D' Âgame

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Sai walked in, a slim stack of papers in his hand, and I packed the last few candles back under my bed.

"Matt forgot to give you this."

I took the papers from his hand and flipped through them, the ink covering both sides of the sheets. "Are these the spells? "

"Yeah. Tom sent them this morning, they're the most similar ones so far. He'll send the others once he deciphers them."

I looked at the pages upon pages of spells and incantations, it could have been at least fifty ."I'll get started on them now, thanks."

"Any progress with finding Lesa?"

"Not really. I keep getting pushed out." I laid the papers on my bed and stood, wiping the excess blood on my jeans. "Are you and Matty okay? You two seemed heated just now,"

"It's nothing new; we're both just tired of the same thing." An alert went off somewhere in his pocket and he took out a phone-like device , his brows scrunching as he read the message. "I'm sorry but I have to go."

"Is that K.O.A.C? "

"Yeah. I have an assignment, a big one by the looks of it." He pocketed his phone and looked back at me. "Jules is in her study if you want the company, I might take a while."

"Do you mind if I come along? " I knew I still had to sort through the long list of spells but I was unnerved by what had just happened. The woman with the raven hair knew I was there, I was sure of it because now I couldn't get back in. I wouldn't be able to focus on the spells with my mind reeling the way it was, and something seriously wrong could happen because of it. "We still have to finish our session from earlier. It can be on the field training. "

"Alright, then we leave in fifteen minutes."

The shadows spat us out in a quaint suburban town just outside Brooklyn and the quiet was sudden and eerie. Similarly built houses laid in neat rows on paved streets, seeming completely mundane— normal, but the stench of death coated the place like a thick fog, rolling in waves as we walked further, and I caught breaks in the perfect mirage; a broken window, a crooked door, a swing set that hung sideways on one chain and the emptiness of the place.

A gaze of raccoons scattered across the street, leaving a peace of rotted meat behind and drawing my attention to the masked group of three standing in front of one of the houses, their dark cloaks swaying softly in the breeze.

"They called you in too?" A man with a Lion mask asked as he approached us, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it up. He took off his mask to take a pull, revealing a pleasant face and dark skin. "Can't remember the last time we got called out in a group for an assignment."

"I can." Sai said, his eyes scanning our surroundings like I had been doing since we got here. " It was a hoard of D'Âgame. This is not an assignment; it's an assassination. What are the numbers?"

The man took another pull of his cigarette, turning away to blow out his smoke. " The whole town. Assholes been feeding off of its residents like a buffet. They showed up about a month ago, locked up the place and no one's been able to escape until last night. Lucky fella called for help, HQ tagged the call and sent me on assignment on my one free day." He patted Sairen's back and slung his arm around his shoulder. "You're buying me a beer after this, Heroux."

The man's dark eyes landed on me, a grin pulling at his lips. "And who are you?"

I extended my hands in the Dècalthian greeting and bowed my head. "Solaure Kaltain. "

"Sol-au-ruh. Pretty name." He greeted as well, little gold beads swinging at the ends of his shoulder length cornrows as he bowed. "Levicius Nordich. But that's a mouthful so call me Levi. Only Heroux here insists on taunting me with all those syllables. "

There was that word again. "Heroux?"

" Army of wolf. He's a real showoff, this one."

"Funny." Sairen clasped Levi's shoulder and we started walking towards the little group whose attention was locked on us. "Is that white house where they're holed up?"

"Some. They have their guys scoping us out from the rooftops too."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Levi paused to flash Sai a bright smile. "You, of course. Like I said, today was supposed to be my day off so you're going to do all the work. And one of them is coming out to negotiate, but mostly you."

"Am I going to get all your pay as well?"

"I'm an opportunist, not an idiot." Levi waved the burning stick in the air, contemplating. "Two percent."

"You must mistake me for an ass."

"I wasn't aware HQ sent another Raven." A girl with short pink hair said when we stopped. She wore a slate mask like I did, but hers was engraved with thorns and roses, and though I couldn't see her eyes from behind it, I felt them skimming over my frame, taking me in.

"They didn't." Sai said.

She glanced at me again then turned her attention back to him. "Since when did assignments turn into feild trips, Siya?"

"I'm Solaure," I said. "Just incase you wanted to address me directly."

The other guy snickered from beside her, draping an arm around her shoulder. "Heroux , you should've told us you were bringing company. I would've told Alia to leave her bitch at home. "

"Screw you, Jayce." Alia shrugged him off but he just slung his arm around her again.

I heard the grin in his voice clearly. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Well introductions have already been made." Sairen said, unbothered by the hospitality rolling off of the girl. "They were supposed to at least pretend to not be assholes during the first meeting but that's asking for too much. Assholes, this is Solaure."

