Master of the deal [Thriump]

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

Traveling didn’t come without his distances, the stone flew softly over the water, pushing dipples over the surface, disturbing the moonlight reflecting down on it. The stone jumped over it until it sunk down to the bottom, just as so many things in life. Avanti looked down to the second stone, gazing over the lake before he looked over his shoulder. A small girl stood there, hidden behind a tree. ‘What?’ He asked almost annoyed. He pulled his arm back, ready to threw the rock when she spoke. ‘Achilles send a message,’ she hardly knew how to speak fluent as she shook on her legs. ‘the king of Navarre is in need of your services.’ She whispered. That stopped Avanti from throwing as he slowly turned around to the girl behind the tree. He looked at her, way to long before a small smile came on his lips. It was a while since Navarre asked for him, the immortal …Avanti often saw himself as a king. For what else would a real King ask for him if it wasn’t for something he couldn’t handle himself. He started laughing, turning around as he throw that rock over the surface of the lake. This would be good.

He took his time in traveling, stating the obvious, that he was in charge of the deal, or whatever the king needed him for. Navarre was just as every other city, crowded and annoying. Yet it didn’t bothered him, he didn’t know where Achilles send that message from, he only knew the girl would have the nightmares. As he walked, hands covered in that classic black coat, expressions fading in the deepest disapproval he thought about the king's daughter, dear Faylice. The thought made his tongue go over his lips as he looked up to D’auvignon. It took him over two weeks to get here, surely the king wouldn’t be waiting on him like a desperate man.

It was another evening, another night as he looked over the palace, to the guards and the security. Avanti was a wanted person, people would know him, certainly guards. How much he loved an entrance, he choose for the backside of the palace, looking up to the balcony. Jumping, running, fighting, hiding, hardly something he need to worry about with his abilities. Just as it wasn’t hard to find the person he needed. He had to admit, it was tempting to not taunt Faylice in her sleep, to just give her a touch of his anger, to scare her. But he didn’t, maybe because he was more curious to what the big man had to say. This wasn’t the first time roaming these rooms, not the first time he saw Thriumph but it would be the first real conversation. ‘I was asking myself when you would get so desperate that you needed me.’ He whispered, not hiding himself as he walked slowly into the room. He was younger … if he wasn’t a vampire. But he didn’t bow, he didn’t showed any respect, he was … himself, Avanti Morningstar, an immortal king, so he thought.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

Just a boy, nothing more, nothing less. There were far greater man to go into battle with, the grace, perfection, certain elegance Avanti had wasn’t on of them. But it didn’t matter in the end, did it? He was over decades old, had the strength, the senses but more then that he had the reputation. And with that he walked around, that arrogance on his face, the emptiness in his eyes that nobody dared to challenge. It didn’t matter that he was slim build or looked younger, he was more recognizable then some high ranked people around. If a King summoned him, and surely he wasn’t the only one, it just said one thing. And it was exact that one thing that formed the slick grin around his lips … he had power.

This wasn’t the first time he walked here, he was the darkness, even if you searched good, you wouldn’t find him if he didn’t wanted to be found. But tonight, where the moon was whispering over the land he didn’t hide himself. He walked in like it was a daily habit of him, hands in the pockets of his jacket, blue purple eyes a endless pit of darkness. He mocked, spotted in a way, letting his eyes roam over the room like it was his first time here while his body just stated the other way around.

Avanti his eyes looked over the king like he wasn’t even there, looking to the board on the big table, covered with little piece, like a game of chess. He tilted his head a little, just an inch, looking at the players on a board, ready to become something big. And then after all those endless seconds he didn’t watched to the king he looked up, locking his lifeless eyes with the ice blue ones before him. When the words came the grin on Avanti his lips elevated a little. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, pale fingers stroking the edge of the table as he looked over the board. ‘Hmmm,’ he took a piece and studied in, his jaw rolling in amusement. ‘The fact that a king needs me,’ he signed in the joke before looking up to Triumph. ‘is already desperate enough.’ He finished his sentence, placing the piece back on the board, somewhere where it didn’t stood before. ‘If it’s a consultation, you're not the first.’ He followed, distracted by the details on the board. ‘If Achilles send me here I take it is important, I know he lovez to do the good stuff rather himself, so,’ his tongue licked over his teeth, feeling the edgy points while he looked back to Triumph. Avanti always came right to the point, there wasn’t a point in not doing so, certainly not in this situation.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

