18 months after Ajax's betrayal

Varic stumbled down the staircase, seeing double, vision blurred, and collapsed in a heap at the bottom, limbs twitching and eyes fluttering.

Poison was coursing through his system.

Varic proceeded to curse his arrogance, it was his one weakness, a flaw in his otherwise perfect self. Ever since he completed the Blades challenge he had developed the arrogance of someone who knew that he was better than everyone else.

Or at least that’s what he had thought until he was attacked while sleeping. He hadn’t trapped the door, and locking it was never enough. It was stupid, he knew, but such was the price of hubris, how easily a life could end.

Varic growled, he sure as hell wasn’t gonna let his end here.

Not only had he failed to make sure the room was protected adequately but he had also drunk the draught that Timone had given him. Timone, the only person he thought was half-way decent in this hell-hole of a place.

Rookie mistakes, mistakes that he could ill-afford to make. The Blade had pounded into him the importance of being ever vigilant, of trusting no one, it was also The Blade that made him so successful the damn bastard.

Varic snarled and spat savagely to the side. He had been too successful insipiring envy, distrust, and even hatred in the other Acolytes. He learned ten fighting styles in the time it took everyone else to learn one.

All of them were damn slow. May they rot forever in Deaths Domain.

No one could help him now, not that anyone would’ve helped him anyway.

Except maybe the all merciful, loving, and benevolent gods that had made this slum of a place.

Not that their blessings were doing much anywhere.

Bastards.

He didn’t know if he would be able to make it, he had multiple stab wounds all over his body and he felt an unidentified poison coursing through his system.

Spitting to the side a congealed glob of blood was the only thing that came out.

The only reason he was still alive was his burning desire for vengeance, it invigorated, strengthened, and empowered him.

It was times like this that Varic was actually grateful for what Vengeance had done.

Didn’t stop him lying prone in a pool of his own blood though.

Varic felt his limbs start to go numb and he felt and intense coldness in his chest, he couldn’t die though, not now, not like this.

And definitely not without killing Ajax, the traitor, the turncoat, the motherfu-

He heard footsteps and voices, seemingly far away, but he knew that didn’t count for anything.

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Varic raged, raged against the posion in his body and raged against the bastards that had tried to kill him.

He would rip them apart, and piss on their remains.

The coldness retreated once again as his desire for vengeance gave him power and lent him strength, despite that though the poison from an empowered of Pestilence was not something to be so quickly overlooked, he should consider himself lucky for even surviving this long.

It was when he heard the footsteps and voices coming closer that he knew he was truly and utterly damned, no one would not take the chance to kill him especially in his weakened state.

He refused to die on his back though, he struggled to move his arm and ripped his knife from its sheath, he hadn’t been able to take it out earlier for obvious reasons but now he could, and would.

He would die with a weapon in hand as the gods demanded, what he wouldn’t do though is die lying on the ground like a dog. A death like that would be too shameful.

To be lying on the ground waiting to spitted like a pig? Knife or no, It was an injustice he wouldn’t bear.

Legs shaking and pain coursing through his system, he regained his footing swaying unsteadily from side to side, before steadying himself on a nearby wall.

Varic grinned, seemed he would die on his feet as well.

He turned to the door readied his knife and prepared to face his attackers one last time. Varic wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Five forms descended, walking slowly down the staircase, Varic could hear the clink of their blades and the screech as hobnailed boots hit the floor.

Didn’t even show him the respect of a stealthy approach, arrogant sons of bit-

“Varic.” A monotone voice cut through his thoughts.

“Lin.” He replied equally monotone. “Was stabbing me in my bed not enough for you?” He looked at her companions, his eyes widened in surprise and fury kindled, his voice changing abruptly.

“What a surprise.” He sneered, at those who he called brothers, “Brothers.” Varic repeated scathingly, “What a joke, I was never a Brother to any of you no matter what you called me. At least, not since I proved I was above the likes of you damn slow bastards, Brotherhood is a joke, none of you ever stepped in to help me, so…. Do me a favor and go die in hell.” If there was one thing that Varic hated above all others, it was betrayal.

His Brothers took an aggressive step toward him, clearly angered and maybe even a little sheepish. Soft glows starting to surround them. They were calling on their power already.

They were weak.

Lin narrowed her eyes, “How are you still standing Varic? The amount of poison in your system right now would be enough kill ten men twice your weight and twice your height.” She looked at me, and I knew that the only thing that was keeping me alive was her curiosity, and maybe something else.

Varic spat at her feet, only thing that came out was a glob of blood but it got the message through. “Burn in the Seventh Hell whore.”

She nodded at one of Varics supposed Brothers, who promptly stepped up and slapped him savagely across the face.

Varic smashed his forehead into his traitorous Brothers nose, ducked under the next punch, and grinned as he heard the knuckles crunch against wall.

He stopped grinning when the mans knee rocketed into his chin.

“ENOUGH!” Lin stepped up beside her crony and stared him down. She then looked at Varic.

“Behave mutt, it’s the only thing keeping you alive.” She looked at Varic appraisingly, “What are we going to do with you?” She grinned, and started to take out her knives.

He returned the grin, showcasing bloody teeth and sharp canines, he had learned to file them long ago, as The Blade once said “Always have a weapon, when your arms are cut off, use your legs. When your legs are cut off use your power. When your power is exhausted use your forehead, when your neck is snapped and your holding on by just a thread… rip their throats out.” Illogical, but then again, the Blade always was.

“You know… I’ve hated you since your very first mission.” She put one knife away and took out a whetstone it its place.

“My Sisters were kind to me, we were a group, we looked out for each other, they were my rock in this otherwise stormy place.” Shhhing, she sharpened her knife.

“They gave me bread when The Blade withheld food, water when the blade withheld that.” Shhhingg .

“When all I could do was cry, they comforted me.” Shhhhing.

“You killed them all.” She looked up, tears were shining in her eyes. Her voice lowered into a whisper, “All of them.”

Her eyes flashed green, Varic could see the rage kindle.

“Now you will pay.”