I'm Looking For An Asshole

Rem checked the pistol, he hadn't normally carried in his existence, but now he felt the need to bring a weapon with him. It was a new sense of caution he'd picked up without the thirst distracting him and his new adversarial relationship with the boss. He figured before the day was out he'd need to use it, probably several times.

The task he'd been assigned was simple enough on its face. Find someone in the city. Rem happened to know the person The Boss was after and so it in theory made it easier to find the guy. In theory of course because since the Boss was looking for him he'd of course disappeared. So Rem was forced to tromp through the increasingly lawless underbelly of the town as it was falling apart. Rem also had to deal with not exactly being a popular person due to what he was and his previous jobs for the Boss.

"I'm not talking to you Rem." The fat man in front of Rem was behind six inch thick glass, he rented rooms by the hour and wasn't exactly the talks to you kind of guy, his name was Cham though Rem suspected that was not his given name.

"Cham come on, you can help me find Randolph before someone else does." Randolph was another magic eater like Rem, though he was always the runt of the group. He fed on the edges of Rem's usual crew of magic addicts, they normally called him the lost puppy for how he looked when someone got angry at him for whatever they normally did.

"Someone else from the Boss you mean? Rem I'm done with you scum bags, you just take and take and the rest of us are the ones you take from. You want to find your little puppy do it without my help, now leave before I call the authorities." It was an empty threat, but Rem left all the same, no use trying to get someone to talk who didn't want to talk. Still he was striking out everywhere, Randolph who he had never had any trouble finding, suddenly had become invisible. This didn't bode well for Rem who had already pissed off the Boss by being antagonistic, now he was going to have to come back empty handed which was worse.

Rem thought of leaving, but no ships were available due to the crisis above the planet and its not like he could out run the Boss anyway. So he went slinking back, making sure to check the pistol again, he'd definitely have to use it now.

Where Exactly Are We?

Destruction was everywhere. Ships that had been destroyed in various ways hung in space like some elaborate mobile. Rolando had no idea where they had just shown up at. He was surprised who ever had lost this battle hadn't come back to at least salvage all the materials. He could see the ships looked fairly old, just by the various different internal components he could see drifting.

"Beautiful isn't it? All this destruction left hanging here, like a memory frozen in time." Trezlan broke the silence next to Rolando.

"Where are we?"

"The end of the red war, or I should say where it was fought, the survivors treated this place as a bit of a sanctified ground, leaving it exactly as they found it. Me I've used it as a hideaway, building on to the wrecks, a place to run to when all others are exhausted." Rolando laughed at the absurdity of it. He knew little of the war, or his fathers place in it, but he did know the location of its final battle was a kept secret lost to time, aside from to his father apparently.

"Glad to see you have the same respect for this place as you do everywhere else." Rolando watched as Trezlan maneuvered the ship near a particularly large wreck and engaged docking procedures. He could see though the wreck looked destroyed there had been construction on it, including a state of the art airlock.

"If idiots want to hold reverence over something they didn't actually cause or resolve who am I to stop them. Besides to the victor go the spoils."

"You are hardly the victor..."

"Don't presume to know everything about a battle you were not at, but I was son. I let you deride me in all manner of ways, but you will not speak ill of my great triumph." Rolando could hear the real hurt in his fathers voice, he was ashamed.

"I'm sorry."

"No you aren't, you don't even know the first thing about it, but that's ok, I blame myself for your lack of empathy. No matter we are docked, settle in we'll probably be here for a bit." Trezlan left without looking at Rolando, and for the first time Rolando was worried he'd actually hurt his father in a way that would not be recoverable. And that made Rolando feel terrible for all the things he'd said to Trezlan, if only because his father seemed like one of the only people who actually cared, even if he did awful things to show it. It was still caring. It was enough for Rolando to wonder how to fix what he broke. He probably wouldn't have felt so bad if he had seen Trezlan smirk on his way off the ship, knowing full well he had caused the exact kind of discomfort in his son that was going on, but Rolando was still learning his father was a master manipulator, especially with regards to people who care.

No One Eats Crowe

"Mr. Crowe." Remle had been summoned. It hadn't been too long since he'd lost the thirst and Lorentino had blown up a fleet in orbit somehow, pieces of the fleet were still slamming into the planet. Most of the authorities in town were busy trying to keep the larger parts from hitting anything with population in it. Which meant the criminal underground was free to do as they pleased, like snatch Rem up off the street.  He didn't necessarily mind, he needed to talk to them anyway to tell them he was done with blood, he just hated how roughly they had grabbed him, after a hair cut even.