"Hello Solaure," Jayce waved at me quickly before turning to Sai . "Let's storm the place. We've been waiting for the negotiator to come out for over five minutes. "

"No, if they want to negotiate, let's humor them."

Levi tapped Sairen's shoulder and nodded towards the entrance. "Look."

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped through the gloom. His bare feet came to light first, then the sun caught his face. I guess he would have been handsome before, with his low blond hair, green eye and sharp features, but now his face was distorted with scars that ran vertically, pulling up his mouth and leaving one eye permanently shut. His carved flesh made him look terrifying.

More scars coated his arms and bare chest, marring the likeness of a bear that was imprinted there, red instead of Eçalian black, marking his curse not to enter Ourie. The colour of desertion, of severance, of evil . The colour of the D'Âgame.

But the mark of the Dark Souls were the least of our problems because on his forehead sat a branding of sorts, identical to the scar on my wrist.

I leaned over to Sairen. "I'm really hoping that he just saw that eclipse somewhere and decided it'll make a cool head tattoo."

"Not likely. "

I sighed. "I thought as much."

"Is that?" Alia's voice held a layer of disbelief and a deeper layer of hurt. " It can't be... Vael?"

"Who?"

Levi was still focused on the man before us when he answered my question. " He was taken down a few months ago on assignment. We couldn't find his body. "

His voice rose to the man in front. " We thought you were dead."

Vael's voice was cold and scratchy when he spoke, from the scar that decorated his throat. "As did most. I almost was, but I was found and saved."

Cold coated my skin as any doubt he was an ally to our enemy vanished. " ..and he pledged his allegiance. " I whispered under my breath, the words for me alone.

"And I swore allegiance."

" Fuck.

"You all can do the same. Our master needs energy for him to rise and break the barriers around Ilairk. Join us. We were companions once, we can be again."

I raised my hand and his attention turned to me. "Say, for the sake of curiosity I'm interested, what does he promise other than our lives in exchange for the essence that you give him? "

Vael's eyes landed on me, as if now realizing I was there. "Are you new?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not. Blood is blood." Vael clasped his hand behind his back. " To answer your question, Raven: to see the rise of an empire, the start of a new age. We will live among the greatest once the world is purged from the weak. "

"And you believe him? What happens when his army is built– the ones that will continue to fight even after their limbs are cut off– and he has no use for you anymore? You're all weak compared to him."

Alia grabbed my arm, painfully, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "Solaure what the hell are you doing?"

Vael's eyes narrowed as he watched me. I didn't like the way he watched me. "Solaure."

Even his laugh was distorted." Well if I wasn't secured in his ranks before, I am now that I'm bringing his precious flower to him."

"How unfortunate for you that that's not going to happen," Sairen drew his swords. The unkindness of Ravens did the same. "Let's make this quick. Betrayal sours my mood."

" Heroux, don't be that way. It would be a waste of your greatness to die and not see what the new world will bring. Join us brother, we will be legends. "

Sairen clicked his tongue, "My brother died four months ago, Vael. Now all that's left is a traitor."

"Am I a traitor because—"

"Enough talking."

Vael's face contorted in anger, his scars made his rage all the more frightening. "Shame. He'll just build his kingdom from your bones."

Figures stepped out of the shadow of the doorway, similar red markings on their bodies. More piled in from around the buildings until a convention of about a eighty surrounded us but the Ravens weren't swayed.

Vael shifted. His body contorting as his animhi came out and his growl was unhuman as his mouth elongated into the muzzle of an Eçalian black bear. The beast stood atop the porch, blood red eyes roaming over it's opponents, then he charged into the crowd, heading straight for Sairen.

The D'Âgame and their allies advanced, transforming as they ran, their feet morphing into claws and paws and hooves and the Ravens attacked, their black coats mimicking their namesake in flight. Some fought with weapons, others with their animhi but the Dark Souls fell anyway.

Vael's large form pounced at Sairen but he was too quick for the bear to land a hit, his blades cut flesh but they were non lethal attacks, restrained. Hesitant. Their conversation was hard to hear while fighting, but I caught the gist.

"Vael," Sairen ducked as a massive paw slashed across. "Don't make me kill you."

The bear's voice was a thundering , frightening sound. " There is no mercy for the D'Âgame, son. You couldn't spare me if you wanted to. And you don't. "

Sai's blade came down on the paw, severing it from the bone. Vael's scream was murderous as he clutched his severed hand.

"No," red leaked from Sai's blade. " There may not be mercy, but there might be use. You have information that will be useful to us. "

Vael's maw curled up, revealing sharp, vindictive teeth. " There will be no treason from me. "

"You already betrayed everything you swore allegiance to." Sairen's blade cut through another dark soul who tried to attack him from behind, severing their torso from their hip.

