Exalted Warlock 35 Chapter 24: Choices

Taylan was right, it was one of those days that come more often than not; three out of five days to be exact. Magnus chucked it up to how high up there were, nearly touching the heavens and stars.

Thanks to the mist rolling around everything, you could barely see a meter or two in front of you. Magnus could see how it would be a fortunate day for malefactors and scoundrels; they could get away with nearly anything and none would be any the wiser or even be able to stop them and chase them down.

"We are here," Soykan announced as they turned into an alleyway and walked deep into it. Soykan then came to a stop in an una.s.suming spot and knocked on a wooden board up latch that stood at an average person's height. He knocked three quick times then two slow times and finished it off with a loud resounding knock.

Then they stood there for a while, Magnus was then about to ask why they were just standing about, until the wooden frame swung open. Light poured into the dark back alley, and for a moment Magnus was blinded.

However, he quickly adjusted himself and was once more able to see straight. There seated behind the frame was a man wearing an executioner mask, the only thing that Magnus could make out was his lips and eyes.

Magnus then tried to peer deeper into the place, but the man blocked his sight, so all that was presented to him was the man's upper frame which was lanky and lean.

"Good to see that you have made it Master Sevki," the man said in a bored and bland tone. Furthermore, Magnus noticed that the man didn't sound that old, if he had to pinpoint it, he would say somewhere in the thirties.

"Good to see you as well Master Whisperer," Soykan expressed as he inclined his head.

Then the Whisperer noticed the rest of them that were tagging along, "Ah, I see that you brought along friends." Then he noticed all the bulging spots and the sheath weapons, "Plus, I see you came well equipped."

"Well, you can't be too safe in these parts," Soykan remarked as he plastered a bright smile on his face.

"I couldn't agree more," the Whisperer said, then four men walked out of the shadows, two from each side. Magnus noticed all of them were as big and heavy set as Bulut, typical bruisers and hired hands and each of them held gleaming daggers and clubs.

At the entrance of the four armed men, tension reached an all time high, Magnus could feel the pressure literally stifling the air.

However, before things broke down into bloodshed, Soykan was quick to evaporate the grim mood. "Let's not be antsy, Master Whisperer. We are only here to do business," then he quietly and smoothly slide a coin purse that was bulging with coins like he had done it numerous times before.

The Whisperer took the purse and untied it, Magnus could see the yellow gleam of gold in his eyes. Then the man quickly made the coin purse disappear, and turned back to face Soykan with ridicule in his tone. "I would require another purse just like this Master Sevki or whatever you are called. You were told to come along and with no weapons correct!"

Magnus nearly outbursted in outrage at the sheer shamelessness of the man and his audacity to steal from them right before their very faces. But he held himself back, he remembered Soykan words before they left the hideout; he was only here in an observation and learning capacity.

"Of course, of course, Master Whisperer," Soykan said as he took on submissive tone. Magnus had no idea why he did so when he knew that he could obliterate the slimeball with that awesome power at his beck and call.

Magnus checked and every single one of the four men could break the man like a twig!

[Name: Whisperer Highest Stat: Intellect(11.22)]

Even the strongest bruiser was like a little baby before giants;

[Name: Strongest Bruiser Highest Stat: Strength(10.83)]

Be that as it may, Soykan did as he was told like a good little boy and handed out another coin purse bulging with money. The Whisperer reached out for it greedily, but before he could pocket it away, Soykan smacked his hand over it. "The information first, Whisperer," he said, showing a bit of his true self for the first time in the meeting.

"Yes, yes," the Whisperer replied in an irritated voice, blissfully not noticing the deadly situation he was in. He reached under his wooden window then brought out a parchment and handed off to Soykan.

Soykan let his hand go from the purse and the Whisperer greedily took it like the vulture he was and started to count the coin. Soykan completely ignored the man and focused down on the parchment in his hands, Magnus wondered what the sheet contained since they went through all this trouble and humiliation.

"Are you done," the Whisperer asked after he put away his fraudulently gotten money.

"Yes, though to make sure this information is acute, right?" Soykan asked as he put away the sheet into his cloak.

"Yes, yes, in five moon turns the 's.h.i.+pment' will be at that location. Now would you shoo away?!" the Whisperer said as he gestured to them like dogs to flee.

"Of course, of course, Master Whisperer," Soykan said as he played up his amiable role. "But I do not need to say what will happen if this information is incorrect, right?"

