Gazef Stronoff entered his war tent with a heavy sigh. He grabbed one of the wooden chairs and practically flumped on it. He was very tired. Words could barely describe how he felt at the moment. The sight of the ransacked village he and his men had ran into today was something he thought he wouldn't need to see again, so soon. It brought dark memories of his mercenary days, back when the Empire was more bold in its assaults on the borders.
And then, there were also the angels his group encountered. They were frightening opponents. Way tougher than the imperial knights which Gazef had fought countless times. Still, they managed to exterminate them without many casualties, so there was one silver lining for the day. However, Gazef also knew they were probably more of those Angels. And not just the angels, but also a group of strange people who could use potent magic.
Whoever or whatever the enemy was, Gazef was certain it was not something he and his men were properly prepared to handle. And that made his skin crawl a little.
Wanting to distract his thoughts, Gazef looked at the ruby ornament that was one of the prizes he got for defeating Brain Unglaus. Looking at it now, it reminded him vaguely of that fight. Gazef had never had a fight quite like that. An intense, straight-forward fight between the kingdom's most powerful swordsmen. It was a good fight. For the first time, he had felt like he had met his match in combat and there were a few moments where he thought he'd lose. He had pulled through though, and barely achieved victory.
A small part of Gazef wished he could go back to that moment. Life seemed so simple while battling in that arena with people as almost as strong as him. But the man was also aware that these thoughts were just childish wishing...Anyone would want to live a simpler life. But only cowards would run from their duties. And Gazef had quite a few duties to complete, for his King and his Kingdom.
"I wonder how Brain Unglaus would have acted if he was in my place right now..."
Brain Unglaus' ears were ringing. Besides a pulse of moderate pain in the head, Brain couldn't feel anything. It was like his body had turned into a lifeless bag of skin and bones. His eyes were barely opening and all he saw was a foggy mesh of blurry images.
He regained some sense to his body but all he could do was involuntarily twitch and shudder. His fingers scratched a wooden surface and though his mind was in a daze, he had enough intellect to realize he was being carried in a cart.
The Sun was setting and there were trees looming all around him, watching him like solemn giants who could do nothing but lament his fate, whatever it was.
"Arnaud, the man is awake!" a female voice hissed, which was followed shortly after by a heavy sigh from this supposed "Arnaud" person.
"I inserted several sedatives into his bloodstream, and yet…I suppose I should've expected some level of resistance. He is one of the strongest living humans we've encountered after all."
"Then have more precautionary measures, moron!" the female voice reprimanded. Brain found her voice unpleasant. It was like an old, hissing snake with human chords.
"Ironic that you call me that, when I am the intelligent one between the two of us."
"No, you're just a loser who reads books."
"Oh, but that would imply you see our mistress as a loser, too, no?"
"What?! No! How the hell did you come to that conclusion you idiot?!"
"And therein lies my point."
"Agh, whatever! Just give him the damn sedatives again! A stronger dose this time!"
"Fine, fine, you don't need to yell orders at my ear, Peluona."
Just as Brain's sight began to clear, he saw a familiar pale hand with sharp nails descend over him. It held a strange and horrific looking hollow needle. Suddenly, the hand stabbed the needle in his neck and Brain felt the urge to scream in pain, but found himself unable. His jaw could only twitch while his neck muscles convulsed in suffering. It was like something was obtrusing his body's motor functions.
Brain wondered if he should try and snap his own neck somehow to end it, but then the pain suddenly began to fade away. His insides and his thoughts felt like they were melting down into jelly, until he could no longer fight the immense sense of fatigue and passed out.
When regained consciousness again, he found himself in a fairly big cell in some dark dungeon. There were a few emblems posted around the walls, which he did not recognize. This alarmed Brain immediately, as he was familiar with almost all of Re-Estize's dungeons, having spent a few nights in each and every one of them - either for an offense or because he really didn't have money to spare to rent a room. And in comparison to whatever this horrid place was, Re-Estize's dungeons felt warm and welcoming. This place just reeked of ominosity wherever he gazed.
He looked up, at the source of small light that tore through the darkness of his cell, and there was but a tiny square hole near the ceiling of the cell that served the role of a window. It let air in, but not enough to fully disperse the suffocating humidity in the cell.
Well, at least his senses were stable, Brain thought, trying to find the silver-lining in his situation. Speaking of silver, there were chains holding him pinned to the wall. He tried to stand up or move a little forward, but the chains did not allow his body to even move a foot away from the wall before tightening their grip immensely, squeezing the life out of his arms and throat. The chains rattled as he made a few more vain attempts.
Frustrated, Brain grit his teeth, holding back a cry of anger and fear.
"Damnit...This is ridiculous. Who was that creepy weirdo?! He was so strong! Stronger than...stronger than Gazef even!" Brain exclaimed.
"Oho, that's quite the praise, coming from you."
Brain's heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice. He had heard it too many times now not to remember it. He swiftly looked towards where the voice had come from. Sure enough, Arnaud stood there, dressed in the same long robe that obscured his features, accompanied by two other men, who were dressed in armor. But Brain knew what he looked like. He remembered his face, right before he was knocked out cold. Those blood-lusted red eyes and that pale skin. It made him shiver a little, just thinking about it.