" Goodbye Vael. " The sun glittered on his sword as it came down, severing the bear's head from its neck. His body remained animal even after death, his animhi dying with his mortal body instead of roaming free, and his soul doomed to Aldhem.

Sairen knelt amongst the chaos surrounding us, and joined his thumbs to his middle fingers, placing them to his forehead and rotated them to the fallen in front of him. The departure fell from Sai's lips as he raised his weapons above his head. "Syt tībi syt lybvero animhi meamru."

May your soul be free.

He rolled his neck when he stood again and purged the battlefield like a demon.

My sword pierced the flesh of a massive tiger and she fell to the ground, adding to the other bodies staining the dirt. The D'Âgame was skilled and strong but they were nowhere as difficult to kill as the mouthless, and I cut through them along with the others and their numbers fell.

I caught Sairen on the other side of the battlefield shifting in and out of his animhi form, ploughing through enemies like the beast he was. A second later he was behind me, using the shadows at our feet to teleport.

Jayce and Alia were back to back, tearing down a circle of enemies while Levi went berserk on the battlefield, then suddenly there was a ringing silence as Sairen cleaned his blades with a black cloth.

The shadows bled from the surroundings, from trees, from buildings, taking form until their bodies resembled wolves. They rushed forward in waves of black, surrounding the remaining enemy and then took hold of their prey, tearing them apart. The shadow wolves steadied their white gazes on their master, waiting for command. Sairen whistled twice and they scattered across the town, looking for escapees.

He placed his swords back into their sheaths. "I need a cigarette."

"You smoke?"

He shook his head. "No, but I'm thinking now's a good time to start."

"What the hell man," Jayce complained as they strode up to us, their masks finally off. The likeness of a snake crawled up his neck, stopping at the crown of his shaved head. "You didn't even give me a chance to impress your girl."

"Sol's not easily impressed and we didn't have the time for you to try." Sai took out his phone, typed something in, then placed it back in his pocket ."Cleanup should be here soon, we should head out, report this to K.O.A.C."

Jayce's fake sulk disappeared from his face, replaced by a scowl. " I didn't expect Vael to convert. I didn't expect Vael at all. He's supposed to be dead."

Levi took a long drag of his cigarette that he wasted no time relighting. "Not only Vael; I took down Andrew and Darcy too. And others."

Alia's voice was icy when she spoke. " I can't believe he was alive... I saw him got taken down and dragged away. Then I saw his remains when I went after him. How was he still alive?"

"They must've found him before he died," I mumbled. "made him swore allegiance in exchange for his life."

"You sound like you knew who Vael was talking about." Levi said, his eyes shifting to Sai then to me.

I sighed. "I do. It's a long story. "

Alia's face hardened and she grabbed my arm. Again. " Then make it short because if you're conspiring with the enemy we have permission to take you in custody or take you down. "

"Enough Alia," Sairen unclasped her fingers from my arm, letting her hand fall loose. "She's with me. That should be enough to stop unnecessary questions."

Alia's glare was burning a hole in my head. "Where the hell did she come from anyway?"

"Look," I snapped, the little patience I was given wearing thin, "I'm not a threat to you, so don't make me one. But fair warning: the next time you feel the need to grab me like that, I'll break every bone in your damn hands. I only look soft but I'll fuck you up."

Levi cleared his throat and crushed the burning stick with a shiny boot. "You were telling us how you're so popular before Lia decided to act up. "

I looked up at Levi, whose dark eyes were watching me warily and I took a deep breath before I shared a story I didn't want to.

"He's the one behind the missing people and the sacrifices. " Sairen said, and the tension rushed out of my body.

I watched their faces as they took it in and held my breath, waiting for questions or accusations but Levi just sighed. "At least we don't have more than one cult on our hands. That bastard already has my workload piled up. It was bad enough when people were just going missing, but now the entire organization is in a frenzy since Jules brought in those weird ass blood samples."

"But how do you know him though?" Jayce asked. " I'm not accusing, just curious."

" I've been running from him most of my life, and he's been haunting me for the rest. He's powerful, and evil, and persistent... and he's after me. He took my mom and my friend and he has my aunt out of commission."

"Okay," Alia started, her eyes locked on the bear's corpse. " but what does he want?"

"The world? I don't know, but he's building an army. He's still in Ilairk, in stasis, as far as I know. That's why they need the souls, for him to get strong enough to wake and we cannot let that happen. Trust me."

"So how are we going to go about stopping him?"

"We've been searching for the spell that they're using for the sacrifices. If we can find it, or find one really similar, I can mirror it. Track it. And we can put a stop to them. At least that'll give us enough time to figure out how we can stop him for good. My father—" He stood a few feet away, perched against the beam of the white house, listening intently to the conversation. "He's here."

" Where? " Sai reached for his sword again.

