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TheDevilsTrick — Privateer Chapter 113
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Published: 2024-03-17 14:19:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 2806; Favourites: 11; Downloads: 0
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[How Many Rules]
The tall, handsome man wandered into the dinning hall, taking off a pair of dark sunglasses as he examined the room.
“Some new faces,” he commented, glancing over Belix, “Love the tattoos.”
“You’re the uncle I take it?” she raised an eyebrow.
“The second best man you’re ever going to meet,” Cryak joked, then he strolled in front of Clyde and looked him in the eye, “Why is there an assassin in our house?”
Clyde kept his expression neutral, but refused to look away.
“He’s a guest,” Drucilla told him.
“Then why’s he carrying magic weapons?” Cryak demanded, still trying to stare Clyde down, “The little gold things on his sleeves, why are they…”
“Leave him alone!” Belix ordered.
“You’ll have to forgive me that I don’t consider your opinion where it comes to the safety of my family.”
“So touch him,” she stood up from her chair, “See what happens.”
Cryak leaned closer to Clyde, whispering, a cruel smile on his lips.
“You let a woman talk for you,” he mocked Clyde, “You let her defend you, is that what you like?”
“...why don’t I show you what I like,” Clyde breathed back at him, his voice almost inaudible, nearly drowned out by Belix’s stomping footsteps.
“Are you in need of discipline?” Drucilla asked loudly, and Belix came up short, standing right at Cryak’s back with her fists balled at her sides, “Because I can help you with that, just have a little talk with your brother…”
“Enough,” Cryak threw up his hand and finally backed away, “You don’t need to be so...demeaning,” he strolled around the table, “Try not to hang me for being concerned for the lovely women in my family,” he stopped behind Greta, placing his hands on her shoulders and giving them a gentle squeeze, “As a protector, a… provider…”
Clyde finally moved, taking a step forward only to feel a sudden sharp pain in his leg. He looked down and saw that Belix had jabbed a fork into his thigh. She said nothing, keeping her eyes on Cryak, and Clyde took the hint, stepping back, trying his best to pretend that nothing had happened. Drucilla, seemed to maintain her own sense of calm, but one of her fingers was anxiously tapping against the tabletop as she cradled her child close.
“Your brother is in the other room,” she reminded him, “If My Husband were to walk in just now…”
“Enough with the threats,” Cryak finally backed away, and popped on a his sunglasses once more, “Tell him that I arrived, and, when he is otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Rio demanded, rolling his sleeves back down as he entered the room, he walked past his family, reaching around them to retrieve a napkin from the table and using it to clean the blood off of his knuckles, “Cryak, when did you get here?”
“Only long enough to ask your beautiful wife where you had gotten to,” Cryak stepped back and bowed in difference to his older brother, “And to express my wish to pay my proper respects.”
“Good then, very good,” Rio tossed the napkin onto the floor and put his hands on his hips, facing his brother, “Take off those sunglasses.”
“If you don’t mind,” Cryak chuckled nervously, “I’d rather just go take a lie down.”
“There’s a time and a place for everything brother,” Rio told him icily, “And now is the moment where you pay your respects to your Clan Lord.”
“Of course…” Cryak stepped forward dutifully and did as he was told, “My Lord.”
Rio’s hand whipped around and grasped the sides of Cryak’s jaw, holding him in place as his older brother examined him.
“Eyes are the windows to the soul, brother,” Rio warned him, “Hiding them grants you no protection, it only makes others uncomfortable, because it makes them think you have something to hide.”
Cryak said nothing, the air hanging thick with an only half-spoken threat, Rio’s grip tightened, subtly, but certainly, they could all hear the bones straining under his fingers, threatening to snap.
“A time and place for everything, Little Brother,” Rio told him, “Be sure you remember what your place is.”
At last, he released Rio, but stood firmly before him.
“However, you do look tired, go now, rest,” Rio’s eyes narrowed, “We Will Talk Later.”
