I'm home. It was so late that only big brother Grimm met me at my bedroom door. He was well dressed in one of my outfits I think. It was so eerie seeing him stand there like a smiling statue until the moment he looked at me.
"How'd ya fair, darlin?" He asks softly as I make my way toward him. I hear him sniff around as I get closer. "... Or should we be callin ya dearie from now on, sister?" He can tell.
"Hee" I couldn't help but chuckle at him. "Either works. I get my plates tomorrow morning."
"Congratulations. What be your callin?"
"I'm scavenging. I'll be doing a lot of collecting and selling from now on, so I could probably move out by next year and get my own place in the alley."
"You go back to the alley? Live among your pack then."
"... You say it like that it feels like I have no choice since I'm the Alfa."
"I'm more amazed at the thought of them all allowing ya to stay here. I suppose being alfa allows for rule bending."
"Been here a whole year and over now and I still don't understand any of it."
"Pehehe! Aye. Neither I. What say ya rest up and be well. Ya earned your standings for good measure. Good night."
He gives me a big hug and I do the same. "Good night, Grimm."
"Call the gargoyle, in the morn. He be worried bout you with the adventurers."
"Sanguis?"
"Aye. He be the most pleased with the news."
"Oh, okay. I'll tell everyone."
Grimm leaves and vanishes down the hall. I go into my room and lie on the bed thinking of everything that went on through my time here.
Only a year of this world. I found myself alone in the woods, lost and depressed while trying to survive for who knows how many days. I suddenly get adopted into a noble house that has a weird fascination with goblins, who I saved during my time in the forest. I've made a few friends here in the goblin alley and even became their leader at some point for some reason. I still don't understand that logic. I got accepted into the guild finally and found out that the black god, the god of might, Malcolm, chose me as his prophet or disciple, which became another fancy way of saying I'm the next god chosen king. I am a candidate to rule balance however that understanding works.
You chose me out of pure randomness because I was near you somehow. Where were you sealed anyway?
were you found yourself.
In the forest? Wait you're in the water hole!?
Sleep. We will deal with that later.
Sorry. Night, Malcolm.
good night, my king.
°°°°°
I wake in the morning feeling relieved and refreshed. I get up and change into my armor and make my way to the dining room where the Halliways, my family, sat looking more nervous than a litter of freezing puppies. My god! What is everyone so nervous for!??
"G-good morning."
"Tessa!!!" Venessa suddenly jumps me. "Oh my goodness!! Welcome back! Please please please tell us what happened!!! Grimm wouldn't say anything other than you came back a new goblin! What happened!?"
Grimm~... "... Well, I passed."
"You passed?"
"Mhmm."
"... You passed You passed! She passed!! She got her plates!!" The room suddenly echoes with cheers and applause. "Oh my god!! Yes!!"
"Well done, Tessa!!"
"Thank you, father."
"By the way Tessa?"
"Yes, mother?"
"Your voice is so different from before. Are you alright?"
"Ah, well. Truth be told I um tiered to my next stage. So my figure and voice are a bit different now."
"... How so?"
Before I could answer, Vanessa opens my chest plate and holds my arms still. WHAT THE FUCKING HELL!?
"VANESSA!! WHY!?"
"CHRISTA!!! GO GRAB THE CORSETS THIS MINUTE!!" we're going back to the tailor market!"
"Not now, we're not!!" I shout. I shrug vanessa off me and close my chest plate back. "We can shop tomorrow! Today I got a lot to do now that I'm part of the guild."
"But!! But but-but you have"
"I know what I got. That's why I'm wearing this to keep them from moving while I work, they're still small enough to fit in this for now, so I'll get some new gear later. Besides, they're not even done growing yet. I'd end up going through three of those in a week."
"Oh my god! Really!?"
"Yes. Now let's eat so I can go. I'll talk about my new adventures when I get back."
"... You better have juicy details, understood?"
"Hee Hee. Yes, dear sister~."
"Eeek!!!" The best sister moment ever! Yes!... I should keep being a girl again a secret from Xyle for a while.
After we had our meal and talked up a storm, I'm finally allowed to leave with Grimm as my escort again. Dad didn't want me wandering the streets alone anymore the way I am. According to him and Grimm, I'm in a stage of maturing after he heard me say I'm still growing. This would attract a lot of attention to myself from other beings of the opposite sex. Grimm told me it would be like the fight at the goblin alley, so my top priority is to stay a virgin for now. On the way I practice my humming until I get back to the low frequency of my first voice and try to keep it in practice to hide my new femininity.