The table, that board, it looked so detailed, like he had stared at it for hours in order to get everything on the right spot. Offcourse it was Avanti to misplace just that one piece, eyes shortly looking over to the king to see how his jaws clenched softly. Avanti looked back down, grinning on the frustration the king slightly showed. That said things about him, it said that he was a perfectionist, that he wanted everything to be like he imagined in his head. It wasn’t a treat every king had but it was sure something Avanti had. How many different scenarios he had in his head, he never came surprised by certain events, because he saw it coming. Perfection was an art and one you could use in so many ways. Avanti his thoughts wandered away, to the delicatie of a bite, the chills of a scream, the enjoyment of a hunt. All things that asked so much perfection.

His fingers slide away from the board as he looked around in the room, caring less that the king was standing there. It were minor ways of Avanti to say he was in charge. He would speak when he wanted, he would act if he wanted. The words spoken by the king where what he thought he would say, you didn’t want to challenge immortality. Those two words stated that Avanti was right, he was desperate. Triumph openly admit to it despite he thought maybe otherwise. But in the end, who cared, Avanti had what he wanted, how minor this maybe was, he was already pushing.

His slightly purple eyes wandered over the wall as the king spoke again. ‘Yes.’ He muttered, turning around his body to face Triumph again. He was an old soul, the oldest walking around maybe. When the king spoke again Avanti squeezed his eyes slightly together, tilting his head as all his focus was for Triumph in the moment. With every word that came out it hit Avanti. He wasn’t here because his services where needed, he was here to create another evil. For a short moment there was something of shock on his pale face before he softly started to chuckle, a chuckle that rose to a laugh. ‘Oooh,’ he began in his laugh, shaking his head as he stepped closer to the king. ‘I hope you realize what you ask my king.’ That last word sharp as he stood still before the king, hardly inches apart. ‘I want to hear you say it,’ he commanded with an intrigued look in his eyes. ‘say it Triumph,’ he hissed, looking into those ice blue eyes. ‘what do you want me to do?’ He asked, smiling again. How things could turn, a king wanted to become the undead, how plans could unfold. His eyes tore a way over his body, a soft sharp chuckle leaving his lips again. ‘And here I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.’ He grinned, walking away, liking the sharp points of his teeth. Never before a king asked this, never before a king want to become Avanti’s. His eyes laid on the balcony, looking over a kingdom, a kingdom that maybe would get an immortal king, and not just that. Avanti looked slowly over his shoulder, that threatening in his eyes, oh was he ready to do some damage.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

It changed everything. Avanti thought he was here to make a deal, but this was not that, this was surrender, this was a life dead choice, this was so much more than he hoped for. A king laying down his mortality, to Avanti non the less. To a “man” that seemed to young to even gain this power. But here it was, right before him and it filled Avanti with such passion, such power that he couldn’t hide the general smile on his lips. There were so much more vampires this king could turn to become an creature of the night. But no, he came to the one vampire that couldn’t who swore an oath to the devil himself, who lived in a total other way then other vampires did.

In a way was Triumph giving him part of this realm, this kingdom. Because if he became what he so much desired then he was a poppet in Avanti’s games. Not that Avanti much cared, not in this big proportion, his endgame laid somewhere entirely different. Looking to Triumph he saw how much the king meant his request, he saw it in those ice blue eyes …  gosh those eyes could shiver every child down to the ground. But he saw it also in the small tuck of his lips. With the words Avanti nodded his head slightly, meaningless. ‘And I have even more time on my hands to know what I demand.’ He reacted rather could. Ranking in Avanti’s cult didn’t came without a price. One soul he let slip, with a purpose and it was the great king. All others died, or lost their souls even more. ‘Patience is virtue, nothing more fun than to see them shiver under a promise. Surly a king,’ he mispriced the word while he looked back over Triumph like he was the small boy. ‘knows the waiting game.’ He tugged the corner of his lips up, dark purple eyes sparkling a promise for the days to come.

