Alongside those who are sinful.

Chapter 24

Authors Note: Now, we have come full circle from the first chapters excerpt.

And look at that! I pulled a sneaky on y'all. College toned down considerably once I did nearly all of my finals in one week. The drive and inspiration to write came back once I realized I passed my last finals, so that's nice. I will be graduating college and then it's off to the real world to begin my big boy job.

XXX

Dietrich laid in the same bed that Krisch'a was in a few night prior, waiting for sleep to take him. The others had already settled in for the night, leaving him to sleep in a dead man's bed.

"Woman, I guess. When did they become people to me?" Pondered Dietrich. The line at which he considered the Thrask to be worthy of a civilized title such as "people" had been blurred beyond his remembrance.

Not seeming to care about the subject anymore, Dietrich rolled over and saw that Kasma was sleeping peacefully across the room, as was Sehth'ker and C'elia, the teacher.

Content that his troubled friend was resting quietly, Dietrich opened the hatch above him and sat up, looking over the village. He was tall enough to peer up over the edge from the bed.

It was as dark as it was the night he abducted Krisch'a. Peaceful, as it should be while under their watch.

"Well hello there, Dietrich."

With a jerking motion, Dietrich turned to see that Cyanfael was standing up just behind the hatch. The man put a hand over his heart, feeling it rapidly pulse through his chest.

"Cynfael! Thank you for scaring me! I really hoped that you would do just that." Replied Dietrich. He did not make his sarcastic tone hidden by any measure.

"Oh. Forgive me...master." Replied Cynfael. Dietrich watched as the bat bent over and stretched out on its front, being nearly face to face with Dietrich.

The man had to say: Cynfael was not a very nice sight up close. Bats were already repulsive to Dietrich, and have an enlarged bat with more expressive features leaning in so closely to him made his skin crawl.

Add that to the fact that Cynfael's voice was gravely and raspy at all times, the combination was one of the few things that irked Dietrich.

"Dietrich...what if I told you that there could be...gifts for your journey? What would your reaction be?" Asked Cynfael. Dietrich shrugged, lifting himself out of the house from the hatch and closing it. He then sat on the roof with Cynfael, browsing the city with lazy eyes.

"Well, I would be thankful. What gifts do you speak of, though?" Asked Dietrich. Cynfael shuffled to sit close to the man, and fiddled with his conjoined hands.

"My magic can allow for the taking of things from different realms. It may not be far-fetched to assume it would be the same for you." Said Cynfael. Dietrich raised a brow as his mind began to start up.

"I could ask for a gun. Or two. I could ask for grenades or panzerfausts. We might be able to drive a tank all the way to the kingdom!" Dietrich let his mind run wild with the possibilities. It was nice to imagine what could be, but he knew to stick to the reality of what most likely would not be.

"How does it work?" Asked Dietrich, shifting himself to better face the bat. Cynfael pointed a claw to the man.

"There are two ways, Dietrich. The first is one that I know you will not like." Said Cynfael. Dietrich remained quiet, allowing the bat to speak.

"Blood magic revolves around the consumption of life-driving fluids from another creature." Said Cynfael. Dietrich blurted the answer he already knew to be true.