Here is yet another chapter.
Enjoy
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"Out of my way...Get out of my way!"
Velannaf smirked as he watched the man in the dark green robes struggle to push past the hoards of disappointed fans leaving the tournament arena. The man seemed to be in a particular hurry to be free of the throngs of people milled about the tournament square. He rudely shoved aside anyone who dared to step in his way but his head glanced around madly and his eyes were wild with fear. Bhelok was terrified of something and Velannaf knew that he was probably the cause of it.
~~~Flashback~~~
The shadow sat in a secluded booth of a dimly lit tavern, surveying the drunkards at their work. 'Pitiful fools.'
He was bored. He needed a good conversation but he did not figure he could get more than slurred gibberish from the occupants of the bar. Then he noticed the finely dressed man delicately sipping a drink at a nearby table. Velannaf motioned for him to join him at his booth but the man tipped his head, refusing to give the cloaked figure the time of day.
'Now that isn't very nice.' Velannaf would see to it that the man paid for his rudeness.
Howls of laughter erupted as a staggering buffoon fell on top of the table the rich man was seated at, causing it to break. Velannaf scoffed as the man tried desperately to clean his alcohol stained robes. His efforts soon halted as he realized his wiping was doing nothing but imbed the liquid further into the expensive material.
The wealthy man lifted his head and stared indignantly at the individual who had invited him to his table. He wanted to finish his drink but did not want to go anywhere near the drunken masses. Reluctantly, he chose to take the shadowed man up on his offer.
"May I sit?"
"Please."
The two introduced themselves and began talking, or rather Bhelok spoke of himself while Velannaf listened. In the end, the cloaked figure had decided that this Bhelok fellow would make a perfect addition to his little game.
He had been toying with the idea ever since the man presented himself. Bhelok, he knew that name. He knew the man. They had met before only the rich man didn't know it and Velannaf would certainly not tell him. That would ruin all the fun he had in store for the stuck up gentleman.
"What would you say if I told you a guymelef tournament will be held tomorrow in honor of our dear king?"
Velannaf knew that his statement would entice the well dressed man. Bhelok had revealed that he was an avid but nevertheless intelligent gambler. He had acquired his great wealth by placing large bets on rigged guymelef tournaments.
"I would have to ask you where you got this information." Bhelok said skeptically. "I have not heard even the slightest whisper of a tournament."
"That's because only the king and I know of its existence at the moment."
"And why is that?"
"Let us just say that Lord Van and I are very...close." Velannaf grinned wickedly.
From that moment on, it was mere child's play for the dark lord to convince Bhelok that the tournament was indeed going to happen and that he should bet all he had that Escaflowne would fall. Velannaf had assured the man that he had a guymelef that would not lose.
The cloaked figure's eyes danced as Bhelok raced out of the tavern; no doubt to spread Velannaf's juicy tip to his bookies. Now all the shadow had to do was get the king to hold a tournament. A simple matter.
~~~End of Flashback~~~
(***Warning*** Some coarse language to follow)
Bhelok froze in fear as he saw the men he had been dreading, head toward him through the sea of people. Velannaf guffawed as the rich man ran down a darkened alley. 'Fool, he'd have been safer in the crowd.'
Green robes fluttered as Bhelok tore down the alleyway. He had to get away. He had to hide but there was nowhere to go. He had run into a dead end. The finely dressed man spun around upon reaching the concrete barrier. He was stuck and someone was coming right for him.
"You!" His eyes flashed as he recognized the dark figure looming towards him.
"I've come to say goodbye." The figure said flatly.
"You did this to me." The man screeched, ignoring Velannaf's send-off.
"Did what to you?"
"They're after me because of YOU." Bhelok referred to the men in the crowd, the bookies he had informed about the fixed guymelef tournament. "I told them about your unstoppable guymelef and wagered all my money."
"So you wagered all your money. Why would they come after you because of that?" Velannaf was intrigued.
