A/N: Oh dear, it's been ages since I last wrote... And if it weren't for the computer's internet falling apart on me, I might never have got to finishing this. But, to make it up for the long absence.. I managed to finish 2 chapters! As usual, a very big thank you to those who've read and also kind enough to leave a review... I appreciate them very much! And enjoy reading! :D
Chapter 8: Tremble for my Beloved
"Where is he? Where is Dietrich?" Radu repeated his initial question with an added tone of urgency.
All of Radu's haste in his return journey seemed to be in vain when he first sought for Dietrich the moment he stepped back into Orden grounds. His superior was nowhere to found no matter which room, be it a public or hidden one he searched. So the next person he thought of was Isaak, the person who seemed to be sinfully close to the puppeteer for more reasons than the one obvious one. Isaak should know where that Terran is… he'd better.
"I've already told you, Radu. He has been out for a few days now, last seen him 5 days ago saying he was going to look for an errant subordinate," Isaak explained with his back to Radu, sitting comfortably on a stone-built seat in an almost dilapidated room within an almost abandoned section of the grounds. How Radu found him there, he did not know. Isaak's tone of voice suggested an image of him with a smirk as he mentioned 'an errant subordinate'.
"He went in search of me?" Radu immediately brought forth his next question, taking in all the insult, trying his best to wipe off the other man's smirking image. He saw a puff of smoke rising from the top of Isaak's head before a reply followed. "Whatever makes you think so… Flammenschwert? Guilty conscience…? One must wonder how long you take to carry out an easy task. Got a little side-tracked… perhaps?"
Radu's reaction to Isaak's statement was a rapid change from a dilation of both irises, a slight frown, a slight clench of teeth and then a look of vehemence. "Are you questioning my abilities? I must admit, a few of the Nightingales managed to escape, I was merely trailing them to come clean of the mission. There were no said side-tracks." With that said however, Radu began to feel a slight uneasiness growing in him. That puppeteer left 5 days ago… Could he have managed to track me? Radu was fighting in his thoughts. It can't be.. I left the inn immediately after the killing and made sure I change locations leaving not so much as a trace… Could he…? He let himself sink deeper into his thoughts and then thought of a certain nightingale he left in an apartment. It wasn't too far from the inn as she was led to believe, with all that travelling…
"Deep in thoughts, are we?"
Radu snapped out of his thoughts and is now looking at Isaak face to face, him now sitting on the stone table beside the chair he was previously sitting on. Still wearing that same slight smirk, but with inquisitive eyes. "If it is as you say, he should be back soon, don't you think? Since he must have successfully traced your steps for him to be late in his return as well. You'll see him soon enough, Flammenschwert. For now, you're dismissed.'
'Yes, sir,' Radu made a slight bow before exiting himself from the room. Whatever thoughts he had evolved into something worse with each passing second. He must have traced me successfully? Damn it! He clenched his teeth and made his way to the nearest exit he could find at his swiftest walking speed. He took on the fastest route he knew in order for him to make the fastest exit out of the building without appearing to be in haste. Wonder who's going to be tracking me next. Orden dogs.
Once he stepped out of the building, he lighted a cigarette, took a deep puff and continued walking on towards the big gate. Damn you all. "Why should I be flustered? It's just a girl!! A Terran!!" Argh. No, I'm sure it's only me afraid of what will follow if Dietrich finds out I have been playing truant after the mission.Another puff of smoke was expelled from his mouth as his footsteps finally quicken as he began to near the front gate. Curse you, Terran witch. As soon as he exited through the front gate, he walked a little further down the bustling city bazaar and soon lost himself in the darkness of the alley, ensuring that his speed should be enough for him to arrive his destination in time. His worse thought now being Dietrich tracing his way all to the apartment he left Aria in. Did he catch a smell of that puppeteer when he left?
His thought then fell to the last time he heard Aria's voice. "Sir! Please, wait!" He chose to leave, wanting nothing more to do with her. He knew she was running towards him but he did not allow himself the chance of letting her see him off properly. His movements can be as swift as he want them too, a mere mortal can never catch up. But was it really the last he heard from the girl…?
"Excuse me, I have to catch up to someone"
Radu's steps faltered a little as he recalled that faint memory. Someone was there… Someone was there damn it. Now you're going to get it. It was all he could do to rush back to the apartment he had not left for longer than a day, cursing himself all the way as well as the Terran girl he appears to be losing himself over. Damn you. What is wrong with you?
Back to the Orden grounds however, Isaak was yet again greeted by another's presence in the same room Radu excused himself from not too long ago. "So you're back," Isaak, unmoved from his previous position from the stone table, exclaimed with a smile. "Just told Radu you'd be back soon. Did you catch him on the way back?"
"He was back…?" came a curious-sounding re-questioning. "Odd, and he left?" Dietrich welcomed himself into the room from his previous position, which was the front door.
Isaak exhaled another smoke-filled breath. "I would think so. Looked not quite himself.. I should say. What did you find?" At this, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and waits for the answer.
"The job was done wonderfully I should say, no one knew what really happened, they assume a fire caught up on the upper floors due to the family's own failure in fire management systems." Dietrich paused for a snort. "Everyone from the family seemed to have perished that night, although…" His right hand got up to trace his mouth which has broken into a grin. "I heard some rumour floating amidst the people in the streets not too far away from the inn about a certain Nightingale… a songstress apparently, whose body I failed to identify."
"Dietrich, you know there is a limit to identifying the corpses he burns, I will be truly amazed should you be able tell the bodies apart without even knowing every family member, really."
"But there are only so few women in the family… Isaak."
"Were there piles of ashes? Some might have been burned to ashes, Dietrich…"
"Alright, you win." Dietrich stood right in front of Isaak now, within a forearm's distance. "But I did hear another curious story about how they will hear the nightingale from the top of the building. Many believed… she was usually locked up at the topmost area of the building. I saw the room Isaak… and there were no burnt marks, clean and from the look of the furnitures scattered around the contrapment, it should have been blocked before the people barged in." He finished his deduction with yet another devilish smile as his right hand move over to the right side of his head, smoothing his long fringe.
"What are you suggesting, Dietrich? He let someone live? You should know better. If the acclaimed songstress does exist, the girl's a human. Methuselahs and Terrans do not get along and Radu's one of those with a resentment towards Terrans that is much graver than common vampires." Isaak returned Dietrich's evil smile with an equally devilish one accompanied by a touch of authority.
"Still… one can wonder. The songstress seems to be gone and said vampire was late in reporting…"
"He reported about his having to track a few of them who managed to escape the building."
"Really, now? I still say, I am more inclined towards the intuition I'm getting Isaak.. If I am lucky enough, I might get new puppets for myself. Things are getting a little boring with all this wait for our Lord. Got to leave now, or else I might lose his scent once more…" He bowed slightly and took the magician's burned-out cigarette bud from his hands, smirked and turned himself around, taking his leave. "I'll be back soon, don't wait up though.." His last words to Isaak as he waved and left the room.
Isaak could only give a snort as he took out another cigarette. "He thinks too highly of himself…"
