I listened to their complaints one by one as the man held up a large mirror with his back for support. It may have been vain but I couldn't even remember what I'd looked like in exile. Now though, I thought maybe that was for the best as I tapped my finger against the fangs in my mouth. Eyes like swirling pools of that cursed Abyss stared at me, my hair was an almost silvery white, and it fell below my shoulders.
'So something had grown during my stay.'
The skin of my face, chest, and hands was pale like someone who'd been dead for quite some time. When I'd run my hands along my scalp I felt two stumps at different points along my crown, and the feel of them pulled at the void of memories I'd lost. I was tall, at least it seemed like I toured over the women, and man around me currently.
'And I can't complain about the chimera's muscular structure, it looks like a god of craftsmanship chiseled this body from a mountain.'
If my face didn't have an angular, and predatory look to it I may have been passable for an ill human, but as fate would have it my face screamed demon; even with my broken memories I could recognize that. With enough bandages I might've been able to pass myself for a wounded warrior during my travels, especially with the only clothes around me being bloodied robes and scarfs. If the cultist, he insisted that his only name be Servant, had kept from insisting I wore the clothes his cult members had made; I may have followed through on the plan. It was the first suggestion I'd heard from him though so it felt only right to accept.
He brought me a pair of dark grey boots, red leather pants that seemed to have a type of scaled armor laced within the leather. His last gift was a hooded black coat covered in dark scales similar to the ones along my arms and legs. When I'd put everything on I was a bit surprised at how well everything fit, it was almost like it had been hand tailored for me, my surprise only continued as a series of notifications appeared.
[ Dragon Slayer armor set obtained. Hunter class armor will increase in scale as the player levels up.]
>Thunder clan boots will increase the player's speed using the secret techniques of the Dragon clan.<
>Lava clan pants provide the player with an increased defense against fire based, and light based attacks.<
>Destruction clan coat will increase the damage of the player's aura with a bonus to aura belonging to the Destruction class. The scales also provide a bonus to the player's defense.<
When I asked for a weapon Servant tried to hide the sorry expression on his face as he stared at the ground. "I beg you for forgiveness Lord, our best smiths were taken to the capital city long ago. The royal family, and their council decided that the royal troops be given access to the best in Astoria." I shook my head at his apology, assuring him that I would be fine without a weapon for now. The silence the cave was interrupted by a cough behind me, and when I turned the woman with dark eyes stood alone behind me. I'd remembered hearing the captives leaving when Servant had brought my new clothes, but she had stayed for her own reasons.
"Begging my Lord's pardon, but I have a request that only you can grant me." She'd bowed as she spoke before continuing. "Servant promised each of us protection on your behalf, but when I needed protection my Lord was not yet awoken. So now while I am grateful for your protection, I ask you for justice in a different matter. The scars from things done to me by a man hired by Servant to...acquire us have yet to fully heal." I had thought perhaps she'd ask for her freedom, but she only wanted revenge. I smiled at her request, and called to Servant before I gave him an order to summon the men he'd hired for another "reward" from the new lord.
Servant had told me it would take two days for the men to arrive and so I spent the time learning each of the captives names, as well as Servant's meaning behind their capture. "Well my lord, in the Exile's legend after their summoning the Exilenis overcome with an insatiable desire for flesh. So I prepared a buffet of options for you to take concubines should the need arise." His unashamed honesty was strange, but I wouldn't fault him for taking every precaution considering the curse's power. It had bound me to The Abyss for years, and would have continued to do so if the human beside me hadn't done something.
"Still why didn't any of your members offer themselves for the office of concubine?" I asked while we walked out of the cave to meet with the smugglers. The dark haired woman slowly followed behind us with a limp, and grimace of pain on her bruised face. The other women had told me their names and opted to stay inside the cave as my justice was served. 'Perhaps I'll know your name after this matter is settled.'
The thought came and went as a caged carriage was pulled through the bushes at a slow pace by two old donkeys. The driver was a young boy with blonde hair who stopped them after seeing ya standing at the mouth of the cave. Sitting next to the driver was a short stocky man with a bald head an ugly face made only uglier by the his swollen nose. The girls had told me about what had happened when they were first brought here, and though they didn't have any knowledge of how the man looked each of their stories had included the fact that he complained about a broken nose. 'Cecil.'
When the bald man stepped down from his seat I noticed that his junior was almost a full head taller than him, and to me the man stood two heads beneath me. Cecil had opened with a bow before he opened his mouth to greet me, it never came though as I'd stepped up before hand and slapped him across the face. The blow hadn't even been half of my strength but it drew blood from his nose and mouth. I grabbed him by his coat and lifted him off his feet while the blonde haired guy stood still with his mouth open.
The question in Cecil's tearful eyes vanished as a small chuckle was heard from behind Servant. She'd shown up as if on cue, Cecil opened his mouth to present his case when he noticed the bruises on the girl's face. I didn't bother with wasting time, I knew why he'd done it, but I also knew why she wanted to repay Cecil for his kindness. When his face was a bloody mess, and tears fell from swollen eyes a voice cut through the sound of whimpering pleas for mercy. "If it pleases you Lord, I'd like him alive to serve me and the other ladies." Her voice was lighter than when she'd spoke before, and I felt her thin arms wrapping around me while her head pressed against my back.
