BloodStar

In the Sage Empire, Jacek and Erika walked through the beautiful Sage Gardens holding hands and admiring the various flowers which had been procured from around the world.

“Things are going well in the world, Jacek. The United States is thriving economically following the war, our two empires are stronger than ever, the BloodStar Empire is aligned with us, and the Starfallen Empire… well Lady Starfallen is still reclusive as always.” Erika said as the two walked through the gardens with the sun shining high overhead.

Jacek smiled at her, “Even the Holy Light Empire is thriving in the aftermath of the war. St. Michael tells me his biggest problem is a serial killer in the capital city. Something about Scorched Shadow.”

Erika laughed, “I never thought I would welcome the days when underground crime organizations are our biggest problems. Yet here we are. Our problems seem so… manageable.”

Jacek smirked at her, “Do you know the best part?”

“What? Tell me.” Erika smiled bashfully.

“We even have time for romantic garden strolls.” Jacek lovingly gripped her hand and stopped her in front of an enormous display of blooming flowers.

He looked her in the eyes, “We have time for so much now that the world is more calm, more peaceful. We have time to work on us, and I am hoping we have time to work on our future together, in earnest.”

Erika eyed him curiously, “Jacek? What are you saying?”

He fell to one knee and retrieved a ring from his pocket. He presented the ring to her which glistened and sparkled in the golden rays of sunlight. The ring had a platinum band with an enormous and beautifully cut diamond surrounded by numerous smaller diamonds.

“Will you marry me, Erika Sage?” Jacek smiled up at her.

“YES! YES! YES!! A thousand times, YES!” Erika pulled him up from his kneeling position and embraced him with a passionate kiss. She then looked down at the diamond ring and slipped it on her finger admiring it in the sunlight.

“It’s perfect. Absolutely beautiful!” She was completely lost in bliss.

She then looked to him with a sparkle of love in her eye, “So this is why you asked me to dress up, do my hair, and wear a dress I love. I was on to you!” She looked around, “Okay, so where is the photographer?”

Jacek pointed to a stealthy photographer tucked away between two bushes who held up a thumbs up and shouted, “I got it all Lord Heraklinos and Master Sage.” She stepped out from behind the bushes and said, “Now how about a few posed pictures of the two lovebirds?”

Erika hopped with excitement and clasped her hands, “Yes! Let’s!” She began to pull Jacek’s hand forward as she talked to the photographer and walked briskly with excitement in her step, “There are the most beautiful orchids this way, and then we can take photos by the rose garden, and then…”

Her voice trailed off in Jacek’s mind as he was all smiles thinking to himself, “She said yes!” He breathed a sigh of relief following his proposal. The hard part was over. Now all he had to do was take hundreds, maybe thousands, of photographs in the high-noon heat.

____________________________

Xenia jogged along a trail just outside the capital city. The trail winded back and forth up the side of a large mountain. She had grown quite annoyed over the past month. Fincher had gone MIA even hiding from her during intense meditation meaning he spent most of his time within the void completely safe from her.

She thought to herself in frustration as she ran up the trail, “I’ve killed hundred of people over the last month in order to draw Fincher out, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I need to apply pressure elsewhere. I need the threat of Michael getting involved. That would result in Curtis putting pressure on Fincher. Giving me the opportunity to fall right into his ‘trap’.”

Meanwhile, Xenia’s strength and power had grown over the days and weeks. She was all but at full strength even growing so bold as to go jogging with no disguise at all. She ran up on a drink station along the trail where another jogger was resting.

She ignored the other jogger and grabbed a drink from the free water cooler dispenser on a table. She was deep in thought wondering how in the hell she was going to gain access to Fincher.

“The water is shit, isn’t it? Always hot.” The other jogger looked over his newspaper and looked at her.

Xenia planned on ignoring him. He was a man in his mid-thirties with a good build; however, she had her mind on other things at the moment. However, she noticed an article on the front of the newspaper titled: “Jill the Ripper”.

She took a sip of her water and smiled back at him, “What is the latest on Jill the Ripper?”

The man shook his head, “The official kill count is up to 246. People are scared.”

She walked over to him and stood in front of him, “What will it take for St. Michael to get involved?”

The man took a deep breath, “I think St. Michael sees this as a minor problem compared to his recent war. But there are also whispers of him avoiding conflict because this woman has ties to a crime organization. I don’t know the full story, but he will have to step in sooner or later as people become more fearful. I reckon that as soon as this Jill the Ripper makes a big public showing with mass casualties, he will be forced to act.”

She suddenly looked off in to the distance in thought and whispered, “Mass casualty?”

The man interrupted her thought, “Do you run here often? I haven’t seen you before.”

Xenia wore bright red and tiny gym shorts with a matching bright red sports bra holding her large boobs tightly. Her outfit was not one would forget even after seeing it just once. She smiled at him, “This is my first time actually. I needed some fresh air to think.”

She look away eyeing the beautiful mountain top in the distance and then abruptly turned back to find him checking out her toned, athletic body. The man averted his eyes as quickly as he could.

She smiled at him, “You’re right.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Right about what?”

She laughed, “Well, two things.”

She sat down next to him brushing her leg against his, “St. Michael won’t act until Jill the Ripper makes a horrific scene that can’t be ignored. Something the people will demand action for.”

He nodded his head in agreement and then said, “And the second thing?”

She pointed to the water dispenser, “This water is so hot!”

He laughed, “I know! Why would they do us like that running along this trail. It’s remote and rugged. The least they could do is offer us cold water.”

She stood up and fixed her ponytail tightening it, “I’m headed up to the end of the trail. There is a spring that a mountain tributary drains into. It is literally ice-cold from the melting snow at the mountain peak. Race you to the top? For a cold drink?”

The man was headed down the trail; however, the temptation of spending more time with such a beautiful woman overcame him, “A race? That depends… you aren’t Jill the Ripper, are you?”

She laughed with him saying, “Only if looks can kill.”

He smiled and laughed, “I hope you can keep up. You don’t recognize me, do you?”

She playfully smiled, “Should I?”

He laughed back at her, “Jaime Kurth?”

She shook her head, and he responded, “5x Olympic Gold Medalist in track and field, 5x Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming. I think I’m the only one who runs this trail in its entirety. That’s why I’m so shocked to see you here.”

Xenia laughed at the irony thinking to herself, “So full of yourself. You don’t even recognize me.”

She threw her water cup away and asked, “Okay Olympic Gold Medalist. What do I get if I beat you to the top?”

He laughed, “If you beat me, you can have anything you want. And all I ask in return if I beat you is a date and a night out on the town.”

She outstretched her hand to shake on it, “I suppose you’re handsome enough for me to take that risk.”

He shook her hand and stood up, “Then it’s a deal.”

She took off running and yelled back at him, “Better beat me there. Otherwise, I can have anything I want!”

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