Chapter 86 New And Old Paths

"Is this a person-tracking dagger?" Theodore asked immediately after Lukas searched for the weapon in hand. He didn't immediately return it to Lukas' hands and preferred to keep it in the front seat of the van.

"Um, I guess so…" Lukas decided to say.

It was far easier to act dumb than to reveal things. That would save his skin far more than just saying the truth. What would happen if Theodore realized that it was a precious weapon and contained a Vampire from ages past?

Surely that would get more attention.

The only reason why Viktoria Cadis was willing to part with the ostentatious dagger was because they did not know what it did and considered it a danger to figure out.

"Funny. This dagger pointed to your direction while you were gone but it's no longer pointing to you now that you're here."

"Um, it's probably only working if the user is gone for a certain radius." Lukas shrugged offhandedly.

"And how did Stacy know that it would track you?"

Lukas paused and then glanced at Stacy. How exactly did she figure it out–oh,oh! Lukas' eyes widened momentarily but then he kept his expression calm.

But perhaps it was a little too late.

Theodore had already seen that flicker of expression and kept his silence. Assassins were not only killers after all, sometimes they were investigators… interrogators and among other things.

But he chose not to say a word.

If only to prove a point. Because silence sometimes was far more effective in letting people talk than words did. And so he waited.

And waited some more.

If two people could talk with their eyes and express things–well it wasn't Stacy and Lukas. The two managed to talk through words but lacked the certain finesse it did to be able to talk properly through expression alone.

And perhaps they'd never find the time to speak about it, especially being stuffed in the same van together. There were far too many ears to listen. Probably much more than Lukas would realize, but he didn't know.

When they had left the city of Lux, Lukas had been all for communication and teamwork. He had made it a point because Theodore had been so unresponsive and cruel.

But now he was not saying a word.

"A little hypocritical isn't it?" Theodore muttered. His thoughts had lingered in the same direction as he glanced at the rearview mirror and sighed. "Based on what I can say, this is one of the weapons on display in Blood Works. Display."

And for someone even like Alexei who was not allowed access to Blood Works, he knew what that meant. Alexei glanced at his sister and shot her a reproving look, much like what an older brother might do.

"You touched an artifact?" Alexei asked.

"... It was completely safe and I am unharmed as you can see." Stacy answered in rebuttal. A little curt and stiff, perhaps far more than necessary. She didn't even look at her brother or Lukas.

Was she good at lying?

The Vardokens were the type of people who were always expected to be liars, thieves and betrayers–but at the same time, she had also lived in obscurity and anonymity so she had never learned.

People didn't pay attention to a clerk at VitaBlood afterall.

"Yes, but in the hands of the wrong person–" Theodore started but then clicked his tongue. "I need not explain how there were some accidents in the past that had led to Miss Cadis simply safeguarding them."

This once again reminded Lukas of something.

The falling of the Vampires in terms of powers. Somehow, along the passage of time, their race, their kind had lost touch with what made them strong. Was it simply battling humans?

The ancestor of the Sanguise House said otherwise, but there was at least a fountain of knowledge.

Lukas chose to change the subject.

"... so uh, giant sandworms. Probably bigger than any dragon eh?" Lukas rested his hands behind his back and resisted the urge to wince at how he brought it up. He was exceedingly glad that Chaerin wasn't awake to witness his painful sight.

"Dragons?" Theodore frowned. "What fairy tales are you speaking of?"

"Fairy tales?" Lukas raised a brow. "We have Ancient Dark Serpents according to Emerald but not dragons?"

"... Why would we talk of dragons when they are no longer around?" Theodore said.

"But if they were around, I think the sandworm is far bigger." Alexei said offhandedly. He seemed to have decided that the topic was at least pleasant enough.

It was so boring to have nothing to do on the road and Alexei knew when he wouldn't be able to get answers from his sister and so he spoke.

"You think so?" Lukas asked.

