Chitchat along the way
Rowena slipped behind the wheel again, ready to resume their journey. Her expression seemed kinda unreadable, but that was actually the return to norm; well, at least when she wasn't smirking.
"About those inscriptions... This is no riddle, Darien; it's a part of funerary text, plain and simple. They call it Litany of Re and it's supposed to be reserved for especially fancy corpses. Our little stowaway must have been a noble."
Darien listened to her as he gulped down the water. So no riddle? For some reason, Darien had a feeling about it, but he wouldn't share it with Rowena, since she was the one who did some research and he was the one who took anything for a lead or a tiny hint. "A noble, hmm?" He murmured just to fill in the silence just as he screwed the lid back on the water bottle. Looking at the road ahead, Darien tried to guess how long it would take them till they reach Cairo.
"Yeah. There's one inconsistency, though... From what I remember, these texts are typically found on walls of crypts, not on canopic jars. I am no expert on religious humility, but scribbling something like this on vessels with human organs really seems like giving the gods a middle finger." Rowena shrugged and turned the wheel, guided only by stars on the night sky and silver line of river.
"Anyway, that's how I would interpret it - and given my divine heritage, it might not be so far-fetched." Ironic echo resonated in her words as she mentioned Sekhmet, infamous progenitor of vampire race.
"So there is no other meaning to the inscription? Not even when it's on canopic jars where it doesn't belong?" Darien asked in casual tone of voice. Maybe all this was just to rebel against other gods who might or might not be real, but considering Sekhmet's revival... "Say have you have met her in person?" There was light curiosity in his words but nothing intrusive. Just a momentary interest.
"I am not sure, to be honest. Egyptians were obsessed with death and its aspects, so it would seem uncharacteristic to put it on the jars just because they suddenly decided carving it into walls was too tedious. There may be some hidden meaning, but I have no idea on what it might be." Something was definitely off about this; she made a mental note to inspect the jars herself later. With another question, Rowena let out a dry chuckle, obviously somewhat taken aback on how he could even ask that.
"I was a hound, Darien. Someone trained specifically to track, kill and drown cute kittens without a hint of mercy. And if my former boss could put a self-destruction mechanism on me, he would do it without hesitation. Do I really look like enough of a diplomat to enjoy a glass of blood with Sekhmet?"
Well, who know maybe there was some hidden meaning about the jars but apparently both of them were clueless so maybe with time they will figure it out, but for now, Darien let it slip his mind. "Oh well, it's true that you are not much of a diplomat," Darien stated in a matter-of-factly tone of voice and he gave a small shrug of his shoulders as if it wasn't so strange that Rowena didn't get to meet her 'mother'.
Rowena would have rewarded Darien's last exclamation with a medal for greatest understatement of a year if it had been possible, but settled with a nod instead. The silence fell on them again; silence that Rowena despised. She had always been too communicative for her own good and now, when there wasn't any imminent danger or important task to do, boredom got a hold of her quickly.
"Hey, I have been wondering about one thing," the vampire spoke after a while of uncomfortable stillness.
"How does one get chosen to become a Hekan? Do you draw straws and go with a trial and error method - which would reflect the skill of our bureaucracy quite faithfully - or is there some... screening to determine your potential?"
Darien looked at Rowena, his eyebrows slightly risen. Didn't she know? He thought that every vampire knew how Hekans come to existence. "I wish we could draw straws, at least there would be a chance that I wouldn't get picked," he said and there was something in his voice that hinted ever so slightly that being Hekan is not something that he did voluntarily. "I was born in a ghetto somewhere in Europe. I don't remember which one. When I was about six, vampires came and lined all kids in the street, parents were kept separately somewhere else. There was one vampire who stopped in front of each kid, stared into their eyes for some time before moving on. Sometimes the child would start crying, or collapse, though most of them actually collapsed as far as I remember. That vampire was using telepathy to invade our minds and search for the Potential, by which I mean the possibility for some of us to use ancient Egyptian magic. When the guy moved from me to the boy or girl, I can't remember that either, next to me, I was still standing. Shaking a lot but standing, more shocked and confused to be able to think about anything. That's how I got chosen," he explained and just from thinking about the pain that the telepathic attack caused him, the complete confusion and fear he felt as a little boy, made Darien get goose bumps under the blanket.
The sheer detail of his answer was somewhat astounding; Rowena almost expected him to dodge the question with silence which seemed to be his favorite way of dealing with unpleasant remarks. In a strange twist, Darien basically threw his curriculum vitae at her... And Rowena, pathologically known for kicking people while they are down, didn't exploit the the opportunity; partly because he had the decency to treat her the same a while ago, partly because she could actually feel for him on a certain level.