Cryak shuffled out of the room, massaging his sore jaw, and Rio’s expression quickly changed as he turned to his wife, kissing her on the head and taking his daughter from her so she could sit on his lap.
“Will our son be joining us?” Drucilla wondered.
“Not until morning,” Rio admitted.
“How much of him is left?” Belix wondered, looking at the red stained napkin as it was being collected by one of the Gremlin servants.
“You may look in on him, if you’re so worried,” Rio offered evenly, then pointed, “He’s just through that door.”
Belix started walking, skirting around the table and had almost reached the threshold when Rio called out to her once more.
“So that we know each other my dear,” Rio told her in a sincere and somber voice, “I am sorry, no matter what happens next, you have my respect.”
“Thank you...sir,” Belix mentioned over her shoulder and stepped into the other room.
Clyde followed soon after, bowing in difference to the family as he made his exit.
“Get that stitched up,” Rio muttered as he left, and it was a struggle for Clyde not to halt and check the wound on his leg.
Closing the door behind him, Clyde walked in on Belix, already bent over Ecchs, who was laying on his side, sputtering blood.
“You’re bleeding on my floor,” Ecchs commented, and Clyde finally looked down to see a red stain slowly leaking down to his knee.
“We’ll tell your father that you did it,” Clyde muttered, activating his spiders and having them bind the wound.
“Oh…” Ecchs nodded, struggling to stand up as Belix supported him, “So that’s what they do…”
“Are you gonna tell me what the Hells this was all about?” Belix demanded, managing to hold him upright despite his wobbling.
“Is...well, eventually, I was going to,” Ecchs insisted.
“I can drop you right now and not feel an ounce of guilt,” she muttered angrily.
“I’m… I mean… He, my father, he won’t accept the marriage, you can’t have kids, so you can’t be my first wife.”
“And that’s a good thing, right?” Belix leered at him, supporting him as he shuffled forward, “We’re not really getting married, it’s just a trick to catch your Uncle…”
“Um...right,” Ecchs grunted pulling away from her and leaning heavily on the wall, “Look, I need… Time, and… just time, I’ll be in the room if you need me.”
The pair watched him leave, shaking their heads. Belix pulled the bloodied fork from her sleeve and handed it over to Clyde.
“Sorry about stabbing you,” she mentioned, cleaning off her sleeve.
“You shouldn’t…”
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, “Does anything about this feel wrong to you?”
Clyde said nothing, wiping the fork on his pants and then throwing it into a nearby trash bin.
“Was…” Belix winced, thinking it over, “Do you think he was actually trying to…”
“Yes,” Clyde responded, “I’d use the word ‘enticing’, but yes.”
“So, do you think…”
“No,” Clyde mused, leaning against the open door frame Ecchs had exited through, “Something’s… I don’t know if he told us the truth, but something’s going on here.”
“Yeah, I get that feeling…” Belix admitted, her head bowed, scratching her chin, “Are you cool with riding this out?”
“If you want,” Clyde nodded, “Are you worried about Ecchs?”
“Are you jealous?” Belix muttered, halfheartedly, then sighed, “I’m worried about Greta, she looks so… sad, and thin… it’s like she’s sick or…”
“It’s fine,” Clyde nodded, “But, how do you want to handle tonight?”
“...right,” Belix muttered, “Okay, let’s assume that Ecchs wasn’t totally screwing with us… that means, tonight I play bait.”
Clyde grumbled, folding his arms and glaring at the floor.
“Alright, so, tonight, I’ll walk the grounds, you’ll split off and…”
“Are you sure?” Clyde glared at her.
“Yes!” Belix insisted, then softened, “Trust me, he’s not the type to do anything out in the open, he’s cocky, but he’s scared to get caught.”
“No, he’s afraid of his brother,” Clyde mentioned, “I could suit up, stick to the shadows.”
