"Hey, Gil, how's it going?" Maria was telepathically communicating with him for the first time. "Made any progress?"
"Yeah. The best craftsman in Dirram said he was going to help us. Oh, and his brothers too. They're coming to our place tomorrow. Our village is going to get some massive upgrades."
"Yeah," Maria agreed. "You're sure right about that. Mind if you gave me the name of the dudes that are coming over here?"
"Sure," Gil told Maria their names. "What?! You recruited Klain?!" Gil nodded. "Why are you freaking out, Maria? Was asking him a bad idea?"
"That isn't it. Klain is known throughout Tenebris for being one of the best blacksmiths in the land. His brothers are known for being exceptional crafters. You didn't threaten them, did you? Nothing illegal, either?
"No, of course not. Dirram's military would have booted me. If you're telepathically talking to me, can't you read my mind?"
"I could, but then I'll also be able to read the minds of everyone else I made a bond with. That's way too many thoughts for me to process, and it'll be a real pain to hear everyone in my head. So what did you do, exactly?"
"I helped Klain out with his job. He was struggling to make twenty swords, so I used my powers to make them for him."
"Eh, you mean you made swords out of light? Klain didn't realize you were a sentinel?"
"He did, but I saved his brothers before I met him. So he already owed me, and after I helped him out, he owed me even more."
"How exactly did you help his brothers?"
"Oh, they had severed limbs. I just used my powers, and it was an easy fix."
"Wait, you fixed someone's limbs? Even if you're a sentinel, I don't see how that's possible." Gil explained to Maria how he pulled it off. " Since a demon's entire body is made of quanta, I just took some from my surroundings and fashioned new limbs for them. Almost everything is made entirely out of quanta, so getting them is easy. If you're a sentinel, that is."
"I'm glad everything worked out for you so well, Gil, but don't you think you're using your powers too carelessly? We're lucky Klain doesn't seem to have any prejudices towards sentinels. Things could have been very different if he did."
"I know. But I didn't think Klain would do anything to me, not right after helping out his siblings. They're the only ones who know what I am, so I'll make sure that list doesn't grow."
"Good idea. You do that. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Gil wanted to talk to her more. It's only been two days and a half, but he felt a bit empty. Gil really missed Maria. But he would see her tomorrow, so it gave him some comfort.
Gil was surprised by how popular Klain was. Even Maria knew about him. The leprechauns were star-struck. Travis, Ryan, and Isabelle had fun learning to make swords. Sarafan was giving Conall and Ryan some lessons in carpeting, and they seemed to be enjoying it. "It's a small world," Gil thought. He had no clue Klain was so famous and was glad he met him.
"Hey, Gil." Klain let the leprechauns he was teaching play with wooden swords. "Wanna come to our little party?"
"Party? What are you guys celebrating?"
"Klain finishing his job, obviously!" Asterlig smiled. "We can't have it without you!" Sarafan nodded. "Without you, Klain would have been seriously screwed."
"Screwed? How so?" Gil knew Klain had to make all those blades in a week, but he could have complained about it, saying that the task was impossible. If the best blacksmith said so, wouldn't it mean it really is undoable? "What would have happened if Klain failed?"
"I would've been out of a job, kiddo," Klain sighed. "One of the ministers, Sal, really has it in for me. The guy hates me so much he'll do anything to see me miserable."
"Couldn't you have complained to the King or Queen?"
"Sal is the Queen's son. He hates it that I, a commoner, used to be the head of the military and the engineer corps and that he had to take orders from me. He's been out to ruin me ever since. He even purposely screwed up an experiment just so he could banish me from the military."
"Isn't that corruption? Didn't the Queen notice?"
"She did. But the Queen can't do anything, not when a lot of the ministers support Sal. Thankfully, she isn't anything like her son. If it weren't for her, being in the military would be a lot more humiliating. That's a story of the past, though. If I like it there, I might just decide to take residence in your town."
Gil's eyes lit up. "Really? Do you mean it? You might actually stay?" Klain nodded. "I was planning to leave here sooner or later. I have a perfect excuse to do so now. But, forget about that." Klain patted Gil on the back. "A celebration's in store! We're going to have a blast!"
"We sure are."
Apparently, Klain decided to celebrate at the Young Moon Inn. Gil thought the name was familiar, and then he recalled why. It was Ryan's favorite inn, solely because of the female staff. Predictably, Ryan was fired up. "Yes! Klain, you've got good taste! The Young Moon Inn has all the goods!" Isabelle scolded him. "I told you not to say such things in Lord Gil's presence!"
"Why not? I bet Lord Gil feels the same way. Right, Lord Gil? Isabelle smacked him. "What am I going to do with you?"
