Unsurprisingly, a commotion ensued, with Olympia ruthlessly purchasing every item at the auction. The crowd's murmurs below transitioned into hurling insults with every bang of the auctioneer's hammer. "The Silver Phenoix Elixir is sold to VIP booth number twelve for a hundred platinum." The elf announced onstage as the next item was wheeled out on a cart. Every few seconds, the auctioneer would check over his shoulder at the VIP booth right over his head, where the Yaeldrin clan princess resided.
"Are you sure this is fine, Master?" Olympia said as she brought her hands off the voice amplification orb. "The auctioneer looks very concerned."
"Then it's working." Damien casually waved her off. "They won't make a direct move on us anyway... unless we can't pay, that is, it's not like we are breaking any rules here. It's just a blatant flaunting of wealth, hence the annoyance of the commoners down below."
There was a knock at the door, and Olympia opened it.
"Hello, sorry to bother you, but I have brought your item." A blonde-haired woman wearing a form-fitting suit walked in, and a cart was pushed behind her by another attendant. "I am here to collect payment... again." She said tiredly and brought out a receipt. "One hundred platinum, plus a ten per cent auction fee. That brings the total cost of the Silver Phenoix Elixir to a hundred and ten platinum. Will you be paying upfront or in instalments, Duke Nightshade?"
"Same answer as the last twenty times." Damien lazily said without turning around to look at the lady. "Olympia will handle the payment."
"Very well." The suit lady replied and turned to Olympia. The young vampire hovered her hand over the lady's, and with a flash of mana, a platinum bar worth a hundred coins and an additional ten coins fell into the waiting hand. The lady glanced briefly at the payment before they vanished into her silver spatial ring. "Payment has been confirmed..."
"And?" Damien said after a few seconds of silence. "Anything else?"
"Yes... a servant who would like to speak to you is waiting outside."
Damien used his Perception Field and confirmed there was indeed a third outline of a person waiting outside. "Let them in, and close the door behind you." Damien couldn't feel any magic coming from the person, and he had Vanity sitting beside him, so he doubted the person could threaten him. But just in case, he murmured to his companions. "Any sign of hostility, kill them."
The lady left the Silver Phenoix Elixir on a table beside the door alongside the receipt confirming payment. With the click of the door closing, an elf attendant that Damien had never seen before gulped as he was stared down by three vampires.
"G-greetings." The elf gave an awkward half-bow as his green eyes darted to the carefully packaged Elixir, "My employer has a vested interest in obtaining that. Would you be willing to part with it?"
Damien let out a sigh and pushed himself out of the extremely comfortable chair. He eyed the elf as he walked to a side table to pour himself a drink. "Don't suppose you could tell me your employer's name?"
"Unfortunately, I can't disclose that information."
"Oh, I think you should disclose it..." Damien poured himself some golden brown liquor and swirled it in his glass while keeping eye contact with the elf. "Otherwise, we will have to get the information through other means."
"I really can't say. My apologies."
Damien downed the glass in one swig and savoured the flavour for a moment. The liquor burned terribly so, but it had a pleasant honey aftertaste. He then slammed down the glass and glared at the elf. Activating Hypnosis, the startled elf quickly calmed and had a glazed expression.
"Name of your employer?"
"Kharis Yaeldrin."
Damien smiled. Finally, a name he recognized. Kharis Yaeldrin was the eldest prince of the clan, meaning Kharis was the elder brother of Akna. He was a third-rate villain, similar to Damien Nightshade. One who dies a tragic death despite being in a position of great power. 'Shame he has a terrible obsession with frequenting brothels. Actually, doesn't he own one near here?' Damien still wasn't sure how to cause mayhem within the Yaeldrin clan but meeting up with their trash prince couldn't be a bad idea.
Damien raised the glass of drunk liquor once more, and as he slammed it down on the table, he cancelled his spell. "You concentrating?" He questioned the suddenly reawoken elf.
The sound of the glass seemed to snap him back to focus. "Y-yes... sorry, my apologies."
