The Farmer slammed a wooden chair onto the foyer and the boys sloppily placed the unconscious man in it, his limbs flopping like heavy ropes.

"Do we tie him up, or . . . ." the Farmer pondered, pupils dilated, fingers twitchy.

"Wouldn't do any good, the man controls Blood. You don't know what that means do you?" Kael asked, studying the Farmer.

What followed was a long pause, and yet a surprisingly short one given the circumstances. "No, but I can catch up later. Right now, he knows where my brother-in-law is, yes?"

"Bartholomew?" Kael asked, surprised. The pieces fit a bit more snuggly in his head after hearing that. Kael surveyed the scene and shrugged, walking forward and placing his palm on the Blood Syche's chest. An object any human was directly touching couldn't normally be controlled; Kael had technically blown up the dirt a little under this guy's feet. But if Kael and the other human were both touching an object, then fair game. The chair and the man's clothes all buzzed with energy. There was no sound, no visual clue, no way to tell if you weren't a Syche, but what little energy Kael had left in him coated the Blood Syche like chains.

"You're going to blow him up?" Joshua asked.

"I'm going to hold him like this while you open a vein and bleed him out. If that doesn't work? Yes, I might blow him up."

"Hard to do either of those things without killing him," Joshua said, a question buried somewhere in those words. Kael had never killed another person but the idea didn't make him squeamish. He would do whatever it took and he left Joshua very little room to question it this second.
            Joshua sighed and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "We're quickly moving from whimsical adventure to some real psycho stuff K. We can interrogate him without—" Joshua stopped leaning and planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Everything you're saying right now is so far off the reservation."

Kael snapped. "He controls Blood, he's full of blood. I'm keeping us safe."

"Sounds an awful lot like torture."

"It's only torture if you enjoy it. I'll just hurt him the right amount."

A hacking, rattling cough joined the conversation. "If you want to be threatening, don't be vague. Specificity is the wit of the soul," the Blood Syche said. His chin lifted off his chest, but it looked like it took effort. The shotgun snapped and the Farmer was right there, keeping it level at his head.

Kael nodded. "If he does anything weird shoot him. While you do that, I'll blow him up." Kael look the Blood Syche dead in his cold, lifeless eyes. "Specific enough?"

Joshua raised an eyebrow and raised himself off the wall. "Before we do all that, how about I try my way? Hm? Couple of words. Little exchange of dialogue? Given the situation I'm sure we can all 'B positive'."

"You're not going to shoot him, are you?"

The words confused Kael, but he didn't have the mental bandwidth left to look around. Luckily the answer came hobbling over as Pieter crutched around the corner and bunkered himself behind the kitchen counter.

"You were to watch Emilie," the Farmer spat, not removing his focus from the man in the chair, sweat dripping down the bridge of his nose.

"She's in her room; she's fine," Pieter answered timidly." The top of his head popped up, just to the eyes.

"Sure why not, more the merrier," Joshua clapped his hands together and approached, stopping five feet away from the man in the chair. "County Man, do we get a name?"
            "No."

"Did you kidnap Bartholomew?" the Farmer cut in.

The man in the chair looked sideways with a mouthy grin. "No." There wasn't a hint of panic in the man's voice, in his demeanor. Not the merest indication he wasn't in control. Kael could see that fact rattle his brother, who frowned and couldn't figure what to do with his hands. Kael couldn't say he was immune to it either.

"You do. . . You do realize," Joshua began, "that if this stops being a conversation, then my brother here takes over. I don't think he's a killer if you were awake for that part, but between you and me, he's a little sadistic. It's the traumatic childhood."

The man hacked another bone rattling laugh. "Not a good threat. Whatever you do to me, it would be far worse if I talked."
            "And yet, you've already talked," Joshua said rubbing his hands together, walking forward and punching Kael in the shoulder. "So you are working for-- or with-- someone else. Probably someones, with a threat like that. I'd go so far as to say that they are the ones who kidnapped the father, you're just here for cleanup on the daughter."

The man's grin faded to complete stoicism. "You already know everything then. Why bother asking me questions?"

"Who are you with?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm going to sit here, and I'm going to wait."

"You aren't waiting for your police buddies, that's for sure," Joshua took a step forward. "All that blood magic wouldn't sit well with them."

