Disclaimer: Me no Namco, me no own SC2, me no own nothing.
Thanks yet again (and again and again and again) to my first reviewers. When this fic is complete, I will no doubt go over it and edit the whole story into a full form. .
CHAPTER 4 –TREASURES WE SEEK
"Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, thou foster-child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express a flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:" -Ode on a Grecian Urn, John Keats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The light in the room was a luminous as the noonday sun. It filled every bright crevice, extinguishing darkness like a weary flame.
The five handcrafted sterling silver chandeliers dangled conservatively on the infinitely tall ceiling. A broad golden line from chandelier to chandelier revealed a spectacular pentagon of light. Grand columns of alabaster and gleaming marble supported the inner corridor surrounding the circular room. The peach-colored floor tiles were overshadowed by a circular strip of interwoven satin with sparkling golden tassels for fringes. This carpet was neatly trimmed to congruence with the columns and reflected the chandeliers' light in its fine embroidery.
At the end of the room was a wide niche with a short staircase leading up to it. A finer satin carpet intertwined with lace stretched along the ramp. On the slightly elevated platform sat a polished golden podium with a cardinal-colored cushion nestled on top. Despite the fact that nothing lay on the podium, it was still rather grand, like every other object in the room.
A number of small semicircular tables with scarlet clothes stretched over them lined the sides of the room, each covered with silver and porcelain plates and platters. All sorts of edible delights covered these platters desperately alluring to any passersby.
The room itself, augmented by these accoutrements and delights, stood as a wonder all its own. The furnished pentagon on the ceiling surrounded a gargantuan symbol. Carved into the portal was swirling cursive V which curled wistfully across the marble. The symbol was magnified by the warm chandelier light and loomed over the rest of the room.
Vercci gazed at the V and swelled. He inwardly patted himself on the back. It was truly a masterpiece. The room had been carved from five slabs of perfectly sliced marble, the finest that could be found. Every known mineral of value had its place there. It was fitting enough of his wealth, if not his pomposity as well. He patted the loose bulge of his waistcoat pocket, hearing the metallic jingle from within.
There was probably very little that Vercci did not posses. He owned everything of value known to man. His vast coffers were filled with all valuable ores, metals, gems, and crystals while his vaults were lined with the rarest of artifacts and items. Of course, there were the chosen few things out of his grasp. Most of these unearthly possessions were daydreams. Prizing his valuables, Vercci had always dreamed for a life in which he could eternally treasure them. But, as the arts' rebirth had drawn to a close in Europe, these petty wishes were more fantastical than material. Vercci would leap at the opportunity to receive immortality, but did not show optimism towards the fact.
"Mister Vercci?"
Vercci's daydreams were interrupted by deafening and irritating reality. He was not alone in the room. Vercci's thinking had merely channeled out the other voice that now shot at him quizzically.
"What...what is it?" Vercci's gruff baritone showed annoyance as he spoke.
"Umm..." The nervous attendant stuttered, glancing away from Vercci's face, his own features looking oddly pallid as he groped for words.
"Have you misplaced your senses, boy?" growled Vercci. He did not like being interrupted at any time. It was one of his persistent idiosyncrasies. He always like to know when someone else was near so he was never taken by surprise, since he considered it a sign of acuteness if one was never taken by surprise. He had developed that habit into an art, teaching himself how to look completely calm when addressed with news that would've caused a weaker-minded man to temporarily lose control of his faculties.
"No, no, sir. I merely wished to inform you that...that Voldo has returned."
"Oh, has he now?" murmured the man, turning, "That is fine, then. Go about your duty, boy, and pester me no longer. I am in a most contemplative mood and do not wished to be disturbed for the remainder of the day...Is that perfectly clear?"
The attendant nodded energetically, knowing never to question his mighty employer, and spun around. He shot through the huge inlaid doors as swiftly as an arrow.
Vercci looked back up, scanning the room with a flourish as he swiveled about in place, his keen eyes stopping to rest upon a grand column at the other end of the room, one of the two that stood firmly beside the set of doors, looking very imposing to those who entered. He let out a strangely disappointed sigh.
"You can come out now, Voldo." He said to the column.
From the darkened shadow behind the pillar emerged a figure wreathed in the shadows he carried. The figure had a thinner form, but that was masked by the heavy frock coat draped over his shoulders. He was not tall, not large, not imposing in any respect. He merely skulked forward towards Vercci, practically flitting through the very darkness of the room.
"You should not attempt espionage, Voldo, you are very bad at it." Laughed Vercci, turning slightly as the figure of Voldo edged towards him slowly, as if calculating a reason for every step as he walked.
"I believe I did well, master." said a cold voice, devoid of real, noticeable feeling, from beneath the golden mask that covered Voldo's face. The voice, despite the obstructing mask, could be heard clearly through the gaudy device strapped to Voldo's balding head.
