Chương 34: Chapter 33. The Finest Vintage

Arturo Reissi reclined in his chair, kicked his feet up, and in the process, swept a stack of papers crashing to the ground. It was a mess he'd have to clean up later, but for right now… a moment of relaxation was due. This whole past year had been grueling grind after grind in an attempt to raise his families power. It'd been hard work, but finally, he'd done it. There was more power to gain, of course, but he'd reached a point now where he had respect.

With this deal he'd set up with the [King], there wasn't anyone else that could touch him. Money, influence, and all that came with it had been flooding through his doors. Leaning back up, Arturo opened his desk's drawer and fished around until he found a Desire pill. He didn't mess with the weird new Desires that the King was fiddling with. He already loathed the crown and all the politicians that represented each district, so there was no way he'd ever trust a drug they were involved in.

Besides, what sort of government would willingly seek to flood their streets with such an addictive drug? He placed the pill on the desk's surface, pulled out his knife, and crushed the pill until it was a fine powder. The powder flooded his nostrils as he snorted the whole thing in one swoop. The effects were immediate and while the drug had lost a bit of its kick thanks to repeated prior use, it still did a good enough job.

One day he'd peddle Desire outside of Dynarus and her walls so that the rest of the world could experience her magic. No matter how much he took, it it never ceased to amaze him. Soon enough, the drug's effects warped his brain and began its grand deceit. His most ambitious dreams and desires became amplified, tricking him into believing he'd attained everything he'd wanted. It was a glorious sensation. Fears of failure? Erased. Self doubt and loathing? Replaced with pride and ego.

In a day and age where everyone felt like they were just making it by and were becoming more and more jaded with each tragedy, having a drug that could make all of that vanish was phenomenal. Everyone had desires after all. Who didn't dream of happiness or having pride in what they did? Even if they didn't have shit to be prideful in. Arturo reclined back and let himself feel accomplished. An outsider might question how he couldn't feel accomplished enough already to deny himself such a destructive drug.

When was anything ever enough, though? Complacency was one of his biggest fears as it was ambition that gave purpose to life. As beautiful of a drug she was... the comedown from Desire was like being sent to Bhenna itself. Not that Arturo really believed in such a fictional place of punishment. Even in the deepest pits of his nadir, he'd resolved to himself that for as long as he continued to live, his ambition would never die.

Once upon a time, he had tried to live with a moral code and sought to do right by others. And what had that earned him? His father and mother dead. Sister rendered comatose, who had yet to show even one sign of improvement after all of these years. And worst of all? A little brother who had desires and urges that needed to be locked away forever. What was the point in trying to be a good man when all it had given him was strife and anguish?

No, he would throw away every last shred of humanity he had if it meant he could live a comfy life. And so far, he'd done quite well for himself thanks to his detachment to humanity. At this point it seemed like to him that empathy was a weakness that he'd need to avoid at all costs. Not like there was a whole lot in this damn city that would inspire him like that, though. Deep within his high, he hadn't even heard the door to his office creak open.

It took his guest a few attempts before he was fully disturbed out of his self-induced bliss. One disgruntled eye peeled itself open and peered at the person who had the audacity to intrude upon his reverie.

"Arturo, sorry to disturb, but there's been an emergency," the man said. Arturo believed this was his most trust man, Durante. He couldn't be hundred percent sure until the high faded a bit more.

"Emerg…ency?" Arturo slurred the word out. Desire plunged the user into a deep state of delusion, so the only way to snap someone out of it in a hurry was pain. He fumbled around until he found his knife once more and cut himself right across his right palm. The cut ended up being deeper than he'd intended due to the numbness Desire had provided, but his consciousness returned all the same.

"Here, take my healing potion." Durante said, holding out the small vial he'd stashed in his coat. Arturo accepted the aid and poured it into the cut. Drinking it was the preferred method and caused no pain compared to direct contact. But he really despised how the bitter thing tasted.

"What the fuck could've been so bad that you had to disturb me for it? Durante, I gave you that promotion because you'd proven yourself far more competent than your old rank indicated."

"I know, and I apologize sir, but—""Cut the formality shit before I cut your tongue out. I told you that facade isn't necessary when we're alone," Arturo said, waving the knife lazily.

"It's Maveon… He's been in some sort of fight," Durante said." Fuck me! Who'd he kill this time? Does the family have a reasonable price in mind, or do they need to be taught how to be silent?"

"No, it seems like two people he'd cornered somehow managed to bite back. And I must say that whoever these people were… they bit him hard."

"Someone managed to land a blow onto Maveon? What sort of monster could manage that…" Arturo said, his disbelief palpable.

"Gods, why couldn't they have killed him? I could've been free!"

