Chapter 4: Hunter or hunted?
Although Rezler felt a great antipathy for him, he invited Onix to have dinner with succulent dishes that came from his huntings and to spend the night at his home, but definitely refusing to return his weapons. He wasn't only a kind and tolerant man, but also since he started his marginal life on the wild desert, year by year he felt more and more lonely. The raplos were his only constant company, and although he was always someone really independent and lonely, he was still a human...and when a human grows old in isolation, he will never be able to avoid feeling irremediably lonely.
Onix was lying, awake, on the big couch of Rezler's living room in front of the chimney. There were few hours left until 5 in the morning, time in which the old hunter agreed to lend Onix one of his raplos to go back where his motorcycle was with spare parts and repair it before the dawm, after that he would cross the tough desert until he arrived to the Cerules mountains, to the south. The warlock agreed with that plan, but with a little change...without delay, Onix got up and started investigating stealthily all the possible places where he thought his confiscated weapons could be.
Thanks to his experience as a thief, it wasn't hard to find the chest which contained them, hidden behind various wardrobes on the deepest warehouse and basement of the hosue. "My katana, my prized double-edged sword, my little wakizashi, my ten shuriken and my four knives to hide in wrists and ankles. I left my pea shooter on the motorcycle. but that won't be a problem".
Onix equiped his weapons satisfied and then went upstairs silent...and then he walked into the corridor that lead to Rezler's room, the same in which the warlock was lying unconscious hours ago. First he opened the door slowly and leant out quietly and, thanks to the weak light from the living room, he checked that the old bearded man was exactely still sleeping peacefully, turned to the opposite side of the door. Onix breathed deeply, ready to leap on him and plung the sword right on his heart, but some seconds before doing it he noticed that Rezler's bow was in a different place: just beside the door. And not only that, but also his carcaj...Onix, convinced of the better safety a distance murder would bring him and thinking about how ironic the situation was, loaded the bow with an arrow and shot the sleeping figure just on his neck.
A weak dull groan was heard, and blood started flowing out plentifully, dripping to the floor. Then, the warlock took inmediately his mobile phone from the pocket and made a call.
-Boss?
-Have you annihilated your last objective already?- said the call's receiver-
-Exactly, boss. You won't believe it, but this guy was the same who rescued me from death quite a lot of hours ago... my motorcycle broke down just after driving into Sachs, and i had to keep on walking until i collapsed.
-What matters is that the guy is a hunter called Rezler, lives in an underground house with a little farm of raplos. Are the requirements fulfilled? Is it him who just died?
-Exactly.
-Very well. Then meet the usual messenger in Cebium to receive the substantial payment for your last work with me. Go to the inn and ask for the room number 14.
-Received. Bye, and thanks.
-Allow me to correct you.
Onix, incredibly surprised, turned to his right and saw Rezler coming out from a big wardrobe, holding a gun and aiming at him.
-Did you believe i was that stupid? First, i investigated your mobile phone's content just after i brought you here, and all that i saw was a number saved after the name of "boss" and various reminder messages codified and incomprehensible. Then, you reveal that you are a stray assasin dog and a thief... did you believe it was going to be that easy?
-You?! But then, the one on the bed...
-The one on the bed is one of my poor old raplos that was dying. -said Rezler with a bitter smile- Just as i thought, you gave him a quick and painless last goodbye.
-What are you going to do with me?
-I'm going to bring you to justice, friend. Don't misunderstand me, i don't think of your punnishment as a warlock, but that a bastard assasin like you pays for his crimes... the ones you have already commited, the ones you were going to commit, and especially the one you were going to commit against me in my own house even when i had already saved your abominable life.
-Kill me then. I rather prefer you do it to the embarrassment of falling into the rotten justice.
-I'm not going to do it. I'm not one of yours, scum, i instead can distinguish between hunting wild animals and hunting people. And you are going to come with me, want it or not.
Then Rezler shot his little gun and Onix feared the worst. In spite of everything, the only thing that came from the gun's mouth was a powerful sleeping dart which hit the warlock's neck and plunged him into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, saw with dozing eyes that dawn was breaking on the northern boundaries of Sachs' desert. Onix was on a raplos over the dry and arid yellow ground, dressed and armed as he was before, but his legs were totally attached to the reptile and his hands were handcuffed on his back. They were riding fast to the north, and when he turned he saw that Rezler was also beside him, riding another raplos.
-Don't resist. -said Rezler once he noticed his prisoner's awakening- No matter how much you try to bother the raplos, he is well trained and won't do anything. On the contrary, if you do it you are going to recieve a great beating from me when we get off.
-Why are you taking me to the city? Weren't you against it? Execute me yourself, coward.
-You won't get me to kill you, friend. -Rezler smiled- Moreover, i don't want to give you that pleasure. I know very well that there's nothing worse than this shitty city's government... they will take care of you.
-I was just carrying out an order, Rezler. Your sudden sadism attack has no sense.
-Carrying out an order? That's the worst of all, scum. You have no moral. You can't distinguish good from bad, you are able to kill the same idiot who saved your life without a reason, and then you excuse yourself saying you carry out orders. You are the kind of people which are not needed on this world.
-Damn! Turn back, now!
-Don't come with...oh, well, what a handy coincidence...There are two policemen! -Rezler started doing signals with the arm to the pair of motorcycles that, far away, were combing the area in which Onix escaped hours ago-
-Let's turn back right now!! You don't know what you are doing stupid old man!!
