Jack took a few steps onto the path leading into the larger part of the Holy Palace's gardens when he came to an abrupt stop.
"It's interesting to me that you think I don't know you're there," Jack said to the surroundings.
Joan buzzed in her container, as she wondered who got passed her... She chalked it up to her Soul Jar interfering with her senses.
Jumping from the side of the Holy Palace and appearing behind her god was Princess Eris.
"It was never my intention, my god." Eris giggled with a seductive sound.
Jack turned to see that at least the Vampire Princess was dressed. This eased his mind greatly.
"Why did you not make your appearance known to me, and decided to stalk me instead?" Jack asked, with a slight chilliness.
"I only wished to watch from afar..." Eris looked up to the God-King's tall form. He was much smaller in his everyday robes, then his large ceremonial robes she saw him wearing.
Jack fully turned to face this woman, as he spoke, "I have a difficult time believing your words."
Jack remembered the look in this woman's eyes yesterday. That crazy over the top gaze... That yandere look. If this woman hadn't been the Vampire Princess, even Jack would entertain the idea of killing her immediately... He still wondered if he should.
"I would never lie to my god." Eris smiled brightly.
"...Then leave this place. Return to your guest chamber or find your servants." Jack waved his hand to dismiss her.
"But..."
Jack appeared in front of her in almost a flash, as Eris felt herself lift from the ground again... This feeling... The same as yesterday!
Jack held Eris by her throat again, he didn't squeeze as hard as he had yesterday, as he wanted to put more fear into her, than actually hurting her... After all what good would it have been to save her life, to only turn around to kill her today?
Eris didn't fight, but savor the feeling of asphyxiation, as her eye's smiled to Jack.
[Is... Is she enjoying this?!? You know what... She's a yandere. I bet she is...] Jack mentally shook his head.
Jack thought again, as he squeezed his hand slightly, Eris' mouth opened slightly to expose her gold fangs and pink tongue.
Jack brought her closer as he inspected her fangs again.
[They look just like solid gold... How does that work? Hmmmm... She said I was right about a prophecy.] Jack came back from his thoughts when he realized that the Vampire Princess started to take on blue tones around her face.
Jack released his grip, as Eris fell to the ground and began to gasp for air.
Eris held her throat, while she looked up to her god. Jack looked down into those strange eyes again...
[Haaaa... And she's a masochist... Fuck my unlife...] Jack now had no idea how to deal with this Vampire Princess. If he continued to physically bully her, she would just enjoy it.
[Let's just hear out this prophecy first...]
"Answer me this, and perhaps I will allow your presence for now. What prophecy?" The God-King rumbled out.
Eris got to her knees as she looked up high above her into the flaming eyes of her god, as she spoke obediently, "I went with my mother on her last adventure to the supposed last temple of Alucard. The temple was maintained by his blood priests several eons before the Lich King, and they had left a prophecy behind. The Red Prophet, whose name is hilariously enough is, Scarlet Soothsayer. That's like being named Blacksmith Blacksmith!" Eris giggled again.
"I digress... She left behind a prophecy that my mother translated before her death. Of course, I memorized it."
Eris cleared her throat, which still had some ache to it from her god's grip, she spoke, "The gods have left. The gods will come. The worlds will be washed in sanguine and radiance. The blood race will need the favor of the light to cure the Malady. A dhampir of Malady should be offered to serve her god and herald the coming militus obitus."
Jack listened, but became dumbfounded as he heard the last words, "Say that last part again..."
Eris repeated the last line and then spoke before Jack asked, "I'm sorry... Mother said it was the only two words she couldn't translate... I don't know what militus obitus means."
She hung her head as if she had done wrong.
Jack asked with a flustered voice, "When was this prophecy, again???"
"Ummm... I'm not sure really. Mother said it was several eons before the Lich King. I'm not sure how long an eon is, but I think it's ten thousand years, so I would guess seventy thousand years before the Lich King." Eris said out loud in thought, putting on no airs of a princess.
"..." Jack was left speechless, as he had decided to call his Super Soldiers the Militus Obitus after some thought...
[Am I mistaken, and there is Latin in this world?]
Seeing that her god fell silent, she asked, "Do you know what Militus Obitus is?"
"I have a feeling that I just might know..." Jack spoke mysteriously.
"I've done what you have asked may I accompany you?"
"What can you do to ensure that you are not my enemy. While I do not believe you can harm me, I do not wish to see my Consorts, Servants, Subjects harmed by you or yours..."
Eris descended into her thoughts and debated if she should actually go through with her plan...
[Let's just offer what daddy gave me to bring.]
Jack waited for her to speak nonsense, so he could dismiss her... He had a ritual to complete, and he didn't like wasting the hours of the Sun Skull when he had so many other things to do.
"I have galleons of treasure to bring to you. I've sent a message for it to leave the other Kingdom's port and go north. It will be a week or so, but they will arrive soon."