"Sorry I haven't been around I had a life changing experience." The boss was simply known as the Boss, Crowe never heard or cared for his name, he was an accountant looking guy who always wore a shirt with vest. There were three other people crowded in the small office, Rem had never noticed how small it was, he was normally coming down from a trip when he was in the office.

"So I've heard, did you get a vial of Lorentino's blood? I know that's the holy grail for you people." Boss always had a sneer in his voice when he spoke to Rem, most people did, they viewed magic eaters as a plague even for the none magical.

"I got something better." Rem was terrified at first of not having the thirst, but now he was seeing how much more clearly he could feel and be aware of his surroundings. It was like coming out of a fog and then seeing where you really were in the world, it was frightening and exhilarating at the same time. Like being newly alive.

"Right, so I need something Rem."

"You always need something, you're a needy person."

"And so are you Rem." He placed vials of blood on his desk, Rem could sense they were magical, but didn't have the desire to just grab and shoot them up like he once did. The Boss could sense this as well, his eyes narrowed when he looked at Rem.

"Not feeling it right now, if that's all..." Rem went to get up and one of the guards in the room forced him back down.

"I didn't say you could leave Rem, I have invested a lot in you, I have done a lot for you, shielded you, helped you, and now when you don't need me for a little bit you want to just leave me hanging? No Rem that is not how this works, now you'll do what I say, or I'll just kill you right here and get another one of your type to do my bidding, the list of people wanting to be my friend is a lot longer than the ones that will miss you." Rem heard the hammer hit back on a weapon behind him.

"Point taken Boss, what is it can I do for you?"

"Be less of a sass mouth for one, and listen to what I need for two Rem."

"All right sir, what is it that you need of me." The boss laid things out for Rem and Rem was almost wishing he'd killed him instead when it was all said and done.

Back to Sort Of Not Really At all Normal

"See everything worked out." The former Sun Stars ship was badly damaged, but still capable of space travel. Trezlan had set for a new destination far away from their current one, Rolando didn't even care he was still desperately fighting the corruption.

"I'm happy you're happy father."

"No need to be snarky Rolando, don't worry we'll catch up with Morley soon enough."

"I'm thrilled you're already planning your next atrocity."

"Ok be that way, just be that way quietly please." Trezlan was tired of Rolando, he forgot his son was such a wet blanket about survival.

"Done." It was the last thing Rolando said to Trezlan for the entire two week trip they were on. He only said something when they arrived at their next destination which almost defied explination to Rolando outside of "What have you done?"

All Bad Things In One Spot

Good things always happen too fast, and bad things seem to last forever. Its a universal belief. So it made sense when the Morlatech fleet arrived that time seemed to come at a stand still. There were fifty ships suddenly arriving, surrounding the planet they prepared to annihilate, standing in what would appear defiance to them was the Sun Stars lone ship.

"Commander Russ do you have my package?" Corlka decided to directly contact the mercenary commander, he wanted to see her face before they blew her ship to nothing.

"I'm sorry Commander Russ is unavailable Director Corlka, but I can arrange a deal with you and your men."

"Lorentino." Corlka said his name like the curse it was. He ordered his men to fire, but before the ships guns could come up to speed both Lorentino's were standing on his bridge.

"Hello Director." Rolando moved quickly shifting and killing as he went, Corlka before he went down screamed at the ships computers to fire on every ship with the Lorentino's dna signatures. What followed was an ever expanding destruction of Morlatech ships as the Lorentino's moved from ship to ship and each ship's programming opened fire following Corlka's orders. Eventually all the ships were left in a burning wreckage and Trezlan and Rolando were back on the Sun Star's ship.

"See like I said son we could make it through this." Rolando was shaking a bit, the last few jumps he hadn't killed anyone and he could feel the corruption blowing up in his blood.

"Great, we're super murderers."

"Eh after you have killed your first million the next million is easier." Trezlan smiled, but Rolando did not. He could see a flashing alert on the console, the wreckage of the Morlatech fleet was effectively a fire wall of destruction and it was slowly trapping them in the Sun Star ship.

"Out of the frying pan into the fire dad."

"You're always so negative son, look at the bright side, if we die it'll be by our own dumb hand!" Rolando did not see that as the bright side.