"You!"
"Yes, me!" Arnaud replied, sarcastic tone evident in his voice.
"Who the fuck are you?! Why am I here?! Let me go, NOW!" Brain demanded, his voice getting more erratic with each sentence. Arnaud sighed and held up his hand.
"Please, save your breath. You'll die of lack of air before I get to even answer any of your questions."
"Tch!"
"There we go, that's better." Arnaud clapped and tilted his head a little. Brain assumed that was supposed to be a mocking gesture. He glared at the vampire. "Now, as for all the spew: I cannot tell you who I am. You are here for a very specific reason. Also, even if I wanted to, I do not have the right to let you go. My mistress has plans for you."
"Mistress? Who the hell is this mistress?" Brain asked roughly.
"Well, I've already told you the name of our convent. Surely, you can figure out who the leading figure here is." Arnaud said.
Brain's brows furrowed in confusion. Convent? Did Arnaud ever tell him about the convent? Wait...yes, he did! He made him an offer to join something called the "convent of Morrigana" right before their fight started.
"Morrigana..." Brain uttered her name quietly, almost as if it was an ancient curse.
"Good! But her full name is Morrigana Lavor Defeux. And you shall refer to her as Lady Defeux."
Brain jumped up, but the chains held him down. He grit his teeth against the strain and glared fiercely at Arnaud.
"Listen here, you blood-sucking scumbag! I don't care who she is, what her name is or what I should call her! If that bitch ordered an asshole like you to kidnap me than she's no friend of mine. And you better release me now, or I will make sure you and your dear mistress pay with your blood!"
After his tirade, Brain's breathing had turned haggard. He collapsed on the wall, no longer able to resist against the chains. He kept glaring at the robed vampire, almost relishing the silence, because it meant he had struck a nerve. But then, his delusion was broken when Arnaud started laughing loudly.
"BAAHAHAHAHAHAH! What a funny human you are, Brain Unglaus!" his cackling turned almost maniacal. "It's good, your spirit's nowhere near broken right now! Very good! Then Lady Defeux has a lot to work with here! You're a promising specimen, indeed!"
"What the hell are you talking about...?" Brain muttered while looking at the vampire in shock and repulsion. His thoughts caught up on the implications and he gasped. "Is this some kind of experiment?"
"My, oh my...you flicker between being a moron and being a perceptive genius. I really can't evaluate your intellectual level."
"Whatever this is, I refuse to play any part in it, you hear me, you bastard!"
A loud and sharp BANG! vibrated through the air as Arnaud slammed his fist against the metal bears, bending them a little. Brain jumped a little in place, the action surprising even him. He saw Arnaud who was leaning towards the bars in a somewhat menacing pose.
"As fun as it is hearing you ranting and raving, I feel like I have to make it clear what your position here is, Mr. Unglaus." Arnaud said in a polite tone that had a harsh edge to it. "You are no match for me. You are no match for all the guards in this place, and you are definitely no match for Lady Defeux. If you decide to strike at us, you will be torn to pieces and consumed like the food your kind is..."
Brain glared with hatred at Arnaud upon hearing these words. He went to say something, but was cut-off as the vampire continued.
"On the other hand," he adopted a more relaxed pose, "if you cooperate with us, Lady Defeux can offer you power unattainable for any human. Even that man Gazef, who you want to surpass so much."
"You don't have the right to talk about Gazef, you scum." Brain bit out, his voice venomous. Arnaud was about to retort, but with a grudge Brain abruptly cut him off. "And I already gave you my answer to this offer of yours."
"Back then, it was clear you weren't aware of the full scope of the situation. I think we can discount that encounter for now." Arnaud said with a cheek that annoyed Brain to no end.
"I don't think we can discount that encounter for now. I have at least two concussions from you." Brain grumbled.
"Ah, is that so..." Arnaud's hand disappeared into the shadow of his robe, likely rubbing his chin in thought. "I may have to run a medical check on you. Eh, it probably won't be needed...you won't be feeling any pain by tomorrow."
"Why?"
"You'll see for yourself..." answered with a chuckle, earning him another low growl from Brain, which seemed to amuse the vampire even more. Arnaud shook his head. "But really, the fault is mine. I expected you to be more durable."
"...I a speedster-type. I focus on cutting down my enemies with swift precision. Gazef is the one who's built like a tank." Brain bit his lip and looked sideways, lowering his voice. "It's how he won the damn match."
"Oh, that is true. You two are of the same caliber when it comes to sword technique, but Gazef has you way out-classed in the endurance department."
Brain rolled his eyes and mumbled some unintelligible curse. He was aware of the things that made Gazef the superior fighter. He just didn't like being reminded of those things...the proof of Gazef's clean victory. After weeks of self-doubt and self-loathing, Brain's brain convinced itself that Gazef had just gotten lucky or had cheated in some way and that is how he lost. In truth, he simply did not want to accept the reality that Gazef was definitively stronger than him.
