Daily Short: Random 05

Bloodwood stared at the endless parade of young, nubile, fresh-faced women circling the talented upstart who’d overtaken him in the Element of Blood. The younger boy, Justin Mickleton, was everything he hated. Capable, young, quiet, and possessed of the attention of his superiors.

“Do you think the Praetor knew before he sent us here?” Bloodwood murmured to Swift. The two had been working together for almost two decades. He didn’t worry about the words moving out between them as Swift excelled in Air as much as in Blood.

“Without question,” Swift replied, taking a social sip of his wine glass. A plate of entrées floated near the shoulder opposite his wineglass. Occasionally, a morsel would drift into his mouth with a soft crunch.

“Is he trying to get rid of us? Do you think we’ve become problems?” Bloodwood growled. It would be just like the Praetor to replace them with younger blood. Charlotte could have received an offer at any time or place in the College. Justin wouldn’t have gotten one until after he demonstrated his exceptional talent in Blood. Still, Bloodwood was paranoid, even if it wasn’t logical for the Heir of a central Duchy to be offered a permanent staff position.

He'd seen too many of his superiors mysteriously replaced over the years. Sicknesses that didn’t have a cure. Accidental poison ingestions. One old fellow even drowned in a bowl of soup at his home. The methods of murder were many and varied, to be sure, but the Praetor knew them all.

“I don’t think the original mission will be plausible.” Bloodwood said through gritted teeth as he watched Justin. The girls around the younger man were practically offering everything short of marriage. It was beyond compare to seeing the younger man polite without accepting any offers.

Oh? That one looks like a good target. Bloodwood thought as he noticed the woman who’d been part of the excitement of a duel a few minutes ago. She’s separating from her group of friends. Excellent.

“I’m going to satisfy some of my baser instincts.” Bloodwood said as he licked his lips. “Looking at that annoying eyesore is building up the stress.”

Swift glanced at him with an inscrutable expression. The bland College robes they wore somehow made the taller man look scholarly. Bloodwood rolled his eyes at the vanity of putting a pair of spectacles on to hobnob with the nobility.

“Be careful.” Swift finally said, the light reflecting off his glasses to conceal his eyes. “If the future Duchess finds evidence of your deed, it won’t end well. I recommend picking any target other than a friend of Charlotte’s.”

Bloodwood stilled as pressure descended around both men. “Are you telling me what to do, scarecrow?”

Swift looked away at the party, focusing on the blond-haired silver-eyed beauty sitting next to Charlotte. “If you get caught now, I will not avenge you.”

Bloodwood smirked as he turned away to say, “Bah, as I’ve ever been caught. I’ll take care. See you later, scarecrow.”

Swift nodded as another morsel of food entered his mouth in a soft crunch.

Moving through the gathering, Bloodwood kept his attention on the young woman. It wasn’t the first time he’d stalked prey to relieve himself. The trick was never to be seen in the same place as the victim or leave traces. His ability with Blood took care of the rest.

Taking a look around as he exited the banquet, Bloodwood triggered his personally crafted blood sorcery. It would ensure that no one noted his presence. The trick wasn’t perfect, but it was the next best thing to invisibility.

He followed the young girl quickly as she walked towards her guest quarters in the castle. As he moved, he activated another sorcery targeting the girl. Bloodwood’s name came from the sorcery he was currently casting. It turned the target into a wooden puppet by controlling the blood in its veins.

A grin split his face as the sorcery took hold. It had been a gamble, but most of this nobility couldn’t afford proper shielding. Even if they could, it would be given to the main head of the family or their heir. Bloodwood walked up to the girl and began to walk alongside her as if he was a servant.

Capturing such a pretty piece of work is always a thrill. Bloodwood thought as he directed the girl away from her quarters and towards his room in the eastern tower.

The hallways were empty, most likely due to the banquet. All the servants on hand were currently in demand at the event. As they approached the door leading to the eastern tower’s stairwell, Bloodwood froze. A woman looked directly at him with ruby-red eyes and a gorgeous smoking-hot body. It took him a moment to snap out of being enchanted. Once free, he immediately raised his innate defenses against magical effects to the highest level.

“Oh? A new fledgling? No, you are something else. A blood sorcerer, here?” the woman mused, looking between him and his newest toy.

“Vampire? I’m surprised your kind are still lurking nearby.” Bloodwood said, striding forward as the younger girl followed in his wake. “Stick around. The little psychopath following the Duchy’s Heir will be happy to meet you.”

The vampire’s eyes shone brightly as she said, “I think not. I’ll leave you to play with your little doll. It’s the least I can do for a man your size.”

Bloodwood’s temper came close to erupting, but he pressed it down. The vampire’s days were numbered, and it wasn’t like she could report him. He controlled his rage and moved past the woman heading further toward his room.

As he reached the first landing door on the stairwell, a flash of light appeared at the bottom. Bloodwood looked back for a moment before shrugging. Whatever the vampire did, it wasn’t any of his concern.