For disclaimers, look back to chapter 1.

The Wheels of Distraction

Lemures had received an uppercut to the chin for his transgression on Olas' money pouch. Viedel was trying to pacify a sulking Lemures, while Larva tried to brush the dirt off Olas' purple robes. It would take nothing short of a miracle to accomplish that.

"Let's go to a bordello! I always wanted to see what was inside."

They all agreed to Viedel's idea, for that would make it a night to remember.


"Stop dodging and fight me properly!" Red eyes glowed in frustration as his opponent avoided his scythe yet again and was circling him. It felt a lot like a wolf battling a lynx, although he was not sure which was wolf and lynx respectively.

"You have improved, but still not good enough to defeat me. When will you be satisfied?" The voice like ripples on the water sounded sad. Larva felt yet another twinge, but to hell with his feelings. He did not want pity, nor did he want compassion.

"Until your betrayal no longer stings!" A tearing sound signified cloth being rent, and then Garline was in the middle of the open gallery. Moonlight shone on the hole in his shirt, falling open to reveal bare flesh beneath. No armour. Good. Some inner part was shrieking something coherent, but Larva was beyond listening. He wanted his hurt cauterised, and he had waited so long for the opportunity.

Larva would never understand. The purple eyes became amethyst mirrors.

"We'll settle this with a death strike. Clashback, as you and your fellow lords over the sea would say."

Garline backed off to the far end of the room. The rain was falling more strongly. Lightning flashed, and as the sound of thunder rumbled overhead, they were charging at one another.

Sword met scythe, then Larva was lunging with his lethal red nails. A flash of lavender against alabaster- The world exploded into crimson.


"You look very pleased. He must have drunk it already." Ariakas murmured to his companion as they watched the ballroom from one floor up. Anticipation was evident in green fires eating up steel.

"Indeed, with a bit of extra something in it." At his tone, golden eyes fixed fiercely on him.

"You didn't use your own personal mix again, did you..." A pale hand squeezed his bicep comfortingly. Then the grip tightened into a painful hold, along with the mischief and menace in a certain sage's voice.

"The usual, such as bloodwort, passion poppy, mugroot... and yes, I threw in one or two extras. All the better to destroy resistance."

Ariakas had a strong feeling that the lad would have a tremendous headache the next morning.

"Oh don't be a spoilsport, I needed to inhibit his inhibitions... and amplify his desires. For me. And you. The Endorras boy will not feature at all, if I have my way. Hmm, it's starting to take effect, we should go..."


The Boar and Charter would have been a better choice than The Whore and Garter, beer-wise. They had never smelled so much perfume in their lives. Lemures sneezed. Viedel was wide-eyed at the various states of dress (or rather, undress, judging by the lack of clothing) on all of the females. Olas thought he was in Heaven. Larva had no interest but an overwhelming desire to flee. Unfortunately, the mistress of the bordello was right behind him, blocking the door.

She was a good size, and she was encouraging them to pick one, two, maybe more if they could handle her girls. Different shapes, sizes, abilities... Lemures tried to control his sneezing. Viedel and Olas were happily complying with the mistress by each selecting two girls. Larva was swamped.


It was getting warm in here. Talking to some new acquaintances about their lands, for a moment he thought he saw Larva standing behind them. He blinked; it was just his imagination.

Sure enough, he was not there. "Lord Garline, your father is looking for you." He turned to face a footman to acknowledge the message, and then stopped dead. He saw an aqua-haired man in pale blue robes standing by the grand piano.

The man vanished into thin air, as he stared longer. Thanking the footman, he paused in mid-sentence, for now it was Lord Kai standing behind the man's shoulder. He disappeared after a few seconds, and Garline realised that all about him were looking at him strangely. Hurriedly excusing himself, he turned away and looking straight ahead, saw Larva standing less than ten feet from him. His smile was entrancing. Garline was feeling slightly dizzy and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, it was no longer his dear friend but the dark lord with silvery-green eyes and clad all in black, seductive expression on his face. He was going mad. What was going on? Fear tugged at his heart as he sliced through the crowd. The dark apparition had vanished as he started towards it. Pushing open the side doors, he left the bright lights of the ballroom for the cooler, darker corridors. He needed to rest for a while.


Two of the quartet seemed like awful prudes. Or maybe just shy. Valeria was observing her fellow sisters flirting and attempting to seduce the handsome young men, especially the one with the ice-blue eyes. He was politely trying to refuse them, while his fellow friends were dallying with the lucky chosen with great gusto in the other rooms. She knew just how to ensnare this one.

Pushing past her fellow competitors, she sidled up to him and whispered, "How about hiding in my room until they've all forgotten about you? You'll have to pay for that, of course. Well?"

Larva looked with relief at her. Here was one woman who was not trying to get him between her legs for the profit in it. He took her offered hand, and she led him past the other females, up the stairs and to her room.