"Because!" The rich man shouted. "Somehow the word leaked out about your little 'tip' and the bookies got a huge number of high priced bets. Now that there is no tournament, people are gonna want their money back and the bookies don't like giving money back."
The cloaked figure smiled.
"Well now, you've definitely gotten yourself into quite a predicament haven't you?"
Bhelok was livid. He tried to respond but could not form a single coherent sentence.
"Where is that mother fucker?...Where is that little, lyin' bastard son of a bitch?...I'm gonna fuckin' break that pussy's legs...Not until I've finished kickin' that prissy bitch's ass."
Bhelok fell silent when he heard the men at the other end of the alley. Velannaf turned to look at them.
"Oh look, you're friends are here."
"Ssh, be quiet." The rich man pleaded.
Velannaf raised an eyebrow. "And why should I be?"
"Because all this is happening thanks to you, you owe me."
"I owe you nothing." He phrased harshly. "It is not my fault that you are naïve enough to believe the lies of a stranger you meet in a darkened bar." He turned from the groveling man and called out to the four men at the end of the alley. "He's over here."
Bhelok was so scared he was on the verge of wetting himself as the bookies approached.
"Wh-why are you d-doing this?"
Velannaf leered at the man.
"Because," he crouched so that the man could see his face. "Because you are a cheater, and cheaters only ruin the game for everyone else."
Velannaf never glanced back as he left the bookies to do what they willed to Bhelok. The cheater was getting his comeuppance and that was all that mattered.
He smiled inwardly, picturing the rich man's reaction when he had revealed his true identity. He had done so knowing full well that Bhelok would not live long enough to tell anyone.
Although the game was over for the cheater, it was really only just beginning.
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Sorry if anyone got offended by the bookies' language. I couldn't exactly make the all polite and what not.
Anyway, in this chapter I tried to clarify who Bhelok was. If you still don't get it, you'll just hafta suffer 'cause I can't say anymore without revealing who Velannaf is.
****By the way, I think I've given enough hints for you guys to guess Velannaf's identity. Anybody wanna take a shot at a guess? Tell me in a review!****
Enjoy
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"Out of my way...Get out of my way!"
Velannaf smirked as he watched the man in the dark green robes struggle to push past the hoards of disappointed fans leaving the tournament arena. The man seemed to be in a particular hurry to be free of the throngs of people milled about the tournament square. He rudely shoved aside anyone who dared to step in his way but his head glanced around madly and his eyes were wild with fear. Bhelok was terrified of something and Velannaf knew that he was probably the cause of it.
~~~Flashback~~~
The shadow sat in a secluded booth of a dimly lit tavern, surveying the drunkards at their work. 'Pitiful fools.'
He was bored. He needed a good conversation but he did not figure he could get more than slurred gibberish from the occupants of the bar. Then he noticed the finely dressed man delicately sipping a drink at a nearby table. Velannaf motioned for him to join him at his booth but the man tipped his head, refusing to give the cloaked figure the time of day.
'Now that isn't very nice.' Velannaf would see to it that the man paid for his rudeness.
Howls of laughter erupted as a staggering buffoon fell on top of the table the rich man was seated at, causing it to break. Velannaf scoffed as the man tried desperately to clean his alcohol stained robes. His efforts soon halted as he realized his wiping was doing nothing but imbed the liquid further into the expensive material.
The wealthy man lifted his head and stared indignantly at the individual who had invited him to his table. He wanted to finish his drink but did not want to go anywhere near the drunken masses. Reluctantly, he chose to take the shadowed man up on his offer.
"May I sit?"
"Please."
The two introduced themselves and began talking, or rather Bhelok spoke of himself while Velannaf listened. In the end, the cloaked figure had decided that this Bhelok fellow would make a perfect addition to his little game.
He had been toying with the idea ever since the man presented himself. Bhelok, he knew that name. He knew the man. They had met before only the rich man didn't know it and Velannaf would certainly not tell him. That would ruin all the fun he had in store for the stuck up gentleman.
"What would you say if I told you a guymelef tournament will be held tomorrow in honor of our dear king?"