"It's not magic," Kael and the Blood Syche said together. Kael ruffled his nose in annoyance that that had just happened.

"Speaking of blood," Joshua said, "I ran my hand through those robes of yours. You aren't carrying any containers and some of your blood is still outside. Feeling faint?"

The man in the chair shrugged. "I can lose a bit more than the average person."

"Um," came the sound from behind the counter as Pieter spoke up. "His police buddies?"

"Shut up," the Farmer said.

Kael took a second to feel. He had the man completely coated in Sychakenetic energy, but blood could explode at any time from this man, pushing past that ephemeral barrier. Standing this close was suicide but there was another force working inside Kael. Rage. Simple and pure.

Let him try.

"Just give me a name. Who you working for?" Joshua asked, dropping his voice lower. As he did, Kael glanced to the open door, to the dark swirling mists that thickened by the minute, hiding who knew what.

No response.

Joshua tried again. "Where's Bartholomew?" Nothing. "Why do you want the daughter?"

The Blood Syche's head rolled to the side, changing his gaze towards Kael. "What about we finish our fight? You win, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Settle this with some honor. We can stop pretending that there's anyone other than us here who matters."

"No," Kael interjected. "Farmer-man, shoot."

"You want me to shoot him?" the Farmer's previous ride or die mentality faltered, his face skewed aghast at the suggestion.

"Not his body. Just put it up to one ear and pull the trigger. If that doesn't work we can do the other and then sign our questions." To Kael's surprise, the Farmer moved forward to carry out the command, even as Kael heard Joshua muttering his disbelief.

"Wait!" The Blood Syche said as the shotgun barrel came level with his eardrum. "You want a name? Fine. The Dark Element."

Kael could see his brother hone in on that name, what it could imply. But Kael simply didn't care. Scare tactics by a group of thugs in costumes. "Go on," Kael commanded.

"Not much else to say. It's an old mercenary outfit out of Seriah composed entirely of Syches. Not much of us left in the world but we're pretty good at the cloak and dagger stuff, eh?" He laughed again, it was now so clearly dramatics, this entire interrogation a stage play for the man. "How about you?" he nodded to Kael. "Where did you learn to use your powers like that? Hard for that to happen without us swooping in, picking you up."

"Shoot."

Once again, Kael was surprised how calm and prepared the Farmer was. He stepped forward just as Joshua screamed no and pulled the trigger, firing into the floor. It felt like being slapped inside the ear as the supersonic bullet rent the air; Kael stumbled backwards with his hands up in shock. He could see Pieter and Joshua cursing the Goddess's namesake, but the words didn't register at first. Like a radio being tuned, sound came back into focus in bits of static.

 In the chair, the man lolled to one side, in pure dumbfounded shock. He moved his jaw up and down as if that would help.

Kael hadn't even realized he wasn't grabbing the man anymore. He stumbled forward and placed his hands back on the man's chest, breathless at his own stupidity but managing to erect another barrier of energy all the same, infusing the Blood Syche's clothes to the brim.

"You've made it clear we might not have time, so don't waste any. Simple questions require simple answers," Kael shouted.

"Where is Bartholomew?" Joshua began again.

The noise that rattled out of the bottom of the Blood Syche's throat was the midpoint between a groan and a growl. "I'm going to kill you first little man." The Blood Syche was staring at his brother dead in the eye and Joshua was moving back. "Only because I can't stand the sound of your voice anymore."

So much for that. This man was going to walk all over Joshua now. How stupid people could be: demanding for Kael to take a turn.

Kael waved the Farmer forward with two fingers. "Same question my brother just asked."

 As the gun cocked inches away from the Blood Syche's other ear, he bellowed, "Tyré. They took the gorie doctor to Tyré and that's all I know."

"Tyré is. . . ?" Kael threw the question his brother's way, saw his hands shaking uncontrollably.

"An island to the n. . . north. Close, all things considered, not a large population either."