I Fear Nothing, Especially Betrayers

"You're way too calm father." Rolando had been looking around their cell for hours, there was no obvious way out. The door was solid thick steel, magnetically locked and keyed to the guard outside, there were no windows or gaps in the walls. He had felt them leave the ground so he knew they were also probably in space. Trezlan spent the time just sitting patiently waiting, it was maddening to Rolando, usually his father was manic, at times even spastic, right now, he was just sitting frog legged with his eyes closed like he was in a trance.

"Getting angry fixes nothing, I am outraged, but I am not afraid, these people do not scare me."

"Well they scare the shit out of me, they mean to turn us over to Morley dad, you know that will not work out."

"They will not succeed, no one ever does, do not worry son I have an ace in this hole." Trezlan shifted his legs a little bit.

"And that is what? Forgive me father I do not trust your ace here." Trezlan shrugged again and pulled his formerly shackled hands from behind his back, there were burn marks from where Trezlan had clearly cooked the shackles off himself.

"How? You can't..."

"I made a deal with a god a long time ago, nothing in this world can contain my magic, so do not worry my boy, all these idiots have done is given us a ship with which to escape." Rolando was not convinced of any of it, especially some deal his father made with a god.

"I remain unconvinced father."

"Because you are cynical my son, but do not worry, we'll have these idiots soon, they've made their play, Morley has made his, and I, I will make mine." Trezlan closed his eyes again and Rolando saw he was also drawing out some ritual magic with blood from his finger. Which scared Rolando more than the mercenaries.

I love Working With Idiots

"The Sun Stars will have Lorentino in orbit for us to acquire." Director Corlka smiled. He had assumed someone would turn on the Lorentinos. That it was a professional mercenary company was all the better, made it easier to control the situation. Corlka felt this job was beneath him even if Morley wanted Lorentino dead, he valued his time and fleet more importantly then dusting a dirt water planet, but orders were orders especially from Morley.

"Excellent and their demands?"

"Large monetary reward they apparently recall a former Morley bounty they want to cash in on." Corlka smiled again, greed was always easy to work with, because it made people easy to manipulate and blind to traps.

"But of course, tell them we'll have the money available to them."

"Yes director, do you want to know the amount?"

"Not at all, we aren't paying it, we'll just get the Lorentinos and kill these mercenaries and then vape the planet anyway, I didn't come all the way out here for nothing."

"Yes sir."

****

"They agreed to pay Russ."

"I love corporate you give them a demand and then they just get it approved up the chain. They don't even care about how much money, because they aren't the one paying it." Russ knew this would be an easy job, She also knew this was her ticket to get the Sun Stars to the big time.

"And if they try and screw us?"

"Then we'll kill the shit out of them, that's what we do." Russ didn't think that would be an issue, corporate monkeys weren't known for outside the box thinking and she didn't think they'd start now.

The Last Sun Stars

"Understood sir, do you want us to move out? Yes sir, thank you sir, good luck sir." Carut signed off his communicator and looked at Therod and shrugged.

"What's going on?"

"They captured the Lorentinos, plant to trade them to Morlatech." Therod shook her head, it made sense to an extent, but it didn't make sense because it wouldn't fix the issue. Therod figured Morlatech would just as likely blow the Sun Stars out of the sky than deal with them. And that was assuming they survived the Lorentinos which was not a given.

"So they don't want us with them?"

"No they figure this will be resolved shortly, so you know what that means."

"Yeah we get to be the last Sun Stars." Carut smiled and leaned against the wall a little harder.

"Exactly, don't know what I'll do with my own mercenary company, but it's going to be awesome."

"Your company? Don't you mean my company?" Therod and Carut looked at each other for a bit and then both broke into smiles.

"Our company."

"Well first thing is we're going to need to recruit after the other Sun Stars get wiped out."

"Maybe a new name too, Sun Stars is redundant."

"Right? Yeah I was thinking Warrior Warriors." Therod shook her head visibly annoyed.

"Stop, just oh god stop."

"Or Shooting Marskmen..." Therod shuddered again, and knew this was the start of Carut bugging her with stupid names, it was going to be a long day.

Always Knew The Galaxy Would Screw Me

"Well this is the moment I knew we'd be in trouble." The doors to the warehouse were barricaded and welded shut from Trezlan's magic. Men were pounding on the outside, ever since Trezlan had attempted to buy his way off planet the planet had turned against him. Which didn't make any sense to him, since he figured they would all be dead anyway, whatever the Morlatech rep said otherwise.