Gil was more nervous than excited. Although he was looking forward to partying, he also was interested in the staff Ryan mentioned, but for a completely different reason. They supposedly were sentinels, just like he was. It had been more than eight years since Gil came to Tenebris. He hadn't met any of his kind since then, just friendly demons.
Ryan was the first to walk inside, and his lips curved into a perverted smile. "Ahh, the goods are still here! Intact! Hey, Conall, where did we sit last time?"
"Fourth row, third table, near the windows. And could you please stop grinning like that? You're going to creep everyone out."
Gil studied the inn. It could fit at most 50 people, more than your average tavern. Chandeliers lit the room, and they were decorated with Christmas lights. It seems demons celebrated the birth of Jesus as well. Gil was taken aback by the Christmas-themed melody he heard. Dirram was quite the advanced nation, all right. A bit of snow covered the floor, just to give an extra Christmas feel.
Three women walked to them, and Gil blushed. He thought Ryan had exaggerated about the waiters, but he had not. The women really were as beautiful as he described. One of them was tall and refined, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a voluptuous body that would make every man tremble. Her name was Tiffany. Another, named Sarah, was not much older than Gil. She also had blond hair, but it was cropped short. Sarah had green eyes and a wiry build. The third woman, Alyyiah, had wavy black hair hung loosely over her shoulders and pretty brown eyes. She was well-endowed for her age, which Gil approximated as equal to his or a little younger.
All three women bowed. "Pleased to meet you. Would you like us to escort you to a table?" Ryan nodded. "Yes, p-" He couldn't finish his sentence thanks to Isabelle strangling him. "Yes, we would appreciate it."
Klain tapped Gil on the shoulder. "I saw the way you stared at that Alyyiah chick. Don't deny it now." Gil chuckled. "It's not like that. It's uncommon to see a sentinel with black hair. Also, I'm surprised. Dirram treats sentinels more kindly than I thought."
"You might want to rethink that," Klain disagreed. "Dirram has just hit its third Industrial Revolution. Demand for labor in factories has spiked, and sentinels stuck in Tenebris are rushing in here. It's not surprising that they face heavy discrimination and are treated poorly, with horrible wages to boot. Although I suppose life here for them is better than anywhere else in Tenebris. They can live a relatively tranquil life, and some even have moved up in society. The commander of the Pegasus Riders, the army's most feared regiment, is a sentinel."
"Is that so?" Life here for a sentinel wasn't the best, but there was hope. Gil thought his kind would be barred from high society, but gladly that was not the case, although he knew there were many barriers sentinels faced. He would have none of that in his kingdom.
Tiffany led the group to a table in the third row, right next to a window. Tiffany, Sarah, and Alyyiah sat down next to Gil. The three chattered with Klain and his brothers, as well as the leprechauns, happy that they visited again. Ryan fawned over them, and Isabelle routinely beat him back to his senses, much to Tiffany's amusement. "You haven't changed at all, I see." Sarah rolled her eyes. "Not even one bit."
"He's now a perv in a fancy green tuxedo," Alyyiah said. She turned to Gil. "Here's a newcomer. A cute one at that. What's your name?"
"Gil. Gil Asphodel. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just found it strange that a sentinel would be accompanied by this many demons."
"You could tell?" Alyyiah nodded. "Even though you're suppressing your aura, I can still sense a tiny bit of it. What's your story?"
"Well, I've been friends with the leprechauns for a while, and Klain over there is treating me as payment for the help I gave him."
"You're certainly an oddity. What do you think, Sarah?"
"I don't think he's bad just because he's befriended some demons. Klain and the others have always been kind to us." Tiffany nodded. "You're making the boy uncomfortable." Alyyiah shrugged. "I was just curious, is all. He's quite interesting."
"And pretty at that," Sarah licked her lips, smiling. "It's been a while since we've seen a sentinel. Didn't expect the first one to be such a handsome boy."
Gil glanced at his friends. Ryan was jealous, Isabelle aggravated, and Conall and Travis were impressed. Klain and his brothers grinned, edging Gil to get it on with Alyyiah and Sarah. The thought made his cheeks red.
"Well, I see you're having a good time, Klain." A slim man stood in front of them. He wore aviator glasses and was draped in white robes with some crest on them. "Shouldn't you be making those twenty longswords the army ordered?"
Klain smiled. "Oh, I'm done. I finished making all of them today. I appreciate your touching concern, minister Sal."
"It's only...you've made all twenty longswords?" Klain nodded. "All twenty."
"All twenty? Each with tricalcium?"
"No, I found something better. You'll see it for yourself when the swords get delivered to the inventory." Sal regained his composure. "No, it's fine. It was a menial task anyway. I should have expected nothing less from the great Klain." As Sal broadcasted on his own, Gil was getting anxious. He could already tell Klain and Sal did not get along. He already knew Sal gave an impossible task to Klain all so he could take his livelihood away. What would the minister order next?
