— Gen (Gennady) is a stand-up guy. He said he's doing this for all the vampires, so that's how it is. And after all, he's the only one here who remains loyal to his wife, whom he will never see again.
It was impossible to argue with such a point, and the triumvirs delved into the reading of the documents. The matter was important. They weren't being offered world domination, but one of its threads, which was already significant.
Master Rudolf gazed wistfully at the stars. Having become a vampire through his own recklessness when the blood of the interrogated creature came into contact with his skin, he lost his magical abilities. The man had never realized how much the ability for magical manipulation meant to him until he lost his power.
Personal magic was still available to him, though it was somewhat diminished, but it was not enough. Catastrophically insufficient. The strength and heightened senses were certainly pleasing, but why couldn't he have kept his magic as well?
"Damn it! How bad it is without magic."
As a devout believer, Rudolf always considered himself marked by the Divine, since he had magic. Although other mages thought of their power as something different from divine, and themselves as special beings, he always knew it was from the All-High. And now there was no more magic. Instead, there was a constant thirst, a fear of light, and wild, unrestrained strength.
The chief scout of Valeria picked up a knife from the table and stabbed his palm. There was no pain, and as soon as the metal left the flesh, the wound healed. He would have given much for such a capability, as well as for new sight and smell. But All-High! Why did you take away magic?!
In recent nights, indulging in self-pity had become routine for the master. The longing for what was lost gripped his heart with an icy clutch. Only his long-standing habit of self-control turned these moments of weakness into mere moments rather than hours or days. After a bit more mourning for the lost, the vampire turned to his tasks.
He needed to select candidates for allies. He needed to organize uninterrupted blood supplies. And of course, he needed to handle his usual affairs; Rudolf had no intention of relinquishing his post as Head of the Observation Service, as this was where he could get the freshest information and news.
For example, the news that came an hour ago, that tonight, Georg's forces defeated the vampire army. It was good news, but it was marred by the addition that the army of mages was also in a dire state after the battle.
When Advisor Bor is informed in the morning, he will be furious. And Rudolf, too, was interested in the swift elimination of all the rebellious vampires. The sooner everything calms down, the less the Light Fathers will dig into the nature of vampires and their origins, leaving everything alone.
But now those plans are not meant to be; the army defeated by Georg was not the only squad, and it seems that now the mages have simply surrendered two provinces of their kingdom to looting. This won't be liked by anyone. And Orod and Toshall are also suffering from the invasion. It would be wise to establish an exchange of information with colleagues from those kingdoms, the scout made a mental note.
"And also interrogate… No! Enough work!"
Spitting on his duties, the master stood up and left the office. It was better to focus on personal matters. He needed to visit an old friend. Once, as a young mage, he had met a street magician. The boy was a virtuoso and amazed audiences in taverns and inns with his skills. The mage liked the idea of deceiving observers with mere hand movements and creating an illusion of magic.
The boy became the very first recruited agent of the future Head of the Observers. And for several decades, he served the mage faithfully. Now he was nearly fifty years old. And he had certainly retired long ago, if he was still alive. Though if he had died, Rudolf would have been informed. So he was alive, and he needed to be found and offered an alternative to a swift death. As a vampire, he would be a valuable ally.
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