In the Name of Justice: Chapter XXIV
The cat is asleep next to me. ♥
Chapter XXIV
Towards the End
It was less of a struggle than Justice had originally anticipated to retrieve the figure. He was physically weak, and trying with every effort to keep his skin covered from the scorching rays of the sun. A hiss, like that of a snake, escaped his lips as the black-haired man approached him, though after that he put up little resistance, bound by the pain in his leg.
There was barely enough room for the two of them inside the small dark area at the back of the shack, and the figure seemed to know this. He cowered in the corner, robes pulled up to his collar so that his head was hidden. Sharply, Justice bent down and pulled back his hood to reveal a pale face, framed with locks of messy brown hair - a vampire, of course, and young by the looks of it. The man made sure to keep his eyes firmly fixed upon him as his fingers found his dagger and began to ease it from his flesh.
The vampire hissed in pain, but his shoulders finally relaxed once the knife was out completely. He closed his eyes as the tip of the blade was pushed against his throat.
“Where’s Gideon?”
For a moment, there was no reply, but then, to Justice’s surprise, a light cackling arose from the unnamed figure. He paused a few moments before opening his eyes and staring straight at the black-haired man. “You think you’re so important, don’t you? All because you’re the king’s son… How powerful you must be.”
Justice’s eyes narrowed, though he said nothing. Instead, his grip on the knife tightened as he repeated the words, “Where’s Gideon?”
Again, the vampire simply sniggered. “You’d love to know, wouldn’t you? I wonder… What would you give?”
Without hesitation, Justice drew back his hand and plunged his thumb deep into the closing flesh wound in the other’s leg, causing the blood to well up around him. The man’s head hit the wood, his mouth open in wordless agony.
“I’m not playing games,” snarled Justice, taken aback slightly by the ferocity in his own voice. He couldn’t help but feel the slightest sympathy for the young vampire; yet then again, he only had to remind himself of what had happened to feel his rage rise again. This man had helped to steal Blanche away from him, and he was prepared to do anything within his power to get her back.
“N-nor am I,” stammered the vampire between agonised pants. “I’ll d-die before I tell you anything.”
Justice gritted his teeth behind his lips. With the knife still firmly in his hand, he reached down with his right and wrapped his fingers around the other’s wrist. For a moment, the vampire simply watched with a confused expression, but then he seemed to understand. “No…” He broke into frantic struggle, kicking out with both legs in an attempt to break free; Justice had to use his whole body just to retrain him. “Wait!”
The black-haired man paused and turned his head to look at the other, though he said nothing, at which Justice tightened his grip and pushed the vampire’s hand forward, into the light area of the shack. His palm hit the wall, where it was swamped to the wrist with sunlight.
There was silence for a few seconds as the vampire stared, frozen, at his hand. Then, gradually, the pale skin began to darken, to redden, as if it were being scalded by some invisible water source. Blisters rose up from the flesh - large, white bubbles that seemed to pulse over the skin; and then, as though it could take no more, the whole hand burst into flames.
The vampire shrieked, but Justice remained still, eyes fixed, horrified, upon the scene before him. It was a full minute until the hand had burnt away completely, skin giving way to flesh, which in turn gave way to bone and crumbled onto the floor as ash.
Slowly, Justice allowed his grip to relinquish, and at once, the vampire pulled back his arm. His face was twisted with pain, his whole body quivering as he cradled the stump that had once been his hand - a wound that, as long as he lived, would never grow back.
The black-haired man bent to his knees; yet the moment the other’s eyes snapped up to him, he recoiled in fear. “No, please…”
“Tell me where Gideon is headed.” The words were barely above a weak murmur as they passed from Justice’s lips, said with far less conviction than he might have hoped for. Still, the other seemed much more willing to comply now, which was more than a relief for Justice - after what he’d just seen, he didn’t know how much more of this interrogation he would be able to stand.
“I-I’m not sure exactly…” stammered the vampire. “Master G-Gideon said something about a forest of some sort. Groveside Woods, I think.” He flinched suddenly. “But that’s all I’ve heard - nothing else.”
Justice nodded slowly. “And that’s where he’s taking Blanche? Why?”
