2023

Ryan cried out in pain, dropping his dagger and clawing at his head.

Someone in the room next door banged on the paper thin walls. "Hey! Quiet down!"

Elijah sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Ryan writhe on the floor. "Pity. I thought it would be a much more difficult task." Ryan glared at him, panting. His dusk-colored hair hung limply at his shoulders, and Elijah took the opportunity to try and pull Ryan to where he wanted him.

Ryan grabbed his dagger and took a wild stab, hitting Elijah in the thigh. The man screamed and grabbed his leg, sitting suddenly on the floor. Ryan took the chance and stabbed his other leg in the same place, to ensure he wouldn’t try to escape. Elijah groaned, as sweat popped out on his forehead.

"Shut up!" the person next door shouted. Ryan ignored it.

"Now," he said breathlessly, "who the hell are you?"

"I am…Terçk’s advisor. Elijah," Elijah panted.

"Good," Ryan said, putting the dagger point to his throat. "Now, what do you want?"

"To…kill you."

Ryan pressed the blade slightly further into the man’s neck. "Oh really? Any particular reason?"

"Terçk…told me to."

"I see." Ryan removed the blade and said very quietly into Elijah’s ear, "Would you like another wound like the one in your legs?" Elijah shook his head vigorously. "Good. Then you will explain to me, in great detail, why Terçk wants me dead. And you’ll start now."

Elijah grimaced and began. "You’re his son, but by foul means. He is dying from a disease you’ll likely have. He has a son by his wife. His family name…" He swallowed and tried again. "His family name will be ruined if your relation to him is discovered."

Ryan sat back on his heels, finally understanding. He shook his head - emotions would have to wait. "And how did you find me?"

"Your…your friends told me you’d gone to a funeral. Magic. That’s how I found you. Magic and chance."

"Magic, huh? If you’re a wizard, why don’t you save your sorry ass?" Ryan remarked viciously.

Elijah sighed, slumping. "I’m using it to slow the bleeding in my legs."

A thought occurred to Ryan. "You said you talked to my friends? How did you find them?"

Elijah winced, and grabbed hold of his other leg. "File. It’s all…in your file."

Ryan nodded. Of course. If everything this man, Elijah, said were true, then there would be a file.

Elijah grinned crazily in remembrance. "But your one friend…who talked to me…oh my, he could scream. I enjoyed listening…to him scream."

Ryan shot a glare at him. Surely he was lying. No, the words of doomed men always rang true. "Which friend?"

"I think…his name was Brian. Quite a fighter." Elijah squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

Ryan stood up quickly and looked down at the monster that lay bleeding on his hotel room’s hardwood floor. Brian…

He put his dagger to Elijah’s throat again. "Are you lying to me?"

"It was the boy with the long blonde hair? And…the dreamer’s eyes? Yes, it was him. He…he bleeds almost as nicely as he screams." "Oh, you made a big mistake," Ryan growled. He then slashed the knife downward.

Without looking at the dying man, Ryan went around to the other side of his bed and slammed all his belongings into his bag. He shoved his feet into his shoes without untying them first and lastly grabbed his sheath which lay on the bedside table, and left the room quickly.

Out in the hall, he nearly ran into the man that inhabited the room next door.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I thought I told you -" He stopped, seeing the bloody dagger in Ryan’s hand.