We enter the guild and it instantly goes quiet. Almost everyone was glaring at me in surprise as if they were looking at a ghost. Jesus. You'd think I killed their families with how they glaring holes in me. I stand in line to speak to the receptionist, Lethara, who sees me and smiles excitedly then tells the person in front of me to wait as she rushes to the back room. She hurries back with paper for the person in front of me who finally sees me and jumps back like I was going to bite him. Holy hell, my existence can not be that bad!
"Hello, miss Halliway!" Lethara greets me with the prettiest smile that makes me blush. Oh my goodness. "And welcome, sir. Are you with her?"
"Aye. Grinning Grimm at ya service, miss." Ooh~. He liked that smile more than I did. Is that a good thing?
"A pleasure. Here you are, miss Halliway. Your new plates. Mr. Maul and Mr. Brights will see you shortly, so please have a seat um ha-have a seat back here please." She mutters to me in a soft enough voice for only me and Grimm to hear. She offered us to sit behind the counter while we wait.
"If you're worried about a fight breaking out in here," I whisper back. "Don't be. I can handle myself really well."
"That's actually the part I'm worried about. I don't want you hurting anyone in self-defense and then have your plates removed again over something silly." Ah.
"I understand. But I think I can control myself. Thank you for your service."
"And thank you for yours! Truth be told, we need more scavengers. We're extremely low on salves and medical herbs and they cost a fortune to buy from neighboring cities. The guilds pay may not be as costly as their set prices but they're extremely valuable. Unfortunately many adventurers simply chose subjugation and bounty jobs."
"I got you. No worries. This will be a cakewalk if that's all I'm doing for the time being. How many can I do at a time?"
"Currently, Mr. Maul says to start you off with about six for a start, though the normal start would be three, Mr. Maul believes you should get more. We had to argue with him for the amount."
"Pfft! Okay. Let's go sit here, Grimm."
"Aye, sister." We sit at the free table in front of Lethara and patiently wait while eyes stayed glued to us.
I wonder where that S-rank party is right now. Maybe their out having a hell of a time in a mission they took up immediately after getting well rested.
"Oh, deariest." Grimm calls to me.
"Hm?" I look to see what he got my attention for and see a group of girls towering over me with hate stares. Holy shit. Now I'm the damned from hell. "Um Yes?"
"You better not be trying to get to Lethara, tiny. She's already spoken for." The first girl says to me.
"... I'm a girl, miss."
"And huh??"
"You mean me right? Or were you talking to him?" I point to Grimm who simply looks to them with an even more blank expression than normal.
"Uh y-you. You're obviously the lead here aren't you?"
"That doesn't mean" stop! No smartassing! "Um. Well I have no interest in females being one myself, miss. I may sound like this but I am still developing right now."
"Uh anyway, stop being so familiar with Lethara. She's not into low bred goblins."
Wow, do I want to call her out for that one. But I shall refrain for the simple fact that she asked me not to get into trouble over something stupid like this. "I'm sorry if it seemed that way but isn't she just doing her job by being nice to us? I mean I am the only goblin registered here, so she might feel obligated to give a friendly vibe compared to the rest of the room. Don't you think so too?" Let's see if smooth talking helps work my way out of this with the handsome goblin voice.
"... Uh y-yes well That's true." Good girl. Now keep thinking. "I suppose if you put it that way. And just because you claim to be a girl doesn't actually make you one does it!" What the hell?
"What does that have to do with miss Lethara? If I chose to be female it means I have no interest in other females."
"Well what if she has a man you're interested in? Maybe you would try to bother her for his attention"
"Stop!" I interrupt with a hand in front of her. "First of all. No thank you. I have no desire to use work as a means to manhunt. That's just dirty and ridiculous to even consider for me in this area in the first place. Second, why are you automatically assuming I want anyone in this part of the city when I have an entire goblin alley at my disposal? Who, I will be straight with you, have more sex appeal than half the guys in this room alone to me. And third if I were going to try my way with anyone outside of the alley, I would be more upfront about it and let them know. I have done such with the guild master on very few occasions unconsciously."
"... What!? You and the guild master?! As if a grand elf like himself would even bat an eye at you. Hahaha!" Role with it.
"That doesn't mean I can't state a fact. Don't tell me you've never found him attractive? Come on. What elf isn't honestly?"
"Pfft!! Hahahaha!! That's true, who wouldn't swoon at him at first glance?"
