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JONATHAN: Swansea, I really appreciate the weapons you gave to me.
SWANSEA, happy: Don’t mention it!
JONATHAN, nervous: Yes but I couldn’t notice, you give me a gun called Barker.
The notes you gave me about the weapon explained the gun used to belong to Carl Eldritch. Is just a copy of the gun, isn’t?
SWANSEA: No, Jonathan I stole that gun from that motherfucker.
JONATHAN, shocked by Swansea language: Why?!!
SWANSEA, angry: Carl KNOWS why!
FLASHBACK. SWANSEA WAS PART OF EXCHANGE PROGRAM BETWEEN PRIWEN AND BROTHERHOOD. THIS PROGRAM WAS ABOUT SHARE INFORMATION AND PEOPLE FOR CREATING AT LEAST A COLD TOLERANCE.
SWANSEA WORKED AS DOCTOR IN PRIWEN AND ALSO BECOME FRIEND WITH GEOFFREY, BUT BEING OUTSIDE MAKE SWANSEA AWARE ABOUT SOMETHING WASN’T NORMAL IN PRIWE N .
SWANSEA,Leaning over Geoffrey's desk, conspiratorially: You know, Eldritch, he's… peculiar.
GEOFFREY,Eyes glued to a file:Peculiar? How so? He's the best damn hunter we have.
SWANSEA: Best? Yes. But… have you ever seen him eat anything other than tea and soup?
GEOFFREY,Scoffs: He's a man of simple tastes and weak stomach.
SWANSEA:Simple tastes? Weak? The man could wrestle a vulkod and then calmly sip his very berry tea on the top of their body.
And those hunts! Weeks on end, alone. Against powerful vampires. Never once he come in my office for an injury!
GEOFFREY,Raises an eyebrow: He's a legend, Swansea. A force of nature.
SWANSEA:Force of nature? Or something… else? Have you ever seen the way he interrogates vampires?
Like a wolf circling its prey. And those eyes… cold, predatory…like he is watching his meal!
GEOFFREY ,indifferent:You sound like you've been reading too many of those cheap vampire novels.
SWANSEA,Ignoring him:If he decides that day torture isn’t funny enough… he seduces them.
GEOFFREY,smirking: Carl and seduction cannot be in same sentence. He is a man of action not of physiologic game.
Sure he taught me how to seduce humans for getting information or paying less. But he always says to use it carefully.
SWANSEA,irritated: He clearly avoids to use his... charm mode around you. I mean he raised you, I don't think he likes idea you see him that mode. I wouldn't want to see my mother in that mode.
SWANSEA, went on like calmly like he was presenting an important project:
But if you talk with older hunters they can confirm you that Eldritch would use every advances he can.
They told me stories about … Eldritch honey-trapped vampires. Male, female, doesn't matter.
They practically melt into a puddle at his feet. Geoffrey, vampires are drawn to power but in different way.
A powerful human is something vampire want to own and subdue, but in front powerful vampires they would become submissive.
And Eldritch… he exudes power and subjugates them with few simple words. It isn’t normal!
GEOFFREY,Chuckles: You're seeing things, Swansea. Carl's just… intimidating and very focused on Priwen’s goal.
SWANSEA,Frustrated: You're all blind! You've grown accustomed to him. You see what you want to see.
But I know what I've seen. I've seen the way he moves, the way he hunts… it's not human, Geoffrey. It's… something else.
Geoffrey, calmly: He is just a skillet hunter. You are going to tell me Madeline, our second-in-command, is strange too?
SWANSEA ,Shocked: You're starting to sound like you've been hit in the head one too many times on those hunts. She is too powerful.
GEOFFREY, taking a cigarette: How so? She's just incredibly skilled.
SWANSEA: Skilled? Yes. But… have you ever seen her pick you up? From the floor? You're not exactly a featherweight, Geoffrey.
You're built like a Greek statue.
GEOFFREY, Sarcastically: If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were body-shaming me and suggesting women can't be strong. She just… likes to pick me up.
She practically raised me, after all.
SWANSEA, Slowly: She picks you up like you're a child. Like you weigh no more than five pounds!
She is supernaturally strong! Like a Greek hero. (Pauses) Like she could effortlessly throw a grown man across a room.
GEOFFREY ,Chuckles: Funny, Carl painted her as Atalanta in his painting.
With wolves instead of bears, of course. He told me wolves are more appropriate for her.
SWANSEA, The ring of suspicion intensifies to mention of wolves: Carl? Atalanta? Wolves? I need to check if your brain wasn't damaged on your last hunt!
She always eats her meat almost raw.
GEOFFREY, Calmly, nonchalant: Ah no, sometimes she eats it directly raw!