"Perhaps to some, but you're more shady of abilities have waned lately. You may still be superb on any battle plain, but you could not hide to save your own life."
"Warriors do not hide, master. You taught me that."
"That may be, but I also told you that only the finest can serve me. You are my greatest vassal and I expect you to know all there is to know. If I have everything, you must know everything so the balance of servant and master is exact. Your loyalty may not waver, but that does not make you great. Power makes one great, Voldo. I have money, money is power, and I have power. It's as simple as that."
Voldo did not respond immediately. Vercci knew how his chauvinistic vassal calculated all before it was done. That made him precise and accurate in whatever endeavors he pursued. Voldo could do many things, countless things, in fact, and that was how Vercci like it. Voldo was his elite, his best, the warrior who would unflinchingly serve him to the very end.
"As you say, master." Said the vassal curtly, bowing slightly.
Vercci swelled, contemplating. He knew Voldo had a lot to say, but the vassal dared not contest him and that was the way both of them liked it. Vercci loved preaching his will to Voldo, one of the only men who would listen with the utmost intent to his pompous oration.
"But," he continued, "Power must be savored, Voldo...Which is precisely the reason I sent you on that errand."
Voldo nodded obediently. Vercci had dispatched him to survey buy-worthy vessels in the nearby port. Even though Vercci could've paid a more knowledgeable seafarer to pick out suitable ships, he knew that Voldo was educated in the subject as well and would do the job willingly.
"What do ships have to do with the savoring of power, master?" queried Voldo, not really asking the question as much as he was prompting a response.
"The vessels you surveyed are to be bought, Voldo, by me. I have decided to indulge myself somewhat and make a rather extravagant purchase. I am going to sponsor a small fleet of ships to journey out into the Mediterranean under my command. The ships that you deemed most seaworthy will be the ones I use for this trip."
"And the purpose of such a voyage is?"
Vercci paused as Voldo lowered his masked head, as the vassal always did when he wasn't speaking. Finally, he turned to his servant and spoke again.
"To savor power one must be able to make it last. My wealth will be with me forever, but my forever only extends to the end of my life. The only way to make my treasure eternal is to be with it eternally. That is why I am heading this voyage. Voldo, I am going to find the one thing that can make both my life and my wealth last until judgment day and beyond."
Voldo's eyebrows shot up beneath his mask, even though Verrci couldn't see that.
"You seek the legendary sword?" he said at last, with more of a quizzical air in his voice than usual.
"Yes, that is the greatest treasure. It may not have any true value on the battlefield of commerce, but it will give me the greatest treasure that can be sought. For it is the treasures we seek that make us. Some may want glory and others may want crowns, but all I desire is that, the eternal satisfaction of my wealth."
"As always, master, I will follow you to whatever end lies ahead."
Voldo bowed dutifully. Vercci moved towards him, inspecting the vassal.
"Voldo, if you wear that mask for the duration of your service to me you will never witness the glorious achievements of your master. You never give me a full explanation of your reasoning. We have a long journey ahead of us and I am now more desperate to know than ever before. Why must your face always be hidden?"
Voldo continued bowing, his head still lowered, "Master, I need not my sight to see your wealth, nor my ears to hear your words, nor my voice to question you. I am your servant and my senses will not change that. As I have told you time and time again, I wear the mask so that I will not be distracted from my duties. Were I to go truly blind, were I to truly lose my sight, my voice, my hearing, and even my very sanity, I would still serve you without question. It shall always be thus. Serving you is the treasure I seek, as you have taught me."
Vercci did not speak for a long moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he paced around Voldo, who straightened up and went neatly rigid.
"As usual, your logic is an enigma, but I understand. We will depart in two days from Palermo, sail briefly to Corsica, and then scour the lands around this sea. I have already dispatched several other mercenaries to find the blade, but I doubt they will be successful...except, perhaps, that one..."
"Which one, master?" Voldo's full calm composure had returned as he stood, looking straight ahead as Vercci strolled briskly in circles around him.
"A Spanish buccaneer, Cervantes de Leon. I would have thought twice about enlisting a Spaniard, considering the war, but this captain is loyal to naught but gold, which I offered him a great surplus of. If any of the mercenaries in my employment finds the blade before me, it will most definitely be him."
"We will find it first, master. I will find it for you. I swear it."
Vercci sighed and walked around his servant again, heading for the door.
"Pack what things you have, if any. We will not return for a long time."
Voldo turned, skulking along in the shadow of his master.
"I need nothing. I see nothing I need, therefore I need nothing."
"Sometimes, Voldo, your twisted philosophy is actually intriguing."
"It is the philosophy you taught me, master. Your words are the only ones I hear."
