Redemption Ch. 01

The scuffle went on, seconds passing as they hit each other at high speed, bones breaking and flesh hitting flesh as Jacob began to wonder if perhaps the boy was less skilled than he'd originally thought. There was no doubt that the assassin had been sent by The Council but the boys they usually sent were trained for years to become perfect killing machines and yet there this one was, his masking ability almost greater than Jacob's own but his battle skills and reflexes falling far below expected. The fight quickly changed to Jacob's favor and with one quick movement, he punched the boy on the side of the face with such strength, the impact threw him several feet back and he landed in a heap on the floor.

Jacob was definitely off his game that day for while he'd been caught unawares by a Council sent assassin, there he was thinking through the battle and wanting to find out why the boy didn't fight like an assassin instead of killing him off. Curiosity...what a detestable quality.

It was curiosity though that drove him to the unconscious boy-vampire's side to delve into his mind and try to find out why he'd been sent. What he found was not what he'd been expecting however, as he felt along the taught chains holding in place free thought and the struggling of a dying consciousness; it was...despicable. Jacob's face twisted in anger and he tried to delve further into the mind of the assassin only to have the boy twist in pain at his efforts. The Council had clearly learned to used different methods of coercion since he left them; they'd bound the boy's mind, sloppily if he might add, and had fed him with a mission, not caring if his consciousness was killed by the sheer brutality of their mind manipulation, leaving him as empty as the humans whose minds they shattered so often.

How long ago had the boy been sired to this life before he'd undergone such atrocities, Jacob could not tell. The consciousness strained against the chains and the boy started to get up, interrupting the investigation into his mind. Jacob hesitated for a second before he expertly severed the chains binding the boy, freeing his mind and consequently unleashing his consciousness which exploded, casting the older vampire out. It had to be done, come what may.

"No, no! Are you insane? What have you done?" a voice rang out, making Jacob turn around, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the sorceress that had tried to ensnare him before.

"You're still here," Jacob said, his voice almost a whisper as he looked around, finally finding what he was looking for and heading towards it.

"That creature cannot be left unchecked, you have to kill it," she said, her voice getting louder as he felt panic fill her tone.

Sorceresses were a secretive kind, often content with being left alone to practice whatever little magic they wielded. It was rare to find one out in the open who was stupid enough to place herself in such a volatile situation. Whatever magic they wielded could only be called forth after hours of preparation and they had the constitution of humans, so could be killed easily if the need arose. This one was either very new to the art or very, very stupid.

Jacob bent down and picked up the sword he'd been heading towards, straightening to lift his hand and throw it towards the irritating woman. The weapon flew true, embedding itself into her head with a sickening sound as the momentum pushed her backwards and she fell dead to the floor.

The day had not gone as he'd expected it to and now changes had to be made in his routine. Jacob looked around at the café, taking in the broken tables and the blood on the floor. Reluctantly, his gaze swept over the blank, glassy-eyed faces of the still breathing humans who'd no doubt have their blood sucked out of them and then disposed of when The Council sent his kind to clean the mess up. He'd seen that sort of clean-up numerous times while he was working with them but for some reason, the thought of this one sickened him. Perhaps it was because he felt responsible for them; faces he'd seen on a regular basis that had lives beyond the café...lives that deserved to end with dignity

He stood still for a few seconds before he went to retrieve the sword from the Sorceress' skull, his mind made up. Moving quickly, Jacob stepped from one human body to the next, stabbing them silently and efficiently in the chest, puncturing their hearts and making sure they died before any more vampires could use them further. Whichever sage had shattered their minds had no doubt left the moment his work was done and Jacob moved to walk out of the café, not pausing to look back.

What about the boy?

The thought surprised him as a part of him held back from leaving. What about him? The boy wasn't his responsibility and had been trying to kill him no more than a few minutes ago; it wasn't his responsibility. But he couldn't leave him there to be enslaved again by the very Council he hated so much and the thought of killing him wasn't appealing; he'd been forced into it all. What about the boy, indeed.

Well, he couldn't very well leave him there, could he?

To be continued.