The Legend of Black Eyes 186 The Underwold on The Move

Three men sat around a round table when Bodrick was shown in. Lord Fischer, Hilda's father, was nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of his violet silk tunic. He was a well-built man despite his age. His hair had lost its color, leaving him with a white shaggy mane that gave him the appearance of an old, ferocious lion.

Lord Konig sat on the other side of the table. He was scribbling something on a parchment. He wore a black suit on top of a neatly pressed white button down shirt. He wore shiny emerald earrings that made him stand out from the rest of nobility.

His hair was buzzed short on the sides, while he had brushed and pomaded it sideways on top. He looked younger than the rest, perhaps because he had just inherited his late father's businesses.

Kohler, a bald man of eighty moons, was looking at Bodrick as he entered the room. His gray eyes fixed the mourning father with compassion. He wore a long dark brown overcoat that concealed the rest of his clothes. His hands were larger than most, albeit cracked and wrinkled.

"Lord Bodrick," Kohler said as soon as Bodrick came into the room. "Allow me to express my sincerest condolences." His voice was mellow and soothing, like a cool breeze on a hot summer's day.

"Thank you Lord Kohler," Bodrick answered.

"Have a seat please," Kohler went on. "We apologize for bringing you out here on such a short notice. I'm sure you need your time to grieve."

"Cut the shit old man," Fischer intervened. "We all have a lot to lose if we don't move fast." He was holding the cuffs of his sleeves tightly, although ready to tear them apart any second.

Lord Bodrick frowned at the old man's intervention. He never liked the Fischers. Ever since they stole his family's business two decades ago and caused the death of his lord father, Bodrick could never forgive them.

He vowed revenge on all the prominent families in Merinsk, and Wanda was his primary asset in achieving his goal. Now that he'd lost her, he was back to begging for favors from people who clearly wanted to use him then dispose of him as soon as his mission was complete.

"Forgive Lord Fischer," Konig intervened. "The death of your daughter at the hands of the merchant robber has messed with his fragile mind."

"We all know it wasn't his daughter," Fischer said. "Why are we wasting time with fake diplomacy here?" He leaned on the table and looked at Bodrick with fiery eyes. "Did you find the fucker who kidnapped your real daughter?"

Bodrick was treading on murky waters here. He knew his daughter was behind the calamity that just befell his family. Franz had seen her with that one eyed freak right before they disappeared. Luckily, Franz was wise enough to contain the damage. He executed all those who had seen her in the scene. They couldn't risk the underworld knowing Bodrick's daughter was the real culprit.

"Give a man room to breathe, will you?" Konig told Fischer with a heavy, patronizing frown. "What would you do if someone kidnapped your son then killed your only daughter?"

"I don't have a daughter!" Fischer hissed at them. "Don't you ever bring her up ever again, do you hear?"

"Someone didn't have a healthy breakfast," Konig joked. "You should pay attention to the amount of sweets you eat in the morning. It messes with your emotions. Take it from an expert here."

Kohler cleared his throat and Fischer swallowed his angry words.

"Lord Bodrick," the bald man said in a calm tone. "We understand you need time to grieve, and we are more than willing to oblige."

Fischer was about to intervene, but one look from Kohler made him look down and keep on fidgeting with his sleeves.

"We'd appreciate it, however, if you could tell us more about what happened that night. Wanda was one of the strongest fighters we've ever seen. Seeing her go is a tragedy for us all. We can't leave her killer, and your daughter's kidnapper, roam free any longer. That merchant robber has made his last mistake."

'Her last mistake,' Bodrick thought. "An you mean you're happy the strongest candidate for the Holi Wars is gone.'

He knew the old man secretly tried to find and kill his champion. That was the reason behind their disappearance. If it weren't for that one-eyed freak, his plans would have gone smoothly.

"Do you remember the assassin that killed my double?" Bodrick asked.

"What about him?" Kohler asked.

"He sabotaged my operation in Sosalk," Bodrick replied. "I thought he died back then, when the demons I employed were freed. My men saw him last night though, right before he vanished into thin air. I highly suspect he works with the merchant robber now."

"That's the one folk called the Butcher of Sosalk, am I right?" Konig asked. "I thought he was but folk talk."

"He's real," Bodrick said, gritting his teeth. "I don't know how he found out about my Beatrix. I don't even know how he managed to break into my house and get her out undetected. He's more dangerous than I thought."

"Wasn't it the work of the merchant robber?" Konig asked.

"No," Bodrick replied. "The merchant robber usually leaves residue behind. There was no sign of it in my house. It was him, the man who calls himself Zedd Darkstar."

"Did you know the man?" Kohler asked.

"He was a traveller I encountered some time back," Bodrick admitted. "I gave him food and shelter, and he repaid my kindness by kidnapping one daughter, and murdering another. He works with a beast in human form. They call themselves the Children of the Forest. You know them best as the Sebyan."

"You gave shelter to a Sebyan?" Fischer yelled. "Are you out of your mind? You know that those things can't be trusted."

Bodrick squeezed his fists until his trimmed nails dug deep into his flesh. Out of the three, Fischer was the weakest, and the most annoying. If it weren't for his son, the underworld would have disposed of him long ago.

"You are one ignorant fool," Konig said after an exasperated sigh. "Sebyan are an ancient and powerful race. I can see why Lord Bodrick decided to give them shelter. If you could get them to work for you, they'd definitely come in handy in time of need."

'You're as relieved as him that I made them my enemies,' Bodrick thought while faking an approving smile. 'You're just not willing to express it so blatantly. You're relieved I can't use them against you now. Go on. Ask me if I know where they're hiding. I bet you'll try to recruit them to join you instead of hunting them.'

"Do your men have any idea of where they might be hiding now?" Lord Kohler asked. "We want to help you get justice. We'll work together to bring that son of a bitch down. We'll even capture him alive. We'll bring him to you so you'd look him in the eyes before we kill him."

Bodrick shook his head. "I have my men searching for him as we speak. I will not rest until I find him. He must pay for what he's done to my family."

"What about your daughter?" Konig asked.

'Son of a bitch!' Bodrick swore internally. "If we find that one-eyed freak, he'll lead us to her."

"Hadn't he tried to contact you?" Konig asked once more. "It's been three days already. I find it odd that he kidnaps your daughter then doesn't try to ask for ransom."

"I had sent Wanda after him," Bodrick replied. "She knew Beatrix's energy signature. I didn't think I'd need an army to defeat one man and his Sebyan friend. I'm sure they're hiding now that their plans were ruined."

"Well you should've told us!" Fischer could no longer contain his anger. "If we sent our men along, none of this would have happened. Now we know that your one-eyed friend has a powerful ally, that merchant robber who's been a thorn in our sides. I can't begin to imagine what they'd do to us next. Our enemies growing bold I tell you."

"We're not here to blame each other for innocent mistakes Lord Fischer," Kohler said in his usual calm tone.

Bodrick tried his best to suppress a snort. He knew they all blamed him for the recent blunder. If they knew who the real merchant robber was though, they'd relieve him of his head there and then. The underworld leaders weren't the forgiving type.  

"Lord Bodrick," Kohler went on. "Please let us help. He personally instructed us to get this matter over with."

"He…" Bodrick echoed. "He wants the one-eyed freak caught?"

"And he wants him alive," Konig said. "Tell us everything you know about him. Any detail, although insignificant, can help us find him faster. I hear the boss is coming to town next full moon. If we don't find him then, we all lose our heads."

"The boss?" Bodrick asked. "What's Stalwart want with our city?"

Chapter end