Alcingeria Chapter Thirteen: The Bargain To Save Don and Robert

after Robert and Don were bitten by Ignacio, Macalister and Redmond strike a bargain with Ignacio to save their friends. Will Ignacio's price be too high to pay?

Chapter Thirteen The Bargain to Save Don and Robert: My heart leapt with hope upon hearing Ignacio’s words.

            “Yes! We will give anything to save the lives of our friends!” I said eagerly.

Macalister held his hand up.

            “Wait a moment. What is it that you want, exactly?” Asked Macalister.

I heard Ignacio chuckle from within the shadows.

            “I’m glad that you asked. You see, I desire your fifty thousand dollars. I have the box in my hand right now, but you’re blocking the only exit of this room. I know that if I fight you and attempt to take the fifty thousand dollars now, you will kill me with that stake. I’ll agree to save your friends on the condition that you spare my life, give me the money and let me go with it.” Ignacio said.

I heard Macalister growl in anger. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it.

            “Do we have a deal?” Asked Ignacio.

            “Troll, think about it. We must give Ignacio the money if Rapier and Shadow stand a chance of staying human. Surely their lives are worth more to you than fifty thousand dollars?” I asked Macalister.

Macalister hung his head in defeat.

            “Alright Ignacio, you win. Stop my friends’ transformations into vampires and we will let you have the money.” Macalister said.

I heard Ignacio chuckle once again.

            “Wise choice. Bring your friends in here, and I’ll revert their transformations.” Ignacio said.

I nodded and looked to Macalister.

            “Troll, you stay here and guard the door. Make sure Ignacio does not escape before his end of the bargain is fulfilled. I’ll go and fetch Shadow and Rapier.” I said.

Macalister nodded.

            “Yes. I won’t let him pass until he has done as he promised.” Macalister said.

I heard Ignacio clear his throat.

            “One more thing.” Ignacio said.

            “What is it?” Macalister asked.

            “Don’t even think about killing me prematurely. If I die, your friends’ hopes of having their transformation reverted dies with me. Do you understand?” Ignacio asked.

I couldn’t tell if Ignacio was being truthful, or merely attempting to safeguard his own life. Regardless, it was too large a risk to take. We had to trust Ignacio.

            “Yes. We understand.” Macalister said.

With that being said, I turned and exited the room. I head Macalister walk over and stand guard at the door when I left the room, so as to prevent Ignacio from escaping if he decided to swindle us and leave with the money prematurely. When I exited the room, I found myself in the room with the bed that I woke up in after the carriage wreck. I looked over to the brown tapestry with the orange flame insignia on it that had been cast to the ground and found Don and Robert there. Both of them were sweating like pigs on a hot summer’s day. They were both on their knees, clutching their throats and panting. Don looked to me and his expression brightened. He stood up from his kneeled stance.

            “Kid! Thank the lord! Have you got a way to revert the transformation?” He asked through clenched teeth. His hands didn’t leave his throat.

            “Yes, I have a way to revert your transformation! Follow me and you will stay human! Come one, quickly now!” I said, beckoning Don and Robert to the room that Ignacio and Macalister were in.

Don’s expression brightened even further.

            “We have not a second to spare! Rapier! Get up! We must go, for salvation awaits us!” Don said to Robert.

I looked over to Robert. Robert hadn’t acknowledged my presence and we still heavily sweating, kneeling on the ground and holding his throat. I could tell by the amount of tension in his jaw muscles that he was clenching his teeth very tightly.

            “Rapier! Come on!” I called to Robert.

Robert looked to me, still kneeling on the ground. His eyes full of tension, worry, fear and hatred.

            “Kid, the thirst is too much!” Robert shouted.

Don walked over to him. I could see that Don was supressing pain, for his facial muscles were tense and almost contorting in pain. Don placed his hands on Robert’s shoulders.

            “Rapier, listen to me! I won’t let you throw away your only chance of salvation. Do you hear me?” Don asked.

As Don spoke to Robert, he wrung Robert’s shoulders. Robert’s facial muscles were strained and his eyes were full of pain.

