"Yo! Wake up, bruh! It's morning already!"
Fallon shook his old friend awake, who had been sleeping for 12 hours straight.
"Two nights in a row, Vince!" the entrepreneur said. "24 hours of sleep in the last 36 – that's a bit of an overkill, don't you think?"
Vincent turned his head the other way, but did not open his eyes. His entire body had been covered in a dough-like mixture which had set overnight into a firm, clay-like crust. It was not rigid like plaster, but it held together with enough strength to brace his body while it healed.
A nurse began peeling it off. The mixture was infused with a Ki-charmed healing incantation. The bounty hunter took a deep breath – he felt rejuvenated and finally opened his eyes. Flakes of the crust came off his eyelids.
"Hey there, buddy." Fallon smiled. "Feeling a'ight now? Or do you still need more?"
"I'll manage."
With all the dough removed, the nurse got up.
Vincent took a deep breath and then slowly sat up.
Fallon chuckled. "We gave you one hell of a wax job, white-hair… Cha!"
"I'm gonna need a shower to wash this gooey stuff off." The bounty hunter looked up. "Do you have any spare clothes?"
The entrepreneur stood up shaking his head. "Sure," he said. "I'll get some. Do you need anything else?"
"Just breakfast… and a sword… a sword would be nice."
"Aa… do you want the blade served with rice or just eggs?"
They exchanged a grin before Fallon walked out with the nurse and Vincent went into the bathroom to take a shower.
'Tell Samantha I won't be coming home after all…' The bounty hunter had said this before leaving Fallon's establishment with the Zeta Squad. It was a passphrase. As soon as he heard it, Fallon deployed two Spotters to tail the group. And as soon as Vincent provided the signal, after escaping from the Ki-limiting braces, they moved in and teleported him away.
He was brought immediately to one of Fallon's casinos in Europe. Once there, Cultist healers on the rich man's payroll placed him under spells to begin healing work. They kept the bounty hunter submerged in Ki chambers similar to the ones inside the Eye's Aquarae for more than 24 hours before giving him the two nights of sleep covered in Ki-charmed mud.
In four days, his wounds had been healed, his Ki networks had been repaired, and his Ki rejuvenated – the White Bolt was ready to head out on his next mission.
Water still clinging to his skin, Vincent walked out with a towel slung low on his waist. As he brushed his hair back with his fingers, he noticed his host standing at the door with some clothes in his hand. His gaze lingered on the bounty hunter's body for a few moments too many. Up close, the years-old scars were impossible to ignore – deep lines etched across his chest, shoulders, and back, each with a faint redness that made them look unsettled, like they had not fully healed. But what caught Fallon off guard was the contrast: Vincent's left arm and left foot were untouched, smooth skin where there should have been damage like the rest.
The White Bolt closed his eyes as he sighed. Slowly, the scars began to fade. Within a minute, they completely disappeared.
"Why hide them?" Fallon asked, then gulped. "I'm sure that camouflage wastes Ki."
"And why doesn't anyone know my name?" Vincent responded. "And why doesn't anyone know who I am or where I live or what I do?"
"Fair enough…"
The host threw the clothes onto one armchair and sat in the other. Vincent picked them up and walked behind the dressing screen.
Fallon asked, "So, Vee, when are you planning on going out again?"
"Immediately," he replied.
"Gonna chase the remnants, huh?"
"Probably not."
"I thought that was your mission."
Vincent walked out wearing a white half-sleeve t-shirt and black trousers. He came and sat down on the other armchair beside Fallon.
"Game's changed," he said. "Everyone's after the remnants but I can't lay a finger on why."
Fallon smiled. "The Eye already has two. They just might be looking to complete the set… Cha!"
"Two and a half…"
Then, there was a knock on the door – two service boys brought breakfast. They placed the trays on the table in front of the duo and left.
Vincent sipped the tea and breathed out an appreciative "ahh."
As he then shifted his attention towards the eggs and toast, Fallon asked, "Hypothetically speaking, what could Derek want with those remnants?"
"He's an Alchemist," Vincent replied, still chewing. "I'm not a hundred percent sure about the extent of their power. So, it's tough to say."