But he still wanted to hear it, he wanted to here the king beg for it, he wanted to hear those exact words and when they came a big cold smile came over his lips. He looked the king straight in the eyes … a look that dragged out over seconds, maybe minutes. ‘No turning back now, either you die or you,’ he chuckled, stepping away. ‘die.’ He muttered. There wasn’t a way of living after this. He stopped in his way over to the balcony to look over his shoulder to the king, ignoring the words he spoke. ‘Why should I consider this? What did Achilles tell you, why even coming to me in the first place.’ He asked, turning back around with wide open arms. ‘I will give you immortality, a hunger you can never stop, a darkness you can never chase, I will give your rule a whole other meaning. So tell me, what do I get for all of that?’ He asked. The darkness slipped out of his hands, a black smoke he used to summon kids worst nightmares. But it did nothing more, just the threatening lingering of some black smoke while Avanti looked back over the city, wiggling his fingers, almost playful. Did he had a desire to kill.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

Avanti asked himself how crazy it would have been in his head last couple of days, weeks maybe. Waiting for the darkness while trying to think of all the possible ways this could turn out. Even if he had a hundred possible situations, what Avanti had in mind wasn’t among them. Thriumph wouldn’t be able to figure out Avanti for Avanti himself didn’t know yet. For that he was as unpredictable as they came. One moment it was a lazy grin, the other moment it could be his teeth in your throat. But it had to be torture, keeping patience while out there was somebody coming for you. While your wish, your longing was walking closer. Avanti amused himself in the simple things like that, letting people wait just because he could and he had the power to do it.

As Avanti walked to the balcony Thriumph talked about the precious little thing they called patience. The cool air hit his pale skin as he looked over the edge towards the city. This sight, it was quite the thing to see. All of this laid in Thriumph his power and soon, Avanti could have all of this to. He wasn’t the type to command armies, not in a way a king had to but would he love to see the people whisper once they see him up here. On daylight Avanti wasn’t often around but people talk. That brought him with a series of questions, how would the world react on a betrayal like this? A king joining the dark side. He let his eyes drown over the dark houses way down on the ground, in a way he enjoyed the view, all those tiny little people thinking the world was good and honest. ‘Patience,’ he dragged the words over his lips as he sunk a little in his own thoughts. ‘there is a whole other level of patience needed to resist all the little things walking down there.’ He announced, airy, like it was nothing that blood was the thing they would crave the most. Avanti loved it, he controlled it but way to often he let control slip.

He turned himself away from the balcony as Thriumph talked again. He squeezed his eyes a little, concentrating himself over the words the man spoke. The words contained a certain intensity, not a lie, Avanti recognized liars to well. The hint of purple in his eyes grew in intensity, to hear such words, from a king. Power grew within the immortal, the eager was all there, brewing. ‘And are you ready?’ He asked softly. He didn’t broke the gaze while he pushed away from the balcony and started stepping inside again. ‘To spread my reputation? To embrace the darkness? To die?’ With every word he was a step closer to the king. But Thriumph went on, promesing he would obey, saying words that made him clench his teeth, softly smiling. ‘Yes.’ He whispered, stopping before the king. ‘The power is all here, standing right before you, it only needs,’ his hand flew out, grabbing the king around his wrist, pulling it harshly towards him. He looked down to the veins running under his skin. His eyes darkened, black almost as the pale tint in his face almost became paler. He pulled his lip up, two sharp teeth begging for a taste. He could do it, right there but just as easy he got compelled by it he casted the wrist back away and looked up to Thriumph with a slight arrogant grin. ‘What is your heart's desire my king? What is it that you want to achieve with this kingdom?’ He asked, stepping aside while looking back to the table. He took a deep breath, placing his hands on the edge while gazing his eyes over it. ‘Call in your guards.’ And that, right there was the pure horror Avanti contained. His voice hadn’t sound flatter or colder, his voice hadn’t seemed more dangerous and threatening then now as he looked aside to the king and gave him one look. There it was, the real devil itself.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

