The Draugenir

Chapter 3 -Awful Beginning-

“Well, let’s do our best to get along then. I can do lots of things, you know, like cooking, washing and even cleaning”, Xermaine said with a big smile, since she didn’t feel like dying just yet.

“It’s good you get the picture”, Seth said, as he now faced Father Bernard.

“How did it go?”, he asked.

“Well, Zanadis was still the same as ever. I feel quite sorry for Xermaine that she just had to be related to him. He has been quite a thorn in our side for years now”, Father Bernard answered.

“By the way, how do they turn people into monsters?”, Xermaine asked the two out of curiosity.

“Well, there are two ways. The first is marking your target with an object imbued with negative energy to effect the transformation, and the second is binding your target and placing them in special marked ritual circles to effect the transformation. However, there’s a rare third method in which only the leaders of the cult can pull off”, Father Bernard paused.

Xermaine held her breath as she waited for him to continue.

“They can turn their targets into draugen just by touching them", Father Bernard ended on a serious note.

“That’s a whole other level of crazy isn’t it!?”, Xermaine thought when she heard that part.

“Our agents do our best to fight off the draugen infection brought about by the cult as Seth here will do his best to protect you. With that, my job here is done. She’s in your hands", Father Bernard said with a slight bow, then left.

Xermaine and Seth just awkwardly stared at one another until she finally spoke.

“For now, why don’t we go check out the place we’ll be staying together. To make sure everything is okay”, she suggested.

“Sure, follow me", Seth said as Xermaine nodded and followed him.

“Wow I’ve been doing a lot of following today", she couldn’t help but to think.

Xermaine followed him till they entered a parking area. Seth stopped in front of a Benz C class and entered the driver’s seat.

Xermaine was about to enter the backseat when Seth called to her.

“Oh no, don’t, come up front.”

Xermaine was pissed but she didn’t dare show it as she then sat in the front seat. Seth then started the car and sped out of the parking area and off the remote island, back into the main city.

“So umm why do the other elites want me dead?", Xermaine had to ask, since it was bothering her.

“Should be obvious. They think you have the ability to become another mass murderer like him, so it’d be better to just end you", Seth made a line across his neck with his finger as Xermaine gulped.

Silence followed after that until Xermaine talked once more.

“So, do you think I have what it takes to become like him?”, she asked.

“I can’t say anything for now. But I do sense something inside of you", Seth answered.

“Ehh, I thought it was only me in this body", Xermaine groaned.

“We’re here", Seth said out of the blue as he pulled up in front of a building with simple yet neat architecture.

He got out of the car as Xermaine did the same. He then inserted the key to the main door and opened it, revealing the inside of the house.

Xermaine was stunned at how gorgeous the place was.

“The church must be making a lot of money to pull this s**t off", she thought as she passed her fingers over one of the stylish sofas.

“Make yourself at home. You won’t be going outside for a long while, so you had better get comfy. If you need anything, you can call the church or me via the landline", Seth said.

“Oh okay. So, this is really happening", Xermaine said, starting to feel a bit down.

Seth didn’t even look concerned as he went to the fridge and popped open a can of beer, downing it in no time.

“Oh, and don't even think of escaping. We’ll hunt you down for the rest of your life. Well, not like you have anywhere to even go anyway”, Seth said while pointing his finger at her.

“I really don’t like this guy", Xermaine thought as she tried to force a smile.

Just as he finished speaking, Seth felt his phone vibrating in his side pocket as he immediately pulled it out.

He read the text he had received and placed the empty beer can in the trashcan as he went towards the door.

“Wait, where are you going?”, Xermaine asked, following after him.

“A job just came up, so uhh you’re on your own”, Seth said as he opened the door and slammed it behind him.

Xermaine kept staring at the door as she heard the engine start in the driveway and slowly disappeared over time.

“He did not just…”, Xermaine didn’t know whether to be pissed or sad. She was all alone in a big house and in a place that she had never been to.

“For now, let’s have a look around. Maybe I’ll find something worthwhile to do", Xermaine spoke to herself as she walked around the house.

