Bloodstain Chalice

He felt like a fish out of water, that was the only way to describe how he reacted to Amarjeet and her questions, why did he have to lie? His toes curled and he swallowed down bitter bile when her hands touched a particularly tender spot. He hated this, hated hurting her, lying and all the bullshit that came with his job; but someone had to do it. When his questions were left unanswered, he found himself idly touching the wooden tabletop of the bar, there he glimpsed just barely the fight that had turned the once thriving bar into a scene slightly out of WWII. Haden, Shinzo, Evyette were here… there was another one with them, a water claimant? He was rushed back into reality once more by the pain; in his haste to be free of Vincent and to make his way back to the bar, to Amarjeet… Lucas had stupidly forgotten to check his appearance – therefore he was not aware at all of the fact that two of his ribs were sticking out of his back. Blood suffused there and as soon as Amarjeet’s fingers came into contact with the torn muscle and broken bone, he could do nothing but pull her into a fierce hug for he saw only for a moment the briefest flicker of the void taking over. 

Now her final words made sense, this time he had to ask for help. 

“I know right now you want to lose control and to hunt Vincent down, but I need you to stay here and help me.” 

He had to hope his words were enough, he had to hope that him being here if only for two days was enough. It’s not enough, it’ll never be enough. I can’t tell her. I can’t tell her. Tell her. She can help. No the void is too close to the surface. It can wait. She’ll figure it out. Novevu will tell her. What do I do?

Once he was sure that she wasn’t going to bolt out the door and into the night, he stepped back again and tried to locate a chair with his hand, sitting down and resting would be a nice start. Perhaps there was still time in the night for a drink, a kiss maybe… he partially wondered why he was not healing, perhaps it was the bone sticking out of his back? Maybe he should put it back? Sober? Who was he kidding, he’d need to be out cold before anyone could put it back into place and start the slow painful progress of healing. 

“How have you been otherwise my love?” 

He was still trying to lighten the mood, to make her laugh – he’d do anything to see her smile. Sometimes he wondered if she’d ever get so sick of him and just leave him in the dirt, locating the chair he sat down gingerly on the edge and ran his hand tiredly over his face, the voices, his voices, past lives… whatever started to talk and shout in union. Blaming him for his recklessness, asking him to atone, to confess, to bare his soul, to calm, to reassure, to flirt…sitting down had been the wrong move, but it was too late now as he fell to the floor, his eyes wide open as he fell into unconsciousness. 

Sigmutt had been sleeping on the couch when her mother had without due prompt, stormed into the room, a look of pure fury on her face. Her mother, Chaemai had a terrible habit of bursting into rooms without ceremony or permission and Sigmutt was getting heartily sick of it.

“You are to go to New York this instance!” 

“Why?” She asked sleepily

“For the life of me Sigmutt do you never keep track of your responsibilities?” 

“Why should I? You’re here for me.” She teased. 

“Go. Now. Before I erase you.” 

“Whatever. Whose in trouble now?”

“Lucas.”

“…. Mother he switched houses remember? The trade? He was returned to Mucmoi…”

“I DO NOT CARE.”

“What did Nammay do? Fuck him?”

“No. Nothing of the sort.” Her mother blushed.

Lord, her mother was always too quick to defend her predecessor, stretching out like a feline would in the sun, Sigmutt swung her feet onto the floor and stood up. Her mother gave her look of utter annoyance, Sigmutt could be quick, as quick as any light claimant travelling during the day; but the treasure was not only lazy but utterly annoyed that her long overdue nap had been interrupted by her overly nosy mother. 

Eviax has been rolling up another pile of bandages, happy now that the chaos of the night was finally over, she looked up when the light bulbs seemed to quake and flicker before Sigmutt appeared before her very eyes.

“Sigmutt?”

“Hey. Know where Lucas is?”

“Lucas? Isn’t he out of your territory now?”

“Yes, but mother says he’s in danger or whatever.” 

“I don’t know where he is, I haven’t seen him. Perhaps try the bar.” 

“The bar?”

“Novevu’s one. It’s near central.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Perhaps go tomorrow when it is lighter? I know the bar is closed by now. No one will be there.” 

“Duly noted.” 

Eviax was glad to see Sigmutt disappear just as quickly as she came, she was doubly glad that Sigmutt hadn’t woken Shinzo up from his sleep. After the battle she had insisted he drink some of her herbal tea to quicken his recovery, and also so then he’d not move from her couch until she was sure he was in perfect health. 

Sigmutt never listened to anyone’s advice, Eviax included. Travelling through the many street lamps and electrical wiring, she found herself in front of Novevu’s establishment. Eviax was right, the lights weren’t on at all, Sigmutt narrowed her eyes and approached the door. She didn’t mind breaking and entering but she also knew that if she was not careful, Novevu would have a pack of hungry void hounds on her within seconds. She decided to walk around and investigate, listening for any signs of life, how she wished she was Eviax right about now. 

Inside, on the upper apartment level of the bar, the living room had been turned upside down and Lucas still unconscious had been placed on the dining table on his stomach, his head turned towards the bedroom. His eyes were still open and occasionally his body jerked left and right like a puppet on strings being thrown about in a cardboard box on moving day. Occasionally his rib cage rose, indicating that he was still alive. He could not see anything, and his eyes were somewhat glassy; a tear or two fell and turned into pure silver nuggets, clinking gently against the wooden floorboards. 

“You called?”

Xainayne’s voice purred, he sat atop the balcony’s railing, his back towards the street and his eyes on Amarjeet. He so rarely ventured into these parts of the city, and especially here at Novevu’s favourite child’s abode. He noticed Lucas immediately and frowned. 

