it.
Viggo bellowed back that he would, but was never sure if she heard
him.
Fennore's last word was her lover's name
before she crumbled into dust. I knew that before Barnabus said it;
the dream I had months before was still vivid in my mind. Barnabus
could paint a good picture with words, but it couldn't compare to
actually seeing it.
Viggo couldn't face the betrayal of his own
people, not for a long time. Taking his men, he left the village to
its fate. Using info from fellow Deviants, he finally found those
responsible. Viggo wasn't sure how many members of the sect there
were - he went wild with bloodlust as soon as he entered their
domain.
Barnabus explained that when a hemo is
physically drained by another, down to the point of husk or ashes,
the victim's essence is pretty much consumed. While the act can
transfer knowledge or power, there is a great risk of destroying
one's own essence in the process. If that happens, the mind loses
all connection with reality forever. It's the reason their law of
death was created.
Viggo went back to the cave that was his home
years before and claimed it as his domain again. He would have
stayed there for a very long time, but he had humans to watch over.
So, it turned out that I was related to a hemo who thought she was
a deity and performed sacrificial murders. Wonderful.
"I've rambled on long enough for now,"
Barnabus said, standing up. "I hope that small piece of your lord's
personal history was enlightening."
I got up as well. "It sure as hell was. Thank
you."
We walked in relative silence until we got to
the garage. After pushing the door remote, I asked, "So, uh, Mr.
Merritt, about those Fauna tips you were gonna give me . . ."
"Ah, quite so," he responded, waving a finger
at me. "To start you on that journey, I suggest this: begin with
initiating eye contact. Be calm, be confident. Do it often.
Methodically extend the time of your gaze, let it linger."
"What, that's it?"
"It may take longer than you assume, Mr.
Beck, but very well. I will expound further. Once you feel truly
comfortable capturing Thunder's attention in that manner, begin to
focus your mind on simple thoughts while doing so." He gave a
single nod as if that crumb of advice was a meal.
"Okay, uh, thanks. And I mean for
everything." I made sure the gate closed after Barnabus drove out
in his classic Chevy. "Think simple thoughts?" I said to myself.
Shit, I'm the king of simple thoughts.
PARANOID
There was a new chore in the Planner for the
next day. I had to buy some hardwood lumber and have it cut into
short lengths. Then I had to wait until I got a text and deliver
the lumber to a specific address. More duties would be given at
that time. Sounded simple enough.
Since I was in the hemo-net, I decided to
browse. I came across a want-ad of some Deviant in Detroit who was
paying top dollar for live midgets to be delivered; the price went
up for any previously mutilated subject. It was getting damn tough
to have any type of respect for almost any hemo bastard, let alone
the twisted ones that had nothing human left in them.
I was stewing in disgust when Thunder hopped
up on the desk and rubbed his cheek on my arm with a purr. Huh,
social cat. His antics for attention got rid of my dark mood. I
tried locking eyes with him as Barnabus suggested, but he turned
and left the office. I was gonna suck at that Fauna Gift.
Gwen and I met at some greasy spoon the next
day for lunch. Considering that I was still technically missing -
at least in the human world - we sat in a rear booth for
concealment. She was a little jumpy and nervous, tapping her purple
nails on the table and glancing out of the booth. "Well, this is a
new look - paranoid Gwen," I said conversationally. "Are you acting
like that to freak me out, or do you have a real problem?"
"Oh, I think it's real enough," she replied,
fidgeting with her menu. "And the cause of my problem is Mr.
Leopold Beck, thanks so much."
"What, me? What the hell did
Viggo bellowed back that he would, but was never sure if she heard
him.
Fennore's last word was her lover's name
before she crumbled into dust. I knew that before Barnabus said it;
the dream I had months before was still vivid in my mind. Barnabus
could paint a good picture with words, but it couldn't compare to
actually seeing it.
Viggo couldn't face the betrayal of his own
people, not for a long time. Taking his men, he left the village to
its fate. Using info from fellow Deviants, he finally found those
responsible. Viggo wasn't sure how many members of the sect there
were - he went wild with bloodlust as soon as he entered their
domain.
Barnabus explained that when a hemo is
physically drained by another, down to the point of husk or ashes,
the victim's essence is pretty much consumed. While the act can
transfer knowledge or power, there is a great risk of destroying
one's own essence in the process. If that happens, the mind loses
all connection with reality forever. It's the reason their law of
death was created.
Viggo went back to the cave that was his home
years before and claimed it as his domain again. He would have
stayed there for a very long time, but he had humans to watch over.
So, it turned out that I was related to a hemo who thought she was
a deity and performed sacrificial murders. Wonderful.
"I've rambled on long enough for now,"
Barnabus said, standing up. "I hope that small piece of your lord's
personal history was enlightening."
I got up as well. "It sure as hell was. Thank
you."
We walked in relative silence until we got to
the garage. After pushing the door remote, I asked, "So, uh, Mr.
Merritt, about those Fauna tips you were gonna give me . . ."
"Ah, quite so," he responded, waving a finger
at me. "To start you on that journey, I suggest this: begin with
initiating eye contact. Be calm, be confident. Do it often.
Methodically extend the time of your gaze, let it linger."
"What, that's it?"
"It may take longer than you assume, Mr.
Beck, but very well. I will expound further. Once you feel truly
comfortable capturing Thunder's attention in that manner, begin to
focus your mind on simple thoughts while doing so." He gave a
single nod as if that crumb of advice was a meal.
"Okay, uh, thanks. And I mean for
everything." I made sure the gate closed after Barnabus drove out
in his classic Chevy. "Think simple thoughts?" I said to myself.
Shit, I'm the king of simple thoughts.
PARANOID
There was a new chore in the Planner for the
next day. I had to buy some hardwood lumber and have it cut into
short lengths. Then I had to wait until I got a text and deliver
the lumber to a specific address. More duties would be given at
that time. Sounded simple enough.
Since I was in the hemo-net, I decided to
browse. I came across a want-ad of some Deviant in Detroit who was
paying top dollar for live midgets to be delivered; the price went
up for any previously mutilated subject. It was getting damn tough
to have any type of respect for almost any hemo bastard, let alone
the twisted ones that had nothing human left in them.
I was stewing in disgust when Thunder hopped
up on the desk and rubbed his cheek on my arm with a purr. Huh,
social cat. His antics for attention got rid of my dark mood. I
tried locking eyes with him as Barnabus suggested, but he turned
and left the office. I was gonna suck at that Fauna Gift.
Gwen and I met at some greasy spoon the next
day for lunch. Considering that I was still technically missing -
at least in the human world - we sat in a rear booth for
concealment. She was a little jumpy and nervous, tapping her purple
nails on the table and glancing out of the booth. "Well, this is a
new look - paranoid Gwen," I said conversationally. "Are you acting
like that to freak me out, or do you have a real problem?"
"Oh, I think it's real enough," she replied,
fidgeting with her menu. "And the cause of my problem is Mr.
Leopold Beck, thanks so much."
"What, me? What the hell did
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