GILT

Prevalent Dramas

"You've lost your damn mind."

"I thought you might say something...to that effect." Ludovic pulled his frown into a cruel smirk, laughing at the boy who twisted his face in confusion. "Your predictably will befall you, brother."

"Sh--she's not going to even let you through the door, Ludo."

"Then I'll do without knocking." He returned with haste. In truth, Ludovic did not have faith he would be welcomed.

"And what about a way out? What happens when she--"

"I'll be prepared for whatever arises."

"Don't you mean we?" Artūras was not about to let him go alone. He couldn't risk losing Ludo, his last true brother that fights beside him. While their maker brought them together, he was damned if he'd let the bastard tear them apart.

"No. What I must do is...perilous."

"I expect nothing less. You are naturally enticing the matter, Brother." Pangs of annoyance and amusement converged. He shook his head at the overprotective being. He had rare slight and skill that have proved more than useful. He could counter the danger that would inevitably befall them.

"Artūras. You've never been to Eternal Hell. Understand that it is like a different dimension." Ludovic subtly recoiled, "We are no longer immortal there, if something happened--"

"What, we would die?" He chuckled heartily at the very unfamiliar thought.

Him. Dying? That's cute, as they say.

"You would be trapped, alone and left to wander the void. Whatever you feel about this world, trust me when I say it is far worse there."

"I'm going with you. End of story." He cut Ludovic off before he could get any more sentimental.

"Besides...don't we have plans for this evening, Ludo?" He continued, "I'd much rather be getting on with it."

He heard his brother's unmistakable scoff at the attempt to change the subject. Ludovic's vexed eyes looked to the ceiling before cutting through space between them.

"Predictable."

"Oh but brother, the theater is full of decadence this time of night." Artūraswaved his arm the span of the sparsely furnished room as if to show Ludo a veritable buffet on offer.

His metallic eyes filled with shadow at the thought of warmth sliding down his throat. Ludovic felt the sharp pull of craving. The the swift change in the air sparked his deepest hunger. He needed the sanguine liquid and soon. With a fervent smile, he took up his jacket and made for the door leaving his foolhardy brother behind.

The younger of the two knew to keep pace. Once he began...nothing would stop Ludovic. He was like a courser, pursuant to one unending affliction. Artūras shook his head again and thought of the fun they might get into. It was going to be their last night in this city, apparently.

The brothers walked the streets side by side, dressed in slick suits and night black overcoats, tailored down to perfection. Another perk of having all the time in the world? You picked up skills. Yes, mainly mundane everyday essentials. Then there were purposeful, necessary skills that undoubtedly kept these eternal brothers safe from the one place they were now planning to go to voluntarily.

But first, dinner.

Travel makes Artūras famished. Actually, just the thought of travel and the unavoidable contact they will have to make with the Informants turned his insides.  

"Ludo, do we really have to go see them?"

The theater they scoped out had a faulty back door exit that was permanently unlocked. They witnessed more than one disengaged teenage worker smoking by the trash that lined the building and slipped in the same entrance.

"Yes." Ludovic drew out the answer, aware of his brother's apprehensions but not making the mistake of enabling them.

"Fine...wait." Artūras flinched, "Which of them are we going to seek? Please don't say--"

"Corwin."

Ludovic shut him up, not wanting to hear the argument again. His younger brother was prone to having altercations with the lanky eternal. Corwin was the closest Informant, therefore, he would have to do.

"That lubricious piece of waste....Corwin Snider is the last person on earth I want to see." Artūras groaned in contempt.

This particular Informant was of the slithery variety. Seldom to be trusted, perverse and fickle with a crooked smile to match. Why couldn't it have been Audrea or Hadley? Though they are not with out irritable qualities of their own, those two could outperform any task Ludo had in mind.

 Sure, Audrea tends to be overtly glib and wholly annoying, yet she is reliable. And yes, Hadley is bare brassed and impertinent, yet her perpetual stores of knowledge make her quite the enigmatic immortal. A rarity in his book. Either one would be much better company than that snake Corwin.

"Play nice, Artūras. We are relying on him to lead us to the current location of The Gate."

"And if I don't?" He toyed with the idea of slicing Corwin's long neck and letting him bleed. The snake wouldn't die that way, but the assault would be painful and damned gratifying.

Ludovic knew that look on his brother's face spelled trouble. He watched the twenty or so seated movie goers with an aching ardor, ready to dispel them all. Distracting him with a shadowed couple sitting in the back of the theater, he guided, sotto voce.

"Start with the lovers, Artūras."

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