"It wasn't when they said they'd kill everyone if we weren't turned over?" Rolando could in theory escape, even try and take Trezlan with him, but he didn't want to leave the people there to die, even if it meant his own life was taken instead.

"Nah its when greed failed, no one was greedy enough to just take my money! Who does that? Who doesn't want more money."

"People who want to be alive to spend it Dad." The door buckled again and then blew open, Trezlan readied himself for the horde of people coming in, but he was surprised to see a group of mercenaries holding people back.

"Mr. Lorentino? We're the Sun Stars, we're here to get you to safety." Trezlan smiled, he knew, he knew greed would win out. If he just said how much he was willing to spend someone would get word real money was to be made and he figured these Sun Stars, however dumb their name was, would be that group. It was only two hours later when both he and Rolando were in chains locked up in a cell that he knew he had been stupidly wrong again. Because he should have remembered everyone in the galaxy is an asshole.

Great I Didn't Want to Do Anything

Carut looked at the Morlatech rep message with bored indifference. Therod shrugged as well. Therod at least smiled on the idea of not watching over the shit factory because she was annihilated.

"You think they are serious?" Carut did not seem convinced.

"Probably, Lorentino is a dangerous man, and in the service it was mentioned he and Morley had a long standing grudge about what I have no idea, honestly I heard Morley isn't even alive anymore, probably just some kind of corporate policy in play and no one really even cares why."

"Well I'm so glad I'll die because someone doesn't question orders."

"Seems like the most likely reason for dying at anytime." Carut nodded.

"You think we should ask the Sun Stars if they'll pull us out?"

"Based on why we're here you probably know the answer to that." Carut nodded again.

"Might as well spend all my money this weekend, I'd hate to leave anything to any member of my family."

"I wouldn't, I only briefly met The Trezlan Lorentino, but I'm pretty sure he'll pull something out of his ass to keep himself alive, its like his one unique talent."

"I have no doubt he'll keep himself alive, I just haven't heard much about everyone else."

"Well there is that, so hit up a bar and then a Casino?"

"Soon as this shit shift is over."

Dismiss and Monitor

"Sir a fleet of Morlatech ships is broadcasting they are going to bombard a planet." Royal Imperial command looked like a planetarium, with a dome of various screens indicating conflicts or situations the military was monitoring. In the middle of it was head Guardsman Lucer. Lucer was particularly riveted by a screen of asteroid miners currently breaking in to what appeared to be some kind of jewelry encrusted lower cavity. The color spectrum was beyond anything Lucer had seen, he almost didn't even hear the young Lieutenant bleeting about Morlatech ships.

"What you'll have to repeat that."

"We are getting feed, Morlatech is going to wipe out an independent planet to kill Lorentino and his son." Lucer sighed.

"Does the planet have an agreement with us for defense?"

"No sir."

"Well lieutenant its nice of you to bring it up, dismiss and monitor."

"Sir?"

"Dismiss and monitor." Lucer hated owing Lorentino for anything, and if Morlatech was about to wipe him out well that was a shame, but the galaxy will keep going without him.

"Yes sir." Lucer returned to the screens, but was sad to see that whatever feed had focused on the miners was now elsewhere. Oh well he'd find something interesting in the galaxy, he generally did.

Obliteration Is not a Relaxing Moment

"Its nice to see you son." Rolando was shackled and chained up, he was also stripped for some reason. He was in what appeared to be some makeshift control room, the screen was not currently connected to anything.

"Dad they sent a fleet to kill us."

"A whole fleet? Man I knew Morley hated me, but I forgot he really hated me." Trezlan looked around the room for some kind of keys or something to free Rolando. He didn't see anything, he figured they must have been on Valrym before he got annihilated.

"You should be more worried."

"Nah I've got some time there isn't like a fleet in orbit, so we can leave before hand." Rolando looked visibly annoyed at that statement. His father had no regard for all the people who would be killed, he also felt a sudden burn on his wrists and near his shoulders as his father cut the chains off. It was painful, but he figured there was no other way. He would have liked a warning but in a previous rescue his dad had given him, he had received similar no warning before chains were cut, his dad believed surprise was better than anticipation of pain. Rolando disagreed, but it was a long battle lost.

"We can't just leave these people to die." Trezlan got a sour look on his face like dealing with a child who spilled something on the carpet.

"They won't blow the planet up if we aren't here Rolando." Rolando grew angry with his father, but let it go. He didn't know they wouldn't blow up the planet, but it wasn't for Rolando to question his father, he had just saved his life. They both left the facility and were immediately confronted with an announcement from Morley's warships.