The vampire paused for a moment, as if deliberating whether to say or not - or perhaps trying to recall information. “There’s the sword, isn’t there? The Sword of Kings. He wouldn’t tell us exactly, but he mentioned that we would be headed there - that you would be headed there…” His voice broke off into sobs.
Groveside Woods... Justice couldn’t recall ever having heard of them; yet then again, this was unknown territory to him, and identifying place names was the last thing on his mind. What he needed now was some sort of direction, a pointer as to where these woods could be; and if it did, indeed, lead him to the resting place of his father's sword, then there was a chance he would be able to reach it before Gideon. That was, of course, providing that he left immediately.
As he turned back to the vampire, however, he couldn't help but feel a deep regret within himself, despite his earlier feelings. It seemed cruel to ask anything of him, but there was just one thing left that he required.
"Your cloak."
The young vampire shot him a questioning look. "What?"
"I need your cloak."
Justice watched as the figure, making sure to avoid touching his arm, slid out of his robes and handed them over. The material was heavy in his hands, though it would do. Carefully, he pulled it over his shoulders and upturned the hood so that his face was covered. Then he turned to the door.
The sun was just beginning to darken over with clouds as Justice stepped forward, though its rays still shone bright. There was no pause in his step, no holding back - this time, his goal was set. He was going to find the Guardians, rescue Blanche and retrieve the sword.
And most of all, he was going to kill Gideon.
A low whimpering met his ears, like that of an injured animal. Behind him, the vampire sat huddled in the darkness, sobbing over his burnt stump of a wrist. It wasn't his fault - Justice knew that - and in a way, he felt as though he should make some kind of effort to amend.
“Go south of here,” he said with his back to the vampire. “There's a small village in the valley called Rockwood. If you follow the path east from there, you’ll come across a small house in a hamlet - it’s the one with the thatched roof. Inside you'll find a mixture that will ease your pain. Use it. Start a new life there.”
Justice sighed. Perhaps after all this time, he had known, deep down, that he would never be returning to his home. Whether or not the young vampire would take his offer he didn’t know, but it was a forward battle from here - there was no mistaking that.
Gathering his robes around his shoulders, Justice took one last glance around the shed before pushing the door open to its full and stepping out into the sun.
Next Chapter →
Chapter XXIV
Towards the End
It was less of a struggle than Justice had originally anticipated to retrieve the figure. He was physically weak, and trying with every effort to keep his skin covered from the scorching rays of the sun. A hiss, like that of a snake, escaped his lips as the black-haired man approached him, though after that he put up little resistance, bound by the pain in his leg.
There was barely enough room for the two of them inside the small dark area at the back of the shack, and the figure seemed to know this. He cowered in the corner, robes pulled up to his collar so that his head was hidden. Sharply, Justice bent down and pulled back his hood to reveal a pale face, framed with locks of messy brown hair - a vampire, of course, and young by the looks of it. The man made sure to keep his eyes firmly fixed upon him as his fingers found his dagger and began to ease it from his flesh.
The vampire hissed in pain, but his shoulders finally relaxed once the knife was out completely. He closed his eyes as the tip of the blade was pushed against his throat.
“Where’s Gideon?”
For a moment, there was no reply, but then, to Justice’s surprise, a light cackling arose from the unnamed figure. He paused a few moments before opening his eyes and staring straight at the black-haired man. “You think you’re so important, don’t you? All because you’re the king’s son… How powerful you must be.”
Justice’s eyes narrowed, though he said nothing. Instead, his grip on the knife tightened as he repeated the words, “Where’s Gideon?”
Again, the vampire simply sniggered. “You’d love to know, wouldn’t you? I wonder… What would you give?”
Without hesitation, Justice drew back his hand and plunged his thumb deep into the closing flesh wound in the other’s leg, causing the blood to well up around him. The man’s head hit the wood, his mouth open in wordless agony.
“I’m not playing games,” snarled Justice, taken aback slightly by the ferocity in his own voice. He couldn’t help but feel the slightest sympathy for the young vampire; yet then again, he only had to remind himself of what had happened to feel his rage rise again. This man had helped to steal Blanche away from him, and he was prepared to do anything within his power to get her back.
“N-nor am I,” stammered the vampire between agonised pants. “I’ll d-die before I tell you anything.”