Gathering the folds of the man's robe in his hand, Kael pressed, "Where in Tyré!"
            "I don't know, it's an entirely different leadership. But I'll tell you what I do know," the man cocked his head, dropping his voice. Kael's brow furrowed and he stooped down. "I know that. . . ." the man said in a whisper; Joshua looked on skeptically from the wall. "I know that--"
            Bang. Kael's ears rang again but not as bad as the first time due mostly to how numb they already were. He blinked, absolutely stupefied as the kidnapper slumped in his chair, his chest shredded like the face of a grater by the shotgun pellets. Kael's breath shaking, he wiped the wet feeling that dimpled his face and turned to the Farmer with the taste of ionized metal in the air. The Farmer's hands shook, he repeatedly mouthed 'no'.

"What did you do!" Kael screamed at the Farmer, advancing on him.

The Farmer didn't look calculated as if this was a betrayal. But he didn't seem confused either like it was an accident.

"I, I. . ." the Farmer stuttered. "There was-- You told me to shoot if--" He threw the now empty gun into the side room and pointed in between Joshua and the Blood Syche."I didn't mean to. I mean, he's dead right?"

Kael whirled around to where the Farmer had pointed. Joshua was against the wall, a thing black shiv rising out of the floor. His eyes fluttered as he breathed shallowly, his hand rising up to the spear of blood at his chest.

"Joshua!" Kael screamed, making it to him in a single bound. He kicked the spear out, not even thinking; the frozen spire of blood shattered on the floor. Joshua nodded, looking at his brother, one hand slowly coming to his chest. He pulled the shard of blood level with his heart out and Kael didn't breathe.

"I'm bleeding." Joshua sounded more amazed than worried. He put his hand under his shirt, and brought it to his heart.

"Joshua?"

"Hurts a bit. Just through the skin before it stopped. Feels like when I got jabbed with a pool cue. Did I die?"

Kael shook the wetness forming at the corner of his eyes away, shook Joshua by the shoulder, thanked the Goddess, thanked the Farmer, and then moved on to tracing the blood back, right to the bottom of the Blood Syche's shoe.

"He's dead? A guy just died right in front of me?" Once again from the kitchen: Pieter.

Kael wanted to be mad, but the rational part of his brain was catching up. Seeing a man just cease to exist like that, his chest explode. It was worse than Kael had expected by magnitudes. But he couldn't be idle right now, the Farmer looked to be having a panic attack, his brother stood mouth open and blasé, doing nothing but blinking repeatedly while holding his chest. Pieter would start screaming in ten to fifteen seconds.

"We'll hide the body. Joshua and I can take his car," Kael began.

"Hold on, what even was that? Why did I shoot?"

" You saw him try and murder my brother by running blood along the floorboard and you shot. There are four Elements, and people control them. It's that simple. It's ridiculously hard to do and there are maybe a hundred Syches left in the entire world, so no one really knows about it. Okay? Is that an explanation? Is everyone caught up on the exposition so we can deal the body of a dead police officer in your foyer?"

Pieter poked his head out and quit his sobbing, wiping snot from his upper lip. "This is insane. You did kill a cop."

"I forgot about you, but--" Kael went silent, face skewed up in a knot, finally remembering to use his powers and keep an eye on the yard.

"His friends coming?" Joshua asked. Of course he could recognize when Kael was using his powers.

"Not outside." Kael pointed to the Farmer, "Reload now, this guy is still alive."

"The guy who looks like a five year old sponge?" Joshua asked, only looking at the man in the chair through his peripheral vision. Kael couldn't blame him; it was vile.

And then the Blood Syche stood up. Like the living dead, his feet planted and the rest of his body moved to join them. "I was hoping for a more opportune moment, but here we are." The Syche raised his right arm and his blood splattered about the house like a horror show pooled back together, running along his arm. The wounds in his chest clotted. And from that swirling mass of blood on his arm, a crystalline red blade formed.

Kael inched back as Joshua dove over the counter to join Pieter.

"Get the girl," Kael screamed at his brother grabbing the nearest chair and infusing it with power. He chucked it as the bloody crystalline blade screamed for his chest, but the explosion took the Blood Syche off his feet and launched him into the living room. "And get me those shotgun shells," Kael bellowed to the Farmer, wherever he was; Kael had lost track.

Kael sprinted forward to meet the combatant, but pulled back almost immediately as the Blood Syche was already back on his feet. Pushing Pieter aside-- who was trying to get to the front door-- Kael ducked the first swing of the blade. The attack came slow, unwieldy. Whether the damage or the lack of blood, the Syche didn't have much left in reserve.

