Location: the City of Roses, The Nether Realm.
3 years ago.
*The Unseen can scry through other realms only if they are summoned*.
* The Nether Realm is home to demons of all kinds*
Abaddon sat on his throne, watching with bland boredom as his courtiers amused themselves with the latest politics of the Netherworld. They had arraigned themselves before him, their cries of outrage and indignance rising above the other as they tried to press home their point to the demon prince.
The demon prince in the person of Abaddon de Hilde, the heir to the Hilden Dynasty ,was in no way flattered by their attempts at gaining his favour. If anything, he was extremely frustrated.
As the next in line to the throne, his father–the Emperor of Hilden–had made provisions to ensure Abaddon's succession to the throne. One of which included presiding over court meetings. 'It was the worst of provisions.' Abaddon thought grimly. He would give anything to ditch his responsibilities for a duel amongst the dynasty's finest berserkers, his favourite sport.
Duelling.
He could go on for hours, slashing, swerving, parrying attacks, and he would still be thirsty for more. But he had to consider the consequences of succumbing to his wild desires.
His brother, who was banished for rebelling against his father, could return at any time and challenge the dynasty's sovereignty. His sister, diseased with 'wildfire' could lay destruction to the dynasty if left unchecked, or the mere notion of his father, wife-hunting amongst the society's ill-bred eligible spinsters for him to choose from. Abaddon shuddered at the thought.
Father had made sure he understood the consequences, and as the heir to the throne, he expected nothing but the best of conduct from him.
'Expectations.' Abaddon thought. His whole life was based on expectations. When Leonidas–his older brother– acted out, his father expected him to carry on and do better than his outcast son. His sister, who had succumbed to her demon cores' fire, was to be kept under lock and key, lest she destroys all his father had worked to build. His being was restricted to the confines of expectations and presumptions made for his father's self-interest.
With a sigh, Abaddon turned his luminous green orbs on his court, studying them as if seeing them was a first, an ink-black mass of demons, their claws retracted, their eyes giving off a faint glow in their purple eyes, the court was devoid of any other tier.
The Unseen was categorized into four tiers depending on the purity of blood. The full-bloods were green-eyed and had a wide berth of control over their element; only the royal bloodline is gifted with green eyes.
The half-bloods were gifted with lurid purple eyes. They were swift creatures and were mainly trained to serve the Emperor as spies all over Hilden. They contributed to court matters with their advantaged information.
The pure-bloods were red-eyed. These demons had no control over their elements but were gifted with strength that surpassed a normal demon. The last tier were vile creatures, who had given into their demon core and were feral animals. They had lost all sense of control, like his sister.
But even Abaddon knew his sister was a different case.
"Meeting adjourned," Abaddon said abruptly, his voice calm yet carrying of the waves of their raucous bickering. They all turned to him, their voices dying down, their eyes questioning. Meetings had never been adjourned so quickly and never with such a brazen attitude.
"Adjourned?But we have barely discussed the protest ongoing in the City of Thorns." A courtier whose name evaded Abaddon's memory protested strongly, his ink-black skin rippling like water, sinew-like.
"There is also the issue of rabid demons on the loose," Another joined in, and before Abaddon could form a reply, another discussion drowned the room, albeit more heated.
Abaddon simmered beneath; his aura flared wildly at the ease at which they dismissed his order. He stood up abruptly, and the whole room fell silent. They were staring at him,no doubt sensing the fury beneath his calm exterior, waiting to see what he would do.
" Your Majesty–" The courtier who had awakened the argument made the mistake of speaking. With a blur of a movement too fast to process, Abaddon shot forward, conjuring his sword midway, slicing the head off the courtier. The courtiers bristled, expressions struck in fear.
Demons were creatures of darkness, and they lived on fear, but on the threshold of a creature of a higher echelon like Abaddon, they watched transfixed, not daring to speak lest they dissipated in a burst of flames and cinders sparkling up to the ceiling.
