We left the scene as quickly as possible, leaving the vampire corpses behind. Supernatural creatures would normally dissolve into goo after they are killed, so long as they are spiritual beings, like faeries or demons. Vampires (and torviela alike) are material beings controlled by a spiritual ‘virus’ -- that’s how I like to call it. So their body doesn’t turn into goo but dries out, turning into mummies.

Mortals who are turned into Vampiric Beings stop being mortal. There had been a lot of investigation to understand what happens that makes a person ceases to be mortal, and all we know is that their soul is driven out by their spirit after it is infected. That can also be the reason why vampiric beings don’t have free will since it is also believed that free will comes with a soul, and mortals are the only creatures that possess a soul -- yes, animals and plants, and all living beings technically possess a soul, too.

The intricacies of mortality, the soul, the spirit, and the material, as well as the supernatural, and immortality are all very complicated, and not all is understood, not even by the beings themselves. However, it is thanks to mortals, and our thirst for learning the unknown, that allowed us to understand ourselves and everything around us, including the supernatural… even, allowing the supernatural to learn about themselves and us, too.

That has always been the danger of knowledge; it’s a double-edged sword. The more we learn about the world, the more our enemies get to learn about us as well. Nothing can be completely secret or private. Especially when the supernatural beings have known, for millennia, that mortals have more than just Power, but also Knowledge, and search for more of both.

This is why mortals, humans, and raderas, are still alive to this day. We are powerful and we know a lot, but we are also very important pieces of the supernatural chessboard. We’re like a queen combined with a horse, we get do to what we want, and whoever holds many mortals, holds power.

That has to do with why I am Uderach’s champion. But also why the opposition must be holding my nephew hostage. He had been dealing in BQ for a while without being taken by the torviela or the vampires or whoever, but now he was taken. That’s the only line I could see between him and torviela, and why it was happening now and not before. Why he had been commuting to the arcade and then back somewhere up until yesterday. And also, why the torviela and vampires had been spying on the arcade, waiting for me to arrive today after I had talked to Uderach.

It all had to be connected.

“I think he’s fine,” said Tedet while driving his car through a major avenue, leaving behind Boulavie Queen. “Not dead, I mean.”

I snorted. “You seem to care, if even a little bit,” I mocked him, but I continued before he scowled and said anything derogatory. “Yes, I think he should be alive, at the very least. And I also doubt they will do him any harm before I do anything problematic.”

“We should take a break today, we’re not prepared for anything.”

That meant that not only was he running out of batteries and potions, I was also running out of spells to whip out. And if that wasn’t enough, dusk is about to come, and, with it, nighttime, which is also the moment of the day when vampires and torviela are the strongest. You don’t want to mess with vampiric beings during the night.

“A wizard is always prepared,” I said, remembering a book I’ve read. “That’s what makes us dangerous.”

“And paranoic.”

“Ha ha! I guess that’s accurate,” I laughed hard at the comment. Man, I really needed a good laugh.

“That’s a laugh,” he said remaking my loud acknowledgment. “At least you’re doing fine.”

“Whoa, small guy,” I said incredulous, “you seem to be caring too much today. Are you alright? Leech got your blood?”

“Spare me the sarcasm, Ed,” he scowled.

“You can poke at me but I can’t at you?”

“You know I don’t find it funny, but I know you do.”

“I don’t know if that’s an alchemist thing or just a radera thing,” I questioned him. “I’ve never met a human alchemist -- heck, I’ve never met another alchemist, besides you.”

“It’s a radera thing,” Tedet concluded. “For some reason, humans enjoy being teased. It’s a social skill I’ve learned. I just don’t know when it is too far. I try to avoid saying anything controversial or personal.”

“You’re very prudent.”

The rest of the trip fluctuated from being friendly and loud to quiet and cautious. Despite us being friends, we were still aliens to each other. Different lifeforms evolved from different situations. No matter what similarities there were between our anatomy, physiology, and psychology, we were still very much alien. And it was very easy to see that difference when a conversation suddenly comes to a stop because you don’t know how to interact with what the other said. Or when there’s a talk about body problems, like when you say you’ve been sick or when there are relationship problems.

That is why I don’t talk to Ted about his girlfriend.

