CASCADE PALACE, CAPITAL CITY OF ZENARLI, VENDERYA.
* A contract between humans and demons is bound by life and severed by death*
Everything seemed to flow into due course, or did it? Because if so, I wouldn't be in this course. Abaddon thought as he sat atop the roof of the Cascade Palace, the same spot he stood some days back when he scorched the city.
But things had changed.
Then, he was under the orders of his summoner, contracted to share a part of his powers for this piece of freedom and wreak havoc wherever he was ordered, but not anymore. Now, he was free from the contract, an unprecedented occurrence.
Some weeks ago, the thought of freedom and bliss would have filled Abaddon with joy that even his demon core would have been furious, but for some reason, he was uneasy. His instincts were flaring wildly.
Why?
Sure it was normal for a demon to be relieved of his contract after his need was expired, but not so soon. A contract could only dissolve if one of the parties died and since demons lived for donkey ears, the human counterpart ended up losing. It wasn't fair a deal, but more of a deterrent to humans. So how did his master dissolve the contract and remain alive to the point that Abaddon wasn't immediately teleported back to the Nether Realm?
The thought filled Abaddon with suspicion, considering humans were very greedy animals. It didn't seem likely for them to pass the opportunity at such power, even if it was on borrowed time, and still find a way to skip through the death phase of the deal.
"Cifaro,"
Purple smoke steamed out of nothingness with a hiss. A thick blanket of energy seemed to settle around him, sending electric vibrations coursing through Abaddon. The wave of smoke dissipated, and in its place was a cat of dark coat. Its eyes were a luminous green, its coat shimmered a faint purple, like purple dust.
"You called," Cifaro purred, and stared at his master with an exaggerated flair of boredom when really, he was excited as anything. Still, only his gleaming eyes were proof of his ecstasy, that and the fact that his soul bond could sense his every emotion and read him like an open book.
"Yes, I think something is wrong and–"
"Really?" Cifaro screeched in his most incredulous voice. "And when hasn't anything ever been wrong?" The cat reared his neck mockingly, wisps of dark smoke swirling at the movement.
"I have no time for your petty sarcasm, Cifaro," Abaddon replied, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.
"I summoned you because I need your help," Abaddon continued ignoring Cifaro's grumblings of poor customer service.
"And what is it you need help with?" Cifaro interjected as he conjured up a makeshift foam and curled up on it, purring slightly and letting out a fart.
Abaddon stared at his soul bond for a moment and two words crossed his mind: disgraceful and unbelievable. Sighing, Abaddon proceeded to explain. He waited for some seconds, making sure to gain the attention of his soul bond.
"I can no longer feel the summoning link," Abaddon said abruptly and watched for Cifaro's reaction. For a moment, Cifaro stared at his master with such attention that Abaddon was almost convinced that his soul bond was attentive.
Almost.
"Pfft," Cifaro laughed as he let out another fart in response to Abaddon's concerns. His form twisted in laughter, such that if a non-preternatural being saw the spectacle, he might think himself crazy.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation," Abaddon growled, annoyed. He pulled out a handkerchief and masked his nose from the rotten egg scent that wafted around.
" Oh, I don't actually. But you can humor me, prince of darkness," Cifaro chuckled, wiping a dark tear from his eyes.
Utterly disgraceful. Abaddon thought as Cifaro stretched on the makeshift foam and began rubbing his belly and purring.
At last, Abaddon sighed, "You don't intend to take this seriously, do you?"
"Not in the least," Cifaro replied, honestly. "But tell me, why should I pay any attention to you?"
"Because you are my soul bond and are bound by my rules," Abaddon replied, gritting his teeth hard. He was considering ditching his soul bond and carrying out his intentions himself.
"You don't say," Cifaro responded, ignoring the blaring heat he felt from his master's body. If he could feel his master's anger, his master could feel the same thing he felt.
Indifference.
Abaddon sighed, rubbing his forehead in deep thought. He had no time for child's play. He needed to find out what was going on. But where would he start his search? He couldn't just begin searching for his ex-master when the link had been severed, and his soul bond doing a perimeter sweep on his signature was out of it.
Cifaro was ignoring his master, and lying on the foam, pretending to sleep when in reality, his ears were perked up for any sound.
The only place that he could find the answer was a place he didn't think he'd venture to. But considering the situation at hand, he had to visit the In-between.
With that in mind, Abaddon stretched out his palm, and a yellow ball of light awakened at the barest touch of his magic. He pulled out a knife with his other hand and slashed his right arm until blood bloomed out, dark and veinous, magnetically drawn by the ball of light on his palm.
Upon contact with his blood, the light hissed and flickered out, only to reappear as a ball of bright blue flames. Satisfied with the outcome, Abaddon began a slow chant of spells, and before he knew it, his body morphed into the blue flame, then teleported away from the human realm.
Cifaro watched the whole scene with an eye of indifference, but after waiting for some seconds, he groaned.
"If I go after him, it's simply because I fear a greater evil is at play," Cifaro growled a command to his magic. He burst into flames and the arcane runes on his black coat glowed brighter, and soon he also teleported away from the human realm, warping through the space that led to the demon world, steering away from it and into the In-between.