"I wouldn't go so far as swooning, but there's just no denying his harsh expressions and cold stares."
"Oh my god. I know. He may be a bit cold but that's just one of his many charms. Like the way he holds his head high in all his grandeur."
"Or like his mean scowl of dissatisfaction."
"Only because he expects more from you, right?"
"Exactly." We go on like this for a bit longer when one of the other girls started to join us. Then another and even those outside of their group joins the conversation. That's right. Keep fangirling. I wonder what he would say if he walked in right now and heard all of this?
"What is happening in here?" Speak of the devil. Wow.
"Morning, Mr. Maul." I say as I stand and bow to him.
He raises a brow at me as he scans my surroundings. I can hear the girls squealing as they move out of the way."... Indeed. Come with me, miss Halliway. Send your friend to meet Mr. Brights in the other room."
"Aye?"
"It's alright, Grimm. It's just a show of where you stand in the powerhouse of the guild. Like my scavenger title."
"Ah. Well then I be seeing you soon, then."
"Yup." I follow Maul into the office while Grimm goes to the selection room. I take a seat across from Maul and he takes my plates.
"... Looks like everything is going smoothly. Good. You remember the mission Mason had set for you, yes?"
"Yes, sir."
"... Why do you sound like that again?"
"Hm? Is it bothering you?"
"A bit, yes. I actually prefer your softer voice. Why this again?"
"AhAah~aah it's to keep people from mistaking me for someone else and so no one else knows that I've changed. Since my only physical appearance that changed was my gender physique, I can keep it hidden for a while until my body is done developing. My family already knows about the changes in me except for the new blessing and title."
"... Ah. Good. Good. We don't want any complications during your development so good call. Onto other matters. These will be your first task. They do pertain to regular gatherings like herbs and berries and so on. But the one Mason is going to have you do with him is in the middle sector. You'll be on a 'scouting' mission with him. Do you understand what that means?"
"... Who's the target and where do I find them?"
Maul looks at me with a pleased and usual curious look in his eyes. "The details are in this scroll." He hands me a scroll from his sleeve and I tuck it in my armor pocket. I made sure to put on my gatherers armor which has a multitude of secret pockets on it. "You will meet at the edge of vanity road tonight where the wall starts at the market on the inside. Make sure you complete the other tasks before you get there tonight. You'll need them later. I'll teach you the basics needed to make the things you need for this mission."
"Understood."
"Good. Now get started. You'll need to go to the woods to get most of your items unless you know a good black market dealer that specializes in grand thief gear."
"I think I'll try my hands for now until I find a trustworthy place."
"Good. Go on then."
Maul goes to open the door for me and we both leave the room only to be met with an argument at the reception. To think Xyle would be the one to start something here oh my god!!!
"GRIMM!!" I see Grimm standing on the high beams hiding from one of Xyle's party heroes. The muscle headed shield hero. Xyle and the sword hero, Antonio, were trying to hold him back. Grimm creeps his way towards me across the boards but doesn't come down. He looked like a creepy hairless cat creeping around up there. "Grimm! What happened!?"
"The man seem to not like my articulates. I only be speaking as I alway be."
"... Really? Sir hero!"
"Uh hey Tess! Good timing! Get your friend out of here! He's causing a scene!" Xyle calls to me. It looks more like you and your buddies are the cause of this scene, bud.
"Why the hell is there another one!!?" The shield hero shouts. God. It's Antonio all over again. "I will not be mocked and made a fool of by a puny weakling!"
"... Grimm. Did you get yourself set up?" I ask ignoring them completely. Grimm sees this and only creeps down halfway the support beams hanging from it like a squirrel.
"Aye. I be set. I be a guardian type. Like the gargoyle. But in the scavenger set." Oh! So he's a watcher! Nice! "That being said, it seems the guardian title be with the large one that be flailing at me." Not nice. So that's why the brute is angry.
"Where's Brights?"
Grimm lifts his torso while holding on to the frame with his legs and pointing to the front door. "He be outside with another one in black arms."
"That must be Mason." Maul says. He steps in front of Xyle and his party of heroes and raises his hand to the shield hero. The man collapses suddenly and crumbles to the ground. "Apologize, Master Vaticus, but I will not tolerate violence in my guild!" Oh shit, he is mad! "Take him to the training grounds and wait for Bright to return."