Well, besides being an alien, I’m also gay. I could probably give advice but dealing with a girl as a lover is beyond my experience.

Ah, damn. Even dealing with a boy is difficult for me; I’ve only ever had one relationship. Julian Genderson. I was too young and I was learning to be a wizard. The combination of both made it chaotic. I could never tell him why I was acting like I did, I eventually neglected him for my magical studies as well as my scholar ones. So the trust between us wavered until he finally decided to break it up, which I had to agree to.

I’ve talked to him through school, but after he left for university and I decided to continue with work and deal with the magical part of the world. Three years later, I met Tedet when I got my first job as a mechanic. Then we built our repair shop seven years later, and here we are now, four years later, at the present. I’ve been with this guy for eleven years.

I’d be lying if I said I wish I could be with someone else for that long. I’d never give up on Tedet, he’s my best friend. I trust him with more than my life. I’d trust him my children’s lives if I had any.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tedet dropped me off in a bar close to my house -- well, close is a figure of speech; it’s far away, but in this city, it is relatively close.

“Thanks, Ted,” I held his hand and grabbed his shoulder, he did the same, then we placed our hands on the back of our heads and gently hit our foreheads together, that was a radera salute for close friends.

I opened the door of the car and stepped out.

“Take care, Ed… and…” he paused and waited for me to turn around, which I did. “Go get ‘em.”

I smirked, I knew what he meant. “Wish me luck.” I waved him goodbye.

Tedet lifted his hand and showed his palm.

I closed the door and turned to go into the bar. The Appleden Digger. Weirdest name for a bar, I know. At first, I laughed at it, but I learned to grow fond of it. It has been there for me for a while now, through thick and thin. And the boys and girls here are all great pals.

I pushed the double doors that had the style of a wild west saloon, but it didn’t swing and completely covered the doorway. Also, the right door was the only working one… in fact, I think the left one isn’t even a door, I think it’s just the decorated wall. I never cared to find out.

Inside the bar was a narrow, single corridor, with tables with chairs to the left and the bar with stools to the right. It might be narrow, but it was long. And the wall behind the bar displayed thousands of liquors, from the cheap to the expensive, from human to radera, and from culture to culture.

The people inside were of all ages and sizes, even from different planets. They all came here to have a good time, and a good time they had. I have never seen a fight in here, mostly because the owner, a radera named Hayier Tangler, was very strict, especially with humans.

He likes me a lot; I’m one of his regular customers. But we weren’t always like that. Back a few years ago, I had stepped into the bar to catch a guy that had caused trouble in the shop. I figured out he frequented the place, so I stormed in and intimidated him with fire. He fought but I managed to club him with my very own staff. Hayier saw me, called the police, and took my staff away, breaking it in half. I was awestruck, and even after explaining he never apologized. He never apologized for breaking my staff.

The police arrived, hauled the guy I apprehended, paid for the three glasses we broke in our struggle, and then came back because I liked the place and the beer was good.

Hayier and the crew are friends with me now. So, when I opened the door to get some good food and beer for the closing night, I could hear the cheers from the commensals: “Hey! Wizard!”

Most didn’t know that I was a real wizard, actually, only two people besides Tedet knew I was a wizard. Hayier was one of them.

“Wizard,” Hayier acknowledged me while cleaning glasses. “You’re early.”

“Everyone’s early today, though,” I looked around and greeted people. Mike, Gaviar, Helve, Fred, Josephine, Clavel, and many more. I walked up to my usual place and sat down. “Hayier, hey man.”

Hayier turned around grabbed a beer from one of his many fridges below the bar, placed it in front of me, and opened the damned, beautiful thing in front of me. The glass began sweating even before he began opening the bottle. Even after centuries, beer is still served the same way, in a cold glass bottle.

“Thanks, Hayier,” I said and he nodded at me. I took a swig and enjoyed the good taste of a fine Güdheiser, dark German beer. The sweet nectar of the gods.

After the first swig I turned around to look at the place, everyone except for a few people were here.

“Looking for someone, big boy?” said Hayier, teasing me. Maybe the whole thing about raderas not knowing to treat humans wasn’t that accurate when you had a look at Hayier, because he definitely knew how. It could all be thanks to him managing a bar, being a bartender, talking to people all the time, listening to how people treated others. He was a master of small talk, human or radera.