Velannaf knew that his statement would entice the well dressed man. Bhelok had revealed that he was an avid but nevertheless intelligent gambler. He had acquired his great wealth by placing large bets on rigged guymelef tournaments.
"I would have to ask you where you got this information." Bhelok said skeptically. "I have not heard even the slightest whisper of a tournament."
"That's because only the king and I know of its existence at the moment."
"And why is that?"
"Let us just say that Lord Van and I are very...close." Velannaf grinned wickedly.
From that moment on, it was mere child's play for the dark lord to convince Bhelok that the tournament was indeed going to happen and that he should bet all he had that Escaflowne would fall. Velannaf had assured the man that he had a guymelef that would not lose.
The cloaked figure's eyes danced as Bhelok raced out of the tavern; no doubt to spread Velannaf's juicy tip to his bookies. Now all the shadow had to do was get the king to hold a tournament. A simple matter.
~~~End of Flashback~~~
(***Warning*** Some coarse language to follow)
Bhelok froze in fear as he saw the men he had been dreading, head toward him through the sea of people. Velannaf guffawed as the rich man ran down a darkened alley. 'Fool, he'd have been safer in the crowd.'
Green robes fluttered as Bhelok tore down the alleyway. He had to get away. He had to hide but there was nowhere to go. He had run into a dead end. The finely dressed man spun around upon reaching the concrete barrier. He was stuck and someone was coming right for him.
"You!" His eyes flashed as he recognized the dark figure looming towards him.
"I've come to say goodbye." The figure said flatly.
"You did this to me." The man screeched, ignoring Velannaf's send-off.
"Did what to you?"
"They're after me because of YOU." Bhelok referred to the men in the crowd, the bookies he had informed about the fixed guymelef tournament. "I told them about your unstoppable guymelef and wagered all my money."
"So you wagered all your money. Why would they come after you because of that?" Velannaf was intrigued.
"Because!" The rich man shouted. "Somehow the word leaked out about your little 'tip' and the bookies got a huge number of high priced bets. Now that there is no tournament, people are gonna want their money back and the bookies don't like giving money back."
The cloaked figure smiled.
"Well now, you've definitely gotten yourself into quite a predicament haven't you?"
Bhelok was livid. He tried to respond but could not form a single coherent sentence.
"Where is that mother fucker?...Where is that little, lyin' bastard son of a bitch?...I'm gonna fuckin' break that pussy's legs...Not until I've finished kickin' that prissy bitch's ass."
Bhelok fell silent when he heard the men at the other end of the alley. Velannaf turned to look at them.
"Oh look, you're friends are here."
"Ssh, be quiet." The rich man pleaded.
Velannaf raised an eyebrow. "And why should I be?"
"Because all this is happening thanks to you, you owe me."
"I owe you nothing." He phrased harshly. "It is not my fault that you are naïve enough to believe the lies of a stranger you meet in a darkened bar." He turned from the groveling man and called out to the four men at the end of the alley. "He's over here."
Bhelok was so scared he was on the verge of wetting himself as the bookies approached.
"Wh-why are you d-doing this?"
Velannaf leered at the man.
"Because," he crouched so that the man could see his face. "Because you are a cheater, and cheaters only ruin the game for everyone else."
Velannaf never glanced back as he left the bookies to do what they willed to Bhelok. The cheater was getting his comeuppance and that was all that mattered.
He smiled inwardly, picturing the rich man's reaction when he had revealed his true identity. He had done so knowing full well that Bhelok would not live long enough to tell anyone.
Although the game was over for the cheater, it was really only just beginning.
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Sorry if anyone got offended by the bookies' language. I couldn't exactly make the all polite and what not.
Anyway, in this chapter I tried to clarify who Bhelok was. If you still don't get it, you'll just hafta suffer 'cause I can't say anymore without revealing who Velannaf is.
****By the way, I think I've given enough hints for you guys to guess Velannaf's identity. Anybody wanna take a shot at a guess? Tell me in a review!****