"No matter, but please pay more attention. When can we meet your employer? Do they have an establishment nearby where we can conduct some business?"
The elf straightened his back, "My employer does indeed have an establishment nearby. Care to meet after the auction concludes? Unfortunately, my employer may be preoccupied at this time."
Damien picked up the suit jacket he had draped over the back of his seat, "No need to wait till the end of this pathetic auction. There's nothing of value here anyway. Let's go and meet your employer now."
The elf's eye twitched, and his fake smile waned slightly, but he managed to recover. "Very well, let us meet in the foyer in ten minutes. I must go and inform my employer."
Damien gestured for the man to get a move on, and the elf promptly left. "Alright, pack up all these items into the spatial rings, and let's go."
***
The high-class northern district of Kassinki was alive with activity. Glowstone lamps lined the cobbled streets as groups of wealthy citizens enjoyed the late-night spring air.
Damien didn't pay any of these well-off people any heed and instead focused his senses on the few people following them. 'They took the bait.' So Damien thought and failed to hide his slight smirk as he followed the elf attendant down a wide alley. Olympia and Vanity walked on his flanks as they came upon a guarded entrance. The lovely establishment had a signboard: Noble Dreams. Damien could practically feel the heat and passion wafting through the curtained opening.
The two guards on either side of the curtained door nodded to the elf attendant, and one went to pull the purple curtain aside. Damien wondered what Fay would have thought of this place as he entered and walked past dance poles occupied by naked women. 'She would hate it. Luckily she has her job with the Princess to complete back at the palace, and bringing her on assassination missions would only slow me down...' The sound of sex and the clinks of alcohol bottles drowned out as Damien focused on the task. His ear twitched as he heard the curtain being drawn back again behind them. "They followed." He said under his breath. "I don't know who, but there are three of them."
Vanity and Olympia nudged him slightly to show they heard him. Damien could have used telepathy, but it was unnecessary as the interior of Noble Dreams was as loud as a nightclub. They moved deeper into the establishment without delay until the elf attendant stopped at a heavily magically reinforced door. He knocked thrice on the thick metal and stepped back.
There was the sound of a few bolts sliding and then the distinct click of a lock before the door partially opened. An iron chain kept the door opening more than a hand width, and a burly-looking man poked his nose through the gap. "Ah, it's you. Did you get the item?"
The elf gestured behind him with an upwards nod. "I don't, but they do. I called ahead. The boss is expecting me."
The burly man squinted and looked past the elf. He inspected the trio one at a time and frowned. "Bloody nightmare..." the guard muttered as he slammed the door shut, removed the chain and then cautiously opened the door.
Damien knew his time was short, so he didn't waste a second. He grabbed the elf attendant by the shoulder, causing him to look back in confusion. Damien used Hypnosis and whispered, "Forget all about tonight. Go home and sleep." The elf nodded and walked passed Damien, and left around the corner.
Although his Hypnosis was at a high level, his eyes started to sting from overuse. "Vanity, you deal with all the guards inside. Command them to sleep."
"Hmm, okay." Vanity took the lead. The metal door was still being opened, but she raised her hand and forced it open. The guard seemed bewildered, but one look at Vanity and all the energy left his body. Then, with bitterness, he slumped down the wall and fell asleep.
"HEY!" A voice rang from inside. Damien couldn't see them yet, but he saw Vanity snap her head in the voice's direction and glare at something, "Sleep." she commanded, and the voices stopped. Vanity looked over her shoulder and sweetly smiled. "All dealt with, brother. Now hurry up."
Damien grinned and strolled past her, now came the fun part. The room inside was a sizeable cubical room with a massive bed at the back that was unmade, and a half-dressed lady lay asleep with half the duvet covering her. At the bed's end was a lounging area consisting of a couch and a glass table covered in various drug-related equipment.
Two individuals lay face down on the floor, fast asleep, their chests rising and falling in rhythm. One was even snoring. If Damien remembered correctly, these guards were both B grades in weapon arts, so seeing them so subdued was rather funny. 'I would have had to put a lot of mana into my Hypnosis to drop two B grades that fast.' Damien mused, turning his attention to the only person who mattered here. Kharis Yaeldrin.