            “The thirst… It’s too much! If I push myself too hard and the thirst becomes too strong, I could end up murdering anyone that’s in this house tight now!” Robert shouted in fear and anger.

Don’s grip on Robert’s shoulders tightened, and Don shook Robert’s shoulders violently as he spoke to him.

            “Rapier! Do you hear me!? You need to move right now or you will be a vampire forever! If you’re worried about killing one of us today, think about how much harder it will be to resist the thirst as a full-fledged vampire! If you come with me right now, you can escape that fate!” Don shouted at Robert.

My heart was starting to sink deep in my chest. Was it possible that Robert wouldn’t get up? Was it possible that he had already accepted his fate as a vampire?

            “Rapier! You need to move right now!” I shouted fiercly at him.

Robert just glared at me. His eyes seemed to burn a hole right down to my soul. His eyes looked dark and empty. His eyes looked unforgiving and sad. His eyes were those of a killer.

            “Rapier, you leave me no choice!” Don shouted.

Don then grabbed both of Robert’s arms from their undersides and began to drag him towards me.

            “Kid, which door is Ignacio behind?” Don asked through clenched teeth.

Don wasn’t only resisting his thirst for blood, but he was also putting himself through a physically taxing task; dragging Robert to his salvation. I was about to tell Don to let me drag Robert, but he had already made considerable progress on his own and I didn’t want to get in the way.

            “The door farthest to the right, near the bed!” I said frantically.

Don nodded and dragged Robert towards the door I had indicated. I ran ahead of him and opened the door. Don approached the door seconds later with Robert in his arms and he was able to drag Robert through the door. Macalister moved aside so that Don could drag Robert through. Macalister had an expectant look on his face.

            “Kid! It’s about time, what took you?” Asked Macalister.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Macalister raised his hand and turned away from me.

            “Never mind, it’s not important! We must hurry and revert the vampire transformation of Rapier and Shadow!” Macalister said frantically.

I nodded briskly.

            “Right!” I said.

I heard a thud behind me, and I looked over to see that Robert had collapsed. His face was contorted in pain and his teeth were clenched. His hands were at his throat and he began shouting.

            “You said you could revert the vampire transformation, Ignacio! Now would be a good time to do so!” Robert said, his voice was filled with frustration and expectance.

I looked around when Robert mentioned Ignacio. I still didn’t see him anywhere. I heard him chuckle. I heard footsteps across the room. They were drawing closer. Slowly, little by little Ignacio’s form was relinquished from the shadows and it became visible. He was still wearing his black cloak, but the hood was down, allowing me to see his face. I was able to make out features that I was unable to see in the cellar when we fought him recently. Ignacio had red eyes that were slightly almond shaped, he had pale skin, black hair that fell down past his shoulders, and he had a perfectly aligned, perfectly proportioned face without the slightest trace of any stubble. Needless to say, he was a handsome man. His lips were upturned, smirking and enjoying the position he had in the situation. The box containing the fifty thousand dollars was on a small table next to him.

            “Well, I suppose I shall hold up my end of the bargain.” Ignacio said.

After he said that, he reached into his clock pocket and pulled out a knife that had a short blade. He raised it to his wrist and slit his skin open. After a second or two, blood started flowing out of his wound and onto the floor.

            “Why the devil are you doing that? This is no time to fool around!” Macalister said angrily.

Ignacio then put the knife back into his pocket and pulled out two small glass vials. He held his bleeding wrist over them and filled them to the brim He then set the two vials on a nearby bookshelf, reached into his pocket again and withdrew two small corks for the vials. He fastened each cork into the opening of both the vials tightly and threw the vials to Macalister. Macalister caught them both in one hand expertly while still managing to keep hold of the wooden stake.

            “What am I supposed to do with these?” Asked Macalister with one eyebrow cocked upwards.

            “What is contained within those two vials is going to save your friends. If they drink those vials until nothing remains, it will revert the vampire transformation.” Ignacio said.

            “How does your blood revert the transformation?” Asked Macalister.