He said it in such a tone that Alexei shot him a dark look as if there weren't any public libraries to peruse. Alexei was no savage to have not read books, and sometimes, it did prove to have an education.

At least to rub it in the faces of other Vampires who expected so little of those who lived in their district.

"Size is not what matters." Alexei said. "At least, not for dragons."

Lukas couldn't miss the small quip in the guy's lips as he said it. And Lukas was faced with the uncomfortable idea of another man's… size. Luckily for him, Alexei immediately continued.

"Some animals have chosen to grow to large sizes like the sand worms we encountered to prevent predators from eating them. Maybe the tough exterior protects it as well–but dragons have far more power than to rely on size. But there might be bigger dragons too."

"So, are there any kind of allegiances between dragons and Vampires?" Lukas decided to ask. He was sure that the Sanguise House Ancestor was seething based on their earlier conversation, but Alexei seemed to smile a little.

Now this was something that even Stacy didn't even bother with.

"Well, I don't think that there's much reason for a dragon to bother with a Vampire. Both are prideful enough on their own, so it makes more sense that they've butted heads. But there are stories that a Vampire Overlord had once tamed a dragon into submission–and he was known as Bloodborne Rider."

Lukas seemed impressed enough with the story until Theodore scoffed a little.

"I think that's more like an embellished story. I do not think that the public libraries truly hold accurate historical accounts. Nor are some willing to divulge too much information–"

"So you're saying that people in power like to keep secrets to themselves?" Alexei glanced at Theodore. "Like say, the Tenebris. Actually, why don't you tell us a far more accurate account then? Or is it something about the myth of goddess' Celes–"

At least the Vardokens were actually part of Lux.

Alexei didn't say it aloud, but the turbulence was in the air.

Theodore almost looked like someone ready to stop the van. "Someone who does not respect the old ways clearly does not know how the world operates. A shame."

"Gods exist, but, um do they show themselves?" Lukas scratched the back of his head. Based on how the tone seemed, being a non-believer seemed like a norm, at least for the city of Lux.

"Do the gods need to reveal themselves? Do the gods need to solve every single problem that we have?" Theodore sighed. "In the past, the Goddess Celes made her presence known but there is a limit to how much a deity will interfere."

"And look at what happened to us now." Alexei sarcastically said. "But I don't want to fight with someone who associates and mixes in with the lycans."

"Alexei!" Stacy finally interrupted her brother.

That was a low blow.

Lukas didn't even realize that the Tenebris family was from the Umbra city–but that made sense in hindsight. But the fact that Chaerin was able to stay asleep regardless of all this noise was something.

Or not.

Lukas glanced at Chaerin, and despite her closed eyes–he could detect that she was awake.

And it almost as if she had made a mind that she was not going to involve herself in the mess. Was that smart? Lukas didn't know. She seemed to be the one that Theodore tolerated the most.

"Okay, enough is enough." Lukas decided to speak up and rubbed his forehead. When was the friction ending? "We should just uh end the topic for now. I don't think this is doing us any good. Theodore, can I get my dagger now?"

"Fine." Theodore threw it backwards and thankfully it didn't hit Alexei in the face. He clearly was still able to have some self-control.

There were some logical reasons for each one naturally. The thought that the two Vampires would end up killing each other was something that Lukas did not give much thought to.

But it also made him pause.

If Alexei or Stacy ever ended up in danger and was separated from the group–would Theodore take the chance to abandon them? That hadn't happened with the Dream Eaters, so maybe Lukas was just panicking.

Speaking of the Dream Eater.

"Lukas!" Rhea's voice echoed in his ear dully. It was so dull that he almost didn't hear it.

'Rhea?'

"You've been blocking me off for a while now!" Rhea said, as if she was shouting but it was still dulled. "I've been calling you since forever. Are you planning to ignore me?"

That was the strangest thing to realize.

He had a feeling, he knew why.