Justice gritted his teeth behind his lips. With the knife still firmly in his hand, he reached down with his right and wrapped his fingers around the other’s wrist. For a moment, the vampire simply watched with a confused expression, but then he seemed to understand. “No…” He broke into frantic struggle, kicking out with both legs in an attempt to break free; Justice had to use his whole body just to retrain him. “Wait!”
The black-haired man paused and turned his head to look at the other, though he said nothing, at which Justice tightened his grip and pushed the vampire’s hand forward, into the light area of the shack. His palm hit the wall, where it was swamped to the wrist with sunlight.
There was silence for a few seconds as the vampire stared, frozen, at his hand. Then, gradually, the pale skin began to darken, to redden, as if it were being scalded by some invisible water source. Blisters rose up from the flesh - large, white bubbles that seemed to pulse over the skin; and then, as though it could take no more, the whole hand burst into flames.
The vampire shrieked, but Justice remained still, eyes fixed, horrified, upon the scene before him. It was a full minute until the hand had burnt away completely, skin giving way to flesh, which in turn gave way to bone and crumbled onto the floor as ash.
Slowly, Justice allowed his grip to relinquish, and at once, the vampire pulled back his arm. His face was twisted with pain, his whole body quivering as he cradled the stump that had once been his hand - a wound that, as long as he lived, would never grow back.
The black-haired man bent to his knees; yet the moment the other’s eyes snapped up to him, he recoiled in fear. “No, please…”
“Tell me where Gideon is headed.” The words were barely above a weak murmur as they passed from Justice’s lips, said with far less conviction than he might have hoped for. Still, the other seemed much more willing to comply now, which was more than a relief for Justice - after what he’d just seen, he didn’t know how much more of this interrogation he would be able to stand.
“I-I’m not sure exactly…” stammered the vampire. “Master G-Gideon said something about a forest of some sort. Groveside Woods, I think.” He flinched suddenly. “But that’s all I’ve heard - nothing else.”
Justice nodded slowly. “And that’s where he’s taking Blanche? Why?”
The vampire paused for a moment, as if deliberating whether to say or not - or perhaps trying to recall information. “There’s the sword, isn’t there? The Sword of Kings. He wouldn’t tell us exactly, but he mentioned that we would be headed there - that you would be headed there…” His voice broke off into sobs.
Groveside Woods... Justice couldn’t recall ever having heard of them; yet then again, this was unknown territory to him, and identifying place names was the last thing on his mind. What he needed now was some sort of direction, a pointer as to where these woods could be; and if it did, indeed, lead him to the resting place of his father's sword, then there was a chance he would be able to reach it before Gideon. That was, of course, providing that he left immediately.
As he turned back to the vampire, however, he couldn't help but feel a deep regret within himself, despite his earlier feelings. It seemed cruel to ask anything of him, but there was just one thing left that he required.
"Your cloak."
The young vampire shot him a questioning look. "What?"
"I need your cloak."
Justice watched as the figure, making sure to avoid touching his arm, slid out of his robes and handed them over. The material was heavy in his hands, though it would do. Carefully, he pulled it over his shoulders and upturned the hood so that his face was covered. Then he turned to the door.
The sun was just beginning to darken over with clouds as Justice stepped forward, though its rays still shone bright. There was no pause in his step, no holding back - this time, his goal was set. He was going to find the Guardians, rescue Blanche and retrieve the sword.
And most of all, he was going to kill Gideon.
A low whimpering met his ears, like that of an injured animal. Behind him, the vampire sat huddled in the darkness, sobbing over his burnt stump of a wrist. It wasn't his fault - Justice knew that - and in a way, he felt as though he should make some kind of effort to amend.
“Go south of here,” he said with his back to the vampire. “There's a small village in the valley called Rockwood. If you follow the path east from there, you’ll come across a small house in a hamlet - it’s the one with the thatched roof. Inside you'll find a mixture that will ease your pain. Use it. Start a new life there.”
Justice sighed. Perhaps after all this time, he had known, deep down, that he would never be returning to his home. Whether or not the young vampire would take his offer he didn’t know, but it was a forward battle from here - there was no mistaking that.
Gathering his robes around his shoulders, Justice took one last glance around the shed before pushing the door open to its full and stepping out into the sun.
Next Chapter →