" Main house. He's watching us. "

"Solaure," Jayce looked at the house, then to me, then to the house again. "there's no one there."

I shook my head. " You just can't see him. It's what he does, makes me feel like I'm going freaking insane; he did the same thing when I wasn't sleeping." I peeled my eyes away and focussed on the faces that were staring at me quizzically. "I swear I'm not crazy. Pir ila De'assami. "

Jayce eyes squinted as he tried to see what I saw. " Well I've definitely seen crazy , you're not there yet. "

"Thank you?"

"Let's go," Sai said as he gestured to a group of DOVES that just came in. "Cleanup's here."

"Alrighty," Jayce grinned. "Where to?"

"Home."

Alia groaned. "You haven't been in Eçalis for weeks, let's catch up. Grab a drink. I'm sure Soalure wouldn't mind letting us borrow you for a bit."

"You do owe me that beer," Levi added.

Sai rolled his eyes at a smirking Levi and turned to me. "Are you up for it?"

I shook my head. I was never in the mood for bullshit, but at the moment Alia's might cause me to do something I might regret. "I'll see you at home. I want to check on Aunt-Drea and start on those spells. You go on, you need it."

Alia's dark gaze steadied on me. "She's staying with Jules too?"

"I'll drop you home," Sai said, ignoring her question.

"The shadows will take me."

"I'm dropping you home." Sairen took my hand and the shadows started to bleed at our feet. "Levicius, text me the location."

"Will do," Levi saluted then turned to me with a smile, "It was nice meeting you Solaure."

"You too, and Jayce." I sent Alia a glare as the shadows swallowed us.

"What's her animhi?" I asked when we were back home. "A bitch?"

"Alia isn't Dècalthian." Sai unclasped his sheaths and shrugged off his coat, draping it over the chair in my room. "Don't take it personally, she's like that with everyone. She takes some getting used to; all vampires do, really."

"Vampire?"

" You didn't see her aure?"

"I was kind of preoccupied with staying alive."

"You should work on that," he said as he unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt, exposing his Mark as he rolled them up to his elbows. "That's the first thing you should notice when you walk in a room, or anywhere for that matter. "

"I will. Sairen," I shrugged off my coat too and took a seat, easing the unsteady beating in my chest somewhat. I might have over exerted myself today and the side effects of that were never good. "About Vael, are you okay?"

"No. He was my uncle's friend and he helped me take down the demon that killed him, but I mourned Vael months ago and I've gotten over. I'll get over this as well. Betrayal heals slower than death, but it heals nevertheless."

"For some, maybe." I shrugged. "But I think I'd get over a betrayal faster than a death."

"Perhaps, but sometimes they're one in the same. Sometimes you wish death on your betrayer, sometimes they're just dead to you."

"Which one was Vael?"

"Neither, and that's the worst kind; when you love them still. He was a dying man given a chance of life and he took it, and I can't fault him in that, but in doing so he damned the consequences and damned himself." Sai took his stuff from the chair and slung it over his shoulder. "I can stay with you, if you'd like; I really don't need to see their faces anymore than I need to."

"Take a day to hang out with your friends Sai, we don't know when you'll get to again."

Jules was still in her study when I came down from a quick shower, her work strewn in chaotic piles across a large oak desk. She was mixing something in a vial when I stepped in, and I watched as the liquid turned a moss green before it dissipated.

"What was that?"

Jules dumped the glass into a bin and leaned against her cluttered desk. "Another failed attempt. Did you just get back?"

"A few minutes ago, yeah."

"Where's Siya?"

"He's catching up with his friends." I took in all the open books and dried herbs as I came closer to her workspace. "Was that the antidote that just combusted?"

"It was, unfortunately. Every herb, every potion I try does nothing to remedy it; this poison, I've never seen anything like it." She sighed heavily, puffing out a breath of air. "Watch this." Jules teared open a small package, procuring a needle, and she pricked her finger, letting her blood drip into a small clear circular dish.

She pulled on a pair of gloves before extracting a thick, black liquid from a nearby beaker. "This is the poison I got from Drea's wound," She held the syringe in her hand, showing me the contents. "And this is what it does."

She spilled a few drops into the container and the reaction was instantaneous. The moment the liquid touched her blood it sizzled, burning away at the silver, killing the cells and turning it into that same thick black. She clipped off piece of a succulent she had on her desk and threw the leaf in; the poison devoured it as well. "That's what happens when it enters any living thing; blood, plants, even dirt. It kills it all."

This poison reacted quickly; breaking down the living cells until all that remained was more off itself, yet it took five days to have an effect on Aunt-Drea, and almost two weeks in her system and she was still alive. Something wasn't adding up. "Then why not Drea?"

Jules laid down the syringe. " Why not Drea..."