"Citizens, if you see either of these two men, you have until Friday to turn them over, before you are annihilated with them." The feed then showed Trezlan and Rolando's faces with their last known wearabouts.

"Well shit." Trezlan sighed at the possibility of annihilation.

"Yeah I guess that will make it slightly harder to leave right dad?"

"Yes, son, yes it will."

Something Horrifically Wrong

Rem felt better the he had in a long time. Despite just getting shot and then healed right after, he was alive with energy in a way he didn't know was possible. It was like being high without the draw backs, but it was also not like being high, the energy wasn't as dizzying. He didn't know what it was in the magic he had eaten, but it zinged through him. He had left the necromancer behind even without payment he had more than enough. Whatever had just happened Rem knew something was radically different.

It took him a few minutes away from the building to realize he didn't have the thirst for magic anymore. It was just gone, he still felt he had the ability to manipulate magic, but didn't have the outright desire to do it. It was terrifying to Rem who had known the desire at a very young age no matter how destructive it had gotten in recent years, he didn't know what he would do with himself, but he knew things would never be the same.

****

"I have to wonder if this wasn't all a long game from you." Hanlon was seated across from the fire god for their game again, a neutral ground this time, the ruined remains of a civilization that had worshipped dead gods. The place amused both current gods as one that could eventually bring trouble, but wasn't at the moment. Like seeing a loaded gun near a play set, something bad was going to happen, but no kids were near by.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course not, its not like I don't have a connection to death magic, couldn't feel the strands of what happened to the poor godling and what it imbued the magic eater with. And I recall a time when that little creature was in your judgement court, to be annihilated with Trezlan, I wonder if you noticed it then, or did you always know." The fire god had a smile.

"Oh is Rem ok? I swear that little magic eater, did you know I brought him back to life? Yeah after he murdered his father he stuck his head in a furnace to burn it all off, I decided someone so remiss at killing their parent couldn't be all that bad."

"I'm aware you intruded on my domain yes." Hanlon didn't really care about the little ones being brought back, he'd done his fair share of interference, he just was surprised the Fire God cared, most of the time he felt she kept a distance from their worshippers.

"As to your first question, I always play the long game even when I'm losing I'm winning, so next time you feel I lost the red war, remember that. Also I believe you owe me for saving Trezlan's life. I know he's your puppet." Now it was Hanlon's time to smile.

"But of course your holy fire, and we always know I pay my debts."

"You do now, you didn't used to, Mr. Hanlon." They both smiled and the game continued without the universe knowing of its existence or the players.

Everything is Fine, If By Fine You Mean Screwed

The last of the morlatech bots fell to the ground completely unable to function. Trezlan hadn't even done anything, it was all Rem. The long haired unclean shaven man had simply walked near them and then flexed his hand, his magic eating ability did the rest. Trezlan had long suspected Morley's army was more than just machine and this confirmed it, though Rem did complain the mechanations had very little juice for his liking, which unsettled Trezlan yet again. All that remained was Valyrm, who was quite shocked to see the bots hit the ground.

"Impressive your depravity knows no bounds, signing on with a magic eater? Isn't that very much playing with fire for you Trezlan?" Trezlan smiled at the thought of burning Valrym alive.

"Rem here is about to eat you, where is my son?"

"Near by, I'm sad that you made me do this Trezlan, you just can't not be awful, can't you see that you're the real problem in this galaxy?"

"Rem kill this guy I don't even want to." Rem got a hungry look in his eyes and then nothing.

"I can't, he's not magic?"

"Correct, Trezlan is an idiot," Valrym drew a pistol and shot Rem, the bullet caught him in the shoulder and he hit the floor. He fired the rest of the ammunition at Trezlan, but Trezlan through up a fire shield and the bullets melted harmlessly in front of him.

"Just as well makes this harder on you, you little shit." Trezlan was about to unleash another torrent of fire when it felt like his insides were being ripped to shreds. He looked up to see Valrym stabbing himself.

"You know I never knew we had a link Trezlan, a remnant of your necromantic healing, like an open wound. And then one day you were having pain and I felt it, and I knew if I could harm myself, I could harm you, but I had to be within range of you, and that's how I'll kill you Trezlan, because you can't necromance your way out of me killing you." He had a smile on his face as he stabbed himself again. Trezlan was trying to think about what he could do, he could feel his life fading, he could in theory kill rem to heal himself, but if the link worked in reverse it would just heal Valrym as well. Trezlan was about to try that when Rem stood up next to him.

