CHAPTER 22: THE TORMENTS OF LIFE (VAMYN)

MYSTERIOUS ROOFTOPS, MIDTOWN, NEXERIA

Vamyn lands on the next rooftop. The brooding vampyre lied to Lyligan before. Valien didn’t give him another lead, but after recent events; he felt an obligation to visit an old friend.

“I can’t believe it’s come to this. Decades have passed… Times have changed, and this can’t be helped.” He spoke into the empty air of the night. This rooftop was a place he had visited many times before, and each time a failure in recent history.

“Vamyn... I had hoped you’d have given up on me; I see you crush my hopes again. The fates must hate me since you are standing on my roof once again.” A man cloaked in the shadows says to the vampyre across from him.

“The fates are cruel mistresses, Banus. I’m only here because times are dire.” Vamyn ominously spoke. He pulls out his phone and plays Itellier’s video.

“The Saurcle? This can’t be a coincidence. I wish I would’ve never seen this day in my immortal life.” Banus shrugs his shoulders.

“Once again, this life torments me. Come inside; it’ll take me some time to prepare for what’s coming.” The immortal being opens the door behind him. Vamyn enters the stairwell of the building.

BANUS’S STAIRWELL, MIDTOWN, NEXERIA

“So to get the obvious question out of the way: where did your son get the name of The Saurcle?” Banus asks with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance in his voice.

“I doubt I’ll ever be considered their father; I don’t deserve it. I’m just a mentor to them. He fought one of their people at the Great Mine. I also believe he has a hidden connection he hasn’t mentioned. However; this is too much of a coincidence. The Saurcle must be built on the remnants of The Saurcillian Movement Front of old,” Vamyn regretfully says with a dour expression on his face. He looks down at the ground, burdened by the horrors of the past.

“I see your ability to lie to yourself besides your loved ones hasn’t changed. However, I concur with your judgment. They just can’t leave well enough alone. This place isn’t there’s alone, and it never was.” The cloaked man’s blunt words strike a nerve in Vamyn.

“I’ve been around longer than anyone should be allowed; I need to tell myself what I need to keep moving and tell people what they need to know when they need to.” Vamyn, the nerve-stricken monstrum, says with authority.

“Sure, you’re for the greater good thinking like that is exactly why we haven’t talked in a decade.” Banus, the tormented soul, quips back.

“We have more important business to take care of than to dwell on the past, Banus,” Vamyn says while they reach the door of Banus’ home. He lets Banus pass him to open the door as they both enter the familiar place.

BANUS’S HOUSE, MIDTOWN, NEXERIA

Nice to see the décor hasn’t changed in a decade, Vamyn thought; still full of skulls, dark artifacts, and red roses for a pop of color in the room. They’re probably the newest thing in the room, as Vamyn continued to distract his mind from the lies and deceit that caused him to lose contact with his former close friend.

Banus takes off his cloak, revealing his vampyre and xerai features: sharp fangs; flatter, almost snake-like nose; pointy ears; dark blue hair; and pale light blue skin. The newly revealed vampyre sits down in his grand chair decorated with skulls and offers Vamyn to take a seat on any of the other skull chairs or the leather couch. Vamyn sits down on the skull chair opposite Banus and looks at him.

“I’m not as heartless as you, Vamyn. I may keep to myself, but I just can’t forget being betrayed like that by your lies!” Banus exclaims.

“I didn’t want to do this now, but I need your help, and the city needs us, so if this nasty argument has to end, then so be it.” Vamyn sighs for a second and stares directly into Banus’s eyes.

“Please forgive my hubris and pretentiousness for trying to protect you with my lies. I thought I knew what was better for you at the time, and it turned out I was wrong. I’m not sorry for what I did, though. The knowledge I withheld from you would not have helped you.”

Banus stares at Vamyn with disdain in his eyes. He drops his arms to the side and shakes his head.

“That’s the same non-apology apology you gave last time. Forgive you for being yourself even though you're not sorry?! You’re the worst, Vamyn. She was my wife! How could you let me go on thinking that she disappeared on me!” The vampyre/zerai half-breed’s tone went up an octave or two as more of the memories flooded into his mind.

“She was my beloved! She was the spine attached to my skull! The blood that flows to my heart!” Banus stands up with blue mageus energy charged in his fist, pointing at Vamyn.

“And you just sit there, saying you would keep this from me again! And now expect me to put all that behind us, so we work together?! YOU! ARE! THE! WORST!” Banus stares into Vamyn eyes. His anger is at its breaking point, and he feels ready to send Vamyn to oblivion, but his memories of his beloved flood his mind. Remembering her compassion and kindness that broke through his own anger and darkness brought his anger down. Banus’s eyes fill with tears. He goes down on his knees, rubbing his eyes.

“Why don’t you understand how much this hurts?! Trying to find her was guiding my life, and you had answers and you wouldn’t tell me! You were supposed to be my best friend… What possible reason did you need to hide this from me?” Banus says woefully.

Vamyn looks at his former friend on his knees in tears. His reasons that he yelled all held true. Vamyn hid a lot of secrets and a lot of pain in his mind. He kneels down and puts his arm on Banus’s shoulder.

“It was her choice, and I needed you at your best, and there was no time to explain everything to you. I know it doesn’t look like I understand what you’re going through, but I have. I never meant to hurt you like this, and if I could have explained everything to you in an efficient way, I would have.” Vamyn sighs.

“I’m a pretty messed up dumpster fire, but I’m trying to make up for the pieces of trash I’ve left around the world. Let’s stop what’s coming and I’ll tell you everything.”

Banus looks into Vamyn’s eyes and can see the pain and torment he’s lived through just by staring into them. He sees the truth is there and starts standing up off his knee.

“Well, without me, I’m sure you’re more of dumpster inferno. Against my better judgment, I’ll trust you again.” Banus rubs his eyes from his tears.

“After we stop this threat, you give me the answers I want and no lies. I hope you can manage that.”

Vamyn groans more. “Not everything that comes out of my mouth is a lie anymore; I’ve been working on myself. Now come on and get ready. The Saurcle is out there as strong as ever, and they aren’t going to wait for us.”

Banus heads to the door with the biggest horned skull on it.

“Please, I’ll be ready in a snap.” Banus snaps his fingers, and the door behind him opens wildly. It emits a bright purple light, engulfing Banus. When the light fades, Banus emerges with swords, daggers, axes, and all sorts of other weapons across his body. His nice clothes have been replaced with dark, gothic, and skull battle armor and a starry cloak.

“You always have to make it showy.” Vamyn says, making a slight smile after seeing the transformation.

Banus smiles back as he replies to his friend.

“Heh heh, what else can I say? It’s showtime!”