The Aeterna Empire

Chapter 9 - The Blind and The Wounded

Koj'Ineh'Mirrad eased the document into a gap between his back and the armor he wore to shield himself from the sun. It should be tucked in with the extra cloth and veils beneath to cushion the metal. Adjusting his grip within his leather metal-plated gloves, he took hold of a lantern pole and climbed.

Koj grew up in civilization under the sun, but after his return to the shadow forests and swamps of Ineh, he took every opportunity to relive the legacy of his blood. A world of branches and trunks wasn't that far off from a world of walls and overhangs if he looked for it.

He made his way to Caius' establishment. Even at this time of night, the main lobby was bustling, and the line of people waiting to enter was extensive. So as usual he in through the window near the roof, just in Caius' office.

Caius was busy with some workers. They were moving a large empty glass orb-shaped container out of the office. Koj landed heavily behind them, not surprising Caius, but the workers jumped and dropped the container, shattering it, and sending glass scattering across the floor.

Caius shot back at him with a mildly annoyed look but quickly returned to the workers. "Don't be alarmed; he is with me. I apologize for my colleague's behavior. He gets a kick out of spooking people. No, no, don't worry about the mess! I have someone clean it up later." He shut the door behind them and returned.

"You did that on purpose." Caius accused.

"What in ball?" Koj motioned to the fragmented container.

"Oh, that thing. Yeah, see, it had a Night-Blood in it."

Koj flinched slightly in surprise. "Night-Blood?"

"Yeah, one was caught and Barjol sold it as his big surprise at the auction. "

"You were there?" Koj asked, surprised. Why had the Kes-Blood sent his brother, and Koj, if he planned to be there as well, and not tell either of them?

"Yes, I was." Caius admitted. "Not like my presence would have changed anything if you had known, we each had our part. As wildly entertaining as my brother's show was, my eyes were on the auction."

Koj nodded. He could accept the explanation. He saw out of the corner of his eye another of Caius's new acquisitions: some kind of device with tubes and containers interconnected.

At this time the door opened and a couple of men dragged in somebody. The prisoner had his head covered in a black cloth, and while he was panicking, he was far too weak to do anything about his situation. Their loose attire reminded Koj of the pirates. They took their prisoner into the office and strapped him down to one of Caius's chairs.

Caius look between them and the prisoner, "What is this?"

"The bounty boss!" They declared. One of them pulled a paper out of his belt, unrolled it with a proud 'snap', and handed it to Caius. Koj could not read it. Thankfully, they continued, "One Kes-Blood with a ruined right ear! Matches the picture and everything!"

Caius's expression shifted quickly from confusion, to shock, to a twitching smile barely restraining laughter. "But we already-! Oh, please tell me you kidnapped him again! That would be too much!"

"Again?" They wondered.

Caius, with a flick of his wrist, pulled the bag from the prisoner's head. Koj blinked in surprise. The bounty looked vaguely like Valspear, but was noticeably thinner and a little malnourished. His cheekbones were more prominent and his facial structure was longer. Also, while Valspear's ruined ear looked crushed and clawed, this man's ear only looked crushed.

He did not look like Valspear, but he did look like the picture. Koj saw the confusion.

The prisoner's countenance was the expected degree of panic and confusion. His eyes shot from one side to the other taking it all in, paling increasingly white between the blood stains around the chair, the painting depicting destruction, the pirates who kidnapped him, but most of all he paled on seeing Koj in his height wearing full armor. To his credit he didn't make a sound nor wet himself like Koj expected.