“I’m not sure you can actually hide from them…”
Scratching his head nervously, Clyde looked down at the Spiders still crawling across his shoulder. He collected and offered them to her with an open hand.
“Take these with you,” he told her softly, “If anything happens, then, they’ll come find me.”
“You really don’t need to…”
“I want to,” Clyde cut her off and the Spider’s chirped dutifully.
“Fine,” Belix responded softly, but still pushed his hand away, “But, later, okay?”
Clyde nodded and deactivated the Spiders tucking them back onto his cuffs.
The pair returned to the dining hall and told the others where Ecchs had gotten to. The meal passed by uneventfully, but there was an unquestionable tension in the air, an unsettling nervousness backing their every word and gesture. Everyone, that is, besides Rin, who seemed oblivious to the tension around her. The meal done, the family separated, Kyo and his father disappearing into a study on the other side of the house while Greta and Drucilla took to the garden. Clyde and Belix discussed whether they should spend the day discussing their their plans with a man who was most likely passed out in the other room, or enjoy a pleasant stroll through the grounds.
They were walking together, not hand in hand, but close enough to awkwardly brush their shoulders against one another. Trying their best to ignore the complexity of the situation, they barely noticed the immaculately curated and landscaped side-yard as they aimlessly wandered through it.
“So...what do you think they are?” Clyde finally managed to ask.
“Huh?” she looked over curiously in time to see him staring at the glowing rocks embedded into the ceiling, “Oh...I dunno, crystals I guess.”
“Well, yeah, but, why do they glow like that?”
“They don’t,” Greta stated, they looked over and saw her sitting on a nearby bench, “It’s a network, a few emergent crystals catch the daylight and filters down through the rest.”
Belix glared at her, and Greta just smirked before waving back.
“Thought you were making nice with your mother-in-law,” Belix grumbled.
“I was,” Greta shrugged, “But, I needed to sit down, no idea how she keeps up with that kid.”
“Gettin’ nervous?” Belix tried to joke.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, kiddies seem to be a pretty big deal around here, and, um, are you due or…”
Greta’s face grew several shades paler and she looked away, her expression inscrutable, but, unbearably sad.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“No… no,” Greta wiped away a tear, “It’s fine, we… not for a while now…” she stood up and walked away without a backwards glance, “I’m sorry, I have to go…”
Belix stood there, baffled and upset. Clyde watched her leave and folded his arms, trying to discern what was happening, but keeping his observations to himself.
“I never thought kids were this important,” Belix muttered.
“You’ve got about two-hundred of them,” Clyde observed.
“...yeah, yeah, I guess so,” she nodded, remembering the Shrimps she had left back at the temple and sat on the bench Greta had vacated, “It’s still weird though, most chicks I know try their best not to get pregnant.”
“You mean prostitutes?” Clyde wondered.
“That…” Belix paused for a second, actually considering the statement, “Well… I mean…” she tapped her chin, curiously, “Even discounting Evie… Gods, do I really just hang out with hookers?”
“Well, there’s Zeesa,” Clyde shrugged.
“Yeah, but that’s not celibacy, that’s obsession,” she shook her head, then scooted to the side, “You just gonna stand there? Sit.”
“Am I your dog now?” he joked.
“Maybe,” Belix leaned on her hand, smirking at him, “Can you do any tricks?”
“Okay, no,” Clyde insisted, his smile vanishing.
“Oh, Yes!” she smirked, rubbing her hands together, “You’re my servant are you not? Entertain me.”
“Do a Flip!” Rin shouted at them.
Clyde turned to see the girl and her mother approaching from the opposite direction Greta had exited from. He let out a sigh, rubbing on his neck tensely.
“Well?” Drucilla demanded.
“… my damned mouth…” Clyde grumbled.
With a frustrated sigh, Clyde slid his hands into his pockets and flipped, head over feet, before landing perfectly. He let out a frustrated breath and tried his best not to blush while Rin gave him a round of applause.