Xyle and Antonio grab their friend and follow Dressrosa outside through the back to the training grounds. Grimm finally gets off the support beam and stands next to me. His ears were low. He wasn't happy about getting attacked on his first day in the gathering room. We follow Maul out to the front where Brights and Mason stood talking. Maul smacks brights in the head for his attention.
"Ah! What!?"
"Get back in there and straighten out your session." Maul grumbles. Brights panics and rushes back inside.
"Go with him." I tell Grimm and he does. "Good morning, Mr. Mason."
"Oh. Morning, Tessa What's up with your voice?"
"I changed it back to keep off suspicions of my changes."
"Ah. Good call. You ready to head out?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Maul gave me the quest."
"Alright. Let's get you out gathering."
"Yes, sir."
I follow Mason to a more secluded area near the second wall. The alleys here were super dark and far more aggressive than the first time I visited the goblin alley. Although, on the outside, it didn't seem that way, I could feel it all over my skin. The only think about this that frightens me is that this place was riddled with more humans and otherworldly beings with more savage personalities. Reptiles, nocturnal beastkins, it felt like a black market. I was on the money to say this too.
Mason takes me to an even darker part of the alley and we enter a room that went downstairs into a dimly lit room filled with people. Mostly elves and humans were here. Everyone we passed stopped what they were doing to get a good look at me one after the other. Double take after double take. From banter to silence. I am NEVER going to get used to this!
Mason opens a back door to an even darker room filled with candlelight.
"Madame. I've brought her." Mason says to a figure behind a silky curtain.
"... Mason? Welcome." The figure replies with a beautifully seductive voice. A woman wonders out to us dress head to toe like a gypsy. Satin and jewels garnished her ever so slender figure barely hiding her body beneath it. She was a high elf with black hair and eyes and pale skin.
This Madame stood towering above me like a marble statue until she knelt down in front of me.
"So you are the one called Tessa." She says to me. "Do you feel you are capable of this task?"
Alert: threat levels rising. Proceed with caution.
[Lure] has been nullified.
[Intimidation] detected. Setting all instincts to alert mode.
[Charm resistance] has been raised to level 10.
[Mind blend] has been nullified by [charm resistance].
[Charm resistance] has been raised to level 15.
"... I suppose you are. Goodness." She suddenly says right after I get those alarms. "Mason, are you sure this child is a goblin?"
"A golem goblin, Madame." He answers.
"That doesn't answer my question, but oh well. So, Tessa. For your first mission, I would like you to take this quest with Mason."
"Hm?"
"Wait she's coming with me?? Not tosan?" Who?
"I don't see the problem. Do you?"
"Not really, other than her bantering"
"She'll live without a pet to boss around." Somehow I'm glad I'm not going with whoever tosan is. The Madame places a hand on my head. I soon see flashes of gold light and scenery rush through my head. It was like I was flying. The vision stops at an encircled campsite in a desert. There were cages with demonic beings in them. One of them was the main focus of the vision. A red goat horned devil with black nails and hooves and a black mane sat naked and sick.
I don't know what kind of devil that is but the gems that hung from his ears and goatee told me he was a noble being.
"You are to find and escort the devil continent's representative, Algamon I."
"... 'Eye'?"
"Any that are not from the demon continent must not call a devil by their full name."
"Most devil names are commonly repeated." Mason explains. "If we were to use his full name truly it would be like saying an incantation that reads as 'Infernum Armageddon'. We don't say them completely because we would actually summon something hellish if we don't have permission to call them. Most of the time the one who says it would end up the victim to the name."
"So it would be like a backfired summoning spell?"
"Yup."
"Gotcha. So when should we go save this devil representative?"
"As soon as you swear to not speak of this mission to anyone. No one must know that we are saving a devil in this mission. You must escort him quietly. Understood?"
"... Explain first."
"Devils aren't well known for being good natured beings. Most are actual criminals that cause harm to the rest of the world. So there's a lot of prejudice against them being on this side. The highers have decided to try and give them a chance for a while because the church had received permission from the gods, apparently. But the highers wouldn't comply with this new treaty so easily. In compliance with this, the devil's decided to select one of their strongest rulers to help with this negotiation. That is Algamon I. He was somehow captured in the middle of his travels. When the highers found out about this, they saw it would endanger their trust and protection from the church and the gods, but they didn't want the world to know of this problem."
"So they set up a secret request to the guilds shadows?"
