4

"So you're immortal," I tapped my fingers on the cot, "And what would an all powerful immortal need with me."

"I want to die," Letty smiled at me warmly, "I've lived long enough that I cannot remember the faces of the humans I once cared about. I don't know what it is to connect with another being anymore. I can't even remember the voice of the woman I used to love." he paused as if thinking, "I've lived so long that I cannot connect with another living creature. The only existence that's been around longer then me on this planet is the planet itself." a sad look reached his eyes for the first time since I'd met him, "I was born human, and I became a vampire against my will, but my mind is still very much human. To be unable to connect is to be completely alone, and for a human mind that is the ultimate form of torture." his emotional hue showed for the first time since I'd met him, "Can you imagine being completely, and totally alone for hundreds of thousands of years?"

His emotional hue was clouded like static from a tv. Bloodlust was mixed with all of his emotions, but the slight blue of true sadness, and pain still showed through. The emotional hue vanished a second later. A clear indication that he was suppressing his emotions.

"You just want me to kill you?" I frowned, "You've told me yourself that you're immortal. How do you expect me to succeed?"

"That's not for me to know," Letty's expression went blank once again, "I was told that you would be the one to kill me. That you are the only one capable of killing me."

"What makes you think that I want to kill you?" The frown on my face deepened.

"I'm losing my mind boy," Letty smiled, "I've been suffering through the worst torture imaginable for longer than most creatures even live. My mind can't take it much longer. One of these days I'm going to snap, and what little sanity I have will give out. I've long surpassed what my species should be capable of. I have more power than any single creature should. You don't want to see what insanity is for a creature that is constantly being consumed by his own bloodlust."

I looked at him with suspicion in my eyes. He wanted to die. I wasn't against killing him. The idea of him losing his mind wasn't all that appealing to me.

"So I'm supposed to figure out how to kill you on my own," I had to be careful while I was tapping my fingers on the cot.

Too much strength, and I would break it.

"And you're just going to let me," I leaned back in my chair, and crossed my arms, "I find that hard to believe."

"I'll be willing to aid you as much as you need while I'm waiting," Letty stood up, and bowed formally.

"Don't tell anyone what I plan to pay you," I stood up, and check Ethan over both physically, and mentally before leaving.

"Not against killing, but you don't want to seem hostile to outsiders," He laughed aloud.

Every word that came out of his mouth sent chills up my spine. I walked a good thirty feet from the tent, and that chill still didn't go away.

"I have a lot of experience with political matters," He appeared behind me, "I can aid you in this political matter. I know more about negotiating, and treaty writing then you could possibly learn in the year you promised the boy."

"I want this territory," I stated bluntly, "I want all the portal zones."

"I'm not sure what portal zones are but I can negotiate it into your hands given enough time," He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Your willing to do an awful lot for such an odd reward," I cocked my head at him.

"What does it matter as long as I am rewarded?" Letty shrugged at me.

"You creep me out," I stated bluntly.

"I'm an all powerful immortal vampire," He shrugged, "It would be surprising if I didn't creep you out."

I changed back to my true form, and started undoing the damage the battle had done. My power reverberating outward. Pushing back the chill, and turning the ground around us green with freshly grown grass. Some new trees even sprouted up from the log walls they'd built for defense. The saplings slowly started digging their roots deep into the dead logs beneath them.

I could keep encouraging them to grow all day, and night, but I wasn't really interested in using up all my mana at once. I went back to the stone pit where I'd broken free. This blackened stone refused to grow anything at all, and sapped at my mana when I touched it. I'd accidentally created anti mana material. I gathered the material, and took it to Bryce.

I was certain he could do something with the material. Even if all he could do was create chains, or cells. Anti mana materials would be about the only thing that could stop magical creatures. We'd need that for rogue mages in the future. I went back to the bare earth, and laid down on the stone.

I sniffed around the spot a bit before settling there. I had six more days before the meeting I'd set up with the higher authorities. The basic idea I'd come up with was a year of prep followed by an expedition force to take back any, and all slaves being kept by the elves. If we happened to rescue some foreign species than bonus. Then there was the problem with the poisonous elements within the natural mana of the world.

Even the mana I put out was toxic to a degree. I needed to figure out a way to fix that. Pure mana without any other attributes in it was the best kind of mana. Now that I thought about it. That's all divine energy really was.

Mana compressed so tightly that nothing but more mana could be within. Compressing mana so tightly that all impurities were pushed out. There had to be a way to purify the mana without compressing it into divine energy. I started sorting through the knowledge that the system had granted me again. There was a lot I hadn't even begun to go through yet.