Violent Souls (Blood City Chronicles, Book 1)

Drake is smashing in a skull with the wide side of an axe. The skull formerly belonged to a Riestovikain diplomat. Drake had been hired to “not just kill, but send the message that they’re not needed here.” And so, Drake left with the woman’s head, brought it back home, and put it in a display case with some of his other favorites.

There are quite a few these days, but no one keeps count.

Drake Beu Nyoka was born at home with the help of doctors hired by his parents. Home is the top suite in the Yttrium Tele Towers. He operates entirely out of this building, though his parents left him property all around Chicago. 

The Nyokas were painfully successful. They were one of the original Earth families, and played a part in the structure of Earth’s society. The Nyoka’s were de boc, or of the book. Hugo Nyoka even developed the first engineering curriculum at the college formerly known as Lakeside, now known as The Alamedies Institute of New Technology. Alamedies was a dietary supplement company. Lakeside’s science lab had produced a study connecting its dietary supplements with violent rectal bleeding. So Alamedies bought the college and buried the study. Lakeside was far from the only college on Earth this happened to; it’s been an accepted practice for decades now.

The suite is painted hwit-shell white. There’s crown molding that runs everywhere but the bedrooms. The floor is real wood, very expensive. Drake often yells at anyone who spills on it, “This floor is worth more than ya damn life!” Besides housing the finest of kitandas, there is also a projection system installed in the ceiling of every room that retracts when not in use. The kitchen is staffed by rotating cocopannes…a different one for each meal. 

The second floor of the suite is dedicated to his craft. A weapon’s room, a sparring room, an uzito vitae and, towards the back, a consecration room. This is where he worships the gods. When he gets around to it, at least. Not so much worship as much as him asking the gods to provide material goods. 

The consecration room is home to the display case, and currently home to Drake’s temper tantrum.