trap you in this building. I am so sorry." He almost wept at this last part. I had no doubt he would have fouled himself if he'd been capable of human bodily functions.

Did people really think I was that weak? Had I lost some of my cred? It was time to get it back.

"Frank, you have been most helpful. I said I would end your pain and I am a man of my word," I said cheerfully.

I summoned a bolt of Hellfyre and took his head clean off with it.

Bob looked at me and actually chuckled.

"It will take more than a little pain to make me talk, Summoner," he spat.

"We are in luck then Bob. I plan on using quite a bit more than a little pain for this part." I smiled.

"You see I need the name of the guy who hired you. Now, I already know who it was, and you are going to try to withhold the information from me. So as we do this little dance and I start removing appendages and organs, remember that you are feeling all this pain for nothing. Give me the name and I will actually let you live. I feel like the fact that a piss ant like you would DARE to go behind my back and shelter this guy means that people are losing their fearof and/or respect for me. So I am going to send you back to your clan minus a few obvious appendages so that anyone who comes into contact with you will always know don't fuck with Melshembar." I might have said that last with a little bit of heat in my voice.

The sneer he gave me really pissed me off. I am the motherfucking premier Warlock of this generation. This undead fuck was going to sneer at me?

He howled as I took his eye out of his socket. He screamed when I severed his left foot. I was just about to sever his right hand when I felt the presence of a few more people in the room. I turned around and readied Hellfyre bolts for the new arrivals when I saw who they were.

Genevieve and Alastair Dracos were the crown prince and princess of the American Nosferatu clan. That must mean Bob here was a big wig. The only more powerful Vampyre on this continent than these two was their matron, Victoria.

Genevieve was looking at me like I was an insect to be squashed. Alastair was more guarded in his appraisal.

"Pardon me for interrupting but I must insist that you stop torturing my uncle and return him to us at once. I would also request that you make restitution for damages caused to his person," Alastair said almost diffidently

These guys would be polite even as they ripped your arms off. I have seen it happen.

"I grant you pardon for interrupting me. Unfortunately I am unable to accede to your requests as I have an unfinished line of interrogation that must be concluded with this gentleman. As for restitution, I shall offer you the total sum of one dollar merely as an insult to the depth of character that Bob has," I replied.

I loved watching them squirm. No doubt they knew who I was. I guess I was going to see how hard of a hit my reputation had taken.

"You must be Martin Melshembar. Our matron has declared you safe, yet you are here torturing our top lieutenant. I would ask for an explanation if you please," Alastair asked.

"Okay I am gonna drop the niceties here. Your boy harbored an arcane sniper who took down one of my friends. I put the word out that I wanted him found and brought to me. Bob here thought not only to hide him but also to attack me and my apprentice using a nest of Blood caste leeches. I need the name of the man who hired him so I can go beat him down. In the meantime, I am bothered by the fact that your clan would think so little of me as to hide this guy plus attack me. It makes me think that I have lost your respect. If I have indeed lost your respect, I will replace it with fear. This leech will be returned to you. His name is now Bob. That is how you will refer to him for the next one hundred years. He will stand as a reminder to those new Vampyres who wish to know the strength of Martin Melshembar. If this is not acceptable, then I will take it as a declaration of war and you two will be the first casualties."

They both blinked. They knew that I could take them both. They also knew that Victoria and I had dealings with each other. Truth be told, they were more scared of their matron than they were of me... which was wise. Victoria was a strong and cruel matron. Gwydion and Chloe were two of the four beings on this plane I would be afraid to fight. Victoria was a third. Thankfully, we worked together very well and had a mutual respect and trust. I was going to see how strong that respect was right now.

The twins looked at each other and silently nodded.

"As a token of good faith we will compel our uncle Dra, err Bob to tell you the name you are looking for," Alastair said.

He snapped his fingers.

"Luthair Falcast." Bob said. Damn in front of two witnesses even. This day had turned out to be great.