You could say you were ready but in Avanti’s experience it always needed proove. How often he heard they were ready, how often he saw that persistence on their faces only to be disappointed afterwards. Some man thought they were ready but they were hardly in the end. So Avanti didn’t took the yes that well and the annoyance was there is his eyes. ‘They all say the same.’ His voice sounded a little bored, pointing out exactly how many times he heard that already. If Thriumph thought this would be easy he was wrong. It wasn’t just a bite, Avanti considered everything. It was an appealing thought, having a king strung up in his command, to command all of this. Others would grab it but years of immortality made him a very clever man. But saying yes sealed his faith, he would die, if he wanted that or not. If Avanti was pleased immortality would follow, if he wasn’t well … his purple eyes went slowly back to the king, a sinful smile playing around his lips. He looked forward to death.

So much changed in the moment he grabbed for the king his wrist. So much and yet so little. He smelled the rushes of adrenaline, felt the tensing through his muscles. It made it all so much more tempting to do. Avanti asked himself if Thriumph was familiar with the procedure to become a vampire … the bite, the death, the rising, the hunger … oh that hunger. Just as he thought he would taste so good he pulled back, taking a very deep breath to control every muscle in his body for the longing it had. His questions became answered with one simple answer, chaos. ’Chaos.’ He repeated, eyes traveling back over the board. His fingers crawled over the edge of the board as he placed his hands on it. ‘And what is it that you want with that chaos, you want it to spread like a disease, slowly but yet so painful or,’ he took that same piece again; pushing it to the exact same place where Thriumph had left it. ‘you want to raise a war?’ His thoughts were sucked on the board, imagining all the slow pain he could cause. Avanti had it rather slow and painful, war wasn’t his thing, it would leave him with to little glory. ‘I can imagine Larethian won’t be so please if he find out his subject,’ he formulated that word with a little amusement, throwing the king a glare as he went on. ‘joined the dark side.’ He finished. What would happen if somebody found out?

But just as he found a little patience earlier, he didn’t had much left now as he commanded for the guards. Thriumph was looking at him and Avanti slowly titled his head, seeing how long it took it was a challenge he took seriously. It was a powerful look between the two of them, a dangerous look. Avanti slowly raised his eyebrows, asking him why it took so long without using words. But Thriumph was just measuring before he repeated the words in a commanded. Avanti smiled slowly, looking back to the board before he crouched down, leveling his eyes with the pieces on the board. All the talking from earlier became swallowed by his dark dominance slithering through the room. It didn’t took long before the doors went open and two guards, all in armor, walked in. ‘That should go way faster.’ Avanti reacted, pushing himself up again. The guards look his way, hands grabbing for swords as they looked over to their king. ‘My king?’ The one on the left asked confused. Avanti chuckled, leaning against the table like it was an usual sight. They were both in a desperate need of a command, they were like hawks, gazing at Avanti aside Thriumph. ‘Is she home? Your daughter?’ He asked silently to Thriumph while taking a deep breath, shaking his head. ‘No, she isn’t, I can’t smell her. But I need her,’ he held his gaze forced on Triumph. ‘so you will command one of them to get her, doesn’t matter how many days it takes, he will get her, no fuss, no warning. If so,’ Avanti pushed himself away from the table. ‘She will die, I’m not so good at keeping control if I don't’t get my way, so she won't be the only one then.’ It sounded so nonchalant as he slowly turned around to Thriumph, challenging him yet again. Now it was all about who the real leader was. He suggested with his hand to give over the command. The other guard, well, he would die, depending on how good a killer Thriumph was.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

