"Laurena is quite beautiful. Something she takes after her mother, I would assume." Darius said his voice silky, and yet still grating on Victor's nerves. "Where she gets her beauty from is none of your concern. I asked you here for a single purpose."
"The disgraced King is still seven years old. His only adversaries are the bullies that pick on him in school. I've made certain that he has no memory of who or what he is. All he knows is he is the youngest of six children in the house of DeMarco. The people I've left him with value hard work, and are wary of death demons, and anything pertaining to the supernatural."
"Good," Victor said, his mouth twisted, his eyes darkening. "There's been no sightings of Gianna in Mexico. She knows better than to show up where Demons are rumored to be." Darius said crossing his arms. Victor scowled, "Did I ask about her?"
"And yet the question is written all over your face," Darius said smirking. Victor shook his head. "Dorian, Terry, and Raphael went to see if there are any remaining Nathaniel sympathizers."
"Just because Zafira went after Laurena doesn't mean anyone else will. But I can understand your worry." Darius said his voice soft. "Can I offer my services? It had been a very long time since I've been to Vemos, and I have missed it greatly. I would not be opposed to spending some time here."
Victor narrowed his eyes. "As long as you don't cause any problems I don't see why not. I'd prefer however if you take one of the rooms in Simeon's tower."
"As you wish," Darius said crossing his arms. "I should mention, however, that from what I remembered initially from Nathaniel's banishment, was that there were some supporters that left the castle, part of Eliza's coven if I'm not mistaken. Maybe you should look into where they might have gone. They might have more information. Although I should mention that I have no idea where they currently are."
"Thank you, Darius, I'll make sure that I send that information along."
The North>>>
"This is insane," Terry muttered, as he got off his horse. Dorian sniggered behind him. "You didn't think the castle was the only place inhabited by people, did you?" Dorian said simply. Terry glanced around. The so-called village they were in was much more than just a simple village, it was full to the brim of people in all sorts of clothes and ethnicity walking to and from multi-colored booths, that served things like fruit, all the way to hand-woven cloths of various sizes and shapes.
Beyond the Market, there were bars here and there, where men and woman alike sat drinking and snacking and making lively conversation with each other. Beyond the bars, were huts of medium and large sizes, no doubt home to the many creatures and people that made up the Vemonian Kingdom.
"I know that there are other people here, but I was expecting an actual village not, well this!" Terry said gesturing wildly. Dorian chuckled. "There are two more villages like this, one in the South, where Raphael went, and another in the East. The Castle is located in what people call the Western region of Vemos. The royal family has always lived there." Dorian said gesturing to Terry to follow him. Terry followed him closely while still looking around curiously.
The many different stalls selling fruit, and other wares that Terry had never seen before. He turned to Dorian who was walking around people and avoiding the sellers that were trying to pique his interest. "Where does all of this even come from? Things can't possibly grow here, can they?" Terry asked, intrigued.
"This is why I wanted you to come with me. You've been in the castle for far too long. Two years in Vemos and you still don't know too much about the Kingdom. The tragedy of you coming here so abruptly." Dorian said sighing. Terry narrowed his eyes at Dorian. "You are much more talkative than you usually are."
"It's this place. Or really any place that isn't the castle. I always have to be on guard there, but here outside, I'm not Dorian the slave, but just Dorian a citizen of Vemos."
"You don't have to be on guard with me," Terry asked. Dorian shook his head, "Unlike Raphael you were brought up with the idea that slavery was something negative."
"Slavery on earth was abolished long before I was born."
"The beauty of Vemos. Our realm lives outside any idea of time. The many portals that can take you from here to Earth, or any of the other nine realms of hell, all transport you to different versions of time. Your mother, when she first left Vemos when she was pregnant with Laurena ended up in the time of old, where humans still lived in huts and were made up of small villages, things that mattered then were marriage, and trading of goods and services between village, to village. You on the other hand came from a place full of skyscrapers and metropolises. Big huge corporations, and malls. The two of you couldn't have come from more different backgrounds." Dorian said glancing at Terry as he talked. Terry nodded. "What are we looking for exactly?" Terry asked, noticing that Dorian was leading away from the open market to the bar areas. "We are looking for her," Dorian said gesturing at a tall redhead, that was currently manning one of the Bar's closest to the marketplace.
"Cassie. How are you?" Dorian said politely. The girl turned around, and Terry immediately felt a sense of foreboding come upon him. Possibly to do with the silver dots that lined the side of her face and sparked in the red sun. Raphael had mentioned that for some crimes that took place in Vemos people were given a number of silver spots on their face, as a mark of someone who had broken the rules set forth by the royal family. She had enough silver spots that they could be mistaken for a tattoo of sorts.
"How am I? I'm miserable. For twenty years I've been stuck in this god-forsaken land, serving who knows what, all because I tried to save your sister!" Cassie fumed at Dorian. Terry's eyebrows shot up. "Your sister? You have a sister?" He asked in surprise.
"Had a sister," Dorian said darkly. Cassie scowled. "There's no need to take that tone, out with it. What do want of me." She said. Terry glanced at her, watching as she wiped her hands on a cloth that she had hanging at her belt, leaning towards Dorian with her arms on the bar. He was surprised to hear her voice take on a southern accent. Of course, Terry had no idea if the accent was actually southern or if it was just another accent, that made up the entirety of the Vemonian culture. He turned to look at Cassie, and wondered where she hailed from, her skin was pale white, her hair different hues of red, her eyes were almond-shaped and an eerie green color.