"Good old mind drilling, eh? I thought it was exclusively a torture device, but our lovely world is full of surprises. I made one of my subordinates use it on me in an attempt to find out how much it hurts," she stated calmly as if it was completely logical to subject yourself to mental torment out of curiosity.
"Three words: worst migraine ever."
There was this unexpected curve of lips as a subtle smile formed itself and settled in Darien's expression. Sure it was a torture, especially when you execute that on a child, but it was manageable. The downside of was, though, that some of those kids actually didn't have any Potential, and those children then one day mysteriously disappeared. "I can't imagine what has happened to that subordinate afterwards," he noted and in fact wondered if Rowena went crazy back then as she always did when something unpleasant happened to her or around her that signaled imminent danger. "So have you always wanted to be in the army?" He asked her in return a question of the same or similar nature.
Rowena couldn't help but smirk. True, Darien hadn't seen far into her practices outside of being her former target, yet this assumption was simply ridiculous.
"She died a horrible death, of course... In a minor war conflict, about ten years later after that incident. Punishing obedient soldiers didn't really seem like a suitable strategy to gain some respect, you know... It would have looked bad on recruitment posters." Balancing between subtle sarcasm and earnest explanation, Rowena realized this debate was getting... weirdly civil.
"No," she answered immediately as if there was nothing to think about.
"Me and military, that was a slow process full of self-discovery, not some shallow love at first sight. I joined it mostly to prove I could... Spiting everyone with that decision also served as a fine motivation." Shadow of nostalgia crept into Rowena's expression, somehow softening her features.
The subtle smile developed in a smirk too, but didn't stay long. It disappeared for whatever reason Darien had. He was sure that this partnership wasn't on Rowena's career list when she joined the military. But well, the ways of the Gods are inscrutable, right? Just as suddenly as his face was once again hard to decipher, Darien frowned, deep in thoughts. "Say, Rowena," he started and there was something in his voice which signaled that what he was about to say was something that was on some level challenging to say, as if the utterance could trigger something lethal. "What do you plan to do with the book of Thoth?"
The moment came and went; Rowena's expression returned to its default state. The mention of a reason they sustained this fragile cooperation sucked her back into reality. Maybe they could talk in a civilized manner, but ultimately, that didn't rewrite their roles in this little drama. Darien was her enemy.
"You mean after I fulfill that promise about killing you over it? Well, I'm a modest girl and it's surprisingly easy to make me happy. Old-fashioned revenge, I guess. Stripping few generally unpleasant individuals of their power would be a fun thing to do. That ascension to divine status also seems like quite a career leap." And if it could cure me permanently, well... "There are many, many things to do with infinite wisdom, but I will probably burn the book after I get my share of knowledge. I hate it when others touch my toys." Rowena glanced at Darien, her gaze ostensibly indifferent.
"Your intentions are, of course, painfully obvious. New world order, extermination of my race, hugs for free, flowers and rainbow... Say, is there anything more innovative on your mind?"
Yes, that much he figured out. Killing each other is definitely part of the whole process of getting the book and Darien wasn't any less determined in winning the fight against her even if it would be against all odds. Rowena's revengeful intentions didn't surprise Darien that much. "Burn the book, hm? Do you think it will be that easy? After all, it belonged to a god before and I would be quite surprise if he didn't make it fire proof and stuff." It was just his thought but it somehow felt right because if Thoth would want the book destroy, for whatever reason, he would have done so himself. Then, Darien appeared to be pensive. Was there something else he wanted from the book, apart from exterminating vampires? There were so many possibilities. He could rid himself of his powers and regain his full life again instead of constantly thinking that the day he is living now was also his last one. "Yes, that plan hasn't changed at all. There are other things I might do but those are secondary possibilities."
"Maybe you still haven't noticed, but I usually find my way around various restrictions. Improvisation is a key. Yes, fire might be too mainstream method of destroying books... On the other hand, I could always weave bodies of small animals into the pages to render them ilegible. That would take years with my current skill of manipulating flesh other than mine, but this kind of corruption happens on a molecular level. Very thorough." Rowena's tone was light, even though somewhat bemused; she was seriously pondering over it. Casually revealing the information about her powers evidently didn't bother the vampire at all.
"Awww, how disappointing. Say, how do you imagine it would work? Killing all the vamps is fine and dandy, but revolution on such a scale is about as stable as a house of cards. And without common enemy to unify you... Well, judging from your history, you're not prone to resolving conflicts over a cup of tea. Do you really expect everyone will just get along and hail you as their savior?" Rowena smiled sweetly, curious about his answer. There was a hidden trap in her words; would he fall for it?
