Everything was in bloody order as Vasa arrived to take in the battle scared scene. The compound grounds may have been beautiful once but the intrusive swarm of armored vehicles and the debris that had fallen from tattered sections of the tower had wiped away almost every trace. The open grounds were manic with activity as those taking up support roles went about setting up their stations, dealing with the wounded and maintaining communication stations. It almost sent a warm glow of satisfaction through Vasa's chest seeing everything come together like this. Maybe he'd feel better once he got a closer look.
The lower levels were theirs now. The bullet riddled, bloodstained, blast scorched playground of the Bejic family. Every hallway rang hollow like a tomb, cold and heavy. Whether it was attackers or defenders that killed so many of the generators wasn't known but it had left the emergency generators working overtime and bathing the walls in a hellish red glare. Bandits ran rampant as they helped themselves to every kind of spoils that wasn't nailed down. But the day was not theirs yet, The noble forces were fighting like cornered animals as they were pushed further upwards and further away from a possible escape. No doubt Erik was having a wonderful time right now.
Moving through the tower took far longer than Vasa would of liked as his guard kept a nigh on paranoid scouting pattern, forcing them to stop and start annoyingly often. Vasa tried to make the best of such a tedious situation and took in the sights now and then.
Somehow I suspect I'm not seeing the place at its best. Somehow the sound of distant gunfire never seemed to get any closer but the screaming came and went as they passed the occasional wounded. They were far more bothersome than the bandits that were helping themselves raucously helping themselves to loot. Though the worst were without a doubt the Bejic fighters that were, instead, helping themselves to the servants and nobility that had somehow survived.
Most require release after such bitter times. They should enjoy it while these days last.
It wasn't until seemingly countless floors later that Vasa and his retinue found an expansive viewing room, the far wall was completely dedicated to a vast window, leaning outwards to give the occupants a panoramic view of Frostfall below.
"Here. I'll stop here for now." Vasa waved to his guard, struggling for breath slightly.
Fucking, stairs. I hope whoever cut the power died screaming. At least the room had some lamps and they wouldn't have to put up with that insufferable red light that was soaking the rest of the place.
Vasa found himself a chair to rest his weary bones in, never had anything felt so comfortable. "I have a task for one of you." He called over to those escorting him. "I need a runner to see if they can find someone."
* * *
Florian had just finished packing up what little he'd brought with him when sirens cut through the stale quiet of the safe house. Not something out of the ordinary until they were joined by a host of others along with the sound of shouting and arguments. Curiosity quickly lead Florian out the front door and into the street.
The road was flooded with cars and trucks, quickly trapping some emergency vehicles in the traffic and deafening everyone with obnoxious blaring horns and sirens. Onlookers were gather down the street as people huddled together in worried gossip.
"What is going on around here?" Florian muttered to himself.
He quickly got his answer as a flash of light burst from the side of the ivory tower looming in the distance, spraying out huge chunks of architecture and blooming orange flames. The onlookers all burst out in little yelp and panicked ramblings. Florian's blood ran cold.
"No... no y- you didn't..." His voice was little more than a pitiful whisper in his throat. "You didn't." Florian's mind was in a haze as he set off, running full pelt towards the tower. He didn't have any idea what he'd do once he got there, what could he do? He only knew he had to do something.
* * *
Vasa's peace and quiet was finally interrupted as the runner he'd dispatched knocked on the door and ushered in a disheveled looking man of fifty years or so. His clothes were torn and stained in blood. He offered no resistance as the masked bandits shoved him through the door, sending him staggering forward. He only looked off into the middle distance, his eyes glazed over as if they were still seeing something else entirely.
"We found him, sir."
"Excellent, excellent!" Vasa cheered as he beckoned in their unwilling guest. "Lord... Boykov, isn't it, yes? Vladimir I am told. What do I call you, is it My Lord? Or can I call you Vlad, what is the proper way for these situation's? I find myself at quite the loss - oh but listen to me rambling like an old woman! Sit down, you look tired. Can I get you a drink?" Vasa was smiling more than he had years, rambling on as if it were his birthday or something. "You may wait outside." He turned to his guards gathered at the door.
"Sir?" One of them spoke up as the other glanced from Vasa and each other uncertainly.
"Leave us!" Vasa ordered firmly. It was only once they were alone that he took a seat across from the disheveled lord, both hands firmly planted on the metallic head of his cane. "There is a right way to do these things, isn't there." He smiled softly over to Lord Boykov.
Vladimir refused to look the man in the eyes. He just couldn't, not after all that had happened. He had summoned every ounce of courage he had not to break down sobbing right then and there. Trembling, he spoke, "Y-y-you killed them. You killed my family. My daughters. I---" He buried his face in his palm. "Why?!"
