Crimson Twilight: Dusk

Chapter 38: Night

'Zein.'

The name entered Maiha Il-Xalascent's mind as she staggered along Prontera's maze of alleys. She stifled a moan as one of her many burns rubbed against a rough stone wall. It was extremely hard to do though. Being struck by two jupitel thunders from Trenzein Zaisen was…ecstasy. She loved the feeling of being electrocuted and then burned by powerful, magical energies. To see her own flesh sizzle and smoke…it was giddying. While she preferred physical wounds over those caused by magic, there was something in getting struck by Trenzein's spells that made the experience wholly satisfying. Perhaps it was the way his golden eyes glowed so menacingly when he started to cast spells; she wasn't sure about such things. One thing was sure though. The thought of being hurled to the ground by another sphere of concentrated electricity made her giddy with anticipated pleasure. Suddenly, her legs gave way beneath her; causing her to collapse on the ground. She quivered ecstatically as her burns scraped against the pavement producing a delightfully stinging sensation that made her shiver some more. She tried to stand again but her knees failed her. She was too hurt to even pick herself up. 'I'll be staying here until I can move then.' She thought.

Maiha mustered a smile as she closed her eyes. She imagined that she must look pathetic right now. Face-first on the ground, helplessly immobile and utterly vulnerable; she didn't want her half sister to find her now. Seihanine would likely end things too quickly. Perhaps Trenzein would be different. He would make her suffer so much before finishing things. The though of being tortured by him made her sigh; it was unlikely to happen anyway.

'Maiha.'

The voice made her shiver in the late afternoon sun. The sinister quality to it that hinted of great and ancient evil was…seductive. There was only one being on Rune-Midgard who would link his mind to hers. 'I'm here.' She answered.

The voice whispered gently in Maiha's mind; mentally caressing her psyche. She could almost feel the skeletal fingers run down her cheek and neck.

'You have other things to do other than lying there.'

Maiha chuckled softly to herself. 'It's not that I don't want to move.' She answered.

The voice was silent for a while. 'I suppose even you have your limits, Maiha. You're only human after all.'

A sudden wave of sickening pain passed through her body. She gasped involuntarily and tried holding her delight in. She wanted to squeal and moan; to writhe with the intense pleasure that he was magnanimous enough to give her. Still, it was…embarrassing to squeal like a child in the presence of this being. He was, after all, her employer. Her breathing came out in short and quick gasps as she watched the burns on her body vanish. The healing was strangely and wonderfully painful. It was like someone was forcibly taking hold of her flesh and stitching it back together with a rusty needle. She would kill anyone, do anything, just to feel it constantly.

'You're enjoying yourself I see…your job is not finished, Maiha. You know what else you have to do.'

Maiha rose to her feet. She was completely restored to full health and was ready to finish the rest of her mission.

"Where is that woman?"

Koullufen Aethernas paced inside his study furiously. The assassins he sent against that grass-haired upstart, Trenzein Zaisen, had yet to return from their mission the other night. Darkness had already settled on Prontera once again and there was still nothing. He hated Trenzein Zaisen. That arrogant bastard had a lot of nerve; barging into the Magic Academy Council with his ridiculous spell revision. However, this wasn't the actual reason why he wanted Trenzein dead though. No, the reason was actually simpler.

"Good evening, Mister Aethernas. You look agitated."

Koullufen turned to see who had the nerve to sneak into his study. Even though he was only renting the place out during his stay in Prontera, he took great efforts to maintain his privacy. A glimpse of the intruder made him realize how it was breached so easily. "Don't you ever use doors, "Abraxil Sovivor"?" He asked. He spoke the name sarcastically. The priest in front of him was arrogant, at the very least, to name himself after the legendary Abraxil Sovivor of Glastheim. Abraxil smiled and said nothing. He did, however, take a seat. Koullufen continued to pace the room. It would be dangerous if the assassins were caught and made to confess. Still, he had plenty of alibis to counter any accusation. "Your assassin is taking her damn time, Abraxil!" He said.

Abraxil's smile widened. "I've recommended the best non-NightKnife assassin money can buy, Koullufen." He replied. "Would you rather have had another meeting with Trynis Eviskrae?"