Weaving bodies of small animals into the pages...Darien had to chuckle about that. Firstly, the idea just sounded hilarious. Secondly, the image itself was funny. Shaking his head lightly as if shaking of the remnants of the amusement, Darien fully looked at Rowena as she spoke. Well, that was indeed beyond his control. "You have no idea, Rowena," he said and the smirk along with his tone truly did give his words a weight of truth. "When you were chasing me, you thought you might have got the guy, the biggest threat to your whole society. But well, I was and still am just a runner. It won't be me using the book for ridding the planet of your race. There are already bits and pieces of a different plan set in motion that will ensure that no big revolution and fights for power will outbreak. You see, the problem of your race is that you consider humans just food without brain, without the ability to think for themselves. But if you pull strings in the right place of a right person..." He left the end of the sentence just hanging in the air, leaving Rowena to make up the rest of her own liking. "The point is that the race for the book isn't the only thing that we have been doing Rowena."
And since you are not in the army anymore you can't do anything about it. There was something in his expression that clearly showed that he wasn't bluffing. That every word he said was true, but that he would say no more than that. The old defiance was back.
Rowena's smile, contrary to what Darien perhaps estimated, didn't fade; it only got that slightly mischievous flavor that indicated a fascination.
Well, isn't THAT interesting. If she had still been in an army, this would have meant months and months of wasted time spent on investigating, but national security was someone else's problem now. Yes, Rowena had never been much of a patriot; the fact they had labelled her as a danger to society and tried to eliminate her didn't have a positive effect on her sentiments.
"Oh, this is rich. Comedic gold. Are you even aware of what you're saying to me here? Pulling the right strings? Do activities of your group consist of influencing important ghetto figures by controlling the access to food supplies? Or are you building nuclear weapons from sticks you find lying on a ground? No, you don't have to answer that; I understand your mission is top secret." She patted him on the shoulder in a fake friendly gesture, clearly amused.
"But please, allow me one question since I am new in this conspiracy business. If you're still part of some organization that holds a significant power... What are you doing here with me, Darien? Shouldn't they be picking you up soon, as you're a treasured member? If so, warn me beforehand. I want to die in a fair battle as my honor of a soldier commands," Rowena stated in a dramatical tone and laid a right hand on her heart. Yeah, full of tact as always.
Darien smirked at her, a spark in his eyes. Usually her words would pretty much knock him off, make him upset or annoyed. And yes, he could feel that creeping up slowly but for some reason, it wasn't so acute as always. There was this cold reassurance deep in his chest. The ultimate trust he put into his organization. "What am I doing here with you? Well, isn't that obvious? I'm hunting the book of Thoth since you are just as good pawn in the game as I am. You are a key for me that open the door to your society, for example, to the mansion of your friend about which I wouldn't know without you. Yes, it comes down to the fact that we are basically using one another for our own benefit and I don't see why we should keep that a secret." His voice was neutral, but he did have a point. Rowena used him for his knowledge about the book of Thoth and he used her to get the last pieces of the puzzles. That's what their partnership basically came down too. Pretty simple, wasn't it?
Rowena noticed how Darien didn't even falter at her jabs; this organization or whatever it was must have earned his trust fully... Or perhaps they had brainwashed him somehow.
"Nicely said. I am wiping an imaginary tear here. Let me correct you in one little thing, though." Her smile, surprisingly quite friendly, slowly transformed into full-fledged grin.
"I am not the one risking my very life for some shadowy person that's supposedly pulling the strings. You should probably re-check the definition of pawn in some dictionary." Yeah, let's not dwell on the fact that I used to be one practically for my entire life too much. "Anyway, speaking about Christian, you might want to leave any possible confrontation up to me." Seriousness crept into her voice again, along with some sort of badly hidden discomfort.
"Not to underestimate you, but I've sparred with him many times and no human is fit to face him."
That was it. She got him. The annoyance finally crept into his face. Yes, he wanted to shake her or do whatever just to get that smug tone of her voice gone. To make her be serious for once and actually accept the facts that he was placing in front of her, without any stupid word game that she always used on him. Looking away from Rowena, Darien looked out of the side window frowning. Better not look at her or he might as well regret the next thing he would do or say. "After all, you are the experienced vampire killer," he muttered in agreement not feeling like commenting any further. Not even feeling like talking anymore. Yes, he brought that upon himself the moment he asked Rowena what she planned to do with the book of Thoth, but still, her behavior just did upset him. She reminded him of one of those noble vampires he met before he joined the rebellion. All those filthy rich leeches, holding their nose high not just because they were superior but because they thought that they were ultimately right in anything they said. Rowena looked like one of them at the moment. So full of herself that it made him sick.