CH 2.
'To become a Slavelord'
[Inside Cathedral]
Zephir had been in the Cathedral for a couple of hours; he surmised it was nine o'clock now and that it was time to meet with Kit so they could visit the Berenger Mansion. Zephir arrived at the Settridge Mansion wearing his usual attire consisting of black denim pants with a relaxed fit, boots that rose to the mid of his calves with buckles from the top to the ankles, wore a black button-up shirt with a dark brown heavy vest and a faded dirty brown tattered overcoat.
Zephir knocked on the double doors, answered by the human butler, Reeve.
"Evening, here to pick up Miss Settridge, I assume?" Said the older man.
Zephir nodded. "Is she ready?" Zephir growled lightly, looking down at the human with his glowing, blood-red eyes.
Before the butler could answer, Kit popped out the door, wearing a skintight black shirt with a tight vest over the top, wearing tight leather pants with a kama reaching just above her knees, two belts at her waist, and buckled straps running from her waist to her ankles she wore simple black flats for shoes.
"See you, Reeve," Kit said over her shoulder.
"Be safe, Miss Settridge," the butler said honestly as he watched the two until they were out of sight.
Zephir and Kit didn't say a word as they stalked the road to the Berengers Mansion; upon arrival, a human girl servant answered the door.
"Can I h-help you?" The girl asked
"Mr. Berenger invited us," Kit said politely.
"Yes, ma'am," the girl said timidly; opening the door, Kit and Zephir walked in; after a few moments of walking, they came to the living area and were greeted by the Berenger couple.
"Ah, Mr. Fletching and his Bride to be, so glad you could make it," Thomas said, faking a warm voice.
"We're grateful you invited us," Kit said, putting on a charming smile.
"Nina, take his coat!" Thomas snapped at the little girl.
Nina hurried to Zephir's side; Zephir removed his overcoat, handing it to the little girl.
"Now... with that being settled," Thomas said, gesturing to a loveseat. "Have a seat..." the duo sat together across from where the Berengers would sit; Nina pulled a living chair over for Thomas, then another for Moira; the couple sat down as well; Nina stalked off to a corner in the room.
"Isaac... you want to deal in slaves," Thomas said, getting to the point.
"I do," Zephir said, trying not to be half-hearted.
"You don't sound certain..." Thomas said sternly, analyzing Zephir's features.
Zephir looked at him with a serious expression. "I want this, Mr. Berenger," He said, his determination resounded in the large room.
Thomas looked at him as if trying to find something. "Alright, call me Thomas!" the vampire said, genuinely believing in 'Isaac's' words.
"Of course," Zephir said calmly.
"What lodging do you possess?" Thomas inquired.
"I only have the guest room at the Settridge Manor," Zephir said.
"I'll see to it that you get the mansion at the end of the road," Thomas said matter of factly.
"That wouldn't be necess--" Kit started.
"I insist," Thomas interrupted. "I'll have my workers start in the morning," He finished as he got up from his chair. "I have business to attend to; Nina will see you out," Thomas said, leaving the room with Moira.
Nina led Kit and Zephir back out the way they had come. "Have a good night," Nina said quietly.
"Good night, Nina," Kit said, smiling at the young blonde.
The young girl flashed a small, uncertain smile before closing the doors behind them.
Kit sighed, looking from the door to her partner. "She, and so many others like her, are why we're doing this," the vampiress said thoughtfully, wondering if Zephir shared her beliefs.
"I'll see you home..." Zephir said, walking towards the Settridge Mansion and paying her comment no mind.
"Won't you stay in the guest room?" Kit asked, looking up at her mock fiancé with puppy eyes.
"No," Zephir said sternly, never granting even a peek at the girl.
"You could stay at the hideout?" Kit offered as she fell in behind the dhampir.
Zephir ignored her as they neared the iron gates to Kit's home; Zephir opened the gate for Kit, and she slipped past him. "Goodnight," She said, not expecting an answer.
Zephir turned with a twirl of his coat; the dhampir left without saying anything, vanishing into the darkness.
[Mordrid, Back alleys]
He was weaving his way through the shadows when he heard a pleading voice telling someone to take the money and go.
Zephir stalked towards the exchange stealthily; he saw a tiny gnome and a man with a knife drawn Zephir's expressionless face hardened at the scene; swooping through the opening, he cut the man off mid-sentence pulling him into the darkness on the other side of the alley, the gnome stayed for a second listening to the horrible sound.
Zephir had the man in a headlock, the man attempting to break free uselessly. "My apologies... But I'm thirsty," Zephir said, forebodingly as he pulled the man's head to the side and bit down on his neck; the man screamed in pain, Zephir ripped the bite off pulling muscles and strings of meat from the man's neck, spitting it out after a second of sucking the blood from the tissue, the man screamed more so at this, Zephir heard guards coming, thinking quickly Zephir pulled the man up the side of the building they were next to and continued ripping the man's neck out, the man started to attempt clawing Zephir though he was already weak from the blood loss, Zephir put an end to the man's struggle by forcing his hand into the hole in the man's neck and pulling out a part of the bone, the man immediately put his hands to his throat but Zephir pulled them away and immediately ripped more of the man's throat out with his teeth the man gurgled blood before succumbing to his injuries; Zephir continued tearing away at his flesh as silence enveloped the night, the guards understanding now that this was probably a vampire attack and that they hadn't any means of dispatching one, they dishonorably left the dying man they would clean what's left up later.
[At the Cathedral]
The double doors swung open as Zephir stomped through the opening, slamming both doors behind him, barring the doors as well.
Zephir had blood all over his face and clothing, walking furiously through the cathedral halls and up the stairs to the room where his cleaning supplies were kept and his new pistol, which he still had never used.
Cleaning the blood from his face, he sat thinking of today's events waiting for his chance to destroy this Slavelord; seething at every word exchanged between him and that dastardly villain; they wouldn't live if he had anything to say about it.
They would all lie dead.