NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: How Does That Make You Feel?
Chapter 25: How Does That Make You Feel?
Daria's elegant walk faltered a bit as her eyes became wide with surprise at Evian's presence.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she got closer to the end of the room where Evian was standing with Amira, the Captain by his side.
Evian raised a brow.
"This was your consultation?" he asked.
Daria opened her mouth ready to speak but Lord Larnak called her attention to him almost immediately.
"Daria," he said. His anger had cooled a smidge but his aura of pressure was still around him in an haze.
Daria's eyes moved to him as she gave a small bow.
"I must say, your call surprised me, Lord Larnak. I thought you preferred Koln as your Arcanist."
"Koln is- unavailable at the moment-" Lord Larnak started to say,
'He's dead,' Evian clarified in his mind but did not say out loud.
"- And you had certain information I wanted" Lord Larnak finished with a gruff voice.
"What information would that be?" Daria asked politely.
Lord Larnak stretched an arm forward and pointed an angry finger at Evian's face,
"Information about this thieving bastard standing before me!"
"Hey!" Evan retorted immediately, "Watch who you call a thief."
Lord Larnak's face contorted.
"Bastard!" he roared as he sat up in his chair, "YOU ADMITTED IT!"
Daria's eyes widened at the aggression and she took a step forward with her palms raised in placation.
"Lord Larnak, please calm yourself,"
"Calm myself?" Larnak repeated before pointing angrily at Evian again,
"This bastard joined a resistance formed to unseat me and then stole from me while laughing at my face.
The only reason I don't strike him down right now is because he has information I find useful. Besides, a quick death would be mercy for what he has done,"
"I haven't done anything," Evian said with his chin raised.
"How dare you lie to my Lord, you infidel!" Captain Amira said.
Evian turned his head to face her.
"It's not a lie, Fussy,"
Lord Larnak flicked his finger and retrieved a blue crystal from his spatial ring.
"You recognize this, bastard? Or did you assume I would destroy it in anger?"
"What's that?" Evian asked with genuine confusion.
Lord Larnak's eyes flared thinking Evian was still playing dumb.
As the only one on the scene aware that Evian indeed did not recognize the crystal, Daria felt it was in her place to step in.
"Evian, that's a recording Crystal. Enchanted to record images and sounds for a clear playback,"
"Oh," Evian said.
Larnak infused spiritual energy into the crystal and it glowed before projecting a rectangular, holographic screen upward. On the screen was someone with brown hair and brown eyes, a skinny build, and a sickly complexion that Evian recognized immediately.
It was the handsome bastard whose body he now owned;
It was Evian Stygian.
-
"Is it on?" Evian Stygian said in the recording, sounding weak and faint.
"It is," a voice said from the background. Evian recognized the voice as Gillert's. Muffled by a mask as it had been last night.
"Good." Evian Stygian said before his lips stretched into a smile and his brown eyes sparkled with delight.
"Lord Larnak. It is I, Evian Stygian. Yes, I am sure you know all about me;
The cursed Stygian.
Constantly ridden with disease.
Forever destined to never be as great a Knight as my brother.
A disgrace to the Stygian Family Estate.
Yes, you know all about me, I'm sure- Just as I know a lot about you."
Evian Stygian paused and gestured at someone unseen. Someone standing out of the recording Range of the Recording Crystal. That someone handed him a Spear.
Evian's brows furrowed as he stared hard at the recording trying to get a good look at the spear. It looked beautiful. Silver Spearheads on both ends of a green shaft with Silver spirals as well as etched symbols and strange writings that heightened its antique look.
The Recording of sickly Evian Stygian gripped the Spear tight with shaky hands and smiled a faint weak smile.
"Ah yes, the Larnak Family Spear. Stolen from right under your nose with a cleverly orchestrated plan by me. How does that make you feel?
How does it make you feel that little, sickly Evian Stygian planned a heist to steal your prized possession?
Does it make you feel insecure?
If I and my Crew managed to do this, just imagine what else we can do.
Stealing back Tax funds is only the start and the Resistance will not rest until your rule as Territory Lord is over!"
Evian Stygian paused at this moment and started straight out exuding confidence despite his weak and sickly demeanor and then he gave a signal to the one behind the Recording (Evian guessed it was Gillert on account of the voice he heard before) and the Recording froze as it reached it's end.
-
Evian could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him and he knew he only postponed the inevitable by staring at the frozen Recording screen.
"So- Would you like to revisit your mockery of me and my standing by requesting for 'Proof' again?" Lord Larnak asked. Every word was enunciated by his rage.
Daria's wide eyes of surprise went from Evian's face to the recording and then to Lord Larnak,
"My Lord, this has to be a mistake," she said.
Evian shrugged.
"I don't know, that looks like pretty damning evidence to me," he said and Daria rounded on him.
"I'm trying to help you," she snapped at him.
Evain raised his palm.
"Everything seems so clear is all I'm saying,"
Daria ignored him and faced Lord Larnak,
"He lost his memory. I don't think he remembers doing any of this," she said while still surprised at what she just saw in the recording.
Lord Larnak snorted.
"I don't believe that for a second.
All I want to know is, what was going on in that head of yours?
Did you not even think before joining the 'Resistance'?
Did you not realize that would spark the start of a dangerous Turf war that would cost the lives of many?"
Evian shrugged.
"It's as Daria said. I have no memory of doing any of this,"
Evian raised a hand to his hair and then trailed down to his eyes,
"These are not just Fashionable changes to make me look even better than I already do. They are signs of the changes I have gone through. Among those changes is memory Loss,"
"You lie!"
"He's not lying," Daria said, "Evian died a few days ago and then somehow he- came back to life,"
Larnak's face twisted into disbelief.
"What?"
Daria nodded.
"It's why you called me here, right? For that sort of information about him?"
Lord Larnak paused.
"I wanted Information that could shed some light to why my men failed to capture a sick thief, not for you to spew such outlandish rubbish as 'Resurrection'."
Daria's brows furrowed.
"Wait, failed capture?" she muttered before glancing over at Evian who gave her a tell-tale shrug.
"The attempted Kidnapping..."
While Daria came to a realization, Lord Larnak got back to talking.
"You were around the Stygian Estate for days. Always called up for consultation and charged with helping this Cursed waste of a Stygian Son so I assumed you would have something that could be of help,"
"Why attempt a capture though?" Evian asked with a shrug and brought attention back to himself,
"Why not just go directly to Lord Stygian and demand my cooperation?"
Larnak's face twisted and the hair of his beard twitched.
"No one steals from me and gets away with it!" he said, "Stygian or not, you had to pay for what you did,"
"And you would have preferred I paid for it anonymously," Evian noted.
Larnak's brow furrowed.
"I could have gone to your Father and showed him the evidence I held but then what?
He MIGHT convince you to give up the rest of the Resistance but he'll protect you from my Wrath. I can't have that!"
"So you wanted to 'deal' with me on your own. Keep my Family out of it for as long as you could,"
"I wanted to keep your family out of it COMPLETELY!"
Larnak leaned forward in his chair as the double doors burst open and Estate Guards started trooping in. Captain Amira got into position and an attacking stance against Evian. Ready for the order from her Lord.
"The Plan was simple," Larnak said as the trooping guards got into formation,
"My men were to sneak in, capture you, take you to a location, and break you until you give me the names of your associates but they failed.
I sent Koln as an assurance but clearly- he failed too but no matter.
You have come here on your own accord.
You're not leaving until I get those names.
Actually, no. You're not leaving. Ever!"