Bodhi[for beta readers]

The city lights flared rapidly as a sole car drove farther and farther away from that grand cityscape. The night sky finally became visible, as a soft cold breeze whisked through the window and hit a sweaty,broody face. Grimaced is the man driving the vehicle as he tapped the steering wheel; a desperate man can do desperate things. 

      Thomas Duck was his name and he just received a call that would make any devil repent. His only goal is to reach the port that he so dreads. It was raining, perhaps the heavens wish to cool the blazing rage and fear that burdens him. 

        The black sleeked car moved fast across the wet gravel, in the distance the keiko fishing port came into view. The cold breeze became heavy with the smell of fish guts and rotting carcasses; illegal whaling. He almost puked as his face grimaced and his mustache twirled in disgust. This was the meeting location the dreadful call beckoned him to drive to. 

          Thomas got out of the car, hesitant at first but the fear of his life ruined pushed him to get out. He rubbed his beard before his body stiffened; the natural instinct of flight or fight. Before him stood a woman in a sophisticated suit, tailor made and embroidered in gold and rubies. She wore a red tie, a white cotton shirt and black pants with red ruffles at the end. Her golden hair reflected the moonlight, blinding Thomas as he finally moved. 

          He lacked words as he knew who this woman was: The “Vlad butcher.” Instinct took over as he got out his gun; a desperate man will do desperate things, who would want to die. On cue the woman moved, she was swift as she blocked the oncoming bullets with  Northern Quileng technique, a trademark the “Vlad BUtcher” is known for. She aimed for his side, but in a panic Thomas rapidly fired  and managed to create distance between the two. His body moved on instinct as he ran towards the main lighthouse.

          He didn’t notice that the woman did not follow, in his panic he didn;t see the other two who were already in the lighthouse.  As he passed the hallway an arrow pierced the air and impaled his pants. Another followed and he managed a dodge, he couldn’t pry the arrow out the wall so he just ripped his pants. His lungs inflated with cold air—tainted with the seaside smell of rot and fish, his heart pounded as he pampered through the rooms. 

          He finally hid in the storage unit, it was colder there but he’d rather the cold than death. It didn’t help that his pants were ripped and his breathing labored but he quieted down when he heard footsteps. The woman's heels clipped on the cement floor before finally stopping before the storage unit door. It felt like he was in haze, the fear in him was too much as the door opened revealing a cold emerald gaze. Immense sorry flooded his heart and soul for the devil finally began repenting in sobs, wails and huffs. 

Thomas– “PLEASE! Don’t kill me, he’s the one who made me do it! Please…”

           His face was covered in tears and mucus, though he tried to keep his dignity. The Woman walked in, she moved closer to him as he kept wailing in cold sweat. Her cold hands reached for his collar, she grabbed it and pulled him towards the door. Thomas scratched her hands to make her release her grip but he was met with a firm kick to his face. He was lost in a haze but he still kept on his ferocious advancement to escape; he began crawling away. 

           The woman reached for pants and pulled him towards her, Thomas began to kick at her but she held his feet and with unsettling strength she swung his body. He went airborne and hit the crates in the room, he wailed even more as he let out a heartwrenching scream. His pants were off because of the swing but it didn’t matter to him only the pain and his survival mattered. He shivered on the floor, the side of his head bled while he tried to protect his stomach as he cried.

          The woman did not hesitate and immediately began dragging him out the storage room and to the basement. He stared up at the ceiling while his head rang in pain. The woman threw him onto the floor; beneath two pairs of shoes. He felt his body being lifted up by a man as he was laid on a limestone slab that was carved to look like a bed.  Before he fully recovered from the pain, he stared up directly to a knife. It was a knife made of gold and crystal, engraved with beautiful depictions of flowers and a farm house. 

           He let out a whimper before the blade, held by that blonde woman, fell on his neck and began slicing away. He coughed blood as he tried to scream; the pain was too much. The blade cut the skin—the muscles, the tissue, the arteries, the esophagus as blood sprayed everywhere. Thomas still kept wailing, his gaze null but filled with all the humanity he had left; Thomas was now headless and dead.  The blood that sprayed from his body was directed to a tank. 

          There, by the limestone bed, stood three people—The blonde woman, the man who smelled like incense and a lady who smelled like smoke and perfume. The blonde woman moved as she began professionally draining the corpse’s blood. The smoke scented lady sat on a nearby chair and crossed her legs, she lit a blunt before she smoked.

?????- “You took too long to kill him, Moria”

??????- “She’s right. Did you enjoy messing with him that much or is this mission too banal for your enjoyment?”

The blonde woman,Moria, paused for a moment, perhaps contemplating the question.Her gaze flicked to the smoke scented woman; she found an answer.

Moria- “It is banal. I wish we would’ve gone for a high ranking target; after all the blood is the same no?”

The smoke scented woman chuckled lightly as she took a puff, her gaze was unsettlingly gentle as it rested on the corpse.

?????- “Moria will always be Moria. You really love fights”

Moria- “it’s a fun hobby” 

Moria finished collecting the blood. She closed the tank and cleaned it, she then placed Thomas’ head on a statues spear.

?????- “And you hate religion, i mean who would take their time placing a head on an angel’s spear”

Moria- “I’ve done worse and i don’t regret most but you’ve done more bad things than me, ?????”

??????- “We’re comparing atrocities now? You ladies never fail to surprise me.”

Moria- “You’re the most bastardas out of the three of us.”

?????- “Which is why i said “red prince” is a perfect title for him”

Moria- “No, death rider is a better title.”

The two ladies bantered a bit before the incense scented man finally sighed lightly with a grin. He tipped his hat slightly as he checked the room with an attentive gaze.

??????- “I love the attention but the name Charon suits an old man like me. I betcha HQ will like it more than “death rider”.”

?????- “It’s basic.”

Moria nodded in agreement but Charon didn’t seem bothered as he began walking to the door of the room but ????? stopped him

?????- “ Aye, you forgot to burn our presence here. Wanna get caught that bad?”

Charon- "I told you I'm forgetful,” he said with a slight smirk on his face.

Moria carried the tank with ease and went ahead while Charon snapped his fingers and pre red flames engulfed the room, burning any evidence of their presence there.

Charon- “Stupid question, why don’t we just burn everything and the body?”

?????- "Because we need the police to find this crime scene and then they’ll be able to find the lab. It’s all part script….wait you didn’t read it? Or even attend the meeting didn’t you?”

Charon- “I-I was busy dealing with the Uzeq Merchants, can’t a man do his job?”

?????- “Your job is listen to HQ”

Charon and the smoke scented lady followed after Moria, they reconvened by the shipping docks where a ship waited for them. The haze of the port parted as morning finally emerged. Two hours passed before sirens broke the silence of Keiko fish port.