They walked down as the sun was setting. The streets were still empty of people, they were either at home, going back to their towns or in the main square. Cassidy entered the tavern, alone. He heard men get up, then nothing else. He looked in the tavern. They are saluting her. He silently laughed as he walked in. The men rose again and saluted him. As expected. He walked over and sat down next to Cassidy.
"What are you doing?" Cassidy whispered, "I thought y-."
"It is fine," He said, "What did you get?"
"Seafood for 4 why?"
"You make me laugh."
"You aren't laughing," Hugo gave her an annoyed look, "I forgot."
"You want a drink?" He said as he called over the bartender.
"Sure, maybe some milette."
"What shall it be Capt'n?"
"A glass of blood kelp and a glass of milette."
"Sure thing," She said as she pulled out two glasses, "Here is the glass of milette and the glass of blood kelp, enjoy."
"Thank you," Hugo said as he took a drink from his glass, "How are you doing, Cass?"
"I am happy," She said looking down at her ring, "Finally I can live, and live with you, someone wants to talk to you."
Hugo turned around, "Yeah? Oh, and can you back up?"
"I have some unfinished business with you," The man said.
"How so?"
"You talked shit about my wife," The man said gritting his teeth, "And my sister."
"Oh, I remember you, do you remember what happened today? I got married, so I would like to have some respect."
"You need to show some yourself," The man lifted his arm to hit him, but it stayed still, "What happened to my arm?!" Hugo's amulet was glowing. He moved his arm to the side and the man's arm imitated his arm.
"Funny, isn't it?"
"What did you do?!"
"Nothing, just controlling your arm," He said as the man held his other wrist, "Now turn around and leave, Am I understood?"
"Yes, yes sir."
"Thank you," He said, "On your next rotation, you won't be firing any cannons, you will be cleaning them."
"Yes sir," The man said as he regained control of his arm and walked away. Hugo coughed. He held his chest. Fuck me, this pain.
"Are you okay?" She asked, "You should rest tonight, I will carry the box."
"Okay," He said as he downed his cup.
"Here you go Capt'n, seafood for four, visitors?"
"Yeah, my parents."
"Have a good night," She said as Cassidy finished her glass and picked up the box.
"Thanks, you too," They left the tavern. Cassidy walked to his left as he stumbled more than walked.
"Are you sure th-."
"Yeah, just don't remind me."
"Sorry, I am just worried," She said as he stopped and forced air into his lungs, "Why do you do that?"
"It pushes air into my lungs, the same idea as giving you air under water, you remember, right?"
"Yeah," She said as they started to walk up the path, "I wonder what I would have become without you."
"Do we really care? We are together, now and forever."
"I know, but I can't help but think about it, you saved me, and saved me again, and took care of me and now you married me, I don't know, it happened so quickly," She sighed and sat on a flat stone that overlooked the city, "I wouldn't want to replace this life for anything in the world."
"Neither would I," Hugo said as he sat down next to her and kissed her, "I am glad you are happy."
"Wait here, I will set the table."
"Let me help you."
"No, it's fine, you will help me more by sitting there and letting me do it myself."
"If you say so," He took a drink. I am a demonborn, I wonder how Father will teach me, How can you teach something so bizarre? He sat there overlooking the city. Cassidy soon returned to his side. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"We haven't had a moment like this in a long time huh."
"I would say even that we have never had a moment like this," Hugo sighed, "I don't know why, it feels great."
"I know," She said, "Are you really a demonborn?"
"Wow, you really do fantasies with that, yeah, supposedly I am, my Father will show me how to reach that stage."
"I want to see that."
"Where did you learn about demonborns?"
"I had your advisor bring me books about legends of Bilgewater and old books, one of the books was by someone who talked about specific details, the name was faded but it started with an S, so maybe I could ask your mother for that."
"Yeah, she probably knows, she knows a lot of things."
"Here they are," She said pointing at them walking up the path, "Hi!"
"Good evening," Sona said, "How are you Hugo? Does your chest hurt?"
"A little," Hugo said, "How are you?"
"My head hurts a little but that shouldn't be a problem," She said smiling.
"Sona, I had a question."
"Yes Cassidy, what can I do for you?"
"Wait, I wanted to ask you about a book," She said as she skipped back to the house.
"A book?" She turned to Hugo, "What book?"
"I don't remember, you want to sit at the table?" Hugo said pushing himself off the stone, "Cassidy got some food from the tavern."
"Oh, that's nice," Sona said as they walked over to the table, "Nice little place you have."
"Thanks," Hugo said, "It's not much, I've lived here for 22 years, not much changes, oh and Father, Cassidy wanted to see your left arm and she wanted me to ask you how to unleash my demonborn."
"Ha ha ha! Sona doesn't like seeing it," Omega said, "But I brought this to help you with the demonborn," He pulled out a knife with a curved tip, Sona looked down, and Hugo pointed, "To make you bleed."
"Wha-" He was saved from his question by Cassidy, she had the old book in her hands. She sat down and gave the book to Sona. Sona giggled as she flipped through the pages.
"Where did you get this?"
"From Hugo's adviser's book collection, why?"
"Omega, did you take this when you left Terruna?"
"Yeah, and I put it in Hugo's bag when he left for Bilgewater."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"This is a book I wrote."
"Really?! When? And how did you get these things about demonborns?"
"I think I can show you," Omega rose with the blade in his hand and gestured for Hugo to follow him, "You ready?"
"I guess I can't answer n-" He fell to his knees as Omega slashed his back with the blade, he slashed it again on the other side of his back. Cassidy rose from her seat but Sona held her back.
"Are you trying to kill him?!"