Sal looked at Gil disapprovingly. "I'm amazed, Klain, that you would have the audacity to befriend one of them. What were you thinking, befriending a sentinel?"
Klain scowled. "Sentinels aren't so bad. I'd much rather be affiliated with them than with you." Sal smiled. "Did you know, Klain? A new policy was recently enacted. Sentinels and demons will be segregated starting tomorrow. They'll all be rounded up and given a part of the city to live in. Only high-ranking officials will be permitted contact with them. I'm afraid today's the day you'll be having to say goodbye."
With that, everyone's mood was dampened. Alyyiah and Sarah were hiding it, but Gil saw the anger in their eyes. Tiffany hugged the two of them. She was just as furious, and Gil felt the same way. Did Sal hate Klain so much that he was more than willing to make every sentinel in Dirram suffer? Gil doubted he was doing it for "the greater good." It was much more likely that his kind would suffer even more.
Sal emptied a bottle of wine on Gil's head. "I saw that glare of yours. Know your place, you wretched outsider. You have no rights here."
Gil's fury increased tenfold, and it gave him a pleasant idea. It brought about a smile to his lips. "For a horrible minister, you're quite overconfident. You're going to regret dumping wine on my head."
Sal laughed. "Is that so? You want to see the might of the Dirram army?" His grin quickly left his face, and it was replaced by terror. "What the hell?"
Tiffany, Sarah, and Alyyiah backed away, astounded by Gil's aura. They knew he was suppressing it, but it was frightening how much power the boy exuded. The army of Dirram would be nothing but an annoyance to him. Gil could easily smash it to bits.
Gil glared at Sal, daring him to do something. "What's wrong? Has the silly minister realized his folly? Would you like to pour your drink on my head again? Do you want to endanger your entire kingdom?" The sight of seeing Sal's legs shaking amused Gil. "Well, are you going to answer me?"
Sal tried to hide it, but everyone could see how visibly shaken he was. "You-you must b-be bluffing! A mere boy single-handedly taking down the Dirram army?"
"Would you like to test me? If you do, and the Queen hears of this, I wonder how she'll react." Gil snapped his fingers, and Volpes jumped out of his shadow, scaring everyone around him even more. Gil stroked Volpes's fur. "Let me introduce you to my friend, Volpes. He's a kumiho. Mess with me, and I'll have him devour you." Volpes growled, and the image of being eaten alive filled Sal's head. "You-you'll pay for this!' He bolted out of the store. "You'll regret making a mockery out of me!"
Volpes wagged his tail as Gil petted him. "Did I do a good job, master?"
"Yep. Go back into my shadow for now. You're scaring everyone." Volpes nodded and disappeared. Gil turned to Alyyiah and Sarah. "The two of you didn't get wet, did you?"
"No, sir!"
"Just call me Gil. Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Sarafan scratched his head. "Well, you see, you just threatened a minister. He might go to the courts."
"Yeah," Asterlig said. "Worst case scenario, you'll be told to do forced labor in the mines, or you'll be exiled." Gil shrugged. "All I wanted were just some skilled artisans. Since I have you guys, there's no need to be here anymore. It seems I'll just cause trouble if I do. Could the court even order me to do anything?"
Sarafan thought about it. "Well, technically...actually, nevermind.
Klain got up. "Gil, were you seriously going to attack Dirram if Sal hadn't backed down?"
"No, those were just empty threats. Unlike a certain minister, I'm a nice guy. The last thing I'd want to do is kill a bunch of innocent people. Besides, I just recruited the best blacksmith in Dirram. I can't have you ditch me so soon."
"I see. If Sal goes to court, he'll try to get all of us punished." Klain bowed to Gil. "If that happens, will you let us stay in your village?"
"Is that even a question? Of course, I want you guys to stay!" Klain flashed a smile. "Then it's settled."
Gil closed the door behind him. "I came as you requested, Tiffany. Now, what is it that you wanted to talk about in private?" Tiffany sat in a bed, wearing a simple white nightgown. "Just a small favor. Would you mind indulging an older woman?"
"How do you mean?" Tiffany took a deep breath. "You see, I once was fighting in the war. I evolved into a star and almost died. But I was saved by a dwarf who lived here. He took me in and cared for me. Before I knew it, I was in love and bore two children."
"Could I assume they were Sarah and Alyyiah?" Gil had never heard of a sentinel mating with a demon, but he saw no reason why Tiffany would lie. Her story had caught his attention. "What happened then?"
Tiffany sniffed. "He died, Gil. I tried to protect him, but he died in the war. He died saving me again." A tear rolled down her face. Tiffany gave a melancholy smile. "Ever since then, I had to care for Sarah and Alyyiah on my own. I used to hate demons more than anything until one made me fall in love with them. Even with the new segregation laws in place, I still can't hate them. They're no different from us, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Gil believed the same thing, and for some time, he thought he was the only one. He was glad to meet another sentinel who shared his outlook. "In fact, my best friend is a demon."