"Okay, riddle me this then..." Brain spoke, looking once again at Arnaud. He did not glare at him this time, but his gaze was just as sharp and unfriendly. "Why did your mistress pick me instead of Stronoff? Surely, he'd be more valuable, if you think he out-classes me this much."
"Hah, we both know I said Gazef only out-classes you in certain areas. Don't try to put words in my mouth. And don't worry, that can change soon enough."
"What?" Brain asked, raising a brow in utter befuddlement. Change? Change in what way? Did it have to do with that offer of power? But it sounded so shady and untrustworthy...Brain didn't feel like humoring Arnaud on this.
"Now, as for why you were chosen instead of Gazef...I do not know." Arnaud answered plainly.
"Huh?" muttered Brain, confused.
"It's true. The mistress simply ordered me and another servant to deliver you to her. I believe it was right on the day of your fight with Gazef Stronoff." Arnaud said.
Brain was completely silent for a few moments, his mind in a shock. That "Lady Defeux" seen that accursed fight and had even decided to hand-pick him back then. But that didn't make any sense! Given that Arnaud was a vampire, and her servant, Lady Defeux would likely be a vampire herself. Thus, she couldn't have been present for the fight. So how did she...suddenly, Brain's widened with realization, as a thought repeated itself: She's a vampire!
"Were you spying on us with magic?!"
Brain's outburst made Arnaud sigh heavily again.
"I'd rather call it 'monitoring'. Spying just sounds perverse."
"It doesn't matter how it sounds!" Brain exclaimed, his brow twitching in annoyance. "I can't believe me and Gazef were being stalked by some crazy vampire cultists!"
"Hey now, we're neither crazy nor are we cultists. And for the record, what we were doing was a common practice amongst any organization. We have agents and familiars observing important events in each major country on this continent."
Brain opened his mouth to shout obscenities, but stopped, because when he thought about it, what Arnaud was saying made sense to him. Re-Estize and the Empire constantly sent spies to observe each others' activities. It's practically how someone like him and Gazef became notorious on the continent. Still, it didn't make the whole thing any less unnerving for him.
"Okay...I still don't know why I was picked instead of Gazef, though. Or why was Gazef not picked at all."
Arnaud merely shrugged.
"I don't know either. Though..." he paused, seeming to go deep in thought. Brain awaited, interested in what he was about to say. "If I were to make a wild guess, I'd say mistress was simply making a smart and convenient play here."
"What do you mean?" Brain asked, completely lost at this point.
"Well, think about it: Gazef Stronoff is a renowned hero, a respected mercenary, the champion of Re-Estize and as of recently has been promoted to a Warrior Captain in your Kingdom's military ranks, as well as King Ramposa's bodyguard..."
Brain winced as Arnaud listed everything Gazef was known for...everything that made him better than he was.
"Taking Gazef away from Re-Estize would not be easy, and then dealing with the aftermath will be even harder. Re-Estize may try to hunt us down in order to get their precious champion back. And while I have faith in my mistress' abilities, I do know she'd rather avoid fighting an army of hundreds of thousands if possible..."
Then, Arnaud pointed dramatically at Brain.
"And that's where you come in, my friend!"
"What...?"
"You are the disgraced loser, the isolated warrior, the one who lives for himself and hides away in forests and fields-"
"Get to the point!" Brain exclaimed, feeling extremely annoyed and ashamed by everything Arnaud was listing. The vampire calling him 'the disgraced loser' struck an especially big nerve.
"The point is...you were just easier to get a hold of than Gazef. That's my guess as to why Lady Defeux wanted you, and not Stronoff." Arnaud said, pressing his hands together as if showing he had concluded his analogy.
"So basically...you wanted someone as strong as Gazef...who was easier to abduct, than Gazef?"
"Well, that's a crude way of putting it, but essentially YES."
Brain went silent for a moment. Then, he rested his back on the wall, sighed a deep sigh, pursed his lips...and began chuckling. The quiet chuckling turned into laughter and the laughter became almost insane.
"What's so funny?" Arnaud asked, taken aback for the first time in their encounters. Brain he wasn't acting normally, but he didn't care. All of this...everything Arnaud had told him. It felt so humiliating that he couldn't help but laugh at it.
"I thought...there was some special reason for you guys to seek me out like that...but all of it was just because of...convenience...con-fucking-venience..."
After a minute, his laughter died down, and Brain simply stood silent with his head tilted downwards, spirits seemingly broken.
"Are you done getting that out of your chest?" Arnaud asked, his tone almost impatient now, as if he was getting tired of dealing with a clown.
"Yeah...I'll consider your damn offer..." Brain answered quietly.
"OH? My, what a development."
"I don't care at this point. I just want to become stronger than Gazef and beat him."
Arnaud brought out a black key from one of his sleeves and shoved in it door lock.
"Trust me, Mr. Unglaus." he said, as he unlocked the door. "With Lady Defeux's help, you will become as strong as 10 Gazef Stronoffs!"
He opened the door and went inside to unlock the chains holding Brain down.