"D-dohn't," I croaked out but descended into tight whisper, "blame me for yohr d-d-doing."
Pale face looked at me with perturbation. His colourless lips moved to ask, "You're not controlling it?"
I shrugged in a most nonchalant way and strained to explain, "It d-d-d-does t-that soh-metimes."
Raktkalis slipped a free hand under my long sleeve and when it refused to roll up any higher, ripped the fabric. My surgical scar was no longer was clear and circular. Like a true outlandish infection, some skin shifted down and the scales went up. They were much lighter now. If that keeps up, I might not need to hide them as meticulously.
Without warning, the maniac sank his teeth into my bicep. I reacted with a punch just in time; only the top layer of flesh got scraped off. It still made me want to scream. The scales had far more sensitivity than my human skin ever did.
"You shouldn't have ran," madman declared just before sticking his fingers into an exposed muscle. I tried to wipe that bizarre grin off his mouth again, but he caught the fist this time. Kicked my legs from under me.
"Be still," towering silhouette commanded from behind the spotlight. This was the master who bashed skulls of devoted servants just for the hell of it. What the fuck was I doing here? I'll get torn apart, bit by bit.
I absolutely refused to simply kneel and let something horrible happen again. Fell backwards with all my weight and kicked the cannibal in the jaw. My hand slipped out of his grip. I rolled backwards and skittered deeper into the tunnel.
"Fuck! Fuck-king miserable nutjob! Certifiably deranged! Rabid, dick juggling lunatic. Dark d-dammit! Yuh sick c-c-cretin!" I was mumbling, twining the bite wound in the shreds of a ripped up sleeve.
It hardly staunched the oozing. I had no spare clothes here! For bandages, or a shroud. Didn't even bring a jacket. Will need to hide out underground until late night. A bloody person was bound to attract unwanted attention – even more so than a mutant.
"You have to come with me," the kicked lunatic managed to hold onto his consciousness, and attempted to persuade me to do something stupid. He had succeeded before, so it was understandable.
"Fohk yuh!" I croaked from the depths of my heart.
"You'll die," Raktkalis's hoarse croak expressed matter-of-factly.
It made me shudder. Death was preferable to whatever he's had planned for me. I got up to leave rather than listen to this.
Words caught up to me, "The entity stored some of its brain there. Once it reaches yours, it'll take over. We have no way to resist assault like that. It has to be excised."
Whose fault exactly was that? I wanted to turn back and punch the rat bastard some more. Bleeding arm desperately bent backwards wanting to do much worse.
Even if the words confirmed my own suspicions, that arrogant dickhead must have taken me for a complete fool. Instead of screaming more expletives, I half-whispered my fury, "Ah just doh-n't see how t-three moh-re of t-these f-fuh. Fuhk... Things will soh-lve that proh-blem."
"If you work for me, you will remain as you are for as long as you're useful."
That self-important…
… Entitled…
… Demented…
… Maniacal reprobate.
He's got to be kidding me! What a most generous offer.
I croaked out an incredulous laughter.
"What else could you possibly want?" Light bounced around from him changing stance, as though he was at a genuine loss. "You've got access to my vaults."
This loaded jerk took me for some impoverished Kalantan peasant. As though meagre salary and servitude was all I needed to properly function.
"P-peh-rmah-neh-ntly," I demanded. Wanted to spell it out in a greater for the dim-witted highborn, but fuller sentence stuck in my throat like fishbone.
It was unnecessary. I was understood completely. And dismissed.
"No. Better work hard."
Finding a vocaliser in the gifted phone, I typed out, "Don't pretend you're not desperate."
He waited for the better part of two hours. It had to be the longest this young dignitary had ever been kept dangling in obscurity.
I expected petulant complaints or outrage, but he pretended I haven't spoken. Used the chance to browse in peace. The device scarcely had any information stored on it once again. Sent messages were brief and pointless without context. No photos. Barely any contacts, and none saved. If I hadn't known better, I would have said he came prepared to give this up.
I used the speakers only partly to annoy him. The throat was genuinely killing my will to live. Cleared my windpipe several times in preparation to use it again.
"Whah-t's yoh-r fuh-g-g-gging p-p-proh-b-blem with t-the t-tech?"
"None at all."
I ground my teeth. "W-what, then?"
"I enjoy seeing you struggle."
Rich people had way too much free time. Conversation could have been wrapped up already if not for all this stammering I was forced to do.
"D-dah-t's sweet. I t-take pleah-suh-re in c-coh-sting yuh p-preh-stige, t-too."
"That is your prerogative," Raktkalis replied coolly. I knew better.
"That was almost believable. You'll make a great politician. Someday. Not soon."
I hadn't intended for this deliberate insult to be discussed and, predictably, he contemplated murder in quiet.
Truth of the matter – he needed me. More than a meaningless toy this reckless boy could snap in two at will. Pretend hard as he might – my interference was a thorn in an otherwise flawless side.
This compromise would have to do for now. Just as he said, I only need to remain an asset. Can't be hard in the service of a man everyone was out to trip.
With that in mind, it was time to stop yanking the ear of one of the most powerful people in the region and get to business. I could be professional. I swear.
"What. Hav yeh g-goht. So fahr?" I asked quietly.
"Isn't that your job?"
"T-toh tell yuh what yuh alreah-dy knoh-w? No. Yuh. T-tell me who. T-to. G-goh aft-ter. I g-get yuh. T-their. Aff. Airs."
"If I knew who was targeting me, I'd go after them myself."
Oh, of that I had absolutely no doubt. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the site of fallout.