“Do it again!” the girl demanded.
“Do I…” Clyde complained.
“Yes!” Belix snapped.
“Watch her for a moment would you?” Drucilla chuckled as she walked by them.
Clyde watched her leave only to see Rin expectantly tugging at his coattails.
“Can you do that again?” she asked.
“I could,” Clyde nodded, then knelt beside Rin to look her in the eye, “But, wouldn’t the young lady like to join?”
Without warning, he bundled the girl up in his arms and launched them into the air. Using the bench Belix was on as a stepping stone to reach the sheer brick wall behind her, with a few quick hops, he managed to carry them to the roof and set Rin upon his shoulder so that she could better enjoy the view, Rin clapped hr hands, happily.
“You’re really strong huh?” she commented.
“No, just well trained,” Clyde insisted, setting her down and letting her run across the roof.
“You sure that’s safe?” Belix shouted up after them.
“Not while you’re distracting me!” he retorted.
“Hey!” Rin, running to the peak of the roof came to a sudden stop and clasped her hands together, “So what do they do?”
“Your pardon?” Clyde tilted his head.
“Your weapons, what do they actually do?”
“For now, little one,” Clyde sighed as he sat next to her, “That will be a secret.”
“You won’t tell?”
“Not right now, the truth of them must be held back, only revealed to the closest of friends, or the deadliest of enemies.”
“But, we’re friends!” Rin insisted desperately.
“Ah, but we’ve just met, and in every relationship, there must be an element of mystery.”
“Are you really going to make me climb up there?” Belix shouted at them, “I’m wearing a dress you know!”
“Well,” Clyde rolled his eyes and Rin giggled, “Then, to honor your curiosity, and our new friendship, I’ll show you one thing that they can do.”
Grabbing her once again, Clyde jumped from the peak of the roof and threw out one of his cuff-links, attaching it to a stone chimney stack, connecting to him through an almost invisible thread. The line stretched as they flew through the air, but he was able to use his momentum to use the extra slack and turn them both in a wide arch. Clyde flipped once again, using the turn to kill their forward momentum as the spider abandoned its perch and sprang back to his hand. Rin was giggling and laughing as Clyde sat her down.
“Again!” she shouted, “Again!”
“You’ve already ridden the ‘spider-go-round’ enough,” Belix mentioned, taking notice of the blotchy tar patches that had stained her leggings, “You really think your mom’s gonna be happy with how you mussed up your clothes?”
“Oh…” Rin looked down at the splotches, “I can just…”
“Don’t do that,” Belix warned her, “It’ll smear, here, let me show you a trick,” Belix stepped close and folded down Rin’s stockings, covering the stains with a white linen, “There, and so long as you don’t flip your dress up too high, she’ll never know.”
“Wouldn’t that just ruin the fabric though?” Clyde mentioned.
“She can buy new ones,” Belix shrugged, “But this way she doesn’t have to go change just for appearances.”
“Cool,” Rin breathed, looking down at her legs, the stains almost invisible now.
“It’s the little things,” Belix mentioned, “So, what do you want to do now?”
“Oooh, I know, let’s play Catch the Rabbit!” Rin declared, hopping up and down excitedly.
“Are you sure?” Belix looked back at Clyde and smirked.
“Yes!” Rin told them defiantly.
“Alright,” Belix knelt down, “Then the little rabbit gets a three count, One, Two...THREE!”
On the final count, Belix lunged forward, her tackle going wide as Rin ducked under his arms and scampered away. Both Clyde and Belix gave chase but allowed the girl to stay ahead of them.
“Can you take your hands out of your pockets?” Belix demanded, glaring at Clyde.
“I’m barely running,” he mentioned.
“Yeah, but that’s part of the fun, she needs to think you’re taking this seriously.”