The eldest prince of the Yaeldrin clan desperately tried to maintain his aloof and arrogant demeanour in the face of three individuals with far more power than him. Despite his age, Kharis was a playboy noble who never bothered studying magic because he always believed he could rely on his family's wealth to keep him alive, unlike his sister, Akna, who, although arrogant, kept up a noble appearance.
Instead, Kharis Yaeldrin opted for an appearance that matched his lifestyle with green dyed hair that ran down to his shoulders and tattoos of mythical creatures around his neck, upper chest area and right arm.
At least he was dressed in a white linen shirt and loose trousers for the occasion. But his overall appearance was messy, alongside the room suggesting that the elf attendant had indeed called ahead but perhaps only by a few minutes.
Damien walked over nonchalantly and placed himself beside Kharis Yaeldrin on the couch. He swung his arm around the man's shoulder and used a friendly tone.
"You know Kharis Yaeldrin, we are very similar in many ways. Misunderstood villains with complicated families. Wouldn't you agree?" Then, seeing the man's perplexed expression, Damien helpfully added. "Ah, my apologies. Your useless subordinate must have forgotten to tell you my name."
Damien reached over his hand, "The name is Damien Nightshade, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Damien saw the exact moment his name left his lips... Kharis Yaeldrin's eyes shook. Despite the man's arrogant appearance, he was a mere C-grade fire mage, and there was barely a hint of muscle on him.
Kharis Yaeldrin hesitantly raised his hand and shook Damien's white-gloved hand. "A pleasure. Now forgive my rudeness Duke Nightshade but isn't putting my faithful guards to sleep a little much? They are very loyal and wouldn't leak anything said here today. That I can assure you."
Damien ignored the question and used his spatial inventory to bring out the Silver Phenoix Elixir. "I heard you were interested in this particular item Kharis? I am open to discussing business... and I am also in need of a new subordinate."
Kharis shuddered a little, "Duke Nightshade, I have many fine men in my employ. If one takes your fancy, I would be happy to discuss..." Kharis kept his eyes on the candle in the middle of his table and refused to meet anyone's eyes. He wasn't stupid. He saw how the guards far superior to him fell asleep from a mere glare. He just needed to buy time. Someone would notice something was up and come save him eventually...
"No." Damien chuckled. "I think you misunderstand me." Damien brought out his golden pistol and firmly forced it into the Kharis's hand. The Yaeldrin clan prince stared in confusion at the item.
Damien helpfully directed him on how to use it. "Put your finger around the trigger, aim the hollow end at the target and pull. If your aim is good, this will kill anyone so long as the bullets are of a strong enough magic metal."
Damien saw the flash of realization cross the man's mind, but he was ready.
Suddenly, three people, with Akna Yaeldrin in the lead, strolled into the room. They had been the ones following Damien since the auction house. Akna glared at Damien and then saw the Elixir sitting happily on the desk.
It all happened so fast. Damien intentionally loosened his grip on Kharis's shoulder, and the man took that as an opportunity to shrug his arm off and leap to the side, gun in hand, pointed at Damien's chest.
"Careful where you point that thing... or you might just kill your ally." Damien teased, and Kharis's face scrunched up. He seemed to contemplate something, but Damien could see the slight twitching of his finger on the trigger.
Kharis tensed his arm. Pulled the trigger. And fired.
Damien quickly used Psychokinesis to redirect the gun at Akna. Kharis's arm whipped around, and the bullet harmlessly smashed into a bookcase lining the western wall. Horror appeared on Kharis's face as his arm followed the gun's movements. No matter how he tried, he couldn't dislodge his hand from the weapon. "Akna, run!" He yelled, but it was too late. The gun's barrel pointed at Akna, and without Kharis moving his finger, the trigger pulled, and the gun fired again.
Akna's head exploded, covering the two attendants she had brought in blood and brain matter and then the room went deathly silent for a moment.
