欧洲无人区天空码头IV

Xannos and Lilae were talking softly, what about he didn\'t know, and didn\'t care.

Aura was next to him, and Reaper a bit further.

Everyone around this fire had been branded. He didn\'t worry what they talked about.

However he did need to be more careful, what happened with Luxian never should happen again.

"Reaper?" suddenly asked Mori.

"Yeah?"

Everyone head turned toward the sudden action.

"Kill Aura."

Everyone eyebrows arched. Lilae and Xannos started complaining while Aura studied Mori\'s face, without saying a word.

"You can\'t possibly want me to do that... Aren\'t you two close?" he asked.

Mori got up, and started pacing around the camp ground. Slowly strolling around, in thought.

"Alright, forget about it."

Reaper sighed in relief, wiping sweat off his forehead.

After a couple of minutes, everyone was back to normal, however Aura kept looking at Mori.

Her face suddenly showed surprise, as Mori kept pacing around.

"Reaper?" asked Mori.

"Yeah?"

Lilae and Xannos stopped again, wondering what the problem was this time.

"Why didn\'t you wait the last second before moving me out?" asked Mori.

"Well I\'m not that confident in my skills..."

"Tell the truth," said Mori.

"That\'s it."

"That isn\'t the truth, let me show you."

Mori pointed at Lilae, who was surprised.

"Kill me, Lilae."

Lilae\'s face went through a lot of emotions, notably surprise and concern.

And then pleasure. A lot of it.

"Oh fuck, am I being rewarded?! Now?"

She slid off her wood trunk, to the floor.

"Oh god this pain is unreal."

Lilae was on the ground, cursing, yet her tone was void of any negative emotions.

Mori had strolled around the campfire again, this time stopping behind Reaper.

"You know what I think?" asked Mori. "I think the reason you got me out several seconds before the sword dropped is so that you could get Luxian out."

"Why would I do that?! You think I betrayed you? If I did, I wouldn\'t need to save you at all, there."

"No, you had to." said Mori.

Mori\'s hand tightened on Reaper\'s shoulder.

"If you saved Luxian, I would\'ve seen it happen, and you don\'t know if I could\'ve saved myself, or stopped the sword. You didn\'t want to blow your cover for anything, am I right?" asked Mori.

Everyone\'s attention, even Lilae\'s was directed toward Reaper.

"That\'s a stretch, man. I\'ve saved you, have I not?"

"Where were you, today, then? When I asked you to check the perimeter or make yourself useful?"

"I did exactly what you asked me to. Man, honestly, you have trust issues. I don\'t understand why I\'m a target right now, I\'ve done nothing wrong."

"Alright, everyone? I\'d like you to meet: Griswald."

Walking out of the darkness of the night, Griswald approached.

Nobody had noticed him, surprising even Aura.

He looked different from what he used to. His clothes were basically rags, his cape was full of holes, more holes than cape, actually.

His chest was visible as he had lost his button-up shirt. He looked fiercer than he did previously, his eyes glowing purple like Aura\'s. A result of drinking Mori\'s blood.

There was still a mark however, from where Mori had sealed him, and branded him, right in the middle of his chest.

"Father..." said Aura.

"That man\'s your father?!" said Xannos.

Lilae was still rolling on the ground, barely holding herself.

"Alright, stop, Lilae," said Mori, annoyed.

"No, no no no don\'t take it away now, I\'m close, shit."

Mori sighed, but continued. "See, Griswald arrived slightly earlier, so I asked him to keep an eye on you. Griswald, it\'s been a few years, but you can speak now. Tell me, what did you see?"

Griswald bowed, his right arm on his chest.

"Thank you, sir, for giving me back the right to speak. I\'m thrilled to learn you believe I earned it, after everything I\'ve done," said Griswald.

"Keep your pleasantries. I know you just want more of my blood. Speak."

"\'Reaper\', over here, walked about 15 minutes, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Around one hour later, another Reaper arrived from outside the village, seemingly running."

"That\'s how I do recon, I use my spells to do it faster."

"But," all the heads turned. It was Aura who spoke. "Mori asked you to kill me. And you didn\'t."

"Do you really want to die?!" asked Reaper, upset.

"You don\'t get it, Mori has made it plenty obvious already, look at Lilae. What happened to her when she refused a direct order? How come it didn\'t happen to you? Aren\'t you branded too?"

Reaper\'s face went blank.

"Here\'s the reason why your plans never worked," said Mori, looking at Lilae. "They\'ve always been a step ahead."

"Well, what good will it do now? Another Sovereign is on her way with an elite force, they\'re close already, and they know which direction you\'re headed. You\'re a wanted man, Mori. I\'m just a clone, and the clone you branded is already long gone."

Mori ignored Reaper. "Griswald, his real body is around 1 hour away. You run faster than him, you should be able to catch him. Also, it\'s night, so you should be a better hunter as a vampire, I don\'t expect you to fail this."

"Yes, I\'ve noted, when he disappeared, the exact direction which the new clone came from, I should find him easily."

"Good. Here, take this."

Mori slit his own wrist, blood profusely flowing out. Griswald grabbed his arm, drinking everything he could before Mori stopped him.

"Go, now."

"Yes, right away."

Reaper\'s clone was immobile, staring at the horizon. Everyone looked at it, until he ultimately disappeared, in a puff of smoke.

"So, he was back," said Aura.

"Sorry I didn\'t tell you."

"It\'s fine, I truly don\'t care much about him, anymore."

Mori walked forward, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"And you\'re right not to."

"So should we change course? If they\'re onto us?" asked Lilae.

"No. Nothing changes, we\'re heading west."