"Maveon hasn't been cooperative all that much in giving us a lot to work with. However, he has made mention of some 'Oscar' fellow. Should I assemble men to search for this mystery man? He dropped off a shoe that is said to belong to this Oscar. I can have a [Tracker] assigned to finding him in the morning," Durante asked.

"And while I really wish this Oscar fellow had done him in as well, as it stands, he didn't. And now we must deal with an enraged Maveon. He has already killed three of our men that were trying to administer healing. The best we could manage was to place a mask over his damaged face." For as long as Arturo could remember, Maveon had been the problem child of his family. While his lust for killing hadn't emerged until after their families demise, he still had been a troublesome boy at all ages.

Mostly normal young boy rebellions, but sometimes he went too far with his tendency to respond with violence. Once Arturo had begun his life of crime, he had forced Maveon to change his last name. There was no way he could let him run around wild and attach their families names to the acts he'd commit. But there was also equally no way he could just abandon him. The boy might be trouble, but still he was his brother. Now if someone else could be the one to slay his brother…

then he wouldn't be too awfully upset at whoever could do the deed. Until that day came, Maveon was a great tool for him to use. Bhenna, it had been thanks to Maveon's cruelty that had allowed Arturo to ascend as fast as he had. Using him to do all of his dirty work had not only allowed him to sate his cravings, but also pushed Arturo up the ladder. When the [King's] man had approached them with the deal to supply Desire to them, Arturo had volunteer Maveon to be a test subject for their new drug experiments.

With such a lucrative opportunity in hand, he didn't need Maveon any longer. And while he still couldn't bring himself to kill his own brother, he realized he didn't need to. Surely after enough sessions of being a test rat, Maveon would overdose and die via Desire. No such luck, however. It turned out that Maveon could funnel down as many pills he wanted. Every time he returned, it was almost as if he'd become even stronger.

What had seemed like the perfect way of disposal had instead enriched the tainted man's body.

"Where is he now?" Arturo asked.

"Down in the cellar. He's been drinking and ranting incessantly," Durante said.

"You let him into my wine cellar?" Arturo asked, the venom heavily laced in his voice.

"Get him the fuck out!"

"Arturo, you know we can't handle him. The only person he will listen to is you." Arturo gave himself a minute to calm down before responding.

"Fine, fine… I know. Let's go and deal with the demon, I suppose." The pair walked down the mansion's stairs that led into the cellar. As they got closer, Maveons insane ranting became louder and clearer. Each word he heard seemed to be detached from the word prior, rendering it futile to piece together whatever meaning there might have been behind his words. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Maveon, it's me Arturo. Do try your best to be calm." Arturo said, his hands placed in front of him to show he had no intent of harm. Maveon had his face concealed by a metal mask and was slumped against the cabinet which housed Arturo's favorite vintage of wine. The cabinet was still in pristine health but… some of the others had not been so lucky. Wine stained the stone floors and filled the air with it's rich aromas.

"Brother… I've been touched. Someone actually inflicted pain upon me…" Maveon said, his words laced with…fear of all things.

"I'd become so strong brother… the [King] himself swore to me I'd become untouchable." This was news to Arturo. Why had the [King] himself personally met with Maveon? He had always been under the impression Maveon was dealing with servants sworn to secrecy for these drug trials. And becoming untouchable? What sort of drug was their ruler trying to create?

"Maveon, I don't know what sort of delusions our [King] has impressed upon your damaged mind, but… you're still human. Something like this was bound to happen given your pension for violence. Show me the damage and take off the mask," Arturo said, doing his best to sound caring." Human? Brother, I've long since abandoned that weakness. The [King] has molded me into something else. I thought that I was the only one of my kind… but he has the same blessings as I. That must be how he managed to harm me!"

Some of the similar fire that Arturo was used to seeing flashed once again in his eyes.

"They both must die, brother."

"Stop saying brother… No one can know that."

"The [King] needs to be reminded what the consequence of lying is. He has fed me lies about becoming something unique and powerful while he whores around in the shadows empowering others with the same lies he told me," Maveon said.

"I do not believe our Lord would approve of his deceit!"

"Maveon, you need to end these thoughts. Whether or not you have been lied to or not matters little. The [King] is the [King], so we cannot touch him," Arturo said. He had no love for [Kings] and [Queens], but still never had he dreamed of killing one.

"Finding the boy, Oscar, however, is within the realm of possibility. But first… show me the wounds that would warrant such a reaction from you." Hesitantly, Maveon reached behind his head and unclasped the metal mask which sheltered his mouth. Arturo barely managed to stop himself from releasing the bile that in an instant his body created once he saw his brother's wretched visage. Gone was the flesh that housed the bottom row of his teeth.