As Kael heard the rush of feet on the second floor, he tracked the man's arm as it rose high into the air. As the blade came crashing down vertically, Kael dove the side, right past his opponent. As the crystalline sword broke through the floor boards in a shower of splinters, Kael kicked hard at the back of the man's knee, forcing him to the floor.

Kael scurried to his feet and glanced around room, to find anything that would explode real good.

"Here!" the Farmer said, rounding the corner, a box of shotgun shells tucked to his chest.

Kael reached out his hand, beckoning for the Farmer to throw them as the Blood Syche raised his head, realizing what was happening. And then the Farmer fell, crumple into a ball as a spindle of blood took him in the gut. The shells fell onto the floor in dull thuds, rolling this way and that across the kitchen and foyer.

The Bloody Syche lumbered forward, so Kael forced his energy into the floor, creating an explosion between them that was more smoke and soot than heat and death. He pushed himself away, turning his back to the Blood Syche so he could get to the shells. He needed that high density metal more than anything right now.

"Argh!" Kael screamed, feeling a white how tear going through his left calve, a shiv of blood hitting him too. He fell against the floor in a shambling stumble, turning over as quickly as he could to see the enemy. The Blood Syche clawed his way forward, his crystalline sword lapping up a trickle of Kael's blood that now spackled the floor.

No time to get up again. The Blood Syche stood tall and raised his sword. Kael threw his hand out and felt for a shotgun shell. His fingers touched one; knocked it away. The blood sword reached it's apex; Kael saw the muscles in the Blood Syche's neck tighten, ready to usher in the weapon's descent. Kael grunted and put his energy into the floor boards around them, as much as he could. He didn't know who this would hurt more, he just knew it was going to suck.

Before the blast came, Kael halted as the Blood Syche stumbled, a large kitchen knife sticking out of his side. The Syche staggered sideways, the sword becoming too heavy and crashing into the wall.

Both Kael and the Blood Syche's eyes snapped up, expecting to see Joshua or maybe even the Farmer there with a lucky throw. But no one important was left standing in the room, just little old Pieter by the door, his hand raised. The Blood Syche scowled, not quite getting it yet; but Kael did, and as he did, a shotgun shell rolled into his fingers off its own accord. Kael grinned and infused it, chucking the bullet squarely at the Blood Syche, catching him between the shoulder blades.

The explosion didn't erupt into a glorious pyrotechnic show, but it had punch. The Blood Syche once again got launched into the living room, but this time through the wall.
            Kael grunted and stood, wincing at the pain in his leg. And he felt it, Kael felt that subtle emanation from Pieter. A bit tinny on the outside, but a Metal Syche through and through.

"You know you could do that?" Kael asked, already knowing the answer from the boy's stupid looking face.

"I-- What?"
            "Strong surge of life and death is a good way to discover you have powers. Congrats, one more Syche in the world than before." Kael grimaced, hearing the Farmer moaning behind. "Help me."

Together they equally limped over to the Farmer writhing in pain. His wound wasn't severe, just gross with the sliver of blood melting away and making a slurry in the man's stomach. He already held compression there, so Kael just hoisted him up the best he could and braced him.

As the three approached the door, Joshua sprinted up the porch steps and skidded into the foyer.

"Where did you disappear to?" Kael asked.

"Got the girl, put her in the County's car, hotwired his car, ran back in to save you."

"Why not just take my truck?" the Farmer asked and Kael couldn't help but feel they were getting away from the point.

"Low on charge when I last stole it," Joshua shrugged. He looked around at the destroyed house, the smoke and splintered furniture, the splotches of blood. Finally, he located what he was looking for, the Blood Syche crumpled into a smoking ball in the living room. Joshua made some indiscernible noise that Kael couldn't place as approval or disappointment and then helped the Farmer out towards the County's car, running and ready to go.

As Pieter hobbled along on three legs after them, Kael stopped in the doorway and remembered to check. He sent out the flow of his energy into the living room to see if the Syche there was living or dead, and beyond all comprehension and rational thought, the Blood Syche lived. No more faking it, the guy was definitely unconscious now. Kael looked between the shotgun shells sprawled along the floor and his unconscious opponent. He could do it now; he could kill this man, this monster that tried to kidnap a girl, tried to murder his brother.

Kael kept walking, out into that dark and foggy night.