“My, what’s happened to your French pumpkin?”

He had only hours ago been in his female form, but Xainayne preferred to revert when around any of Novevu’s children, in case they chose to pester him over his rather naive and innocent natured look. Stepping into the apartment, he made sure no one from the outside could see in with a quick flick of his wrist and a gesture to the walls. He circled the table and came to a stop in front of Luca’s head. As to not cause Amarjeet any more torment, he murmured a word and without touching Lucas lifted him into a seated position. 

“Open his mouth for me. I know you won’t abide me touching him in your current state. I must see the underside of his tongue. Can you do that?” 

Xainayne had to glare at the Void’s tendrils in order for the void to understand that at this moment he needed, rather Lucas, needed AJ to be in full control of herself. Once Luca’s mouth was opened, Xainayne whispered another word and saw exactly what he had hoped not to see.

“Who has he been with?” 

Gently, as though exhaling after surfacing from water, Xainayne extracted what appeared to be a jewel from underneath Luca’s tongue, it glinted in the yellow light of the apartment. 

“This is from my chalice.” Xainayne paused before adding. 

“Thank Lucas for me. If he makes it.”

He stepped back and pocketed the jewel, Lucas fell slack and the dark ancient winced when Lucas hit the table with a decided smack. He turned to leave. 

“You should take him to Novevu. Wherever that son of a bitch is. He’ll know what to do. I cannot help him much now.” 

Florita and Novevu were wrapped up in each other’s embrace, the personification of nature ran her hands over her beloved chest and smiled when he gave her an affectionate peck on the forehead. Their dark, one light, the other dark tangled between them as they spoke softly to one another. 

There was a pounding on the front door of Florita’s apartment, immediately aware of the danger, it was Novevu and not his wife who got up from the bed, slipping on a silk robe – curtesy of Xainayne. Novevu slithered out of the room and through the hall, summoning his sword to his side and one of the many and varied void pups that seemed to accompany Novevu no matter where he went. He flipped the switch and peeked through the eyehole, he had expected to see a thug or a human who was lost… instead he saw the void, Amarjeet and Lucas. 

Opening the door without hesitation, Novevu stepped aside and gestured to the kitchen. 

“In the kitchen now. Tell me what happened whilst I see to him.” 

"Whose that?” Florita asked from the bedroom. 

“Just Amarjeet and Lucas.” The front door clicked shut behind him. 

Florita emerged from the bedroom soon after and approached her husband, his Aikekunai and Lucas, she wasn’t pleased that their night had been interrupted but it had to be urgent for Amarjeet not to wait. She barely even listened when the Void through Amarjeet began to speak. She placed her hands gently on the unconscious metal Aikekunai and allowed living foliage, snake out of her skin and onto the wounds that were most obvious, hissing and shuttering as she examined his broken body.

“This one has been tortured. Fire.” 

“By one of Phita’s children.”

“You are not just here to seek help. You are here to ask permission.” Novevu divined. 

“I will call for Eviax. You both can go. He will be safe in my care.” 

A horrendous mix of woman and void screeched an unintelligible answer that gave Florita a headache. She tried another option. 

“Or perhaps, the void can stay here and Amarjeet can go hunt.”

The sword vanished, Novevu’s eyes roamed over Lucas and then looked at Amarjeet, her eyes were not her own. 

“Qrow. How nice for you to join us. I can assure you. Godfrey, is safe. Lucas will be too. Florita and Eviax as well as I will see to it.” 

He knew none of the words would penetrate the furious Aikekunai standing in front of him, it was his turn to place his hands upon Lucas, humming an ancient lullaby that came with no words, the bruises, the marks, the burns, the broken bones, muscles and what not glowed bright red in his eyes. He sighed and turned to his wife.

“Go run the bath. He needs to be cleaned first.”

“The exposed bone… the muscle.”

“Can wait, right now he stinks of death. The void and Amarjeet won’t leave until they’re assured by me that his soul has not flown to Elysian.” 

Florita obeyed immediately as Novevu tapped Lucas head. The metal Aikekunai blinked. 

“Lucas is out cold. But I believe Godfrey is not.” 

The shared eyes of Lucas and Godfrey swivelled in their sockets, immediately settling on Amarjeet, though almost minute, the muscles in their least injured of the two arms, twitched and reached somewhat for their significant other’s hand. 

“This is going to be a long, long morning. You may as well get comfortable…” 

Evyette had hoped that the earlier events of the night would be the only thing she’d have to worry about, course it was no surprise to her that the Chalice was the reason for all of this chaos. She sighed and wished she could ask her mother… father… Phita what to do. 

“What the fuck!” 

Down below on the city streets, Evyette could have sworn she was seeing things… in reality she was not and the Fire treasure found herself leaping at great heights down to the street where somehow a void of chalice-drunk humans seemed to be walking. All of them moaning and cursing. She swore and snapped her fingers, preparing for a fight… what she had also not anticipated was the sudden and rather violent crash of Sigmutt’s body flying into her own – the electricity treasure had too been set upon by what Evyette now considered a living fucking nightmare.

“Shit!”

“Shit indeed.” Sigmutt apologised with a glance as they regained their footing and turned to face the mob. 

“Why the fuck does this keep happening.”

“What the fuck are they?” Sigmutt reached for her whip which was resting at her hip.

“Does it matter? Just help me put them down.” 

“Can’t we call for help.” 

“Not unless that help comes in the form of a tiny drunk irishman, Gahbreal or Shinzo.”

Evyette commented as she once again, flames the ready began the next round of clearing the streets of the creatures.