LOCATION | INTERACTIONS | MENTIONS
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The two men stepped out into the night of the courtyard, putting them beneath a sea of stars. Oskar took a moment to admire the sky before returning his attention to his companion. Judas was succinct in his answer, he kept much of how he felt to himself, and the silver-haired vampir wondered about the things he did not say. Wondered, yet did not ask.
"I am glad to hear that," he said with a small smile, and he was. He was not a man who revelled in misfortune, even of those he disliked, and Judas was far from someone he disliked, misguided as he found the young vampir. Nevertheless, Oskar's smile dipped at the mention of the king. He hated to hear Judas speak of reward for his cruel deeds. And while he did not know the depths of Judas' transgression, he knew Judas had bloodied his hands to quash the rebellion.
"And what kind of reward are you hoping to receive?" he asked, doubtful.
Oskar hesitated a moment at Judas' question. He had every reason to be well, and yet, his heart sunk more with every passing day. He could not shake the feeling that the world they were headed toward was a grim one. Although, perhaps he was just an old man, one who was not made for changes of this scale. Oskar pondered on his response before offering it.
"I find myself well. These are fortunate times for someone in my position," he said, his cadence measured. Judas did not have time to offer a reply, as King Orion once again gathered the attention of the room. Oskar eyed the sovereign warily as the king roused the crowd. The silver-haired vampir placed a finger to his lip in contemplation, and waited to see what the king would say.
"
No sympathy, no mercy," Orion said. Oskar could offer the were no mercy, however, they had his sympathy, for as little as they wanted it. He did not disagree with the were, despite the vampir's advantages, Oskar agreed that his kin had gotten lucky. There were a thousand different ways the war might have ended, and the vampir could not have won in every one of them. Perhaps there was a world where he was the servant, and a were the king. In this world, however, his was a cushy position, and he could not say he would have preferred to swap places. The true mistake was that the war occurred at all.
And then King Orion announced the spectacle of the execution. It was not enough for the rebels to die, the king wanted everyone to witness it. And in daylight, no less. Orion was no ordinary vampir, and Oskar would not have considered himself surprised to learn the man capable of withstanding sunlight. However, the same did not apply to his court. It was a bold statement, yet it was one Oskar was sure Orion could uphold. Oskar did not join in the cheers and praises of the king's cruelty, no matter what was promised. Instead, he stood still and quiet, eyes fixated on the man. He could not celebrate such things, never again, no matter the wrapping.
The monumental statement out of the way, King Orion returned to the topic of his surprise. In a second, he left the balcony behind, placing himself at the doors to the courtyard, not far from where Oskar and Judas stood. The King offered his arm to a woman who had kept his attention throughout the night, and the two proceeded into the garden. Oskar had only a moment to observe them before a myriad of colours lit the sky, casting the world below in various hues. He stood with his hands locked loosely in front of him as he watched the lights dance in the night for several seconds. Grotesque as the announcement prior had been, it
was a nice surprise. Oskar looked over to Judas, and offered a smile.
"Impressive, is it not?" Despite the words, his voice was tinged with sadness.