Unsurprisingly, a commotion ensued, with Olympia ruthlessly purchasing every item at the auction. The crowd's murmurs below transitioned into hurling insults with every bang of the auctioneer's hammer. "The Silver Phenoix Elixir is sold to VIP booth number twelve for a hundred platinum." The elf announced onstage as the next item was wheeled out on a cart. Every few seconds, the auctioneer would check over his shoulder at the VIP booth right over his head, where the Yaeldrin clan princess resided.
"Are you sure this is fine, Master?" Olympia said as she brought her hands off the voice amplification orb. "The auctioneer looks very concerned."
"Then it's working." Damien casually waved her off. "They won't make a direct move on us anyway... unless we can't pay, that is, it's not like we are breaking any rules here. It's just a blatant flaunting of wealth, hence the annoyance of the commoners down below."
There was a knock at the door, and Olympia opened it.
"Hello, sorry to bother you, but I have brought your item." A blonde-haired woman wearing a form-fitting suit walked in, and a cart was pushed behind her by another attendant. "I am here to collect payment... again." She said tiredly and brought out a receipt. "One hundred platinum, plus a ten per cent auction fee. That brings the total cost of the Silver Phenoix Elixir to a hundred and ten platinum. Will you be paying upfront or in instalments, Duke Nightshade?"
"Same answer as the last twenty times." Damien lazily said without turning around to look at the lady. "Olympia will handle the payment."
"Very well." The suit lady replied and turned to Olympia. The young vampire hovered her hand over the lady's, and with a flash of mana, a platinum bar worth a hundred coins and an additional ten coins fell into the waiting hand. The lady glanced briefly at the payment before they vanished into her silver spatial ring. "Payment has been confirmed..."
"And?" Damien said after a few seconds of silence. "Anything else?"
"Yes... a servant who would like to speak to you is waiting outside."
Damien used his Perception Field and confirmed there was indeed a third outline of a person waiting outside. "Let them in, and close the door behind you." Damien couldn't feel any magic coming from the person, and he had Vanity sitting beside him, so he doubted the person could threaten him. But just in case, he murmured to his companions. "Any sign of hostility, kill them."
The lady left the Silver Phenoix Elixir on a table beside the door alongside the receipt confirming payment. With the click of the door closing, an elf attendant that Damien had never seen before gulped as he was stared down by three vampires.
"G-greetings." The elf gave an awkward half-bow as his green eyes darted to the carefully packaged Elixir, "My employer has a vested interest in obtaining that. Would you be willing to part with it?"
Damien let out a sigh and pushed himself out of the extremely comfortable chair. He eyed the elf as he walked to a side table to pour himself a drink. "Don't suppose you could tell me your employer's name?"
"Unfortunately, I can't disclose that information."
"Oh, I think you should disclose it..." Damien poured himself some golden brown liquor and swirled it in his glass while keeping eye contact with the elf. "Otherwise, we will have to get the information through other means."
"I really can't say. My apologies."
Damien downed the glass in one swig and savoured the flavour for a moment. The liquor burned terribly so, but it had a pleasant honey aftertaste. He then slammed down the glass and glared at the elf. Activating Hypnosis, the startled elf quickly calmed and had a glazed expression.
"Name of your employer?"
"Kharis Yaeldrin."
Damien smiled. Finally, a name he recognized. Kharis Yaeldrin was the eldest prince of the clan, meaning Kharis was the elder brother of Akna. He was a third-rate villain, similar to Damien Nightshade. One who dies a tragic death despite being in a position of great power. 'Shame he has a terrible obsession with frequenting brothels. Actually, doesn't he own one near here?' Damien still wasn't sure how to cause mayhem within the Yaeldrin clan but meeting up with their trash prince couldn't be a bad idea.
Damien raised the glass of drunk liquor once more, and as he slammed it down on the table, he cancelled his spell. "You concentrating?" He questioned the suddenly reawoken elf.
The sound of the glass seemed to snap him back to focus. "Y-yes... sorry, my apologies."