"Yeah. But it's a strong team job since we're handling a lot of hurdles for this one. All of them being a trust in nations and races, with their history and ours, the fact that we have to be careful not to trigger him since he's a noble class devil, and worst of all the language barrier. With no proper communication between us, we could easily trigger him from the wrong jesters, actions, or even a glance."
"... And you're giving me this job??"
"... Maul told me you had a skill that could help with the language barrier somehow. Explaining to me that he once started prattling during one of your training sessions and you retorted him in the same language."
"I did?? When was this?? I mean, yeah I can hear other languages and understand them, but I speak back in a normal human language. That's what the goblin faction told me. I spoke to them like I would a human when they spoke the goblin tongue. If he can't understand what I say, the best I can do is translate."
"That will be good enough for now." The madam says. "You are probably the best person able to aid this mission during escort."
"... Are There any books on the languages of the world?" I can't believe this entire year I haven't bothered to wander this. With the language barrier in the goblin faction how could I not think about the books having the language of the world?
"We only have one book from the devils."
"Let me read it real quick. If I'm gonna be useful in this dilemma, I'm going full force."
The madam goes to the back room and returns with a small journal with a feather pen stuck to it. I take it and instantly see the name on the cover. Ignited Keeper. if I read it in it's language I would be calling a fury death. Is it okay to think it maybe? Dellestrus Ignis? Is that right?
Caution: body temperature has been raised to a feverish state. Recommending rest and water intake immediately.
Warning: Body temperature has reached unnatural levels. Seek out a cooler climate immediately.
Whoa. That's hot. That's hot!! Hot hot! Ow!! I'm sorry!! How do I stop it!! My hand suddenly combusts into a blue fire at my fingertips. I panick and flail around to put it out when I noticed something screaming at me.
"Stop! Hey! Quit it! I'm gonna hurl!!"
"What!? What the fuck!?"
"Good hell, infant child! Stay timid, you be. I be not harmful to you if you stay still and calm."
"Tessa! What the hell did you do!" Mason suddenly shouts as he puts a cloth over my hand.
"Oye!!"
"Wait! Wait a second! Don't put him out!"
"What!? Him!?"
I take the cloth off to see the little fire in my hand gone. I panic a bit again and say the name out loud. "Dellestrus Ignis! Ah!!" My whole arm starts burning from under my skin and I try to relax and calm myself from the panic by breathing until the fire returns and grows to my elbows and I scream from the shock of how big it was.
"Oye!! I am here by you! Do not raise your voice!"
"Hah! S-sorry. I'm sorry. You scared me there for a minute. Holy shit, I can believe I did that."
"Fear not, infant. Shall you be calm so shall I. Now who are you to summon me?"
"M-my name is Tessa Greenwool. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"... I don't understand you, but you seem nice. Show me what calls me to you?"
I'm starting to think there's a really big problem here. I go to grab the book after realizing I dropped it at my feet and show the flame the book.
"...What!?" The flame hops off my arm and stands towering to the ceiling hunched over like a deformed mummy that was set ablaze. It's eyes wide and gruesome as if hungry. I could see a face of some kind staring at the book in my hand. The flaming mummy takes it from me and kisses it then holds it close to its chest. It then takes my hand in its bone fingers and knees down to kiss my wrist. It left a sindge on me and gives me a horrific smile. "You call for me to return this? How lovely. I wonder what you wish in return. Do you hear me well enough?"
"Tessa! What did you just summon???"
"Uh the owner of the book?"
"You're kidding me"
"What is it saying!?"
"Uh He seems happy to have his book back and wants to know what to give in return I think."
"You think??"
"His dialect is really strange. Like he's talking in an old language or something like a formal dialect."
"What does that mean??"
"Urgh You know how it's kind of hard to understand a sailor or farmer when they speak in a dialect instead of the modern tongue? Like a joke they say that only they can get? That's what this is. It's hard to know what he's actually trying to ask me."
The flaming mummy tilted its head to me still wide eyed and smiling with jagged, dripping teeth. "Mm I see no progress to clear understandings. Infant? Do you not hear me well?"
I try to think for a moment and point to his book and open my hands to show I want to read it.
"Mm?? You wish for this? Why?" He hesitates for a moment then hands it to me and opens it. I read through it and see a few lines in it that could help me answer him. Please let me say this right.
"Umm hello to you, great one. I hear you well, that I do."
"Hm!? Good good! Very satisfactory! This one has been made quelled of worry. Now. What is it that has made you call to me?"
"I wish to understand Uh will you teach me your tongue? Is that good? It sounded a little weird."
"You do sound very weird."
