- Elijah -
Elijah had started adjusting to the uništi's speed. He wanted to ask questions but the sound of three uništi was far too loud for him to try. He looked at the passage coin, wondering what the significance of such a thing was.
'I've heard of needing money to get into the afterlife, but I don't think this is the same thing.'
The passage coin was gold-colored and depicted two wolves, one black, the other white, both circling each other. The coin had writing on it.
'Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.' Elijah wasn't familiar with the two but figured they must be gods.
Elijah wondered how Yvere was feeling right now. The group was heading towards the Vampire's homeland, Sangmara, and he thought Yvere had looked worried before they left.
'Maybe her family doesn't approve of this line of work. It wouldn't surprise me, especially considering the fight with Cytus. I guess she's not looking forward to telling them, or possibly lying to them.'
Elijah had gotten used to being full of questions at this point. He assumed there was always an answer, but it didn't stop the feeling of anxiousness. His right leg started shaking, an old habit he thought had gotten rid of.
He decided he should spend the trip reviewing what he had read. He would prefer to read the guide, but it was difficult to hold the book steady on the ride, so he left it with Lucifer in the supply cart.
'Vampires have a good relationship with humans. They don't have the typical weaknesses that have been portrayed in media and they might offer to buy my blood. I think those are the main things to remember.'
He kept running interactions he might have in his head and tried to make sure he wouldn't react inappropriately to what he might hear, or be asked.
The vampire's territory was close to the border and was often used as a stopping point for Lucifer and his group. If the group needed to restock on supplies or rest, Sangmara was accommodating.
- Lucifer -
Lucifer was thinking about the questions he was going to ask when he arrived.
'Have you seen an archangel that looks like a corpse around here? I'm sure they haven't.'
Lucifer felt defeated by the situation. Death had called anyone who would answer in the northern territories, giving a warning about Cytus and requesting any available information. The few that answered Death's calls, combined with the lack of information, was a drain on Lucifer's patience.
'"It's only an archangel"' Lucifer mocked in his head. 'Not like we outrank most of you, but whatever. Keep playing your games, see what it gets you.' Lucifer's thought got darker and darker as he thought of all the minor gods who might get killed by Cytus.
- Death -
Death had made as many calls as he could about Cytus. The stronger gods who answered his calls hand-waved the problem, stating "Archangels aren't threatening to them." Death made sure to spread as much information about Cytus as he could. If a god didn't pick up he would make sure the next closest one would inform the neighboring territory.
'They're posturing because they want to use it as an excuse to drag down Heaven. Your own citizens and followers could die, but you don't care!' Death tried to calm himself from thinking worse things.
Death knew that Heaven's leaders haven't been well respected since the angels' father left, but the angelic army was still considered to be one of the strongest in the world. It led to some gods throwing insults from a distance, with full knowledge that if a war broke out they would lose.
Whether Michael wanted to admit it or not, Death is the main reason few enemies cross the border from northern territories. The three realms had three things that deterred invasion from the gods. First was Death, second was Heaven's army, and third was Satan. The accumulated history of the three had created a powerful shield for humans.
Unfortunately, this led to further mistreatment of humans in the north. Death believed that humans could make the world far better, but the gods only saw two things: An invasive species, or lessers who should know their place.
Death rode ahead of Lucifer's group, acting as a deterrent for anyone looking for trouble. Sometimes bandit groups would set up near the border on the north side looking for humans coming through. These groups would be hunted down by grim, but they were too widespread and the other territories too apathetic to be completely handled.
'Maybe I should take a day after all of this and go for a hunt. Spreading the word that Death will kill any bandits found near the border, north or south, might help if it's believable.'
Death wasn't well-liked by most of the gods, but his status made them unable to stop him from traveling through their lands. Ancient gods were given a free pass to go where they please, with the understanding that they aren't declaring war when they arrive. As long as an ancient god was well-behaved there wasn't anything that could be done, since so few would be willing to start a problem.
Death occasionally looked up at Mira, wondering what she must be thinking. After Death called Mira's bluff of not having an echo the angel had decided to make frequent calls to Heaven.
'I hope she behaves herself in Sangmara.'
Death knew the angels had a distaste for vampires. The vampires' ability to take mana was feared or found disgusting by many different races, but the ones that didn't have a problem with it saw the usefulness of such an ability for support. Vampire healers were considered highly valuable because it helped circumvent a common issue healers had, that being mana depletion.
Death was also worried about his own presence in Sangmara. Vampires can "taste" mana, and his was considered so unpleasant to almost be thought of as poison. On top of that, there is an old tale of a vampire leader breaking their fangs on his arm.
'Vampiric stares, ugh. I hope the uništi can take some of the attention off me.'