Koullufen shuddered at the thought. At first, he wanted to enlist the aid of the famed NightKnife guild to handle Trenzein Zaisen. However, the guild mistress, Trynis Eviskrae, refused his offer; saying that Trenzein was "part of her right hand man's close circle of friends". He had no idea what she meant and pressed the matter; offering her more money. Trynis had drawn her knife back then; a black, curved blade that looked like a fang from some gigantic and horrible monster. She had pointed it at his neck in a silent threat. NightKnife made the final decision on which it killed and left alive, she said. In the blink of an eye she had gone from his study. For this reason, he had to rely on a non-NightKnife assassin to the job. It was hard to accomplish that though. Prontera was NightKnife's territory and freelancing was frowned upon. Any assassin who practiced his trade without permission from the criminal guild would be hunted down and killed. He had later met Abraxil Sovivor, who recommended an assassin willing enough to risk the wrath of NightKnife.

The female assassin, Maiha Il-Xalascent, seemed the professional type. She would have been the perfect assassin save for a few…unsavory practices she had such as nibbling on her fingers idly until they started bleeding and slicing minor wounds on her arms. Her name also piqued Koullufen's interest. It was a practice among the Payonese noble clans to add "Il" to the last names of those they banished from their clan. "Il-Xalascent" meant that she was once a part of the famed Xalascent clan, a Payonese family known for its dancers and blacksmiths. The clan was all but gone now. He had heard that most of their members were killed in Glastheim. It was a wonder that this assassin survived the extermination of her former clan. It also happened to be that two of Trenzein Zaisen's friends were from Clan Xalascent. Was there a connection? "Your assassin is insane, Abraxil!" He accused the priest.

Abraxil did not seem bothered with the remark. "Is that a "bad" thing, Koullufen?" He replied.

Koullufen stopped pacing. "It is if she gets caught!"

Abraxil Sovivor suddenly looked at the door to the study. "Then why don't you ask her for yourself if she's efficient?" He asked.

The door to Koullufen's study burst open as Maiha Il-Xalascent entered the room with a slow and easy grace. She smiled sweetly at Abraxil before facing the wizard. "Trenzein Zaisen is dead, Koullufen." She said softly.

Koullufen clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" He said. "But where is your partner?"

Maiha suddenly licked her lips. Her smile widened slightly. "He was…careless."

Koullufen shook his head in disappointment. He wanted to hear a report from the other one. He was suspicious of Abraxil Sovivor's assassin. "Do you have proof?" He asked.

Maiha tossed a bloody magic instructor's hat on the floor. Koullufen immediately recognized it as Trenzein Zaisen's. Finally, he was rid of that upstart! He opened a drawer and drew forth a large bag of zenny. "You have done well, Maiha Il-Xalascent, your pay-" He started.

Maiha raised her hand. "The payment is not necessary, Mister Aethernas." She said. "Working for you is quite…amusing to say the least. Your reasons for this whole business are quite simple but deliciously interesting. You wouldn't mind telling me would you?"

Koullufen remained silent. Maiha laughed softly and approached him. Behind her, Abraxil continued to watch. A sinister smile played on his lips.

"You won't say?" Maiha asked. "It's not that important. I already know! There is more or, should I say, less than what you make it appear don't you?"

Koullufen tossed the bag of money at Maiha's feet. "I don't need your worthless prattling, assassin!" He said. "Take your money and leave!"

Maiha ignored the bag and took a step forward. "This isn't about Zein at all, Koullufen. This is about my poor, little, baby sister."

Koullufen stared at her in shock. So there was a connection. A very strong one it seemed. He tensed up; realizing that he may have to defend himself. "Baby sister?" He asked.

Maiha laughed softly again and kept walking towards Koullufen. "How old are you, Koullufen?" She asked. "Fifty-four, right? My poor, baby sister isn't even half that. Tto think she's totally clueless of what you've planned for her. Quite amusing, really!"

Koullufen eyed the assassin warily. Maiha Il-Xalascent knew too much to his own liking. She was better off dead.

"I don't know what you saw in Sei but it set off some…desire in that shriveled body of yours right?" Maiha continued. "Some people have the most delicious fetishes if they would just admit it. When I saw that little love spot you've prepared for her after Zein was dead. I was wondering how you were going to get her there. It certainly won't be through flowers and love songs! Are there chains involved? Maybe a leash? Room for one more perhaps?"

