“I have read about your kind. You have visions, don’t you? You only see a part of what´s going on currently. You cannot read my mind and you most definitely aren’t able to see the future either. You still have questions and a lot of them at that. So why don’t we play a little game? We take turns asking each other questions and if the answer is a lie the other party is allowed to commit murder, no strings attached.”

“I don’t see how the part about lies is ever going to help me.” He was right, but neither did it help me. I needed him to cooperate and murdering him wasn’t exactly helpful to that goal.

“And you will still accept, don’t you?”

“Am I allowed to start?” I nodded. “Where are you from?”

“The fifth hundred hill going from the pond of souls to the always erupting volcano.” I once counted it, not gonna lie. It was a boring day, but it did bore fruits in the end.

“So we are playing this game … go on.”

“What happened around two hundred years ago?” I asked, curious about his knowledge of that time. Luna said the gods left this planet, I didn’t know what to think at all and maybe, just maybe, the elven king had another take on this time.

“The gods … changed their opinion around that time.” He most definitely knew something. I just had to be patient for him to ask his next question. “How did you get here from this strange place you are from?”

“Mostly by foot. On what did the gods change their opinion?”

“I don’t know. You said mostly by foot, what about the other part?” Frustration started to spread within me as he answered my question in an unexpected way. He knew the gods changed their opinion, but not on what?

“Godly intervention. Did the gods leave this planet?” I tried to ask from a different angle with a rather interesting result.

“Not to my knowledge. What are you?”

“The same as this worm you mentioned, yet completely different. How old are you?” I answered. We both claimed to be the daughter of a god, lived in purgatory and came to this world. The madness we wanted to spread was equally similar, although I did hope that mine had more style.

“314 or 215 years, depending on what age you mean. Can I return the question?”

“Yes.” I answered and started mumbling to myself. The only logical conclusion I could draw from everything he told me so far was: “This world was created 215 years ago …”

“These memories I have before that time seem shallow as if someone prepared a backstory for me, created the world and then let time take its course ... The church tries to hide this fact as they see it as their god-given task or something, but the old and intelligent beings of this world all know the truth. How old are you?”

“209 years” I had my answer to one question I had since coming here, although I didn’t know what exactly that revelation, if true, meant for me. “Why would anything imprisoned in purgatory ever visit this place?” He waited a few seconds until he seemingly realized a few things.

“You have to ask the gods for that answer.” He said with a beaming smile. I just wanted to congratulate him for figuring out my origin as he continued. “Do you believe you have anything to do with the creation of this world?”

“I cannot deny that for sure … I think we are finished here. And, what did you learn about me?”

“You are a vampire who just awoke her vampirism completely, yet can control her desires which no vampire before you ever achieved in such a short time. You are logical, manipulative, smart and ruthless, a combination I don’t want to see in my enemy. I wonder to which evil god I have to pray so that it reaches you … and, what did you learn?”

“They don’t call you the wise king without reason. You didn’t lie once and that’s enough for me to trust you for now. I need your help in mass murder.” I grinned and showed him my teeth. He didn’t flinch, not even as I licked my lips.

“I am willing to assist, not because I trust you, but rather because the world will be doomed if I don’t help.” He concluded, exactly as I hoped he would.

“I do have two conditions though. Arthur White, me and the former bandit Tom will be the only survivors. And I want you to promise that no elf or any entity sent by the elves will attack the Worchester Kingdom for a year.” I wanted to ask for a longer time or even a peace treaty, but I didn’t speak for the humans in this conversation, but rather as myself or at best, Arthur´s underling.

“A de facto truce? The humans won`t be capable of striking anytime soon after all … alright, but only if you will make sure Arthur dies within a year.” A dukedom without a ruler would be incredibly destabilized, even when Mary took control directly after Arthurs death. The wise king´s way of thinking was incredibly similar to my own in that regard and it was quite the brilliant demand in my opinion. And yet, it also showed he had zero ideas what I was up to. As such, his demands didn’t mean much, except that I had to solve this issue about the next impending war with the elves within a year.

“They will take the same bridgeI took, around tomorrow at noon and then follow the only route there is. Use fire to burn everything down and keep your distance. Are you capable of doing so?” I asked and hoped that the elves knew how to use fire arrows.

“We are elves, although we do hate fire, we are obviously capable of bending it to our will. I would like to have a bit of support from your side as well though.”

“Don’t worry about that. I will spread chaos even during the day.” I smiled, stood up and shook the king´s hand. Why wasn’t everyone so understanding and logical like he was? Truly, the world would be a better place as I wouldn’t have to deal with idiots like Markus anymore … not that I had to deal with him for much longer thanks to the help of the king.