All that remained of his lower lip was about a quarter of skin on his right side. Which wasn't to say only the left side of his face had been wounded. The corners of his mouth had been cut, and while not as harsh-looking as the rest of his face, it still looked horrendous. The cut might have been done by that Oscar fellow, but the rest had to have been Maveon's own doing. For if Oscar had been the one to rip his flesh out, he'd have surely finished the job.

Arturo had known for a long time his baby brother was a lost cause. Never had he imagined that this was how rabid this dog had become.

"Bro—Arturo, let us dispose of those two wretches together. You're far more capable of being a leader than our [King] has been. We've both always been far superior to everyone else. If they truly deserve the power they hold, then let us test them and see just how tight their grip is!" Maveon was speaking more calmly now, but his eyes betrayed his crazed state.

"I hear you. Like I said, I'll help you find this Oscar kid and we'll deal with him together. Now, the [King]… you have to back down from whatever vengeance you were hoping to take. Can you live with that?" Arturo was taken aback when he saw Maveon begin to weep. Tears streamed out his eyes, the craziness being washed away with it. As he watched him continue to cry, he was struck by the image.

Gone was the lunatic Maveon who was an unpredictable force of nature, his every move one that left destruction in it's wake. What remained slumped against that cabinet was someone that Arturo hadn't seen in many years. Maveon Reissi, his long lost baby brother, wept and pleaded for Arturo, his neglectful and resentful big brother, to help him. To provide aid which he'd denied the boy ever since their parents had been killed. It was in that moment that he came to a conclusion on what must be done.

"Maveon… my precious sibling, come here," Arturo said as he dropped down to his level and wrapped his brother up in a hug.

"I'm sorry I've failed you. Maybe if I had recognized sooner that you were capable of being saved… I'd have managed something. I threw you to the wolves and let them have their way with you, and in the process your soul became even more mangled than it once had been."

"Brother, you don't have to be sorry. We are still together and capable of tearing down what has been built. You've already became so influential in the lower districts. With the district elections coming up in a few days, you could easily win. Everyone loves you and knows how much you give back to the community."

"Maveon… it's far too late—""No! You can rise up and take the the throne and I'll be the one that cuts down anyone who stands in your way! [King] Romulus has mistakenly gifted me power from the hidden Lord, but I can turn that against…" Maeveon's words died out, and soon his brother joined as well. Arturo sat there with his dead brothers corpse weighing heavy in his arms.

"It was always that easy, huh? You always trusted me no matter how warped you became…" The bloody knife slipped out of his grasp and hit the ground with a clang. For years he had assumed that no one would be able to get close to his brother. His guard was always up, and he rarely worked with others. Arturo was the exception it seemed, even after all this time. Despite this loyalty, Arturo knew he had made the right decision to kill him. Maveon would never back down on getting revenge against the [King] and Oscar.

And why would he kill Oscar when apparently he is just as strong as Maveon? It just didn't make sense to kill a potential asset. Maveon had managed to do one thing before he'd died. He had actually given rise to a new ambition that Arturo hadn't known truly existed within himself. This city was rotten and evidently the [King] had a far larger role than he thought in spreading its sickness.

While he was unsure of whether or not he'd wanted the throne, Maveon had been right about one thing: he had the power to disrupt and make a change. Anger and distress had already been steadily increasing over the years with more and more people resenting the [King]. Conditions had continued to deteriorate to the point in which it allowed people like himself to gain influence. All of the small community charity he had done had been done to breed loyalty after all. So, why not finally cash in on it all?

If he put his hat in the ring for elections, people would definitely support him over that lazy bloat of a man, Samuel Heimal, who always won District Five. Not like Five was the grandest of districts, but still it had more of a voice than six or seven. Being just the lead of District Five was the bad outcome anyway. Using the election as a platform to amplify his voice and sow the seeds of chaos was the main goal.

And with the secrets he knew now about the King's unscrupulous dealings he did behind his peoples backs… He could make one Bhenna of a stir. And in the wake of such chaos, he would be poised and ready to seize a new seat of power that'd assuredly be left vacant. Perhaps even the throne should it appeal to him when the time came. Or... anything really. It all depended on how much chaos he could create, the rest would follow once the damage was dealt.

"I don't know what this seed of ambition that you've planted within me will grow into, brother," Arturo said to the corpse.

"If you're hearing this wherever you are, I pray you can find a bit of solace in the fact that I will do what I can to tear down our cruel [King]. Just not like how you'd have wanted…" Arturo reached one hand out and shut his brothers eyes.

"Durante, bury his body. Have it done somewhere far from here."

"As you wish," Durante said, "And what about you? Are you going to be okay?"

"Of course. The Maveon that I grew up with had been dead for along time now. What I saw was just a ghost peeking his head out one last time reminding me of what he once was, taunting me with the fact that he'd never truly be my little brother again. He was a weakness… and I dealt with it the only way I now know how." Durante bowed his head out of respect, but remained quiet. Arturo knew he was being far too generous to the memory of the child Maveon, but it wasn't like he had been all bad.

