Chapter 33, Pit Viper

(Victor, Capitol of Laurentia)

Standing in his office and scowling stood the head of the pit viper guild, Victor. He smoothed his lavish blue silk robe, scowling at the blood staining the hem of his pants. Victor walked from the two beaten and unconscious guild members to his desk, retrieving a paint brush. He returned to the bound and bloody failures and dipped his brush in their thick red blood.

Working from an ancient memory, he outlined the ritual. Channeling his mana, he created an outline in the wood, creating a cheat of sorts. He followed the swirling lines with his brush, creating a complex pattern of runes around first the athletic woman and then the muscled thug.

He smiled in delight. On his first try, he could create the first of the runes. Wiping his brow of sweat, Victor grinned, channeling mana into the runes. His body trembled and he gasped. Victor couldn't believe how much his veins burned from the stress as mana was pulled from his fragile mortal body.

Victor cursed himself. What a weakling. He really wished he could have found a stronger vessel. The bound woman twitched. Victor forgot his lamenting and focused on her as she gasped and opened her bloodshot eyes.

" Please don't kill me guild master, I swear I will not fail you again!" said the woman frantically, red-coloured spittle flying onto the bloodstained floor.

" I know, I know. You failed me once, and now you will pay for that crime. Look at your forearm."replied Victor with a grin.

The woman looked down at her bound arms. Through the thick rope snaked black lines like a perverse web cutting off at her elbow.

" What, did you do to me?" asked the woman struggling, her lips trembling in fear.

"This is your punishment. That is a rune, it will slowly crawl up your arm and into your body before making you experience true suffering." Replied Victor.

"Please, master, I will do anything. Please remove it, I won't fail you again." replied the woman desperately.

Victor leaned down and stare into her bloodshot eyes. He could feel her terror and the pain slowly growing. Little did this wretch know. She would soon realize that the rune would cause an unimaginable amount of pain. Victor shudder in delight. He couldn't wait. The thought of pain made him want to smile. Calming his excitement, Victor channel mana once more, powering the rune around the man. Kirt, was it? Victor Slumped, he knelt so his prisoners couldn't see his trembling legs.

" Guild master, please, we can still be useful. I swear we will not fail you again." Said Kirt, thrashing in his bonds.

His runes set Victor ignored Kirts, gasping and questions while walking over to his desk.

Victor turned, eyeing the rotten floorboards, dirt stained walls and smiled. What a nice day. For the first time in a long time, he could test out his runes on humans. No telling what these might do. Victor shudder as he channeled his mana connecting to the runes in each of his two new play things. In unison they screamed and writhed on the ground, convulsing. Very nice, this would do. Victor strode from the room, his body shaking as the pain of his new toys flowed to him. Once the screaming subsided, Victor addressed his new things.

" I will be merciful for now. Now you know the punishment for failure, you won't do it again."said Victor.

Strolling from the room, Victor passed One of his guards who stood on the other side of the door, stone faced.

"Cut their bonds. Then join me, I am going to Megs for a weekend of fun." grinned Victor excitedly. He strode into the street from the warehouse, sighing happily at the morning sunlight on his face.

(Trisha)

Trisha rolled from the hard wood of the training room onto her feet, wincing as pain lanced through her leg. She staggered back, getting distance from the monster across from her.

" I am surprised you are still alive with such poor technique." said Lord Noah as though an hour long spar was nothing. Trishas leg ached, and she breathed in deep ragged breaths. How had her life turned like this? Trisha gripped two long, curved wooden daggers in a loose grip.

" If I could use a sword, I could get a hit on you." retorted Trisha flipping her sweat drenched curly brown hair. Lord Noah straightened his deep black robes.

" Well, if you could carry a sword then I would train you to use one." said Lord Noah grinning evilly.

" That is enough for now. Next time, I come, we will step it up a notch. You need to use your mana while you are fighting." Said Noah, swirling his sword and tossing it against the weapons rack. Returning her own weapons to the weapons rack, Trisha trudged to get some food. Panting for breath and her body aching, Trisha was more than ready for a break. How was she going to learn to channel mana and focus on fighting at the same time? She couldn't even keep up with lord Noah just with her daggers, and now she might need to learn runes while fighting?