"You're not magical, that connection is." Trezlan never understood magic eaters, how they did what they did and what they got out of it. But he did understand necromancy and the bonds it made, so when he saw the magic eater break the bond by "eating" it, it released a torrent of energy. Pent up power from the latent connection between Trezlan Valrym bathed the room in a wash of latent power. Rem's bullet wound was healed, Valrym was annihilated. Years of benefiting from Trezlan's necromantic power had back flowed into him and destroyed the godling. Trezlan was about to ask how Rem was doing when Rolando called from the other room.

"If you idiots are done screwing around in there, we have a bigger problem."

"What could be bigger than someone wanting to kill me?" Trezlan didn't see Rem slip away, but he knew when he turned to look behind him, the magic eater would be gone, with whatever over dose he'd just gotten.

"An entire fleet of Morley warships are coming to vape the planet."

"Well shit you've got me son that is worse than what I just dealt with."

He's a Lorentino, That's Not Enough

"You sent how many?" Morley was upset, he had agreed with the godlings plan, but only when he could arrange the proper trap, and now the damned fool had gone and executed it with a small force. It was enough to boil Morley's blood if it still pumped.

"It was a small force sir, it was supposed to be a scouting mission." The man making the report to Morley was several million miles away for which he was infinitely happy considering how angry Morley was.

"And yet he's now kidnapped the younger Lorentino and he's holed up in some warehouse? How quickly can we get a ship there?"

"About a week sir I've already..."

"A WEEK?!" Morley's harsh rasp was amplified by the sound modules around him so through the communication device it came through like a cavernous roar.

"Sir I didn't..." Morley destroyed the screen, his rage was swarming up. He had Trezlan and now because of that idiots mistake he was going to not only lose the boy, but his chance to end Lorentino's once and for all, it was enough to make him want to kill everyone.

"GET ME FLEET COMMAND WE'RE GOING TO DO AN ORBITAL!!!!" He cried out to the busted machine, which only made him more angry. "GET ME FLEET COMMAND!" Echoed in the room as Morley's smashed around the room getting angrier by the minute.

Very Intimidating

"South side of the city, warehouse." Rem emerged looking like he was on something, which he probably was. Trezlan could feel the magic emanating off of him. He was also slightly alarmed with how long he'd been gone and how quickly he was able to pull the information he needed.

"That was fast."

"The sort of power Morley's machines run on and the godling made it easy to divine, just had to ask where people were feeling something strong, and here we are."

"Kind of afraid that means you guys know where I am when I'm nearby." Rem's eyes lit up a little bit at that.

"We do."

"Yep terrified now." Trezlan had always gotten the sense people knew he was wherever he was, now he had the confirmation of it and that was worse. It was like suspecting there were monsters under the bed, versus one reaching out to grab you.

"Don't worry we are all well aware of your reputation, and yet the allure of your blood is a constant source of discussion. Most of us surmise a sample of it will kill someone, the amount of magical ability running through you is like a live wire, tempting to juice up, but mostly going to be fatal."

"I feel so much better you all think my blood will kill you so you don't come after me like starved junkies." Trezlan did not in fact feel better about it.

"So now that that is settled do you think we should go save your son or do you want to sit her complaining about people with addictions?"

"Well I have so many things to whine about, but yes we should probably save Rolando."

Work On Your Sales Pitch

"So what are you?" Trezlan got a sense Rem was not a normal person. He felt magical despite not being magical, it was weird. Like he felt like how some relics feel, like he had contained magic, but not anymore. Rem turned with a smile, they were walking away from his office, to some nebulous meeting he had set up with a couple closed off calls. Trezlan didn't think the man was setting him up, but he didn't know him at all. Or if he was even a man.

"I'm a magic eater." Trezlan tried to hide the revulsion on his face but Rem could see it.

"Well that's different."

"Sure you can say your real opinion, that I'm an abomination of an abomination, I've heard it all before, my father was magical. When he saw what I was it killed him, and then it literally killed him when I drained him of his life force to feed my addiction." Rem lit a smelly cigarette and looked up to the heavens as if seeking absolution for his remembered crime.

"You can kill a man by draining his magic power?"

"Not the power, his blood, magical blood is a power you will never know the pleasure of. You're immune from its joys, its highs, its lows. But for me? Its the most addictive substance ever created, I crave magic and the blood. Every moment of my life is in pursuit of that high."