            “Well, it’s not my blood specifically that reverts the transformation. You see, in order to revert the transformation from human to vampire, you must drink the blood of the vampire that bit you while the vampire that bit you is still alive. If you drink the blood of the vampire that bit you when it’s dead, it won’t revert the transformation. Now, I advise that you give your friends those vials, otherwise they will surely turn into vampires very soon.” Ignacio said.

Macalister’s eyes widened and he ran gave the vials to me, refusing to leave his guard post at the door. That was smart, considering that if Ignacio’s blood didn’t revert the transformation and he left, Don and Robert would surely turn into vampires. I took the vials from Macalister and I gave them to both Don and Robert. They both gasped as soon as the blood touched their lips. They almost coughed the blood up and back to the vials, but they choked it down. When both Don and Robert’s vials were depleted of the blood within, Don and Robert both put them on the ground next to themselves. Both of them looked relaxed after drinking Ignacio’s blood. Their faces drained of tension and they both were silent.

            “As you can see, your friends already look better. They won’t transform into vampires. May I leave now?” Asked Ignacio.

I was thinking about it. What is this was some kind of illusion? A trick Ignacio will use to save himself. Did he really are what happened to Don and Robert? I was going to ask Macalister what he thought, but I heard Don stir.

            “Ignacio’s blood worked! I no longer feel the burning thirst! I no longer feel the urge to drink blood! I’m saved!” Don shouted with relief.

I heard Robert stir as well.

            “I feel better already! It’s a miracle! Such a burning, raging thirst can be tamed with merely a small dose of Ignacio’s blood!” Robert exclaimed.

I turned to Ignacio.

            “Yes, you may leave now. Take your fifty thousand dollars and go. Thank you for what you have done. We will never forget what you did for us today. We owe you one for this.” I sincerely said to Ignacio.

Ignacio smirked.

            “I’ll keep that in mind. Well, until we meet again. Farewell, thieves.” Ignacio said.

He then took the box containing the fifty thousand dollars off of the small table next to him and he walked across the room with it. When he reached Macalister, who was still guarding the door with the stake in his hand, Macalister stepped out of the way. Ignacio walked through the door and turned around the corner, disappearing from sight. I heard his footsteps fade into silence as he got farther and farther away. I heard a door open and shut, and Ignacio was gone. I followed the route that he had taken through the house and found the front door. From the space between the bottom of the door and the floor, I could see a little ray of sunshine streaming in. Wait a minute, how was Ignacio walking in the sunlight? He’s a vampire! I opened the door and saw a figure in the distance, the figure was draped in a black cloak. It was definitely Ignacio. He had the black cloak wrapped around his entire body, concealing every inch of his skin from the sunlight. In his hands was the wooden box that held the money we stole from the Haywood estate. I heard footsteps behind me, and Don, Robert and Macalister joined me in watching Ignacio walk off into the distance.

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think! :)

Reviews

[KeithKVH]

Good chapter, was a bit worried Robert would lose it, but aside from losing the money it seems the Scorpions have pulled through and the story's next part seems pretty well set up to start now that everything seems wrapped up.

It was honestly a bit predictable that they'd trade the money in the bargain, and despite being the thieves they are they're men of their word. It is a bit interesting to learn that's the cure. Hopefully it really is, it did make me wonder quite a bit whether the blood isn't just temporarily sating their thirst so Ignacio can escape, but it's not like they can really do much more to make him prove it. Nicely done, there were a few spelling errors but not many. I'll list a few I can find by skimming again:

Come one, quickly now!"
Come on, quickly now!"

his voice was filled with frustration and expectance.
his voice was expectant and filled with frustration.
-Just a quick grammar fix

Macalister’s eyes widened and he ran gave the vials to me
Macalister’s eyes widened and he quickly gave the vials to me

A trick Ignacio will use to save himself. Did he really are what happened to Don and Robert?
A trick Ignacio will use to save himself? Did he really care what happened to Don and Robert?
-Needed a question mark and the missing "c"

[Ryan Henderson]

thank you for reviewing and thank you for the spelling corrections!

[KeithKVH]

Np, I'm not too busy today so I'm about to read the next chapter as well. Had to get something from the kitchen first. xD