After eating her fill of a savory chicken and vegetables, Trisha prepared for the day. She changed into dark blue silk pants and a black blouse. She placed her boot knife in her boot sheath and tucked her long, curved dagger on the flat of her back.

She strolled from the chapel feeling sore, but also ready for the day. She met up with Greg and Eliya in the courtyard, receiving stares and even a few scowls from the other initiates.

" Are you both ready?" asked Trisha, resting her hands on her blue silk pants.

" Yes, of course. I had enough sleep." replied Greg, stretching and straitening his worn cloak.

" At least some of us did." groaned Trisha, wondering why Noah hadn't made her friends join the training session.

" I have a plan, if you two will try something different?" said Eliya, resting her staff on her shoulder.

Striding down the street and swaying her hips seductively, Trisha saunters towards a three story building. Judging by the height of the sun and the sweltering heat, many people would look for somewhere cool and relaxing. Trisha faked a smile, twisting a strand of her curly brown hair around one finger as the two thugs at the door let people ahead of her in, one by one.

The two burly security guards patted all the men in line down before they could enter. Her stomach tightened, and her heart raced as it became her turn. In Trishas opinion, she was the most unseductive woman in the capital. She had seen the woman who were, however. Hoping she didn't completely embarrass herself. Trisha swayed her hips, noticing with revulsion and satisfaction that the thug on the rights eyes was stuck firmly on her revealing blouse.

"Are you here for work or for fun?" asked the guard on the left, his eyes lingering on her hips.

" Both, if the owner will hire me?" replied Trisha, biting her lip in what she hoped was a seductive manner.

" You are in luck. The boss is in today, a young pretty lady like you will bring in good customers." said the of the two thugs. Both of the thugs had those damned wooden maces. Just like the one that had nearly broken Trisha's leg. If the church healer hadn't healed her leg, she would have had a bad limp for weeks.

Much to Trishas surprise they didn't pat her down. The second of the guards was stepping forwards but stopped at the glare of the other.

" Remember what the boss said about touching the workers without paying?" asked the first guard, glancing from Trisha to the other guard. The second thug swallowed.

" Dont mind him head on in. Go to the bar and ask for Victor. He will decide whether you get the job." said the first Thug. Trisha smiled, winking at the first guard, and forced herself to run her fingers along his shoulder playfully as she passed. Once she was in, she let out a sigh of relief. That was much more stressful than she thought it would be. She should definitely stick to stabbing people at night after this mission?

They filled the bottom floor with tables, a stage, and at least five more security guards. A calm song from a young man playing a lute drifted through the room. Trisha flushed in embarrassment as the woman on the stage started dancing and unfastening her blouse. After peering at all the women in the room, Trisha felt inadequate. Even the thought of walking around nearly naked made her flush deeply.

Turning to the bar, Trisha followed a woman that made her feel as though her chest was absent. Trisha strode up an athletic young man behind the bar. The young man turned to her, his silky black hair shrouding his square jaw. Trisha paused. Why was everyone in here so damned beautiful?

" How can I help you?" Asked the young man in a smooth, deep voice.

" The nice man out front told me to ask for victor." replied Trisha smiling at the beautiful man.

" I will send for him. Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I'm Berg, its nice to meet you." said Berg holding out his hand. Trisha grinned but her heart pounded in her chest, as the young man grinned a white-toothed smile, taking her breath away.

Trisha took a seat and forced herself not to readjust her daggers. The lute helped calm her nerves, and she scanned the room, not letting her eyes linger. Luckily for Trisha, all the patrons in the place were more interested in the disrobing dancer than her for the moment. She breathed deeply of the smell of fine wine and lilac perfume, for just a moment she into the illusion of the woman's seductive dancing.

Like the other patrons, Trisha was mesmerised by the dancer gracefully moving. Taunting as the woman took off her blouse at a painfully slow pace, all the while bending and twirling. It was only when she heard the lit foot fall of leather boots on stairs did she turn to meet eyes with what could only be the owner of this place.