"Really? Won't you tell me your story, then?"
"You want to hear about my life?" Tiffany nodded. "I dismissed you as just strange until the incident with that minister. As young as you are, you've already become a pulsar. You've even managed to befriend a kumiho and plenty of other demons, I'm sure. I need to know more about you before I can make my decision."
"Well, spoiler alert, my life isn't as impressive as you think," Gil told Tiffany everything, from meeting Maria all the way to the present.
"So you want to make a nation where sentinels and demons can live in peace?" Tiffany asked. Gil nodded. "We've been fighting for so long I wonder why we still do it. So many have lost so much...and that's why I have to do it, or else nothing will change."
Tiffany caressed Gil's hair, causing the latter to blush. "I hope you succeed, Gil. For everyone's sake."
"Of course I will!"
Tiffany smiled. "Then would you accept my request?"
"If it's not something impossible, I'll try my best."
Tiffany stared at the ceiling. "Would you please take care of Sarah and Alyyiah for me?"
"But why? You're their mother. Is there something preventing you from taking care of them?"
"Yes. I have a terminal illness. At most, I only have two years of life left. With the new laws in place, living in Dirram will be hell for many sentinels. I would much rather have Alyyiah and Sarah live in your kingdom."
"Well, it's only a town now. I wouldn't call it a kingdom yet."
"Regardless, I believe that Alyyiah and Sarah will find happiness with you, something not available for a sentinel here." She clasped Gil's hand. "I know it's a selfish request from a pathetic woman, but please..."
"You're not pathetic," Gil shook his head. "Not in my book. You're just a kind, loving mother. Fine, I'll grant your wish. I'll make sure Alyyiah and Sarah find true happiness, but on one condition."
"I don't have much to offer, Gil, if that's what you want in return."
"I'm not asking for payment. If Sarah and Alyyiah are coming with me, you are too."
"I cannot. I don't want Alyyiah and Sarah to cry when I pass away."
"Ok, now that's selfish. I'm sure the two wouldn't go anywhere without you. Besides, I'm sure that when you die, you would want to see your daughters one last time."
Tiffany embraced Gil. "Thank you!" She wept. "Thank you so much, Gil!" Gil nodded. "One more thing. You're not going to die. I will save you."
"No, you couldn't! I can't ask you to take my burden."
"Well, I am. I'm sure your daughters wouldn't let you just throw in the bucket either. We're going to save you." Tiffany nodded, and her lips slowly formed a smile. "I understand. Then I'll serve you till my death, Lord Gil."
The trial had ended quickly. Gil and Klain, along with his siblings, had been sentenced to twenty years of forced labor. The Queen, Kanetaine Whithood, was strong. But Gil could tell she was much weaker than him. After Gil unveiled his aura, the Queen herself said that Gil could decide his fate, as there was nothing she could do to someone of his power. Gil declared that Klain and his siblings would be exiled with him, and a scared judge let it be.
"I apologize for the delay, Lord Gil." Tiffany held Sarah and Alyyiah close to her. "Don't be frightened, you two. He is our new master from now on." Alyyiah and Sarah reached out to Gil. "You'll take care of us, right? You'll save mom?"
"Yes," Gil affirmed them. "I swear I'll protect the two of you and help your mother as best I can." Alyyiah gave Gil a peck on the cheek as Sarah hugged him, causing Gil to blush. Tiffany giggled. "Oh, there's Klain and his brothers."
"Please take care of my bros," Tom told Gil. "I can't have them getting in more trouble."
"Don't worry. I'm only working your brothers all to death," Gil joked. Tom grinned. "Well, see ya." He and the other guards closed the gates to Dirram. Gil faced everyone who was coming back with him. "It's time to head out. Let's go, you guys."
Kanetaine Whithood was known as the Hero Queen of the dwarves. She was a renowned fighter and perhaps the most beautiful woman in Dirram, with a tall, slim figure, brown hair in braids, and a timeless face. However, the trial today had troubled her greatly. A blond woman appeared behind the Hero Queen. "Your orders, my lord?"
"First, punish my son and the ministers who supported him severely. Because of them, we have lost the best talent in our land. Then, I want you to monitor that young sentinel, the one named Gil. Do not lose sight of him." The blond woman nodded, then teleported somewhere else. "To think a pulsar with more power than a demon lord lives in Silverlake and so close to Dirram," Kanetaine thought. "I did not sense any ill will from him, but I cannot ignore his presence. Even a kumiho is subservient to him. I must find out what Gil's motives are. One wrong move and Dirram may perish."