"Watch," Omega said as he knelt next to Hugo, "Now think of the pain, and think of the black, broken wings I had," Hugo rose to his feet, his back blackened, blood splattered onto the floor, black wings emerged from his back. He spread them out, "You want to try something else?"
"Sure," He said, "Let me try something."
"Okay," He said as he backed away, Hugo put his arms on the floor and a cut opened on his forearms, fresh blood fell to the floor, black blades emerged from his arms. They faded quickly. Omega helped him up, "Good job, now you should stop, no need to kill yourself," Sona approached him and stopped the blood flow on his back and arms. He sat down next to Cassidy who whispered in his ear.
"I hope I get to see some more of that."
"That was the easy way to try the demon form," Omega explained, "When I revealed it, I went crazy and attacked my wife."
"You attacked mother?"
"No, my ex-wife, she is long gone, but she saved me from myself at that point in my life," Omega said, "But now I can control myself in that form."
"Hugo said something about your left arm as well."
"You are a curious one, but I won't show you now, it is disturbing and painful for me and Sona."
"Okay, well now that that is done, anyone is hungry?"
"Actually yes," Sona said as she took some food from the plate they began to eat, "How did you two meet?" They turned to each other.
"Um, can we skip that?" Hugo asked nervously.
"No, I would like to know," Sona said, "What could be that bad?"
"Well, should I say it bluntly?" He asked turning to Cassidy, "I think it would be easier."
"Go ahead then," Omega said.
"She was, um, She was," Hugo paused, "My personal, um, prostitute."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah," She said taking another bite, "It only embarrasses him, I don't care."
"Why does that embarrass you, my son?" Omega said as he took a drink, "Taboos exist only in these societies, the creator doesn't care for those things, they are simply man made, not made by gods."
"If you were in love with me," Sona said, "The only problem would be that I have a husband, not that I am your mother," Hugo blushed, "Why are you blushing?"
"Am I? I don't know, this is just very awkward."
"This society has changed you, you used to be so different," Omega said, "I guess power does corrupt men, whether they be strong of heart or brittle. Are you up for a duel tomorrow?"
"I wonder if my chest will be well," Hugo said as he coughed when he took a drink, "You hit me square in the sternum."
"I know, my aim is off, I haven't fought and used offensive techniques in a long time."
"What do you mean?"
"I get challenged to duels by some leaders, friendly duels, and I don't really want to kill them, so I block and deviate their blows that is all," He laughed, "They often end up tiring themselves out before I need to use my demonborn form," He gestured for Hugo to lean forward as Cassidy was talking with Sona, "Does she have a fantasy about demonborns?"
"Yeah," Hugo said smiling, "I don't know why but she has a drawing of me as a demonborn, before I discovered I was one."
"You are lucky," Omega said, "Sona hates my demon form now, she used to like it but well, the bone arm and the demon form she can't stand it."
"What are you two talking about?" Cassidy asked noticing them whisper, "What do you need to whisper about?"
"Something about your fantasy," Hugo said, her cheeks went red, "Why are you blushing? Does it embarrass you?"
"I don't, I don't have a fantasy."
"No?" He said raising his eyebrows, "Could it be about demonborns?"
"No, no, I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't bother," Hugo said, "Maybe you can come spectate our duel tomorrow?"
"I will probably come to see how my son fights, will you Cassidy?"
"Sure, wait, you are both demonborns?"
"Yeah," Omega said, "It is passed down from father to son."
"Then I probably will come to see that," She covered her mouth and Omega and Sona laughed, Hugo kissed her cheek. They continued to talk long into the night. The sun had set and Hugo lit two candles to make some light. Cassidy listened carefully to the stories Omega and Sona told. Some of the stories were brand new to Hugo. Cassidy asked a question that made both of them think, "You spent 350 years together, and it took you 300 years to make this beauty?"
"Well," Omega started before Sona cover his mouth with her finger.
"It took time, because he wouldn't make the first step," She turned to Omega and glared at him, "I had to do that."
"Hey, I wasn't really ready to have a child, I never had to take care of anyone but a wife and myself until then," Omega said, "So I was taking my time, I had all the time of the world."
"Well, we certainly don't have the same time."
"Wow," Cassidy said, "If you want, I think it would be fine by me."
"I didn't, well whatever."
"Sona, how was it to become a mother?"
"It was fine, and when we found out he was immortal, I was even happier," Sona said, "Like traits it is only passed down if it shows up, but there is something you can do to become immortal, like Hugo."
"Really? How can I do that?"
"I'll tell you, maybe in a little time, you need to think about it."
"What do you mean?"
"You will understand later, don't worry, I won't hide it forever."
"Sona, dear, do you want to go back?" Omega asked as she yawned, "You look tired."
"Sure, if it's fine by you."
"Whatever you want," Hugo and Cassidy responded in sync, "Have a good night."
"Meet me at the creek tomorrow morning," Omega said as he left.
"I'll be there," He said as he got up and blew out the candles, he put the plates in the box and close it, "I'll bring it down tomorrow morning when I go to the creek."
"Correction, We, and is it for another duel?"
"I think, if it is, you will get to see two demonborns fighting, do you think you will enjoy it?"
"No, I am going to hate it, what type of fucking question is that? Of course I am going to like it," She said as they entered the house, "What to have fun?"
"Too tired, sorry, maybe tomorrow?"
"Sure," She said as she sat on the bed and removed her clothes and lied on the bed, "Joining me?"
"Yeah, one second," He said as he took a drink and cleaned the blood off of his forearm, "I'll join you," He took off his shirt and his belt and climbed into bed, "Good night," He kissed her cheek and laid down, "I love you."
"I love you too," She said, "Good night."