BXBX NOVEL Chapter 44: An Increase In Decadence
Evian nodded.
"Yes."
"And he did so because you and this \'Crew\' stole from him?"
Again, Evian nodded.
"Among other things but, Yes."
"And this- theft happened before you died so you currently have no memory of it?"
"None whatsoever."
"And you\'re sure about this? These are grave accusations to make about a Local Lord."
"I\'m Positive."
Lord Stygian let out a breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he eyed Evian\'s clothes.
"The Blood?"
Evian shook his head.
"Not mine."
Lord Stygian\'s brows furrowed and he nodded with just a hint of pride evident in his eyes.
"Good. That\'s good."
If the situation was so bad that it involved killing and spilling of excess-looking amount of blood, he was glad his son was the one doing the gutting rather than being gutted.
And then he raised his head and stared hard into Evian\'s cold grey eyes.
"How long have you known?"
Evian\'s brows furrowed in confusion.
"I don\'t understand."
Lord Stygian smiled. A thin knowing smile.
"You\'ve known Larnak was involved since the night of the attack, haven\'t you?" he asked.
Evian got a look of realization and his lips twitched.
"Why would you think that? This is news to me too."
"No, it\'s not. Don\'t lie son.
The Captain who found you the night of the incident already alluded to you getting help. With what you have just told me, I\'ll assume that was a member of your \'crew\'?" Lord Stygian said holding Evian\'s gaze steadily.
"Well-" Evian started to say before he was almost immediately interrupted.
"I asked you the next morning and you lied." Lord Stygian said.
Evian put up his hands in defense.
"I didn\'t lie, I just didn\'t tell."
"A lie of omission is still a lie."
"Is it though?"
Before Lord Stygian could retort, the Study door opened wide, and behind it was Lady Myrine no doubt brought here by the whispered news being spread all about the Estate.
"Evian," she called as she walked into the Study with eyes on her son\'s bloodied robes,
"What the hell happened to you?"
She grabbed the lapel of the robe and pulled it aside to look underneath the blood splatter for any open wound. She saw none but was undeterred. Turning Evian this way and that while pressing her hands all over his body in search of some injury she could tend to.
"Mother, the Blood isn\'t mine."
"Good. That\'s good." Lady Myrine said with multiple nods before her face twisted into a frown,
"So whose is it?"
"It\'s the Blood of Larnak\'s Guards," Lord Stygian said boldly calling his wife\'s attention to him.
"What? Why?" Lady Myrine asked in confusion.
Again, Evian repeated all he had told his father so far, and with every major detail (excluding his amorous activities that he felt both parents had no business knowing), his mother frowned and her frown kept getting deeper.
*Smack*
Evian had only just reached the end when he felt a sharp pain on his forehead.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"For lying!" Lady Myrine said angrily.
*Smack*
She did it again, Evian winced but tried his best not to yelp which wasn\'t easy. Those two \'Light\' taps were almost giving him a headache.
"When you left this morning, it had something to do with this, didn\'t it?"
"Maybe."
"Did you even really lose your memory or have you just been hiding this from us for over a year?
Leaving the Estate to take \'walks\' meanwhile spending your time making a Local Lord so angry he wants to kill you!" Lady Myrine questioned, her pressure flaring in correction.
Beads of sweat were starting to form on Evian\'s forehead but he stood his ground,
"I have no memory of starting this. I was just as confused as you are right now when it all came biting back at me," he said.
"Okay, I\'ll give you the benefit of the doubt but this morning when we had Tea, did you or did you not know about this already?" Lady Myrine asked.
Evian held her gaze for a few seconds before he sighed.
"I did."
"Hmph. And how does Daria factor into all this?"
Lord Stygian looked confused.
"Daria?" he repeated.
Lady Myrine nodded.
"The Witch took him out of the Estate yesterday and he only got back at night.
So Evian, tell us. What role does the Witch play in all this?"
Evian looked from the husband to the wife, both staring at him expecting an answer and he shook his head,
"Listen, I didn\'t tell you about any of this because when I found out, I was still in the dark. I didn\'t know what to believe and I didn\'t want to point fingers until I was sure.
Now I am and I also know Larnak will not let up until he gets back what he says I stole from him."
"And what DID you steal?" Lady Myrine asked.
"A Family heirloom, he said. The Larnak Family Spear." Evian revealed.
"Ah, that\'s a precious item to him. It\'s as precious to them as our Stygian Gong is to us." Lord Stygian said.
"We have a Gong?" Evian asked in surprise.
Lord Stygian nodded.
"The most destructive weapon at our disposal.
So where is the Larnak Spear?" he asked.
Evian shrugged.
"I don\'t have it. I\'ve told Larnak this but he doesn\'t believe me. He threatened War if I didn\'t cooperate and I decided to tell you so you\'re not caught off guard."
*Smack*
"Ah," Evian yelped as he placed a palm to his forehead, "Stop doing that."
"You only revealed this because there\'s a possible War? You would have kept this to yourself otherwise?
Did you consider yourself so bereft of support that you couldn\'t even let us know you were in danger? What in hell were you thinking?" Lady Myrine asked. Every word was enunciated with annoyance.
"Alright I apologize," Evian said gently.
"Hmph" Myrine let out before folding her arms and turning away from her son.
Evian looked between husband and wife and sighed.
\'Your dead son joined a Resistance and devised a plan that would see you used as a Puppet to end Larnak\'s rule.
I think it was a good plan to force your hand but I don\'t think you\'d see it that way if I told you.\'
Lord Stygian cleared his throat.
"Nevertheless, One of our own has been threatened and we must answer the call. If it\'s a war Herbert wants, A war he will get."
"Exactly. But first, Averill, we must try peaceful talks. Maybe we can sort this out as a misunderstanding." Lady Myrine said.
Averill Stygian nodded.
Evian shook his head.
"I don\'t think he wants peace. The matter is deeply rooted in his insecurity about the Resistance."
"Even then, we must try," Lady Myrine said, "Even if only as a Courtesy."
"Don\'t worry, Son," Lord Averill Stygian said with an encouraging smile, "The grownups will handle the rest. You just sit back and be safe."
...
\'Like hell I will," Evian thought as he walked back to his room.
He had done what was most pressing; Telling them and letting them be prepared but that was not some avenue for him to \'sit back\'. Definitely not when there were so many souls to eat and so many points to get.
\'Handsome egotistical bastard,\' Evian lamented about the previous owner of his body, \'Leaving me with all your incomplete plans. I would curse you but since I ate your soul I might just be cursing myself.\'
Back in his room, he discarded his bloody Merchant robes with no real intention of wearing them again. They had served their purpose.
While he took a bath, he called to his Assistant.
\'Stutus!\'
[Name: Evian Stygian.]
[Race: Wraith]
[Decadence: Cursed Wraith {840/500 Soul points}]
-
\'Mmm, the 500 Soul point question; Do I invest in Decadence or do I invest in combat by purchasing another spell?\'
As he wondered, Evian opened the Decadent Store which pulled up a second holographic screen so he could stare at his Status while simultaneously looking through possible purchases.
\'Ah, fuck it.
Let\'s see what an increase in decadence gets me!\'
[Are you sure you wish to increase your Decadence?]
\'I\'m sure.\'
[Very Well!]
Eldritch energy began to seep out of Evian\'s body unprompted and more concentrated than before if only by a meagre measure. His physical attributes all gained minute increment but through it all, Evian was left disappointed.
Somehow he had expected... More.
[Congratulations You are now a Corrupted Wraith]
\'...\'