“Erm, well,” I hesitated. Of course, I was looking for someone, but I hate it when someone knows what I’m thinking. I’m a wizard, for Mary’s sake, I’m supposed to be unreadable, and here Hayier managed to read me like an opened book with big letters that said ‘I’m looking for Martin.’ “I’m looking for Martin.” That was embarrassing.

“I haven’t seen him today,” said the bartender Hayier. He knew what I meant by saying those words, but he already knew well enough that teasing me about it wasn’t the best thing, and he also didn’t like teasing. He was more of a helpful guy than a playful one. In fact, he was the one that introduced Martin to me. Way to go, Hayier, best wingman ever.

Also, if it wasn’t already obvious, I’m interested in Martin Duaihei. I really liked the guy. The bastard Hayier somehow figured out my testes. I hate that he can figure me out so simply, but it’s also a blessing. Bless and curse this wonderful bastard.

“He should be here soon, he always comes early to wa--” he stopped mid sentenced looking at me. “Ah. He likes to come early. He doesn’t like staying the night.”

“I’ve stayed the night with him,” I said.

“Oh. You have?” the bartender began croaking softly.

“No, wait. I mean here. I’ve stayed the night here with him… damn.” I began turning red.

The bastard croaked louder. “So, you have. Of course.” He eyed me. “Go on, big boy, what are you waiting for? Stay the night with him.”

“A-Ah, I…” I began. “It’s not that easy, Hayier.”

“That wizard thing again?” Hayier grunted and hissed. “I’ve had enough about that. Ask him out already.”

“Let’s say he says yes,” I said before being interrupted by a deep stare from those big yellow eyes. “If - If, he says yes, he’s going to have to deal with me, with what I do. Hayier, today wasn’t as fun. I involved Ted in it. And things are getting worse.”

“He knows what you are.”

“But what about what comes with it? He’s going to have to carry it, too.”

“And you’re choosing for him? What if he wants to?” He put the cup he was cleaning to one side, flipped the towel over his shoulder, placed both palms on the bar, and hunched down to look at me leveled, but right at my eyes. “You can’t take from him. That’s his choice.”

“But what about mine? What about the choice of not putting him in danger? Is that not my choice?”

He kept looking straight at my eyes. There have been many people I’ve soul gazed before, three of which have been my best friend Ted, the mortal man of my interest Martin, and the only other mortal I trust most, Hayier.

“What if he asks you?”

“I… I don’t know.”

He shook his head, displaying a human gesture. “You’re going to waste the chance of your life.” He grabbed the glass, looked at the door at the other side of the bar, and nodded at it.

I could hear the door closing, I took a swig before looking to my right. I knew what Hayier was pointing at and it was confirmed by the many voices exclaiming the person’s name.

There he was. My heart began beating faster. The bastard Hayier had me worked up with all this talk that I've become nervous, something that doesn’t normally happen even if it’s Martin. But now it got me worked up.

“Hey, everyone,” he said walking straight to the end of the bar where I was. He looked at me, knowing where I was going to be, and lifted his head to salute me before waving a hand. “Eddy.”

“Martin, hey,” I greeted

“Martin,” said Hayier.

“Hayier, how are you doing?” he greeted back.

“Asweiss. Cold,” Hayier said simply.

“So quick?” he made a face that meant a sarcastic surprise. “You know me. Sure, bring it.”

Hayier had the bottle in his hand already, he placed it on the bar, opened it skillfully, and left us alone. “Have a good time.” That was a remark for me because he said it while looking straight at me.

“So,” began Martin. “How are you doing Eddy?”

I sighed. “Man, Martin, it’s really good to see you.” I smiled and I really knew that was an awkward start. “Where to even begin?”

He lifted his bottle to me, asking for a toast. “You and me.”

I clanked my bottle with his and -- I just noticed that that could be mistaken for something else, which I’m going to roll with, no way to back down now -- lifted my eyebrow.

“Kanpai,” he said.

“Yea, good health and all that.”

We took a big swig of our beer and sighed in relief. Good beer is always great.

“So,” he stretched the only vowel for a second or two before continuing: “Where do you begin?”

And I told him everything, except the parts where we killed things and what I discussed with Hayier.