"Are you threatening me," the Whisperer asked as his eyes formed slits.

"Of course not," Soykan p.r.o.nounced as he placed his hands at his heart like he was hurt at the man's very words. "I am not trying to intimidate you, I am simply telling you what will be happening!"

"d.a.m.n, now that's what I call flipping the script," Magnus voiced before he could stop himself. Though Magnus did not regret it one bit, finally they were showing their teeth, finally they were showing this weasel who they were, Infamous Menace.

That remark even got Taylan and Bulut silently chuckling to themselves, even Shui had a smile on his face.

"You… How dare you, I will have each and every single one of you gutted where you stand like the pigs you are!" the man shouted like a raving lunatic.

Soykan ignored the man and his spitting rage and simply uttered, "Now we do not want anything to happen to little Melodi, do we?"

The man paused mid stride and froze up like a deer in a headlight, without a single word to utter.

Soykan continued on as if nothing happened in that same amiable tone, which made him all the more chilling and unnerving. "You know you are not a redeeming man, Master Whisperer. You killed off all your compet.i.tion and made sure to eliminate them thoroughly, including their children, spouses, and relatives. Making you the most respected and notable information in this city.

I was thinking about killing you right here and right now after I collected what I needed, but I found out the most interesting thing.

You were kicked out by your wife for tour too many wh.o.r.e houses, but you still support them and send over plenty of money. Now you couldn't be doing this because of your wife, the two of you had a most volatile relations.h.i.+p.

Therefore you must have had a good reason, and lo and behold I found out about your daughter. A sweet girl, indeed! How old is she, five, six seasons old?"

Finally after a long silence stretched out, the Whisperer squeaked up, "How… how di- did you find that out?"

"Now you do not need to know that, but what you do need to know and pray with all your G.o.d d.a.m.ned hope is that this information pans out! If it doesn't, well I do not need to tell you what happens, do I?"

"Y- you wouldn't," the man replied back, putting up his last resistance.

"Now why wouldn't I," Soykan asked in an offended tone. "You dared to do it, so why can't I? Why can't anybody do the same to you?"

The Whisperer had nothing more to say, the resignation was plain in his eyes. It is a hard medicine to swallow when vengeance follows through and bites you back.

"Now Master Whisperer, we plan on doing more business with you in the future, so we also hope that this information turns out to be accurate," Shui said in a polite tone. But the man did not respond, he just sat there slumped in his seat and staring off into empty s.p.a.ce.

"Other than that, have a pleasant night!"

Magnus knew for sure the man would not be having a pleasant night at all. Many sleepless nights where before him and much to worry about as well.

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Magnus hurried to catch up to Soykan, "You didn't really mean it, right, when you said you would do terrible things to that slimeball's daughter, right?" Magnus asked.

He didn't believe that they would actually go through with it, but a bit of motivation and some threatening was needed on their part to get that man motivated.

Magnus did not care one bit if the man, or the Whisperer as he calls himself was killed. All those terrible things he did by murdering his compet.i.tion so brutally and thoroughly, there would be a sense of justice if he got a taste of his own medicine.

Even so, Magnus had a line he would prefer not to cross and killing little girls in cold blood was one that he did not want to even think about traversing! Seriously what would his mother even think if he had failed her so miserably by turning out to be like that?

Anyways, Magnus has an undying belief that he is starting to learn these folks pretty well. They might be hard around the edges, but they took him in and taught him all they knew. He knew that deep down even if they lie, steal, and threaten-- they are good folk!

Soykan turned around and looked at Magnus, he immediately did not like that look he saw in his benefactor's eyes. "What do you think?" he asked in a calm, bland tone but his eyes were harsh and cold as the Frozen Tundra.

Magnus took an unconscious step back as those eyes landed on him and declared with hope starting to waning fast, "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, really?" Soykan asked in a mocking tone as if he was speaking to a foolish child. "Didn't you hear me when I said he killed off dozens of compilation including their families? All I am doing is paying Master Whisperer in full recompense!"

"Aren't you guys suppose to be better than that," Magnus argued, or more like pleaded. "Aren't you guys suppose to be the good guys!"

"Pffff! Hahaha! Where did you get the idea we were the good guys?" Soykan asked, as if he heard the most absurd and hilarious thing ever.

Magnus opened and closed his mouth with nothing to say or reply with. It was him alone that came up with that idea, and to be honest it was his own little way of dealing with what he would be getting up to.