"Shut up, Mason! This is super hard to decipher!"
"... To speak of mother's tongue, you must share yours in return. You do not question this act?"
Act?? What act? Like action? Jester maybe? "I hear not. What act?"
"... I suppose you of the father's land would see this as a mating jester?"
"What!? The fuck does that mean!?"
"I hear not."
"Uh w-what mating jester?"
He points to my mouth. "We shall exchange to understand one another our tongues. The father lands see this as a stem in mating, Do they not?"
"... A kiss!??"
"... Tessa??"
"Uh madam, if you really wanted to know a language, would you be willing to kiss a stranger if that were the fastest way?"
"In a heartbeat!"
"That makes this simple. You come do it then."
"Huh??" The madam looks up at the devil and only sees it looking at me. "... You do it. It's asking you that question isn't it? You're a goblin. Skinship should be a cakewalk to you with your interracial breeding."
"I am a virgin that has no experience in skinship!"
"What!? What sort of goblin!?"
"A newborn one with past memories. And no, there was no skinship then either!"
"... I have no words."
"Well I wasn't a goblin before this, madam."
"... Do it anyway."
"Why, Mason!?"
"Because the longer this takes, the longer it takes to find the representative. Now just do it."
"Eeh~...! Alright fine! Can't believe my first kiss is going to be with a flaming mummy demon." I look to the devil and we make eye contact that sends chills down my spine as I break out in cold sweat. I look into the book and read it to find a good response. "Forgive my absence in attention. What do you feel for this act?"
"...mm I am estranged by this request for you have asked me to abide to a strange request yet we are strangers to each other."
"Not all of us see this act as a mating significance. I simply wish to understand you with no worry to our boundries."
"Then what is your reason for this? You could read as you are now and learn slowly."
"... A greater devil is in need of my assistance, yet I as I am cannot gain his trust without your language."
"How then do you hear me?" I open my mouth and show him the note in my mouth. "Oh! Now I see! Very well! I shall share my language with you, infant, with not a view of intimacy. But a greeting we shall share between us."
"Really!? UhUm Ah! You have my greatest gratitude!"
"Hahaha! I shall accept this gratitude in exchange for your continued summons. Please do call upon my being for casualty for this exchange."
"Eh uh I shall abide."
The devil leans close to me and lifts my chin. I suddenly feel a rush pain from the fire burn my face until it simmers down to my lips into my mouth. It stopped being painful and soo became a new sensation I didn't think I would ever feel before. A passionate feeling. I now see why he said that about it being a mating ritual. This 'kiss' becomes softer and more passionate as something smokey escapes into my mouth and settles in my throat. He finally stops and my body feels like jelly as he holds me in his arms.
"Do you hear me, child?" Child? Not infant??
"Ye-yes. I hear you."
"You are well, yes?"
"Yes. I'm well, thank you. I wish to stand now."
"Of course."
"... Am I talking normally for you guys?"
"Yeah. And so is he."
"Hm??"
"A pleasure to thee, great youths."
"Th-the devil speaks."
"A... A pleasure."
I just realized he shrank down to about Mason's height. And size. And build What the ever loving?? "Why are you this size now??"
"Mm? Is this not to your likeness of father land children?"
"My wha? You know what. I don't wanna know. Let's get ready to meet up tonight for that mission.
"Right then. You come with me,... Uh if you please?"
"That I shall. For curiosity is my mistress."
"Uh okay then. Tessa is this gonna be okay?"
"I don't know. I did it by accident so I went with it and paid the price for it."
"... Did you at least enjoy your first kiss?"
"I will fight you, Mason."
"Pfft!"
"Before you go. Um the devil" the madam says.
"You may speak my name, young madam. As can the young gent." The devil says.
"Uh"
"If prefered, please call upon me as Dessie." Oh Jesus, not a cute nickname.
"Right Well um"
"Hide yourself. We can't have you roaming the streets lest the Vatican get's called on you."
"Does this suffice?" Mason suddenly panics when he sees the devil was now a sprite on his shoulder.
"Yes." I answer. "Let's get going."
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
In a distant jungle where a tower stood crumbling and decaying, a devil sat in a room at the peak chained to the ground with a seal on his back and a spell drawn beneath him to hold him to the room. His body bruised and beaten with a broken horn and a visible skeleton. He was as still as a graveyard, with a still rising and falling torso that still allowed air to flow through his lungs. Guards could be heard every now and then throughout the days, but no one visits or dares to open the door.