Thanks yet again (and again and again and again) to my first reviewers. When this fic is complete, I will no doubt go over it and edit the whole story into a full form. .
CHAPTER 4 –TREASURES WE SEEK
"Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness, thou foster-child of silence and slow time, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express a flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:" -Ode on a Grecian Urn, John Keats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The light in the room was a luminous as the noonday sun. It filled every bright crevice, extinguishing darkness like a weary flame.
The five handcrafted sterling silver chandeliers dangled conservatively on the infinitely tall ceiling. A broad golden line from chandelier to chandelier revealed a spectacular pentagon of light. Grand columns of alabaster and gleaming marble supported the inner corridor surrounding the circular room. The peach-colored floor tiles were overshadowed by a circular strip of interwoven satin with sparkling golden tassels for fringes. This carpet was neatly trimmed to congruence with the columns and reflected the chandeliers' light in its fine embroidery.
At the end of the room was a wide niche with a short staircase leading up to it. A finer satin carpet intertwined with lace stretched along the ramp. On the slightly elevated platform sat a polished golden podium with a cardinal-colored cushion nestled on top. Despite the fact that nothing lay on the podium, it was still rather grand, like every other object in the room.
A number of small semicircular tables with scarlet clothes stretched over them lined the sides of the room, each covered with silver and porcelain plates and platters. All sorts of edible delights covered these platters desperately alluring to any passersby.
The room itself, augmented by these accoutrements and delights, stood as a wonder all its own. The furnished pentagon on the ceiling surrounded a gargantuan symbol. Carved into the portal was swirling cursive V which curled wistfully across the marble. The symbol was magnified by the warm chandelier light and loomed over the rest of the room.
Vercci gazed at the V and swelled. He inwardly patted himself on the back. It was truly a masterpiece. The room had been carved from five slabs of perfectly sliced marble, the finest that could be found. Every known mineral of value had its place there. It was fitting enough of his wealth, if not his pomposity as well. He patted the loose bulge of his waistcoat pocket, hearing the metallic jingle from within.
There was probably very little that Vercci did not posses. He owned everything of value known to man. His vast coffers were filled with all valuable ores, metals, gems, and crystals while his vaults were lined with the rarest of artifacts and items. Of course, there were the chosen few things out of his grasp. Most of these unearthly possessions were daydreams. Prizing his valuables, Vercci had always dreamed for a life in which he could eternally treasure them. But, as the arts' rebirth had drawn to a close in Europe, these petty wishes were more fantastical than material. Vercci would leap at the opportunity to receive immortality, but did not show optimism towards the fact.
"Mister Vercci?"
Vercci's daydreams were interrupted by deafening and irritating reality. He was not alone in the room. Vercci's thinking had merely channeled out the other voice that now shot at him quizzically.
"What...what is it?" Vercci's gruff baritone showed annoyance as he spoke.
"Umm..." The nervous attendant stuttered, glancing away from Vercci's face, his own features looking oddly pallid as he groped for words.
"Have you misplaced your senses, boy?" growled Vercci. He did not like being interrupted at any time. It was one of his persistent idiosyncrasies. He always like to know when someone else was near so he was never taken by surprise, since he considered it a sign of acuteness if one was never taken by surprise. He had developed that habit into an art, teaching himself how to look completely calm when addressed with news that would've caused a weaker-minded man to temporarily lose control of his faculties.
"No, no, sir. I merely wished to inform you that...that Voldo has returned."
"Oh, has he now?" murmured the man, turning, "That is fine, then. Go about your duty, boy, and pester me no longer. I am in a most contemplative mood and do not wished to be disturbed for the remainder of the day...Is that perfectly clear?"
The attendant nodded energetically, knowing never to question his mighty employer, and spun around. He shot through the huge inlaid doors as swiftly as an arrow.
Vercci looked back up, scanning the room with a flourish as he swiveled about in place, his keen eyes stopping to rest upon a grand column at the other end of the room, one of the two that stood firmly beside the set of doors, looking very imposing to those who entered. He let out a strangely disappointed sigh.
"You can come out now, Voldo." He said to the column.
From the darkened shadow behind the pillar emerged a figure wreathed in the shadows he carried. The figure had a thinner form, but that was masked by the heavy frock coat draped over his shoulders. He was not tall, not large, not imposing in any respect. He merely skulked forward towards Vercci, practically flitting through the very darkness of the room.
"You should not attempt espionage, Voldo, you are very bad at it." Laughed Vercci, turning slightly as the figure of Voldo edged towards him slowly, as if calculating a reason for every step as he walked.
"I believe I did well, master." said a cold voice, devoid of real, noticeable feeling, from beneath the golden mask that covered Voldo's face. The voice, despite the obstructing mask, could be heard clearly through the gaudy device strapped to Voldo's balding head.