The group arrived in Sangmara. The gate in front of the territory were two large wooden doors with guards on top looking down at Death. Death was greeted by a tall woman in a black cloak with long black hair that had streaks of white in it. She was surrounded by multiple guards in black cloaks.
"Hello, Death. I assume the others are with you?" The woman asked looking at the two carts and Mira.
"I'm with them actually. I called Gwyn ahead of time so she knows we're coming."
The woman waved the guards away and ordered the gates open. The woman smiled as Death went in and exchanged a glare with Mira who was walking behind.
Sangmara was a bustling city with cobblestone paths, wooden buildings, and large gothic structures all around. There was a lot of movement on the roads as Death and the group were moving along. A small child ran up to Death and looked up at him.
"Is dat a real uništa?" The child said with an excited look.
Death smiled.
"Uništi, and yes. Careful, I don't want you getting run over."
A man wearing a black suit ran up to the child and picked him up.
"Damian what did I tell you about running in front of large animals?" The man was clearly the boy's father given the resemblance.
The man turned to Death and apologized. He was a tall man, 6'4" tall. He had combed-back white hair, a pale skin tone and red eyes.
"Damir, sir. Is it safe to assume you can't be tempted to sell the uništi?" Damir asked while holding a firm grip on his son.
Death laughed.
"Even if I would sell, you can't afford it."
Damir laughed and thanked Death for his patience. The man guided his son back towards their store.
"It's always about money with their kind," Mira said under her breath.
"Don't forget where you are." Death whispered back to her.
The group continued moving, with Death occasionally being stopped by children that wanted to touch his uništi, and adults trying to buy it. The experience was a welcomed form of bothering to Death, who was just happy he wasn't the one getting stared at.
The group arrived at a green-colored house that was right in-between two large black buildings. A man and woman came out to greet everyone. The man was wearing a red shirt and black pants while the woman was wearing a black dress with a slit down the side.
- Yvere -
The man and woman were Yvere's parents. Her father, Gerard, is a human man with brown skin like Yvere's. He was around 6'1" tall, bald, with a muscular build and brown eyes.
"It's good to see you again Yve." Said Yvere's mother.
Her mother, Yvette, was the same height as her, 5'8" tall. She's a slim woman with long black hair, pale skin, and red eyes.
Yvere got off the uništi and hugged her parents. Her parents had often worried about her and wished she would just stay home. She knew they wouldn't take the information about Cytus well and had been preparing what she was going to say on the ride here.
"I have to tell you something."
Death and Mira left to meet with the vampire's leaders, while Lucifer and his group stayed with Yvere while she brought them up to speed. Yvere was sitting at a table with her parents explaining, while Lucifer and the others had decided to stay outside.
Yvere's father switched between fury and tears as she told him about the fight.
"Fucking archangels," Gerard said, slamming his fist on the table.
"It wasn't really an archangel dad."
"Yeah, I know, but still. The angels need to learn to handle their shit."
Yvette was consoling Gerard. He was just a human in his mind, and even though his daughter was stronger than him he couldn't help but feel like he had failed to protect her.
"Lucifer shouldn't have left to go have some dick-measuring contest with Death," Yvette said.
Yvere knew better than them how hard Lucifer took the news, and how much he wanted to find Cytus.
"Lucifer wasn't the problem. He can't protect me all the time. Cytus..." Yvere struggled to get the words out. "Cytus is just a monster. Monsters will always exist, and as a healer, I need to be ready to face them."
Yvere's tone betrayed her. She kept picturing Cytus's face when they were exchanging blows. His unflinching look as she hit him, mixed with his lightning ripping through her. She held her side and took a deep breath.
"I know you worry about me, but dad you know Lucifer. You know he wouldn't let someone get away with what Cytus did."
Gerard looked at Yvette and sighed.
"I wish you didn't have healing magic. I had always hoped you would have an earth affinity instead. I trust Lucifer, but not more than I distrust the monsters of this world."
"You always have a home to come back to Yve." Yvette said trying to reassure her.
"I know. I love you both." Yvere said getting up and hugging her parents.
- Lucifer -
Lucifer was talking to Elijah who was taking the chance to ask about Yvere.
"I know it's rude to ask, but how old is she?"
"She's around seventy. Vampires age very slowly." Lucifer knew Yvere didn't care if others knew her age and figured Elijah was the type that would never ask her. "Asking age is always considered rude in this world, don't forget that," He said in a cold tone.
Lucifer wasn't trying to scold Elijah, his mind was just elsewhere.
'Cytus...where the fuck are you?'
- Cytus -
A figure walks into a dark room.
"Sorry about how long it's taking. Your injuries were extreme, so it's going to take multiple visits." A calm voice said.
"As long as I get back to full," Cytus said, his eyes shining against the darkness.