"I thank you," I said as I bowed to them. "You have learned well from your matron and I will pass along my good wishes for your continued health."

They nodded their thanks and went to collect their uncle.

"One more thing, Bob." I summoned a branding iron with an inverted "M". I heated it up with Hellfyre and stuck it in the middle of his forehead just below his pronounced widow's peak.

"That was for going after my apprentice. I take care of mine. Let that be known," I snarled.

I summoned a dollar bill and stuffed it in his mouth to help shut up his screaming.

They gathered him up and vanished. Now it was just me and Jordan. I looked over to where I had knocked the little guy out and saw a misty humanoid shape towering over the comatose Wizard. I knew little about Wraiths but I hoped they could be reasoned with.

"I am going to bring him to Chloe. You are free to follow." I addressed it.

It stood still for a moment then flowed to the door opening. I summoned a pair of handcuffs and put them on the would-be sniper. Then I shielded the piss outta him and threw him over my shoulder. I had a plane shift spell to dissipate and an Arcane Council to convene. It was time for the showdown between Luthair and the Warlock.

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Calling for an Arcane council was easy. Normally the tough part was getting Xath to schedule it. However when I told him I could produce the guy who'd shot Gwydion and provide the name of his employer, Xath jumped into action. I had modified my planar lockdown spell to only include Luthair. That would get the council off my back. I might even offer a formal apology for overstepping my bounds. Okay, that last part was a joke.

I drove Chloe to the mall and walked into the lingerie store with her. I was NOT going to check out her outfits. I just felt things moving quickly and wanted to be close by. I hardly noticed the girls and women there as I was too busy coordinating with Xath and the Paladins for a meeting. I was patting myself on the back for being such a team player when Chloe came out and asked for more money. I reached into my wallet and gave her the rest of my cash. That seemed to get a lot of the women's attention as the salesgirls all of a sudden seemed way more interested in helping me. Some of them were even cute. It was funny though, all I could do was compare them to Xandra and Sofia and see how they were lacking.

Awww, boss we love you too. Sofia told me about your fixation with whipped cream. Why haven't you tried licking it out of there with me? Xandra asked.

It was one time. And we were both pretty bombed. Are you girls enjoying yourselves? I replied.

Oh yeah. We pretty much have all the males waiting on us hand and foot at this resort. We've decided to cut it short though and meet you in the Bahamas when you land instead of waiting a week. We both need to feel a real dick in us sooner rather than later. Although don't worry about compatibility. Sofie and I fit together just fine.

Are you sure about this Xandra? I don't want anything or anyone to come between us. Ever.

Boss you are thinking too much. She is a strong chick and has an amazing rack. I see why you fell so hard for her. Don't worry about this. I know you almost better than you know yourself. You are going to be so fucking happy and you deserve it. Enjoy the ride. We sure are, if you know what I mean.

That was about as mature of a conversation as I had ever had with Xandra about sex. I found I was really looking forward to getting away. I missed my women.

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The next day the Arcane Council convened and to no one's surprise Luthair was absent. Probably the most interesting tidbit to come from Jordan's testimony was that Gwydion was NOT the target. He was told to kill me or Chloe. Luthair hadn't sent word that he was going to be gone so the general consensus was that he was running. This put the Alexander and the Paladins in a fit and they started questioning whether the council was hiding one of it's members. Xath and the Council were of course offended that the Paladins would suggest that they would be anything but above board. I got withering looks from both of them when I ostentatiously summoned a bucket of popcorn and started chewing with my mouth open. I handed my popcorn to a young wizard seated next to me and stood to be recognized.

"What Martin?" Xath asked. He must really be rattled to break protocol. I didn't blame him this could cause an even wider rift between the Paladins and the Arcanaeum.

"I propose a joint task force be set up between the Paladins and the Arcane Council to find Luthair and bring him to justice. I also formally challenge Luthair to a Wizard's duel to settle the matter of honor between us. I give him one lunar cycle to present himself before me or face the curse of Merlin. So let it be known." I sat back down.