Chronicles of the Underworld - Soul Eater

7 - Blindfolds

"What?", the witch said after a while.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"You've known him?"

"I knew he was Mortimer's general once. He was sent off to the Dark Wood..." ... to be a diplomat and learn from the Night elves' powers. Did he do anything that Mortimer wanted him dead for?

Aurel could feel Alexandria's mind racing.

Wasn't there that thing with the werewolves he messed up a couple of years back?, she asked.

Right. The battle of London.

The werewolves were losing, and Salomon was supposed to lead his army there. But for some reason, he didn't. Mortimer himself had to lead his troops into battle in order not to lose London as an ally and boy, did he not like it.

Salomon was held up with the gargoyles in Paris.

I remember.

But killing him off after all these years, for that? I don't buy it. Aurel shook his head internally. I believe he was a sacrificial lamb.

That witch claims she was bitten by a vampire?

Yeah.

Sure. And both of us know how likely that is.

He nodded. It was extremely unlikely. Colombia was too much of a powerful Other as to be injured by something as pathetic as a vampire.

The weird thing is, I do believe her, Aurel said. I can smell traces of vampire venom on her, and she seems genuine about it...

Weird. Very weird.

Their connection loosened and Aurel looked down the street where the witch kept moving forward. He had not realized how fast her pace was getting. When he moved up to her, he saw her hand laying on her wound.

"Are you in pain?", he asked.

"Huh?" She looked at him and, for a second, seemed very young. Almost his age. "No, I'm good. I just keep thinking about it."

"A vampire has gotten close enough to you to bite you. And he did, with a fair rate of success, I'd say."

"You're mean." They laughed and she laid her rifle, having taken the form of an umbrella, on her shoulder, the muzzle pointing towards the sky. "But you're right. He did get me good. And I'm amazed by the fact that..."

"I understand. I'm wondering the same thing."

How could a vampire potentially have gotten so close to her?

"Am I getting old? And slow?", she asked him.

"We'll see with the werewolves."

"I'm going to kick your ass, that's what you'll see."

"You want to place a bet?"

"I'm afraid I might insult you."

Columbia laughed and placed her hand on her lower stomach. "You're charming when you're not so grumpy."

"Alexandria says the same."

"You two are very close, even if you're not a triad. It's fascinating."

"We like to say that we function the way a triad functions. Only that we're two instead of three."

"I didn't know that was possible."

"Nobody did. How long have you guys been together?"

Columbia froze. "Decades."

He watched her facial expressions slowly becoming alive again and wondered what the matter had been. Something in her connection?