"All I need from you is information. I'm even willing to buy some of your booze to get it." Dorian said. "How magnanimous of you." She said, straightening and pulling out three shot glasses, and a dark brown bottle, when she opened the bottle a vivid green flame sprung out. Terry's eyes widened at the sight, Dorian gestured for Terry to take a seat before dropping down on one of the stools that framed the bar.
"What information do you need?" She asked, pouring into the shot glasses. "Information on your favorite subject. Nathaniel." Dorian gulping down one of the shot glasses. Terry raised his glass looking at the vile green liquid that sloshed in the glass. Dorian put a hand over Terry's hand lowering the shot glass and giving a sharp head shake.
"What do you mean Nathaniel?" Cassie asked narrowing her eyes at Dorian. "We're looking for Nathaniel sympathizers." Terry continued carefully watching Cassie as she turned to him. "And who are you?" She enquired. "He's Victor's son. And Gianna's."
Cassie's eyebrows went way up. "I've heard rumors that Victor had a son."
"And Nathaniel had a daughter, that was recently kidnapped by Zafira," Dorian said. "Is she okay?" Cassie asked sharply. "As well as can be, seeing as she burned Zafira alive in the process of escaping her clutches."
"She sounds pretty impressive."
"She is." Terry and Dorian said in unison. They glanced at each other, before looking back at Cassie. She smiled. "As for information, there are some people who were formerly in Nathaniel's court. I know one in particular who will be able to let you know if there are in fact any sympathizers that may have helped Zafira. What did she say? What did she tell Nathaniel's daughter?"
"I'm not sure. After the attack, she was taken by the healers, and the only people who have spoken to her since then were Victor himself and Simeon."
"Simeon's in Vemos?" Cassie asked her eyebrows raised. "He was sent in to help train Laurena, she's almost as powerful as Zafira herself, but she is untrained," Dorian said.
"That must be fun for him," Cassie said grinning, as she put away the bottle, Dorian gulped the last shot before getting off the stool. Cassie walked around the bar, and gestured for the boys to follow her, "Come on, I'll show you where to find this guy."
"Is this anyone I'm going to already know?" Dorian asked, his eyes narrow. Cassie turned to smirk at Dorian before she looked at Terry sliding an arm through his. "What do you know about Dorian's time in Nathaniel's court?"
"Nothing at all."
"That doesn't surprise me," Cassie said smiling. "Dorian is one of those people who keeps everything close to his vest, but what he always has, is one person, that he keeps in confidence. Judging by the way he talks to you, and the way you act around him I would say, that you have become the one he can be truly himself around." Cassie said while Terry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Likewise, when he was in Nathaniel's court, there was one that he kept in his confidence. His friend, and sometimes lover." Cassie said smirking at Dorian. Dorian's face twisted in a grimace of pain. "Please tell me you don't mean,"
"Well if it isn't Dorian the heartbreaker." Dorian looked up his eyes wide, Terry looked at the small violet-haired girl that stood before them, all clad in leather. Her eyes were rimmed with Kohl, and she had a decoration, of silver dots, in a spiral shape in the middle of her eyebrows. Giving her the look of an Indian girl.
"Hello, Helena," Dorian said, his voice coming out as a sigh. Helena grinned widely. "You are the last person I expected to walk up into this town." She said glancing at Terry and Cassie. "Who's your friend Cassie Bear?"
"No one you need to concern yourself with," Cassie said tightening her grip on Terry's arm. Terry wisely chose to stay quiet. Helena smiled at Cassie before she turned back, to Dorian. "Why don't we take this out of the open," Helena said gesturing to one of the cottages, before walking towards it.
"Stay with Cassie," Dorian said, as he passed by the two of them. He walked into the cottage and immediately stopped. The inside of the cottage was much larger than the outside of it. The walls were painted dark crimson and in the middle of the room stood a koi pond, a wooden bridge right over it. Helena stood on the bridge, beckoning Dorian to come closer. "What is all of this?" Dorian asked looking around at the room, in the far corner there stood a Torii which was a Japanese gate that usually precluded a sacred place, but in this case, served as an archway to an herb garden. Or knowing Helena, most likely a garden full of witchy potion ingredients.
"You know I don't like playing these games with you," Dorian said sighing. "You never minded my games before," Helena said as she watched Dorian walk up the bridge. "What are you doing here Dori," she said sighing, crossing her arms. "I came for information, which is why I went to Cassie. What do you know about possible Nathaniel sympathizers?" he asked, stopping right in front of her. Her eyes narrowed. "Still working for the crown, I see," Helena said.
"You know that I have no choice in that matter," Dorian said. "Still the ever-faithful servant." She sneered. "You know that I never liked Nathaniel, even when I was in the court. He was brash, rude, and brutal to all his subjects. Not just the ones that displeased him. You know that better than most."
"And yet there's been rumors about possible Nathaniel sympathizers. Have you heard what happened?"
"You refer to Laurena's capture and torture by the hand of the witch Zafira? Nathaniel's wife?" Helena said her eyes narrowing into slits, her eyes resembling a snake. "Yes, I know what happened. I also know what she did." She said shrewdly. "And how would you know that?" Dorian said. Helena smiled before she waved her hand at the Koi pond. The water shimmered for a moment before the water turned violet and then cleared with a scene of the castle Dorian had just left.
"Didn't realize you had started to conjure again," He said. "Didn't realize I'd ever stopped." She said crossing her arms. "There has always been Nathaniel sympathizers. Zafira was the one leading them, but there was another person, who was always in her ear telling her that Nathaniel was still alive."
"And who is this person?" Dorian asked losing his patience. "I'll tell you, but it'll cost you." She said.
"What cost?"
"A kiss."