"Servant, tend to his wounds after you put shackles on him, and pay the boy for his price." I didn't look from Cecil's face as I spoke, though his eyes were unfocused as his head fell back. After dropping him to the ground I turned to face the dark haired woman who looked up at me with shining eyes and the most sincere smile I'd ever seen. "Astrid, my name is Astrid Lord." Tears fell down her reddened cheeks as she spoke, and her small delicate fingers closed around my hand in a startling sign of affection and trust. I'd expected to be seen in a better light after dealing with her request, but to see her after I'd almost mistake this Astrid for a shapeshifter of sorts. She walked ahead of me, leading me through the cave tunnels until we stood alone in a small carved out room.
The room had two torches for light, a stool, a small mirror, and a small cot along the far corner. Astrid swayed nervously in front of me for a moment before she motioned for me to sit in the stool. "If it pleases you Lord, I would like to request you send the others back to the village." Her fingers played with the ends of her hair as she spoke, and she bit her lip causing her voice to barley be above a whisper. "While I'm sure you have little reason to listen to this request, if I can find your favor Lord I'll take their place at your side. The others are still pure in a way, and I believe that my loyalty will be stronger than their fear." Her body was shaking as her hands closed around the shoulders of her worn dress. Her actions were confusing me again, but the confusion quickly faded as her dress fell to her ankles.
Astrid's body was healthy for the most part, if not for the patches of dark purple bruises along many parts of her pale flesh she'd be close to flawless. The only thing that bothered me was that the bruises couldn't have been caused by Cecil, they were older than the ones I'd seen on her face and arms. Her right leg was twisted in an unnatural way, as if she'd been lamed in an effort to keep her from running. Old scars ran along both her legs, and I could see brand marks on her lower back as she turned to show the scars left after she'd been whipped on multiple occasions. "If my Lord will accept me...I'll remain forever loyal to you alone no matter what comes in the future."
[ New ability unlocked: >Race creation< ]
[ If the blood of a Chimera is consumed the subject will undergo a metamorphosis. The chances of creating a completely new race increase depending on the subject's affinity to the Chimera. ]
My eyes widened after reading the message that came after Astrid had only just finished speaking. 'What else can this race do?' I thought while stepping closer to her. I raised her chin until our eyes met, I couldn't tell if any semblance of kindness could be seen in my eyes but I offered her a smile as the fingers of my right hand dug into my palm. "All you have to do is drink."
Astrid
Her consciousness came back slowly, as if she were waking from a dream that she couldn't quite remember. The fact that she enjoyed the dream was still with her but she struggled to recall anything that had happened in it. 'There was a family having a picnic... Three children and a woman.' Astrid tried to recall their faces but only remembered a shadow of sorts covering them. Her train of thought was interrupted by the gentle sound of a heart beating, and her eyes opened suddenly. She'd been in such situations before and had trained herself to remain calm despite any fear she may have felt. She relaxed when her eyes fell in the sleeping face of the Demon Lord, his eyes shifted and Astrid felt a saddened longing coming from him. 'Even mighty demons came dream of something.'
After getting up from where she lay Astrid dressed herself again, and made her way through the cave tunnels until she found the other girls. When they saw her they huddled around her like worried mothers looking for signs their child had been hurt. Once her condition was found to not only be healthy, but better than before questions began to fly at her from every direction. "Is it true he did that to Cecil just for you Astrid?" "I heard Demon Lords only know how to be violent, but you say he didn't touch you?" "Did he use some sort of dark magicka on you?" She tried to answer as many of their questions as she could while trying to calm their learned fears from old wives' tales they'd been taught since they were children.
When she'd finally been able to sit and eat a bowl of warm porridge and toast a tiny voice passed through the women huddled around her still. "Will he let us go back to our homes?" Young Charlotte spoke softly as she held onto Eva's skirt. The girl had hardly spoke since they'd all been gathered together waiting for Servant's cult members to offer themselves to their 'Chained God'; even then she'd only speak in hushed whispers to Eva. The girl was naturally shy, but her desire to go home had given her enough courage to speak clearly this one time. Astrid raised her hand to pat the girl's head while opening her mouth to tell her the good news, but was interrupted by a cough coming from the other side of the room.
Servant stood awkwardly, with a downtrodden look on his face as his crazy eyes looked at each of them, and despite his loyalty to the Demon Lord Astrid still felt a chill go up her back when their eyes met. "My ever merciful Lord has commanded that you all be escorted back to the village of Brekin." He offered them an almost apologetic look as if they'd missed out on a grand opportunity; only Astrid understood why he looked so upset. 'He's worried that the quality of his offerings wasn't good enough.'
As the young girls, and women moved as if to leave right then Servant held up a hand to stop them. His eyes met her own again and this time a small amount of pride could be seen behind his crazed eyes. "My Lady, our great Lord has requested that you remain here with me while your slave heals. I'll offer you my best service while our Lord journeys to Brekin, we'll follow after him no later than a day." When he spoke Astrid was taken aback by how formal his speech was, as if he were addressing a lady of nobility far above his stance. 'He's even bowing as he speaks.' Astrid couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his actions before offering him her hand in the fashion pantomiming the ladies of nobility she could remember. "I'd like that Servant, and perhaps you can explain these strange messages I'm receiving."