In a way the outcome of this kingdom all laid in the hands of Thriumph, Avanti would be the guidance behind it all. In order to overcome, to become the greatest they all had to know that nothing had changed. Thriumph was still a king, his action were still his own despite the whisperings in his ear. So the question came very natural, but with challenge. Avanti wanted to know how good a leader he was, if he suited for the plans Avanti had in mind. He never liked a one to one combat, he never like wars where he was just a piece in a game. What he wanted was to be the snake, out of sight but with his mark and poison all over the place. When Thriumph started to talk Avanti his eyes traveled slight aside, just inches, not looking but showing he was listening. The corner of his mouth tucked a little up on the words, knowing that what Thriumph explained was exactly what he wanted. In the short moment he looked aside the king had his eyes closed. ‘Those are only words.’ He said, looking away to the cold hard walls. ‘But promising ones.’ He nodded with a certain approval. Avanti wasn’t fast in giving credit but that sounded like music in his ears, other reason why he wanted that king down on his knees.

How Larethian would react on all of that was a whole other story. Could they banish him from the throne of a life choice? Or would they reacted only because he had bad intentions. One way or the other, they couldn’t bring it out, not just yet. He wanted it to linger around a little bit longer, keeping it whispers without the facts. He wanted to see the people react. Avanti wouldn’t be seen, for all they would know he was gone. But only thinking about Larethian made him smile softly, hoping for a counter reaction in which Avanti would have a lot of fun. ‘Larethian should know better.’ And that were just some hard impatient words not wanting to have a further explanation. Larethian was a dark one to … once, Avanti let him go. And all things had a reason with the vampire.

As soon as he asked for the guards the game had started. It took them a while, they were fast but just fast enough for Avanti his taste. But they came, they obey the silent command of their king. What would come next wasn’t a show of power, Avanti simply wanted to see how loyal his subjects where. But as soon as the words slipped over his lips something changed in Thriumph and a dangerous smile joined his lips. ‘You really thought I haven’t been here before?’ It was almost a mocking joke. He was here before, he and Faylice encountered already in the past. Avanti knew every building, every person in it, for that he had a long immortal life to do so. So what he asked … his blueish purple eyes focused on Thriumph, curious if the question would come before the command. For him it laid in the small details, if the king would question his command already, what good was it later on? It took the king just some seconds before he turned to the guards who were looking at him, still confused. ‘Just don’t hurt her, there will be already hurting enough.’ Avanti followed lightly on the words, like it was the most normal thing to say. Avanti in the meantime walked around the table setting his eyes on glasses with wine and others. He slowly walked over, giving the guards a promising look as one bowed and walked out, the other still stood there, in doubt. Avanti grabbed a glass and looked aside to the other guard. ‘It isn’t fair, I know.’ He answered the gaze of that guard. His words became heavier again in anticipation to the hunger he started to steer around.

As he walked back he placed the empty glass on the edge of the board, gesturing with his long pale fingers to the guard to come closer. But he didn’t, he looked over to Thriumph, awaiting his order. Avanti signed, humorous as he looked aside to Thriumph for him to give the order. ‘Is there loyalty set by respect or fear?’ He asked as the guard finally came closer. ‘Because things are going to change,’ just as he whispered that so lightly he grabbed the guard by his wrist, forcing his body weight even closer. As a vampire he was stronger, the guard was in no position to do anything. ‘My king?’ The guard asked in a little panic as Avanti turned his wrist with the inside of his veins upwards. ‘Fear will become power,’ his eyes darkened again, pools of emptiness as he lowered his head. ‘and with power you can,’ he didn’t finish, his teeth flashed down into the guards wrist. The guard started to protest, screaming a little in pain as Avanti tasted the one thing more valuable than most things, blood. After drinking for a full minute he tore his teeth away, leaving a hole in his wrist from which the blood dripped down in the cup. Avanti delicately stroke his thumb over his lower lip while looking over to Thriumph, a dangerous smile enlighten his blooded lips. If the glass half full he pushed the guard away. He stumbled backward, folding his fingers around his blooded wrist. ‘You better release him out of his suffering.’ Avanti said flat, not a command, not a request or offering and yet, it was all that together. ‘We can’t let the kingdom know his king is seduced to the darkness, do we know?’ Avanti asked, offering Thriumph the glass with the blood of his enemy. Because that's what all humans were, enemies.