Jack immediately dismissed, "Treasure doesn't guarantee me anything, and if anything, it tells me that you are here to curry my favor. Begone now... I have things to do today."
Jack turned his back and took a few steps.
Eris showed struggle on her face for a few seconds until she called out, "Wait, my god... I'll... I'll offer my true heart to you!"
*******
Mark sat at his desk within his Vacation home in Borda. What he called his Vacation home was also known as his base of operations in Borda.
Mark hummed to himself, as he read a report. His wife, Princess Janet, was reading a set of books stacked beside her, as she was laying upside down on her favorite rug.
Mark would sometimes glance over to see his wife happily reading on her rug, which gave him peace of mind. He looked out the window from time to time as if he was expecting something.
Janet spoke noticing his look of anticipation, as she spoke, "What is it that you're waiting on?"
"A carrier bat."
"Oh? What news has you waiting on pins and needles."
"Good news, I hope... Before we left Jakahn, I had one of my servants take a message to the Mountain Ape Hermit." Mark nodded a few times.
"Mountain Ape... Hermit... What is that supposed to be?" Janet asked as this was a silly name.
Mark could tell this by his wife's tone and facial expression she thought it was silly, "Don't discount the name, just because the old hermit came up with it. The Mountain Ape Hermit was the master of General Russell."
"Oh... That big monkey undead thing?"
"Well... I don't think he was really an ape, just that the cultivation tome he practiced with his master gave them both ape like qualities... Then again, he might just be an ape. I actually don't know." Mark looked up in thought for a few moments.
"So, what about his master?" Janet asked to interrupt Mark. She had unknowingly become more drawn in by Mark and his schemes.
"Oh, right. The old hermit might just be one of the most powerful cultivators on the continent."
"Really? Stronger than you?"
"If he broke through like the local's state he did, then he should be ancestor rank, like The Holy Witch King, or God-King, or whatever he calls himself now," Mark said with a happy note.
"An-Ancestor Rank!?"
"Right... Of course, my servant leaked a little of the news to him. I'm sure from his mountain he saw The Holy Witch King moving around, but I bet he didn't know that his only, and I mean the ONLY disciple got pinched to death, haha" Mark chuckled in satisfaction.
"That's it?" Janet said slightly disappointed.
"What do you mean?"
"This is all to your plan? Just rouse some old gorilla bastard to fight The Holy Witch King?" Janet said as she flipped right-side up on her fur rug.
"Who am I?"
Janet giggled, "Mark, Master of Schemes, right?"
"Darn right!" Mark laughed again with his wife, "If I get the missive that the old Hermit has left his mountain, then my people will move."
"Alright, then what are they going to move about with?" Janet was getting excited!
"Haha, Okay, okay! Obviously, if the old hermit shows up, crap will hit the fan, and The Holy Witch King will need to defend the Kingdom. No one else is strong enough to do it, so he's going to have to show up! But if he's showing up, who is going to guard the Skull of the Sun God?"
"So, you're still after the Sun?"
"Of course! You need it, and I'm planning to get it."
"How are you going to snatch away such a large piece of Glowstone without being stopped by the rest of the Kingdom???"
"I still have some Undead on the inside of Deagoth, haha. In the best case, the Old hermit slaps the skull away in anger, and We just pick it up and haul it off, in the worst case... We'll just blow up the supporting pillars and collect the pieces from under their noses."
"Do you think you can get by the shadow guy, you keep harping on about?"
"That is the only wildcard... If the skull is slapped away, then it's going to be super easy to pick up, but if We have to get it within the City of Saigunrai... The Shadow will know what We are up too. Too bad I didn't get enough time to smuggle in some Soul Eating Bombers." Mark said with a bit of sadness.
"So, either way, you think you can pull it off?"
"I'm about ninety percent confident if the skull is slapped, and about sixty percent if we blow it up."
"Well, here's hoping to success!" Janet giggled at Mark's plan. She was very interested if it would work.
A light tapping sounded by the window, "Ah, that must be the carrier bat now."
Mark walked to the window, opened the seal, and reached out for the bat.
He softly held the bat, as he pulled a little rolled message from the pouch on it's back.
Rolling out the message, Mark read it silently. Suddenly he gave a loud ha!
"Even better! My servant was able to convey the message and completely piss off the Old Mountain Ape Hermit! Haha!"
"How wouldn't he be angry???"
"No, no, I didn't explain well enough. My servant was able to make a deal with the Old Hermit. The Old Hermit will slap the skull in exchange for the information we gave him about his Disciple. I have to remember to reward this one... They have exceeded my expectations."
Janet clapped her hands in joy, "Do you think he will go to that colossal form again?"
"If We are lucky, he will, because with that large form I've heard he's connected to the skull. I want to know what happens if the skull gets knocked into oblivion... Will he follow it, Hahaha!"
Mark and Janet laughed together and the ridiculous mental images they had of The Holy Witch King flying off into the distance!