"Whyyyy..." Vasa seemed to savor the word as he leaned back in the masterly crafted chair. "That is the big question isn't it?" The two of them fell silent for a moment with only the distant sounds of gunfire and screaming to fill the gulf between them. "There are so many answers I can give you. Really I should give them all if I was to do all this justice, after all things are rarely so simple... butt hen we'd be here all day and time is always running out."
Vasa slowly pushed himself to his feet and went about raiding the liquor cabinet. Fixing the two of them a pair of drinks took a little longer than usual as Vasa seemed reluctant to release his cane. But he managed in the end and placed down the glasses on the small drinks table by the viewing chairs with a clink.
"Why do you think I did it?" Vasa asked, apparently feeling mischievous.
"Power? Isn't that what it's always about for men like you?"
"Men like us, I think you mean." Vasa chuckled. "Come now my lord, it's a little late to start playing innocent. I suppose that's as good a reason as any. I already felled the other families... why not aim higher? Now your taxes can be my taxes, maybe now I can make it warm in this place! That would be something, wouldn't it?" Vasa sighed happily to himself. The thought of Frostfall's streets bathed in bright warmth was almost comical to him now. "You know... looking at you now... I expected so much more."
Vladimir gritted his teeth and shook his head, "You took everything from me. What did you expect? That I would stand tall and swallow this defeat? No, you give me too much credit, Vasa. I'm just a man. A man with nothing left in this world."
He sighed, "I must thank you, however. They were killed quickly. They weren't made to suffer. If I am to leave this city to you, I can at least be content in knowing you aren't entirely the savage I thought you were."
Vasa laughed bitterly and shook his head as if the weariness was beginning to finally catch up on him. "Leave it to me... leave it to me. What would I do with all this?" Vasa spread his arms out wide, sweeping over the cavernous room. "Who am I to leave this to, the dogs that follow me? No. I am a simple man of common birth, sir, I am made of base material. I do not belong in places like this and those animals out there would destroy themselves trying."
He drank deeply. "No, my time is running out and better domes than Frostfall could not recover from this." Vasa leaned in closer to his bitter prisoner. "You see now, why I had to see you? Because now we can talk like men, as true equals! As men with no future. You took my future from me... and now I have taken yours." Vasa's seemed to look far off into the distance for a time, his hand acting on its own as he reached into his coat and pulled out a metal chain with a dark and yellowing fang dangling from the end. "There is a right way to do things."
Vladimir's eyes quivered as he looked upon the fang. He recognized that old token. So, Vasa had clung onto it for all these years? Looking up at the old man before him, he frowned. Despite his victory today, he had no doubt it tasted bitter to Vasa. It was hollow. He had hung on all this time for this moment. To enact revenge.
Vladimir did not want to become like Vasa. He did not want to live the rest of his long, lonely life with nothing but hatred and sorrow in his heart, "Vasa," He started, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Where do we go from here? Is it too much to ask for you to kill me?"
"In time I suppose." Vasa sighed. Frostfall sprawled out before them, riddled in mist and fire. "I want you to know this isn't personal, not anymore. With no one to come after us we must think of what legacies we shall leave, of how we will be remembered. And I promise you they will remember us. You and I will leave scars on the rock that will never fade and fires that will never go out."
"You say these things like I should care. My legacy, my
real legacy, is no more. I don't care about what happens to this city... you can burn it to the ground for all I care." His eyes were glued to his feet as he spoke.
"YES!" Vasa suddenly burst to life, thumping the floor with his cane in victory. "Now you understand! I knew you'd understand! They always said you were a smart man and you got their in the end!" Vasa left his chair and knelt before Vladimir as if he truly saw the man as his lord. "Here we are in the same shoes at last!"
The words sank in for both of them. Nothing ever seemed to keep Vasa's spirits up for long these days butt hen he never had been a very happy person. That was just his lot in life Vasa supposed. The old criminal rose to his feet and straightened out his clothes, after all he had appearances to keep up. If he was to end this he would do it right.
Vladimir didn't suffer long as Vasa moved with a disturbingly sudden burst of speed. The handle of his cane pulled away, drawing the masterfully crafted revolver into the light. The bullet tore through Lord Boykov's heart, painful but quick... and dignified. The lord's whole body flinched for a second before a wave of peace was forced over him and Vladimir slumped in his chair. If it wasn't for the bright red dot spreading over his chest you could have been forgiven for thinking he was asleep.
"This was on your terms." Vasa told the corpse. "And as good an end as any." No doubt it was better than most that were being met today and far from the last.
Vasa's guards quickly burst through the door, rifles leveled only to find a scene of complete calm in front of them. "Should... we move on now sir?" One of them asked hesitantly.
"I don't know." Vasa sighed as he looked over the burning city before him.