"No matter, but please pay more attention. When can we meet your employer? Do they have an establishment nearby where we can conduct some business?"
The elf straightened his back, "My employer does indeed have an establishment nearby. Care to meet after the auction concludes? Unfortunately, my employer may be preoccupied at this time."
Damien picked up the suit jacket he had draped over the back of his seat, "No need to wait till the end of this pathetic auction. There's nothing of value here anyway. Let's go and meet your employer now."
The elf's eye twitched, and his fake smile waned slightly, but he managed to recover. "Very well, let us meet in the foyer in ten minutes. I must go and inform my employer."
Damien gestured for the man to get a move on, and the elf promptly left. "Alright, pack up all these items into the spatial rings, and let's go."
***
The high-class northern district of Kassinki was alive with activity. Glowstone lamps lined the cobbled streets as groups of wealthy citizens enjoyed the late-night spring air.
Damien didn't pay any of these well-off people any heed and instead focused his senses on the few people following them. 'They took the bait.' So Damien thought and failed to hide his slight smirk as he followed the elf attendant down a wide alley. Olympia and Vanity walked on his flanks as they came upon a guarded entrance. The lovely establishment had a signboard: Noble Dreams. Damien could practically feel the heat and passion wafting through the curtained opening.
The two guards on either side of the curtained door nodded to the elf attendant, and one went to pull the purple curtain aside. Damien wondered what Fay would have thought of this place as he entered and walked past dance poles occupied by naked women. 'She would hate it. Luckily she has her job with the Princess to complete back at the palace, and bringing her on assassination missions would only slow me down...' The sound of sex and the clinks of alcohol bottles drowned out as Damien focused on the task. His ear twitched as he heard the curtain being drawn back again behind them. "They followed." He said under his breath. "I don't know who, but there are three of them."
Vanity and Olympia nudged him slightly to show they heard him. Damien could have used telepathy, but it was unnecessary as the interior of Noble Dreams was as loud as a nightclub. They moved deeper into the establishment without delay until the elf attendant stopped at a heavily magically reinforced door. He knocked thrice on the thick metal and stepped back.
There was the sound of a few bolts sliding and then the distinct click of a lock before the door partially opened. An iron chain kept the door opening more than a hand width, and a burly-looking man poked his nose through the gap. "Ah, it's you. Did you get the item?"
The elf gestured behind him with an upwards nod. "I don't, but they do. I called ahead. The boss is expecting me."
The burly man squinted and looked past the elf. He inspected the trio one at a time and frowned. "Bloody nightmare..." the guard muttered as he slammed the door shut, removed the chain and then cautiously opened the door.
Damien knew his time was short, so he didn't waste a second. He grabbed the elf attendant by the shoulder, causing him to look back in confusion. Damien used Hypnosis and whispered, "Forget all about tonight. Go home and sleep." The elf nodded and walked passed Damien, and left around the corner.
Although his Hypnosis was at a high level, his eyes started to sting from overuse. "Vanity, you deal with all the guards inside. Command them to sleep."
"Hmm, okay." Vanity took the lead. The metal door was still being opened, but she raised her hand and forced it open. The guard seemed bewildered, but one look at Vanity and all the energy left his body. Then, with bitterness, he slumped down the wall and fell asleep.
"HEY!" A voice rang from inside. Damien couldn't see them yet, but he saw Vanity snap her head in the voice's direction and glare at something, "Sleep." she commanded, and the voices stopped. Vanity looked over her shoulder and sweetly smiled. "All dealt with, brother. Now hurry up."
Damien grinned and strolled past her, now came the fun part. The room inside was a sizeable cubical room with a massive bed at the back that was unmade, and a half-dressed lady lay asleep with half the duvet covering her. At the bed's end was a lounging area consisting of a couch and a glass table covered in various drug-related equipment.
Two individuals lay face down on the floor, fast asleep, their chests rising and falling in rhythm. One was even snoring. If Damien remembered correctly, these guards were both B grades in weapon arts, so seeing them so subdued was rather funny. 'I would have had to put a lot of mana into my Hypnosis to drop two B grades that fast.' Damien mused, turning his attention to the only person who mattered here. Kharis Yaeldrin.