"So standing next to me right now?"

"Agonizing, though I have a job to do, only thing I ask of you is a vial of your blood, just one, I could trip for a week off the power inside of a vial." Trezlan felt even less safe around Rem than he did before.

"Not sure how I feel about that, but I'll wait to see some results, speaking of, where are we even going?" They had wound up in a club district. Lots of blaring loud music and strangely dressed young people.

"I've got some contacts, your son has to be close by based on some factors, just going to put out some feelers in my scene. I'd recommend you stay out here, I can contain myself around you, others here? Not so much." Trezlan suddenly felt very exposed, one magic eater was bad, a whole group of them? Terrifying. He agreed to stay outside. Trezlan wondered about his life choices as he waited outside. He figured somewhere along the way there was a mistake that he could correct and that would override all the failures he saw now. And in that the old necromancer got lost in thought about what he could have fixed before it broke.

This Guys Is your Guy?

The office smelled of cheap booze and failure. Trezlan immediately felt sorry for himself upon entering. Seated behind the desk was a man with long hair and an unclean shaven face. The long hair looked to be out of neglect not style, same with the half full beard he had going on. The door leading in had a faded tag of Remle Crowe private investigator, but that could have just been the former occupant versus the current one. The Fire God confidently strode in though, like it wasn't her first trip to this particular occupant. Remle didn't even seem to notice either of them had entered the office. He was that far down into his wreck of a life. It didn't inspire Trezlan at all this was the man the Fire God said would help him get his son.

"Rem get up." The Fire God hit him on the back and he startled to life, his eyes were blood shot from whatever he had last taken.

"Good gods he smells like a sewer."

"Looks can be deceiving Trezlan, and sometimes you smell poorly as well, Rem, can you hear me Rem?" She was shaking him now and Rem was slowly waking up from his stupor.

"I'm awake, there are distinctly two of you right? I had some bad shit last night and I have to check." Trezlan didn't feel at all better about his prospects hearing this. Rem looked like the last time he got his life together was the first time.

"There are two of us Rem, this is your god talking, remember me Rem, the person who pulled your stupid ass out of the literal fire?" As her voice rose Trezlan saw fluid leaking out of Rem's eyes, he imagined it was the remnants of whatever drug he had last involved himself with.

"AHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" His voice was heavy and full of pain.

"Cleaning you up, now Rem, you're going to do a job for me." Trezlan could see the man's body flailing wildly as she talked, "You're going to help Trezlan find and save his son, and if I'm satisfied with your work I might let you enjoy pleasure again, if I'm not you'll find out what being burned alive really feels like." She let go of him and he collapsed back onto the desk.

"Ok all right, I'll help you, gods you're a bitch." The fire god had a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I know Rem, I'm so horrible cleaning you up and saving your life, perhaps in the future I should have left you where you were, but you asked for my help and I deigned to give it to you, now you know the cost."

"Well I think I'm in good hands." Trezlan did not feel like he was in good hands being handed off to a saved junkie of some sort, but the Fire God smiled all the same.

"Oh don't worry about Rem here you'll find he has his uses as I have." With that the Fire God left Trezlan with the junkie.

"Lovely god that Fire God." Rem sounded a bit more put together than his earlier talking, which at least was encouraging to Trezlan.

"Better than most, worse than some." That brought a smile to Rem's face.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one these creatures screw with, though to be fair Lorentino, you're more one of them than one of us."

"So I've been told." That brought a smile to Rem's face even if Trezlan didn't particularly feel very god like at the moment.

"Well Mr. Lorentino lets get to what you need, so I can get back to what I need." Trezlan still didn't feel very excited by the prospect of Rem Crowe, but he didn't have much else and supposedly this guy was the man. So he trusted a God for whatever that was worth to him.

An Enemy For Life However Short

Rolando awoke chained up and surrounded by Morlatech machines. He didn't even consider them people though they at one time supposedly were. He was outraged at the outcome. For all of Trezlan's faults he'd never known his father to betray someone, he'd done everything else to people up to and including not telling them about awful things ahead, but never betrayal. It boiled his blood to see Valrym the man he always thought of as the father when his father was occupied had done this to him.

"Don't hate me this is Trezlan's fault." Valrym could feel the hate in the younger Lorentino's eyes.

"Right Trezlan turned me over to Morley."