SWANSEA ,Staring at Geoffrey in disbelief: You… you don't see anything strange about that? All those guards, they're all blind!
GEOFFREY ,Confused: Blind? To what?
SWANSEA ,Frustrated: To the strange things around your bosses! Guards have been so focused on the hunt, so cautious around vampires,
that you've become blind to the unnatural things around you, even your own leaders!
I don’t believe all my life I have always been the dreamer , the eccentric one… now I am voice of reason and I hate it!
ANOTHER FLASHBACK
Carl Eldritch slammed his fist on the table, making Swansea jump: Swansea,You are the most infuriating member of the Brotherhood I've ever encountered!
You've completely violated the protocols for exchange between the Priwen Guard and the Brotherhood!
I'm sending you back with a glowing report... on your ability to cause chaos.
Swansea, speechless with fury, could only glare at Carl.
Carl Eldritch continued, his voice surprisingly gentle: You've been a thorn in my side, a constant irritant.
But you have a certain… determination. So I think you deserve to know the truth.
Swansea, bewildered, stammered: What truth?
Carl Eldritch smiled, a paternally sweet smile that made Swansea shiver because Carl wasn’t famous for being kind: You were right, Swansea. I’m not human. I am a Nemdor.
Swansea was astonished by the reveal that stared Carl with open mouth.
Nemdors were legendary vampires who only feed on their kind because they hate the vampirism and their condition.
Legends told Nemdors could conceal their true nature to immortal too.
Cynical Brotherhood scholars believe Nemdors were just Ekons with different moral code but Swansea had stalk… observed
Carl Eldritch who owned unique features that make him hard to be classified as vampire.
No surprise the guards were blind around Carl, or they were too busy to listen his captive voice than noticing something.
Carl Eldritch shown his fangs and Swansea, ecstatic for this important scientific/occult discovery, sputtered: You… you are? But… why are you telling me?"
Carl Eldritch withdrew his fangs and smirked: Because no one would believe you.
Swansea exploded: You son of a bi…!
Carl interrupted, his smile fading: Language, young man. It's not my fault your reputation precedes you.
Everyone thinks you're obsessed with vampires because you want to sleep with them.
Swansea, embarrassed: I don’t want to….
Carl Eldritch cutting him off: I know you don’t want to screw vampires! You want to be one of them which it is worst!
I would prefer you were pervert than the usual idiot who can’t see vampirism is curse!
Twisted existence and corrupt power! And you're reckless! Utterly reckless! Learn some self-control if you ever want to succeed.
Swansea, deflated, slumped in his chair. He was right. He was probably going to be labelled a lunatic.
He couldn't accuse the leader of Priwen Guard to be a vampire. The Guard would ask for his head , the Brotherhood would punish him for avoiding a diplomatic accident.
But knowing the truth… it was a bittersweet victory.
Well, at least Swansea knew more about Nemdors that everyone else in brotherhood.
These were key points:
1) Nemdors can drink or eat liquid food. Vampires couldn’t consume everything than blood without vomiting, this it wasn’t the case of Carl Eldritch.
Who declared to everyone he had a weak stomach which he wasn’t lying completely; he just didn’t mention his diet varied with also vampire blood.
2) Swansea saw Carl under the sun, grumpy but not in ashes. So Day walker vampires actually exist.
3) Nemdor’s glaumor was something, it indeed hide the true nature. Priwen didn't know about true identity of their leader.
Vampires believed Eldritch was scrourge of vampires but they didn't recognize him as one of them.
4) Nemdors didn’t see humans as preys. Swansea stolen … he borrowed some private documentations and they was no trace of mysterious deaths of hunters .
Carl Eldritch hadn't touched a drop of blood of his man. He was very protective of them , like wolf dad.
Seeing how Eldricth torned apart Vuldok who dared to touch Geoffrey in front of him.
Swansea wasn’t sure it was a nature of all nemdors or only Carl.
5)Connection with wolves. There were always howlings around the Priwen,
not only made impossible to sleep but Swansea swore Carl listened to them like he understood what they said.
6) If Carl's outbust was commun belief, nemdors indeed despite vampirism.
7) Madeline wasn’t a nemdor but she wasn’t human.
No enough info because Brotherhood focused to much on vampires and forgot there were other supernatural beings.
Swansea avoided to investigate Madeline because he was sure Carl would make him pay if he bothered his partner.
Eldritch was expect of torturing vampires but Swansea was sure he was good also do it with humans.
Well, it wasn’t a lot but at least he got something.
So years later Swansea stole Barker gun for his research about Nemdors. Unfortunately,
Swansea couldn’t prove his theory yet but at least had he could spite Carl by stealing his dear gun.
Because Swansea was sure Carl faked his death and his last request about barker too be buried with him, it was a trick for taking it back. No under Swansea’s watch!