Stealing, lying, cheating, killing, and all these other transgressions were deeply ingrained into him by his parents not to commit them. However, in this small sliver of time, he has been breaking them left and right with blatant disregard.

He had to make excuses for himself or who else would he be able to live with himself!

When he killed Lobal, Jovel, and Michael's brother it was all in self defence he told himself. When he stole from the common folk on the streets it was all for the orphanage he told himself. When he joined up with these men it was all because they were good men deep down he told himself.

But now here he was with his excuse being torn apart right before his very eyes.

Immediately Magnus came back to the present when he heard Soykan next few words. The man was not his laughing self anymore, his face was twisted up into some b.e.s.t.i.a.l form. It was like they were back all over again to that fateful chat they had when he lost control.

"Do you think that honest, upright folk get rewarded in this world, boy?"

Magnus had nothing to say, he knew the honest reality of this world better than any little boy his physical age. It is a cruel, cut throat, lawless place with people possess unimaginable powers at their fingertips.

"Do you think any of the virtuous stuff you ever do in your life time get recognized?" he demanded.

Once again Magnus had nothing to say, he knew that lesson very well when his honorable action of refusing a woman who openly invited him into her bed. How did he get repaired? Well we all know how!

"Do you think even your loved ones are spared from that cruel fate?" he whispered as he poked him on the shoulder.

Magnus hang his head, for the third time having nothing to say. His mother who worked tirelessly for him, cruelly got afflicted by an incurable disease and then was finally butchered by some psychopath with powers he undeservedly got.

"Why are you acting squirmish, boy!" Soykan asked.

How was Magnus suppose to answer to that, was it how he was raised or who was as a person? Maybe it was that he just did not want to become a monster like everybody else!

"Haven't you seen many of your little friends on the streets killed off by sickness, hunger, cold, other people, or the cruel mistress of fate? Haven't you seen their body's being flung off the mountain like trash then be devoured by the beasts that prowl the mountain valleys?!"

Endless questions streamed out of Soykan mouth as he plainly asked about one cruelty to another. Each was a blow to Magnus and his mental psyche, he had nothing to reply back with nor did he have anything to contend with.

The three other men; Bulut, Taylan, and w.a.n.g Shui stood off to the side and did not help Magnus or speak a word to him. Their faces where all stone cold as ice, and Magnus could tell that they agreed with Soykan's rhetoric.

Soykan's question where simple daily fact, plain as day, and nothing could be argued against it.
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"You listen to me boy and you listen close," Soykan said as he bent down to face Magnus at eye level. "This world will chew you up and spit you out, it doesn't care about you and it sure as h.e.l.l does not care about what you think or feel."

Magnus looked into his eyes, and they were those haunted eyes of a man who experienced exactly that. "If you want to survive you need to be tougher than the toughest son of a b.i.t.c.h out there! You need to be crueler than the cruelest b.a.s.t.a.r.d out there! You need to be colder than the coldest t.w.a.t out there! And you need to be crazier than the craziest a.s.shole out there!"

Magnus wondered if that would ever be a way to live? Would you still be human anymore; a thinking, feeling creature or would you be no better than an animal?!

Soykan got up from his kneeling position, wiped at the sweat glistening on his face and got his ragged breathing under control. "You have three days to come to a decision," he finally uttered, breaking the still silence.

Magnus was about to ask what he meant but he cut him to the chase first. "In those three days you have a decision to come to. Are you either going to join us or not! If you decide against it, then do not come back ever again!

There will be no hard feelings and there also will not be nonsense, we will not be coming to silence you or to force you back. And to sweeten the offer we will be paying you a thousand gold lions when we separate.

But if you do decide to completely join us, then know this is what we do, kill little girls and much, much worse. Do not get any foolish ideas in your head, boy. A life of crime is a life of crime, it is not a romantic thing nor is it honorable!

So in three days, you have a decision to make."

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Magnus sneaked back into the orphanage, the hour was so late that you couldn't even hear a single sound echoing in the place. n.o.body was awake whether it be the Mothers, the Matron, or the children.

Magnus made it to his bed and flopped down, thank G.o.d for small favors once again. His bed buddy was a heavy sleeper, and as a side note a kicker, but anyways he did not stir when Magnus laid back on the bed.

He just laid there off with his thoughts, Codex for once let him be and gave no input.

In three days, starting from tomorrow, he had a choice to make that might change his life completely, and he had no idea which one to choose.