While he was considering her advice a shadow erupted from a nearby bush, a creature bathed in shadow that reached out and took a swipe at Rin. She screamed as Clyde flew over her head, kicking her attacker in the throat. On the impact, he recognized two things, firstly, that his attacker had a very dense body, his foot had nearly broken from the impact alone, and second, the man he had just attacked was undoubtedly Cryak. Clyde couldn’t care less as he stood between the young girl and her assailant, watching the other man fall to a knee, clutching at his injured neck, sputtering and gagging.
“The Hells do you think you’re doing?” Belix demanded, wrapping a protective arm around Rin.
“W-what?” Cryak sputtered, “I thought we were playing Catch the Rabbit!”
Clyde said nothing, just glaring at the downed man, silently judging him.
Before anyone could make another move, a puff of smoke rose from the stone walkway rising and building, until it became a roaring inferno. Then the smoke scattered, and there in its place stood Rio, his face blank, but his eyes whirling with rage. Rin instantly ran over to her father and he wrapped her in his arms, embracing and pulling her into his chest. He whispered a few words of comfort and gently with his clawed fingers, brushed her hair back into place. Cryak was still on the ground, rolling his eyes.
“I was just playing…”
“In my study,” Rio told him flatly.
“But I wasn’t…”
“Now little brother,” Rio turned away, “Before I forget that I am a father.”
Cryak scoffed, but, as soon as his brother had departed, he stood up, dusted himself off and walked back into the house. Left alone, Clyde and Belix just stood there, awkwardly. With nothing better to do they turned back to the path they had been walking.
“Do you think that we’re one of those couples that need to have a buffer?” she asked.
“How do you mean?”
“I mean that I think we were really connecting back there, because of the kid,” Belix winced as she worried over the words in her mouth, “You know, sometimes, I don’t know how to talk to you.”
“Makes sense,” Clyde nodded, “I’m not an easy person to get along with.”
“Well, that’s bullshit,” Belix laughed, “The only reason Granger didn’t like you is because he’s petty.”
“Agreed,” Clyde shrugged, “But, at the end of the day, I’m a cypher, an enigma…”
“You’re about the easiest person to read that I’ve ever met, we just let you think that you’re not, I think it’s because you like to react.”
“That’s a thought,” Clyde shrugged.
“See, right there, you’re trying to be minimalist and mysterious, but really what you mean to say is ‘I don’t care’.”
“Well, it’s more like…” he paused, seeing Greta and Drucilla running towards them.
“Where is…” Drucill asked desperately, but Belix cut her off.
“Her father has her, it’s fine.”
“Forgive me if I don’t find that comforting,” Drucilla pushed past them and continued running.
“Aren’t you going with her?” Belix asked, glancing back at Greta.
“She knows the path better than I do,” Greta insisted, “What happened?”
“Her uncle’s a prick,” Belix replied bluntly and Greta nodded, tilting her head to the side, “Not the first time this’s happened I take it?”
“I…” Greta pulled away, “Kyo, I should get back to Kyo before.”
“We know,” Belix insisted, “We know what’s been happening, what he’s been doing to you.”
“...and yet you came,” Greta muttered.
“We want to help,” Clyde insisted.
“You?” she laughed in his face, “You can’t…”
“And what about me?” Belix demanded, “We’re friends from way back…”
“Friends?” Greta scoffed, “When was the last time… Did you even come to my wedding? Happiest day of my life and my oldest ‘friend’ couldn’t be bothered.”
“I was busy, and on the other side of the world, and…”
“Yeah, well so am I!” Greta snapped, walking away, “If I’m the only reason you’re here for, then leave, go find someone who wants to be saved.”
“I always liked that about you Greta,” Belix called after her, “You tell it like it is!”
“And you’ve always got to get the last word in!”
Belix sighed and let Greta go. She stood with her arms folded, looking worried, and Clyde could only think of one thing to ask.
“Do you still want to do this?”
“Absolutely,” Belix nodded, then popped him in the arm, “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