Koullufen pointed a palm at Maiha. "Enough!" He snarled. "If you don't want to leave then just die!"

Maiha smiled at the threat. "And here I was thinking of a threesome." She said. "Well, your ugly, shriveled face is a bit of a turn off!"

Koullufen pointed a finger at Maiha. A stroke of lightning shot from his fingertip and straight at her. She sidestepped the bolt and closed in; her gladius gleamed in her right hand while a main gauche appeared in her left. Before he could cast another spell, the gladius sliced at his wrist, cutting his entire hand off.

Abraxil Sovivor started laughing.

Koullufen stared in horror at the stump where his hand was. A few feet away, his hand lay on the floor. The fingers were still twitching, as if trying to complete the spell.

Maiha quickly followed it up by slicing his neck wide open. "You've got quite the nerve, Koullufen Aethernas!" She hissed. "To think that I'd let you just take away my fun for your own little desires and then thinking that I'd ever let an ugly bastard like you hurt me!"

Koullufen stared at his killer and gurgled as blood started to clog his throat.

Maiha laughed and kicked him down. "Well, that's that." She turned and said to Abraxil. "I don't see why you go to all this trouble. You could have just killed him if he pissed you off." She knelt beside the carcass and began to slice the chest open. She was…hungry after her little encounter with Sei and Zein. Blood started to pool on the study's floor.

"My plans involve more than just plain murder, Maiha. Be patient, you will be privy to them soon enough." Abraxil Sovivor replied. He approached Maiha as she pulled out the dead wizard's still warm heart. She sighed pleasantly and took a bite out of her grisly meal. Blood ran down her chin as the heart spurted more of the red liquid with each bite. She smacked her lips and licked the blood on her hands and arms; savoring every drop she could.

"Well I never did like waiting, Abraxil." Maiha replied. "Besides…hahhhh…"

The Dark Lord smiled as the assassin before him froze up. He had gently plunged a sharp fingernail into her right shoulder. Malevolent energy flowed from him and coursed through her. The touch of the undead was hellishly painful to most mortals but, to Maiha, it was utter paradise. She started to writhe when he moved his fingernail down her shoulder and to her arm. The nail cut open her flesh; causing blood to flow freely down her arms.

"Darrrrk Lorrrrrd…" Maiha moaned. A bit of drool escaped the corner of her lips.

The Dark Lord cupped Maiha's chin with his other hand and stared at her eyes. Her eyes were sleepy and pleasant. She was smiling foolishly now, almost drunkenly. He was fascinated at that. He had never thought that anyone would be intoxicated by pain like this. "You've been quite the useful tool, Maiha Il-Xalascent." He told her. "Finding you in Glastheim was a boon to me."

Maiha's breathing grew heavy. "I…wish…you'd use me for something else…Dark Lord." She breathed.

The Dark Lord removed his fingernail from Maiha; making her whimper slightly. "You will have your fun soon enough." He replied. "Continue with what I asked you to do."

Maiha pouted and stood up. The heart in her hand was merely half-eaten when she threw it away. "You keep teasing me like this, Dark Lord." She complained. "I've framed Zein for you already so what else do you want me to do?"

The Dark Lord stared out of the window in Koullufen's room. "I want you to help the orcs for a while, Maiha. Give them a little edge against the Pronteran army."

Maiha smiled in anticipation. "And if I do this?" She asked.

The Dark Lord's hands crackled with dark arcs of lighting. "I can let you "feel" more if that's what you truly desire, Maiha Il-Xalascent." He answered.

Maiha shuddered in anticipation and vanished, leaving the Dark Lord to his own thoughts. 'Trenzein Zaisen and Silmeia Cafilence.' He thought. 'Through them I will win this war with ease.' He laughed inwardly. His plans would soon succeed so long as his "tool" kept performing as she did. He had to keep her a secret from Baphomet though. The demon's sadism knew no bounds. If he discovered Maiha then everything would be ruined. 'Baphomet is a nuisance sometimes.' The Dark Lord smiled as he stared at the night sky. He had other plans for Rune-Midgard other than simple desolation.