"Hypothetically." Fallon leaned ahead. "I mean, it's not like the stones have ever been utilized to their potential."
"They have… just not to the potential their creators presumed."
"Wassa what now?" With one eyebrow raised, he added, "You're gonna have to unpack that, bud."
Gulping down the egg, Vincent looked over. "The Cult of Assassins – their leader utilized the powers of the stones perfectly."
"No, no, no. He drugged his soldiers and then took every ounce of the fear of death out of them. They became blind faithfuls and beat the bejesus out of the Sanctum."
"Nope. Well, partially." Wiping his hands with a tissue, the bounty hunter explained, "He would send armies of his faithfuls to fight the forces of the Sanctum. When his soldiers were killed, he'd use the Xoitique Pearl – the stone of Death – to trap their souls and keep them from crossing over to the purgatory. Then he'd use the Xoitique Diamond – stone of Life – to rejuvenate the dead bodies and merge them with the undead souls."
"Woah…"
Vincent nodded. "No matter how strong the Sanctum's force was, their enemy just never died."
"But hold on just a second." He picked up a croissant and received a death stare from his friend. "What, Vee?" he asked. "It is mine, you know."
A shake of the head and Vincent shifted his focus back to the tea.
"Look, we've all heard the old tales, ok," Fallon continued. "The Xoitique Kingdom of Celestials that roamed the earth well before the time of Petrichor and Pollux. They wanted to break away from the dominion of God and created the three stones: the Diamond, the Pearl, and the Emerald – the stones of life, death, and unlimited Celestial power."
The White Bolt chuckled. "Then they found out the hard way how foolish their desires were."
"Yes but the tale doesn't say anything about raising an army."
"One's a bedtime story made from whatever's left of an old legend. The leader of the assassins on the other hand, used the stones in an actual real-life scenario. Which one are you gonna believe?"
"Hmm, good point…"
The conversation faded thereafter. Vincent kept eating in silence while Fallon sat with his head bowed wondering what the pursuit of the Xoitique remnants might entail for his business empire.
The hush of the air conditioner filled the silent space. The cooing of the pigeons sneaked in through the east-side window opened just a sliver, accompanied by the bright rays of morning sunshine. Distant sound of engines from 30 stories below was also raring to disturb the silence but fortunately could barely be heard.
Half a smile escaped Vincent's lips. The morning was peaceful. He had not felt this strong in a while and the tranquil surroundings were only making it better. He finished his eggs and leaned back in his armchair. With the teacup in hand, he brought one leg atop the other and took another sip.
Fallon broke the silence. "But what could he do with half?" he muttered, still looking down.
"Like I said… anybody's guess." The bounty hunter's smile vanished as he took his last sip and placed the empty cup back on the table.
The host looked at him. "No, but hypothetically…" He was not going to let it go. "What could he achieve with half, assuming he has the half?"
Vincent shook his head once again. "I don't know."
"He can't raise the dead."
"Yeah, you'd need both complete stones for that."
His posture stiff and head pointing straight ahead, Fallon rolled his eyes towards Vincent.
"What?" the latter asked.
"You know, the assassins were never destroyed, killed. They were sealed." The host raised one eyebrow. "So, maybe…"
"Nah." The bounty hunter shook his head. "You need a lot more than just half of the diamond to undo that. And that whole sealed-army idea is full of holes."
Fallon leaned back and pushed against the armchair as he stretched his legs. "Alright, then explain! What does he stand to gain from this? Vee, this guy's the tongue-man of tongue-men, bruh!"
The rich man looked over – his eyes wide open and gaze fixed on the bounty hunter. "No offense, but I know a bit more about the underground circuits than you do and I can tell you for a fact – even tongue-men buy information from Derek. You've told me stuff about the Xoitique Stones and I've done research on my own as well. But I can't think of a single use of the damned stones to justify the trouble he's gone through! He's attacked the Eye, he's attacked you, he's revealed his movement openly… I mean what the hell?!"
Vincent nodded. "Mm… I don't think he is gaining anything from it."
Fallon leaned back, nose wrinkling and lips twisted. "Hey! You're supposed to be smart. Come up with an explanation… cha!"
"I don't think he's the player, Fallon. I think he's just one of the bigger pieces on the board."