Better to have Durante have the impression that he wasn't always so evil. Whether or not he believed it… at least he tried.

"Durante, once you sort out my brothers disposal, come find me in my office." Arturo said as he pushed his brothers body out of the way so that he could open up the cabinet. He pulled one of his Vitillian Reds, the most expensive wine in his collection, and sipped from the bottle itself. The pungent wine when mixed with his inner grief no longer tasted as rich as it once had. It might have been his most expensive vintage, but there were more expensive wines out there.

So, why he had let himself become complacent and attached to this wine in particular?

"We have a campaign to plan my friend. I hope you're fine with a long night of planning because while our opponent is a fool, I don't plan on making this election anything less than a grand spectacle," Arturo said, and downed another huge swig. Durante sighed and tried to stifle a yawn, but ultimately failed.

"Fine, deal with Maveon and we can begin plans in the morning. We only have a few days to be ready." Durante was about to make his way out of the cellar before Arturo stopped him one last time.

"Let our men know as well to begin searching around for that Oscar kid. I wish to speak with him as soon as possible." Arturo took one last sip of the vintage wine and threw the bottle down onto the stone floor. The bottle exploded and what remained of the wine mixed in with his brother's blood, leaving the once expensive liquid completely unrecognizable from what had been the fuel for his baby brother's life.

Durante wiped the sweat off his brow as he stared at the packed dirt that concealed the makeshift grave of that man made beast. He had decided to just bury him in the District Five park. The place was ran down and only ever visited by teens looking to sneak away for a midnight tryst. Maveon didn't deserve a proper burial. After all he had killed, who would even want to visit him? Arturo didn't even recognize him as a brother anymore. His only role in life was to kill. Which to be fair, the man excelled at.

Still, it had shocked him when Arturo had killed him. During their nighttime chats, Arturo had always expressed a lingering fear about his brother that had refused to allow him to eliminate the troubled man. Durante had seen some of the insane shit that Maveon was capable of, but never did he believe him to be anything other than just a man. At the end of the day, everyone bleeds and dies all the same. One day Durante would die as well, and be laid to rest in the dirt just like this bastard.

Although, he hoped it'd be a finer patch of dirt which would lay over top him.

"Not that I deserve it…" Durante muttered as he began to make his way out of the park. There wasn't a whole lot of good that Maveon had brought into the world. But he had inspired his boss to regain some of his ambition again. Durante hadn't joined the Reissi family just because they had begun to do well for themselves. It definitely did help, sure, but it was Arturo that convinced him to pledge his loyalty. Those early days of watching Arturo pursue his ambition and make it come to fruition…

it was beautiful to him. It was nice to see someone fulfill their dreams now that he'd been denied his. He just wished that Arturo had maintained that same level of enthusiasm. Arturo was still rising and gaining more power, but it felt like he had become more and more lazy these past few months. Relinquishing himself to Desire rather than making the hallucinations a reality. It was sad to witness, and for awhile, he had been planning how exactly he'd inspire Arturo again.

Of all people, it had been Maveon who had done it. What exactly it was that Arturo sought to accomplish with pursuing politics, Durante couldn't say. Perhaps he finally wished to try and take the throne? Which would be a highly stupid ambition, but given how he couldn't go back home to Tyria… he'd assist anyway. What mattered was that Arturo was hungry again, and so, that gave Durante purpose.

Arturo's goals might not be fully conceived right now, but as long as that fire within him burned, it wouldn't be long until Arturo's heart discovered what it was that he needed next. Durante felt himself become a little excited at the prospect. The upper cities possessed so many new ways of becoming powerful that just wasn't an option for those of lower class. As he made the walk back to the Reissi estate, his mind wandered at the possibilities… and where he'd find himself landing at among those options.

All the while, a relic of Arturo's past would begin its journey of decomposition. A man that always took life, was now becoming fuel for sustaining future life. How ironic was that?

Deep beneath layers of soil, a soul began its fight. A fight for survival, but most importantly… a fight for control. The essence which had been steadily flooding Maveon's body was now in a desperate fight for survival. How long had it been since it had found a host so willing? Not since the days of the [Scholar] had anyone came this close, even if this vessel lacked the same potential. Although, there was actually another vessel that was being prepared. However, a lot could go wrong with that one.

Whereas Maveon was a vessel that was much more… malleable. The essence coursed through Maveon's body, patching up the holes his death had begun to create. Over the course of an indeterminable amount of time, all of the essence which had thus far consumed in the process of revival had ran out. Every last drop having been spent to resurrect the man. Now it was up to Maveon to determine if he'd survive or not… and how much of himself would remain should he awaken.