"This is a means to an end, the end is ridding the galaxy of your father, he's a bad creature, not even a man."

"Says the godling who shouldn't even exist anymore." Valrym knew he'd lost Rolando at that point. It was like listening to a younger Trezlan.

"Whatever you think of me, know I'm doing the right thing."

"I'll remember that when I kill you." Valrym left Rolando with the machines, he knew this would be the most likely outcome of his betrayal, but it still hurt him that Rolando felt this way about him. He didn't want to do this, but he felt forced into it by there being no other option.

***

"As soon as Trezlan shows up, kill the godling and Trezlan." Morley didn't want there to be any doubt in his agents minds about what he wanted, so he spoke directly to them.

"Yes Morley, and if Trezlan doesn't show up?"

"Kill Valrym and bring me the boy, you have a day, after that we can assume Trezlan will not show and its best to cut our losses."

"Yes Morley." The machines always spoke as one whatever will they had originally gone from being his slaves for as long as they had been. It brought what was left of his ability to smile, to Morley's face.

Sons of a Bitch

"I have taken your son, you forced my hand Trezlan, your insanity has gone beyond the normal bits and you have threatened the galaxy already far too many times. I am working with Morley and if you do not come to us we will execute Rolando. It will not be quick, it will be exceptionally painful and we will send you video of it as we do it. Know this is your fault, all of this is on you. There are coordinates to find me after this video, don't make me kill your son Trezlan." The video displayed coordinates and Trezlan just hit his knees and wept. He had always had an antagonistic relationship with Val and his son, but he never thought one would use the other to hurt him like they had. He was so wrapped up in his misery he never even heard the other person enter the room.

"You know thinking back on it, I guess I should have destroyed him when I had the chance." Trezlan wanted to scream at the Fire God for her statement, but he knew ultimately this was his fault, even if she could have destroyed Valrym he stopped her and that lead to this.

"Come to stick it in a little further?"

"No no, and let me be the first to say from one parent to another I understand your pain." Trezlan was going to wonder what she had parented, but in a way she was the mother to everyone.

"Then what are you here for?"

"To get you your son back, well to aid you since you know can't directly interfere." The rules of gods was enough to have Trezlan spitting mad, but he let it go, he had to.

"I don't need your help, I can get Rolando back, I have let it slide for too long, but I am the gods damned Trezlan Lorentino, and Morley is about to find that out right quick."

"And that's why you need my help you idiot, you're going to rush in there fire and flame just like they expect and they are ready for you, this whole thing is a set up, whatever ace you think you've got they've planned for."

"And you know this..."

"Because I'm God." It was a fair enough thing, and Trezlan was planning on going in there and just burning everything down, it was his go to solution to most problems.

"So what would you recommend within your rules." She smiled.

"Well you know I love fire, but I believe like a good forest fire wiping out the weaker parts but leaving the strong parts safe, we can use it a bit more, directed." And with that the necromancer and the God decided to have a plan together. And somewhere in the universe the rest of the universe shuddered at the thought of it.

Trust Is a No Way Street

Rolando felt like he was spinning his wheels. He had joined up with his father as opposed to rejoining the military because he figured rightly that he would not be welcomed back. But so far all he'd been a part of was a hunt for a relic that had turned him into a monster and just standing around while his father did awful things. Just like when he was a child. The only difference now was he wasn't shielded from his father, he was basically front and center when the old man's idiotic plans exploded around them. It left Rolando feeling like more of a child than ever before.

"I was looking for you." Valrym who had been missing emerged from somewhere, Rolando looked at the godling with a smile. Valrym had been there during the tough moments after Rolando's mom had passed away, and was there when Trezlan was being Trezlan.

"Oh? Come to turn me into a monster like dad? You missed him actually I believe he's paying off some assassins, you know dad stuff." Valrym harumphed like he normally did when Trezlan stuff was mentioned.

"Nah I was looking for you." The needle sunk into his neck and Rolando got to look just in time at Valrym with a mix of shock and sadness at the betrayal, after that the tranquilizer did its work and he went out cold. Valrym signaled Morley's men and they collected him.

***

Trezlan could tell things were off in the house as soon as he got inside. He could smell Morley's slimy presence like anything else. He had developed the sense over the years, just knowing the stink of Morley or his people, it set his stomach on edge. When the video played the feeling hit him harder than ever, it dropped Trezlan to his knees. He always knew Valrym would screw him, he just didn't know it would play out like this.

It had been years since he had done it, but he wept it was all he had left.