She entered one of the rooms as she noticed that her things had already been moved into that room.

“When did they? I still have my apartment key”, Xermaine thought as she stared at her things.

“Oh, he has a lot of explaining to do,” she said as she went through her things.

Seth parked his car in front of a warehouse which gave an air of death and despair. A lady was waiting outside as she immediately approached Seth who, had just got out of the car.

“Glad you could make it, captain. A whole swarm of them”, the lady spoke as she saluted him with great respect.

“I’ll take care of it. Wait here”, Seth said as he started to make his way to the entrance.

Inside the warehouse, Seth could see multiple torture devices and numerous blood splatter stains dotted across the floors and walls. “No wonder this belonged to the mafia. They made nice work of the place”, Seth thought as he winced from the awful smell.

A few distances inside the warehouse, Seth could hear low growling noises as several hideous creatures crawled out of literally everywhere. They all had their glowing eyes fixed on Seth, who had just so brazenly wandered into their territory.

“For the sins committed against you. I can only offer your peace and eternal rest”, Seth offered a small prayer as he pulled out a hunting knife from his leather jacket and entered a fighting stance.

The creatures each started to roar loudly as they all launched themselves at Seth all at once.

Seth didn’t even bat an eye as he only proceeded to stab his right hand with the hunting knife and quickly pulled it out. The knife absorbed the blood on it and turned crimson as Seth made a quick stabbing motion into nothing.

The next moment, the blood red knife appeared to have stabbed glass as space was cracked and Seth’s eyes started to glow. “True trembling”, Seth spoke calmly as something very weird happened next.

After he spoke those words, a strange aura burst all around as all the creatures immediately fell down and started writhing in severe pain as some even let out painful screeches.

After that, Seth only walked to each and every one of them and put them out of their misery. After he was done, the bodies of the creatures disintegrated with no trace.

Seth sighed and walked outside as the lady rushed to him once more. “Good work once more, captain. I have something urgent to report”, the lady saluted once more as it seemed like she gave off even more respect than moments ago.

“What is it, Carla?”, Seth asked.

“Well sir, using my ability, I was able to determine the identities of the people that were turned into draugen. They were mostly missing college students from different sectors. It’s more like someone was looking for a college student around a specific age…”, Carla was still going before she was interrupted.

“s**t!”, Seth already understood what that report meant as he quickly entered his car and drove off, leaving Carla behind.

Seth was back at the house. He left Xermaine so he rushed back home in no time as he saw that the front door had been broken down.

He was quite shocked as he quickly got down and rushed to the front door, where he noticed that the paper seals secretly placed in convenient places had all been burnt.

Seth rushed inside and looked everywhere but Xermaine was nowhere to be found. However, he was very calm as he pulled out his hunting knife.

“Come out”, Seth spoke to the knife as a weird ghost-like person crawled out of the weapon and onto the ground.

“Sniff her out”, Seth commanded as the ghost shrieked and started to float in a certain direction. Seth rushed back to his car when he got a call.

“It’s me. What do you have?”, Seth answered and went straight to the point.

“I’m guessing you’ve already realized this. Sharp as ever. It turns out our little princess was abducted moments ago after you got the dispatch message. It was a distraction”, a lady with a seductive tone spoke on the other hand.

"A good one at that. I’m already on it”, Seth said, as he had already started the car and was on the move, following whichever direction the ghost flew in.

After a few bends and curves, Seth parked the car in front of an old metal bridge in an abandoned sector as the ghost was now chasing after a hooded man who had a person tied up and on their shoulders.

“Stop right there. Let the girl go”, Seth shouted when he was within hearing distance.

The person immediately stopped and turned around, ignoring the command earlier. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I have a mission too you see”, a male voice answered as Seth saw that the person was also wearing a mask underneath the hood.

Seth didn’t say anymore as he simply pulled out his hunting knife. The ghost returned to the weapon as he stabbed it into his right hand and the knife became blood red once more.

“I won’t ask again”, this time Seth threatened.