"Perhaps to some, but you're more shady of abilities have waned lately. You may still be superb on any battle plain, but you could not hide to save your own life."
"Warriors do not hide, master. You taught me that."
"That may be, but I also told you that only the finest can serve me. You are my greatest vassal and I expect you to know all there is to know. If I have everything, you must know everything so the balance of servant and master is exact. Your loyalty may not waver, but that does not make you great. Power makes one great, Voldo. I have money, money is power, and I have power. It's as simple as that."
Voldo did not respond immediately. Vercci knew how his chauvinistic vassal calculated all before it was done. That made him precise and accurate in whatever endeavors he pursued. Voldo could do many things, countless things, in fact, and that was how Vercci like it. Voldo was his elite, his best, the warrior who would unflinchingly serve him to the very end.
"As you say, master." Said the vassal curtly, bowing slightly.
Vercci swelled, contemplating. He knew Voldo had a lot to say, but the vassal dared not contest him and that was the way both of them liked it. Vercci loved preaching his will to Voldo, one of the only men who would listen with the utmost intent to his pompous oration.
"But," he continued, "Power must be savored, Voldo...Which is precisely the reason I sent you on that errand."
Voldo nodded obediently. Vercci had dispatched him to survey buy-worthy vessels in the nearby port. Even though Vercci could've paid a more knowledgeable seafarer to pick out suitable ships, he knew that Voldo was educated in the subject as well and would do the job willingly.
"What do ships have to do with the savoring of power, master?" queried Voldo, not really asking the question as much as he was prompting a response.
"The vessels you surveyed are to be bought, Voldo, by me. I have decided to indulge myself somewhat and make a rather extravagant purchase. I am going to sponsor a small fleet of ships to journey out into the Mediterranean under my command. The ships that you deemed most seaworthy will be the ones I use for this trip."
"And the purpose of such a voyage is?"
Vercci paused as Voldo lowered his masked head, as the vassal always did when he wasn't speaking. Finally, he turned to his servant and spoke again.
"To savor power one must be able to make it last. My wealth will be with me forever, but my forever only extends to the end of my life. The only way to make my treasure eternal is to be with it eternally. That is why I am heading this voyage. Voldo, I am going to find the one thing that can make both my life and my wealth last until judgment day and beyond."
Voldo's eyebrows shot up beneath his mask, even though Verrci couldn't see that.
"You seek the legendary sword?" he said at last, with more of a quizzical air in his voice than usual.
"Yes, that is the greatest treasure. It may not have any true value on the battlefield of commerce, but it will give me the greatest treasure that can be sought. For it is the treasures we seek that make us. Some may want glory and others may want crowns, but all I desire is that, the eternal satisfaction of my wealth."
"As always, master, I will follow you to whatever end lies ahead."
Voldo bowed dutifully. Vercci moved towards him, inspecting the vassal.
"Voldo, if you wear that mask for the duration of your service to me you will never witness the glorious achievements of your master. You never give me a full explanation of your reasoning. We have a long journey ahead of us and I am now more desperate to know than ever before. Why must your face always be hidden?"
Voldo continued bowing, his head still lowered, "Master, I need not my sight to see your wealth, nor my ears to hear your words, nor my voice to question you. I am your servant and my senses will not change that. As I have told you time and time again, I wear the mask so that I will not be distracted from my duties. Were I to go truly blind, were I to truly lose my sight, my voice, my hearing, and even my very sanity, I would still serve you without question. It shall always be thus. Serving you is the treasure I seek, as you have taught me."
Vercci did not speak for a long moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he paced around Voldo, who straightened up and went neatly rigid.
"As usual, your logic is an enigma, but I understand. We will depart in two days from Palermo, sail briefly to Corsica, and then scour the lands around this sea. I have already dispatched several other mercenaries to find the blade, but I doubt they will be successful...except, perhaps, that one..."
"Which one, master?" Voldo's full calm composure had returned as he stood, looking straight ahead as Vercci strolled briskly in circles around him.
"A Spanish buccaneer, Cervantes de Leon. I would have thought twice about enlisting a Spaniard, considering the war, but this captain is loyal to naught but gold, which I offered him a great surplus of. If any of the mercenaries in my employment finds the blade before me, it will most definitely be him."
"We will find it first, master. I will find it for you. I swear it."
Vercci sighed and walked around his servant again, heading for the door.
"Pack what things you have, if any. We will not return for a long time."
Voldo turned, skulking along in the shadow of his master.
"I need nothing. I see nothing I need, therefore I need nothing."
"Sometimes, Voldo, your twisted philosophy is actually intriguing."
"It is the philosophy you taught me, master. Your words are the only ones I hear."