"Leave!" Abaddon growled. The demons needed no second telling, disappearing in a swirl of flames. Abaddon sighed as he sank back onto his throne, his fingers rubbing his forehead in a circular motion, his eyes screwed shut in concentration. He was fairly certain that his actions wouldn't go without a reprimand from his father.
"They scampered off fast" A voice hissed in his ear, chuckling. "Like antelopes in predator grounds," The voice said and Abaddon need not open his eyes before his mind eye projected his demon core grinning in a mist of midnight blue, creeping up to his side.
"What do you want?" Abaddon said, irritated.
He had not summoned his demon core(at least not consciously) but Cifaro must have felt his temper and decided to have a good chat. All this Abaddon knew because of the soul bond. It bonded them for life; they shared thoughts, emotions, power, and life.
"How quick you forget," Cifaro replied, hissing.
"Did you find him?" Abaddon said briskly,
jumping straight to business as his eyes flickered open. His demon core had chosen to appear in the form of a jaguar, his body sleek black, sinewy as he moved, with midnight blue eyes, his coat glowing with arcane runes, a luminous green.
" No, The trail disappeared before I could lock onto his signature, again," Cifaro purred, stretching his lithe figure at Abaddon's feet.
Abaddon exhaled deeply like he usually did whenever news displeased him. This was the fourth time he sent Cifaro hunting for his brother, but the results were the same. He lost the trail before he could place a magic lock on his brother's signature. It should have been easy work for a demon soul like Cifaro, but seeing as the magic signature was slippery, it meant his brother didn't want to be found, which only made Abaddon's work harder.
A burst of flame at the centre of the throne room drew his attention from his thoughts. Cifaro reared to his feet, his hackles rising at the sudden surge of energy. The flame died out and was replaced by a demon, who bowed in submission. From where Abaddon sat, he was gauging the demon's aura, his aura reaching out, and pressing down on the aura of the unfamiliar demon.
Lower Echelon. Abaddon realized as the aura around the demon retreated upon his aura's oppressive power. A messenger, He realized
" State your purpose,"
"Your Majesty, there has been a summon," The demon spoke mechanically.
Abaddon shot forward in his seat, and Cifaro perked up instantly. Had they heard wrong? A summons. There hadn't been a summoning for the past three hundred centuries, and that was long before even he was spawned.
A summoning in this era? Remarkable! This meant someone or some group of people were dabbling in the Unseen arts.
He could use this to his advantage. The thought came unbidden, and Abaddon looked at his core to see Cifaro was grinning, baring out his fangs. He could avoid his overbearing responsibilities and be free without fear of being followed... Tempting.
"Has anyone answered the summons?" Abaddon asked, fixedly at the bowed figure of the demon.
"No, your Majesty. I came as soon as I knew" The demon replied, his head still bowed.
"Good!" Abaddon remarked, clasping his hands together excitedly. Cifaro chuckled at his master's first taste of rebellion.
"Is anyone aware of the status?" Abaddon paused, looking around as if there were eavesdroppers in the same room. "Like the Emperor?"
" No, not even the Emperor." The demon replied, wondering as to where the prince was driving at.
"That's even better! You shan't tell anyone, shall you?" Abaddon asked, levitating off his seat and towards the hunched figure of the messenger.
"If his Majesty wishes, I shan't breathe a word." The demon replied loyally.
"Oh, I do not doubt that," Abaddon replied darkly, and before the demon could think to question his master's word, he had dissipated in a burst of flames, his dark blood staining Abaddon's sword.
Abaddon had killed the messenger.
"Was that necessary?" Cifaro interjected, amused.
"No loose ends," Abaddon replied, briskly.
"Shame. I liked him," Cifaro said, leaping off the throne towards Abaddon, disappearing midway, appearing beside Abaddon.
Rebellion felt foreign to Abaddon, but for some reason, he felt like he was in his element. Cifaro merged into Abaddon as Abaddon drew the energy around him, chanting a spell that would answer the summons. His body warped away from the Nether Realm and to the human world. His eyes grazed the inscription VENDARYA as he teleported to the human world.