The eldest prince of the Yaeldrin clan desperately tried to maintain his aloof and arrogant demeanour in the face of three individuals with far more power than him. Despite his age, Kharis was a playboy noble who never bothered studying magic because he always believed he could rely on his family's wealth to keep him alive, unlike his sister, Akna, who, although arrogant, kept up a noble appearance.
Instead, Kharis Yaeldrin opted for an appearance that matched his lifestyle with green dyed hair that ran down to his shoulders and tattoos of mythical creatures around his neck, upper chest area and right arm.
At least he was dressed in a white linen shirt and loose trousers for the occasion. But his overall appearance was messy, alongside the room suggesting that the elf attendant had indeed called ahead but perhaps only by a few minutes.
Damien walked over nonchalantly and placed himself beside Kharis Yaeldrin on the couch. He swung his arm around the man's shoulder and used a friendly tone.
"You know Kharis Yaeldrin, we are very similar in many ways. Misunderstood villains with complicated families. Wouldn't you agree?" Then, seeing the man's perplexed expression, Damien helpfully added. "Ah, my apologies. Your useless subordinate must have forgotten to tell you my name."
Damien reached over his hand, "The name is Damien Nightshade, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Damien saw the exact moment his name left his lips... Kharis Yaeldrin's eyes shook. Despite the man's arrogant appearance, he was a mere C-grade fire mage, and there was barely a hint of muscle on him.
Kharis Yaeldrin hesitantly raised his hand and shook Damien's white-gloved hand. "A pleasure. Now forgive my rudeness Duke Nightshade but isn't putting my faithful guards to sleep a little much? They are very loyal and wouldn't leak anything said here today. That I can assure you."
Damien ignored the question and used his spatial inventory to bring out the Silver Phenoix Elixir. "I heard you were interested in this particular item Kharis? I am open to discussing business... and I am also in need of a new subordinate."
Kharis shuddered a little, "Duke Nightshade, I have many fine men in my employ. If one takes your fancy, I would be happy to discuss..." Kharis kept his eyes on the candle in the middle of his table and refused to meet anyone's eyes. He wasn't stupid. He saw how the guards far superior to him fell asleep from a mere glare. He just needed to buy time. Someone would notice something was up and come save him eventually...
"No." Damien chuckled. "I think you misunderstand me." Damien brought out his golden pistol and firmly forced it into the Kharis's hand. The Yaeldrin clan prince stared in confusion at the item.
Damien helpfully directed him on how to use it. "Put your finger around the trigger, aim the hollow end at the target and pull. If your aim is good, this will kill anyone so long as the bullets are of a strong enough magic metal."
Damien saw the flash of realization cross the man's mind, but he was ready.
Suddenly, three people, with Akna Yaeldrin in the lead, strolled into the room. They had been the ones following Damien since the auction house. Akna glared at Damien and then saw the Elixir sitting happily on the desk.
It all happened so fast. Damien intentionally loosened his grip on Kharis's shoulder, and the man took that as an opportunity to shrug his arm off and leap to the side, gun in hand, pointed at Damien's chest.
"Careful where you point that thing... or you might just kill your ally." Damien teased, and Kharis's face scrunched up. He seemed to contemplate something, but Damien could see the slight twitching of his finger on the trigger.
Kharis tensed his arm. Pulled the trigger. And fired.
Damien quickly used Psychokinesis to redirect the gun at Akna. Kharis's arm whipped around, and the bullet harmlessly smashed into a bookcase lining the western wall. Horror appeared on Kharis's face as his arm followed the gun's movements. No matter how he tried, he couldn't dislodge his hand from the weapon. "Akna, run!" He yelled, but it was too late. The gun's barrel pointed at Akna, and without Kharis moving his finger, the trigger pulled, and the gun fired again.
Akna's head exploded, covering the two attendants she had brought in blood and brain matter and then the room went deathly silent for a moment.