THRIUMP 

Why so serious?

I'm not the monster, I'm just ahead of the curve

It wasn’t often that Avanti stood before a person and almost felt that certain itch, that feeling that it sat right. He only judged on his own feeling, on what his eyes and ears told him. Thriumph maybe could be telling a whole lot of crap, but he couldn’t fake it through all of it. If he was lying his heart rate would pick a little up, but that didn’t happen. If he wasn’t serious about it his eyes and expressions wouldn’t be all that … icy. He reacted on the ways Avanti wanted it, he obayed, grinned when Avanti found it appropriate to smile but more than anything else, he had the words. He put them down in such a way it made his inner power crave to make the man an immortal. But again his patience, his fun in this little game kept the king from wanting what he wanted.Like had had said, patience was virtue, oh the face Thriumph would make if he knew this wasn’t his night, not just yet.

Bringing up Faylice was a extra amusement. For a moment there was that shock in Thriumph his eyes and Avanti was looking at it with a careful dominance, like he didn’t want it to become more than just a shock. If he would see concern then the king would only need to prove himself a little more. If his daughter would become a problem in all of this well … then Avanti needed to make the daughter go away. With the words that came Avanti had to chuckle softly. ‘I don’t know if you would state it as popular,’ he stated amused, giving the king an almost enjoying look. ‘but yes, to me see is a,’ he pressed his lips against each other, thinking how he would put it down. ‘fine piece of art, a beauty surrounded by darkness.’ His look shifted again, dismissing the subject from everybody's attention but he. He was looking forward to Faylice again, she was so young and fragile and did he loved the young and fragile ones.

Blood never tastes as good as it comes into a certain purpose. Here he was taunting and testing a king and yet nothing in his blueish purple eyes gave that away. His pale skin was stroke with the blood of a man, his lips red while his eyes became two hollow pits, a hunger rushing through his body. But he couldn’t kill the man, no, it was the king his task to kill his loyal subject. So he pulled back, pushing that wrist over the cup while he slowly looked up, exposing all the evil he possessed to Thriumph. It was a whole different version of Avanti, one that made you remember what he really was, a cold blooded killer, a manipulator, like he himself loved to say … king of the undead.

As Avanti gave a command this simple Thriumph didn’t hesitate in complying to it. Avanti looked down, stroking his thumb over the corner of his mouth while the king spoke against the guard. It look like a nonchalant scene, Avanti standing there with a glass of blood, still hungry and in means to kill while Thriumph was actually doing the killing. As Thriumph asked the guard to not struggle, so descently Avanti couldn’t resist a dark smile, pressing his teeth together as the king strangled his victim to death. That snap … it pushed a shivering through Avanti his body, a good feeling as he tilted his head, looking how the body dropped down. ‘So become kings killers, because they want more.’ He whispered on such a creepy low tone, looking towards the guard. ‘The best killers do it with time, time I can,’ his voice drifted as he placed the glass of blood on the board, between the pieces. He laid his finger on the edge of the glass and slowly looked back to Thriumph. ‘I can give you endless time.’ His finger circled over the glass before he pulled it away sofly. ‘You would become my legacy, my subject, mine to own, ooh I do love the sound of that.’ He chuckled, like the darkness surrounded him in the thoughts of an immortal king to command. He gestured to the glass. ‘I’m looking forward to Faylice her arrival.’ He chuckled again, walking away back to the balcony. ‘We have so much catching up to do.’ And something in those words sounded so wrong, so full of horror but before Thriumph would even be able to ask or place out his words Avanti was already gone, swollen by the darkness caressing this night. He would be around, waiting, hoping but the king would never see him. It would be as a cold breeze in the night, a lingering darkness around the corner. Avanti wouldn’t leave, for that he was to much looking forward to upcoming events … if the daughter was so willing to his demands. And only that little thought, dear sweet Faylice, would see shiver under his eyes.

THRIUMP