A limo pulls up to the ruins of a building, the airship docked on the ground nearby with the gangplank down to accept people. The driver gets out and opens the rear door for Esmeralda von Krauss to get out of the limo. She looks at the smoldering ruins of the building, shock plain on her face.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Was in aller Welt ist hier passiert?
The driver looks confusedly at Esmeralda, probably because he doesn’t speak German.
Driver: Mrs von Krauss?
Esmeralda von Krauss: Don’t worry about it, Jeeves. I’m going to board the airship. You just wait in the limo in case I need to leave again.
Driver: Very good, Mrs von Krauss.
The driver gets back into the limo while Esmeralda walks past the smoldering building to the airship that she boards. She sees Armand von Krauss and “Zolothach” Tabitha Osborne on the deck waiting for her. Both of them worse for wear as befitting those who had been captured by Donzig.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Well?
Armand von Krauss: The building was in construction with the airship attached to it. Donzig had the building bombed. He and his guard took my people by surprise and took me in where he already was torturing Zolothach in order to get at you.
Esmeralda nods, looking at Tabitha.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Oh, it must have been terrible, dahling. Donzig thinks he can get to me, because he can reach my enemies and my allies. Let me get a look at you.
Tabitha nods as Esmeralda walks over and puts her left hand on Tabitha’s shoulder. She jams her ornate silver blade in under the ribcage on the right side. All while keeping eye contact with Tabitha.
Tabitha Osborne: Wha? Hurk…
Esmeralda von Krauss: Shush now. It will be all over soon. You won’t be harmed by Donzig again.
Esmeralda rips the blade out and throws Tabitha overboard where she falls about twenty-five feet to the ground below. She doesn’t even look to where Tabitha had fallen, turning her attention to Armand.
Esmeralda von Krauss: You! You indulge Donzig far too much. You advise him even when it’s not in your best interest to do so. MY NEW DRESSES WERE IN THAT BUILDING! I’m not saying that if you would have pulled out your gun and shot Donzig in the face that his people would not have set off the bomb, but I would feel a lot better about things right now if he were dead.
Armand von Krauss: He is angry without measure. He will make mistakes in his match against you, dear. You can use every bit of that to your advantage.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I mean, fine. You are going to have to figure out how to replace these irreplaceable dresses, dahling. If you want to stay on my good side.
Armand seems to consider it a moment before smiling and lighting an Egyptian cigarette that he passes to Esmeralda, who gets out a crimson and black foot long holder for it. She takes a nice long drag as Armand lights a second cigarette and blows smoke into the air.
Esmeralda von Krauss: I’m going back to the hotel, dahling. This place makes my mood murderous.
Armand von Krauss: Of course, my dear. I will see you tonight?
Esmeralda von Krauss: You are a feisty one, dahling! Yes, of course. I will wait with bells on.
Esmeralda walks back out to the limo and gets in the back.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Take me to the hotel.
Driver: Yes, Mrs. von Krauss. Right away.
As the limo begins driving away, Esmeralda spares another look back at the building that was meant to be a palace for the von Krausses. Destroyed by the mad dog known as Donzig.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Donzig. You think that you can just attack my assets and get away with it? It is not to be. I will come down on you with the full power that I can muster. You are angry with me over the little betrayal at the Oh Violent Night Wargames match? That was just business, dahling. Only, you took it personally. I will crack your skull like an egg if I must just to see what crazy is going on inside. Likely scrambled.
I have said this before, dahling. You are a fine berserker. You are a fine leashed dog. Your handler sets you upon someone and they will have no chance against the Scourge or whatever it is you feel the need to call yourself. As a mastermind? You fall flat. Kidnapping and torturing Zolothach? You have done me a favor in making her weak enough for me to finish. You’ve got under my skin with her. You took my husband too. That angers me, but not nearly to the level that you might think. See, dahling, he is a failure where things really count in giving me what I desire the most. But hey, I have a daughter now. Maybe if you can still walk upright after our match, you could try kidnapping her and seeing if it makes me at all upset. It won’t, but you’ll make her day in making her think that she was really a part of the family. She is not, I assure you.
Donzig. Accept that you are going to lose against me. Try to win though and make things interesting for me as I break you down a bit at a time for destroying things that really are precious to me.
After our final match. After I have humiliated you one final time. You are welcome to come join me. You can keep your minions so long as they know that I am the one in charge overall. Follow me. Serve me. Love me. Fear me. Do these things and you might go far. Assuming that I don’t decide to cripple you for life during this match. We will just have to see how I feel when we step into the ring together.
