Christopher sat at a large oval shaped table within a dark, dimly lit area. Opposite to him was a tall, shadowy figure with the body of a woman. She grinned mischievously toward the boy, her long razor-like nails tapping away at the table.
"Heeheehee…well hello there, darling~ Is there something I could help you with? Heeheehee…" The being uttered, her mature, spine-tingling voice trailing off at the end.
That entity was none other than the Elder Goddess of Eternal Night herself, Alastor. Christopher had called upon her for a meeting shortly after the battle with the Death Disciple and her familiar, in hopes that she'd aid him in the situation.
Taking a deep breath, he stared at her in a serious manner, his eyes fixated on her own.
"Uhh…well…I-it's been a while, Alastor. I forgot to thank you for reincarnating me when you did."
"You're very welcome, darling~ It was the least I could do after your spectacular performance on the road way…heeheehee…" Alastor quietly snickered to herself, "I see you've also gotten to know my creation Est as well. Tell me, what do you think of her? Is she to your liking?"
"Est?" He tilted his head, "I guess she is. She's got a cute body, she's quiet, she's strong, and she's mysterious. I like her."
"Splendid!" Alastor clapped her hands together, with a genuine smile plastered to her lips, "Please excuse her brutal manner of fighting, she's been like that ever since I created her all those years ago."
"I-It's fine…it's not like she's doing anything bad…she's just doing it to protect me." That was what he would've liked to think…but after viewing the way she massacred Quth, he began to suspect she actually enjoyed killing.
One of Alastor's servants approached them with a silver platter in hand, along with two tea cups. It was a small marionette with the form of a wooden puppet. Christopher thought it was cute.
"Your tea, madam." It said to Alastor, handing her the items.
"Why thank you, my dear. Vanilla, like I requested?"
"Yes, madam. And ginger for our guest."
"Thank you. This is most appreciated."
"It is my pleasure to serve you, madam." Alastor received the platter, and placed it upon the table. Taking one cup, she pushed the plate over to Christopher, who in turn took the other.
"What's this?" He asked the deity.
"It is ginger tea, my darling. It states in your likes and dislikes that you enjoyed drinking it back on Earth, am I correct?"
"Oh, yeah. You are actually."
"Great. Drink up then."
Christopher raised the cup to his lips, and took a sip. The tea was hot, and tasted bittersweet-just the way he liked it. The taste brought up a nostalgic feeling, as it reminded him of his previous life, the one he was forced to leave behind.
"Mmm…it's good. Thank you, Alastor."
"You're very welcome, darling~ Praise me more if you can…heeheehee…"
Following, Christopher finished his drink in a matter of minutes. After putting it down, he felt as though it was time to state the real purpose of his visit. Alastor took note of his sudden serious demeanour with a sly grin.
"What is the matter, darling~? Was the tea not to your liking?"
"No, it's not that…" He responded, "...As you may have already guessed, I didn't come here just for tea and biscuits. I came here for another reason."
Alastor liked the way he spoke, it made her even happier that he was on her side of the Heavens. She placed both her elbows upon the table, and rested her head on her hands, grinning cleverly in his direction.
"Ho? And what reason may that be, darling~? Is it about your sister? Or maybe…Est? Or perhaps it's about your powers, you wish to have more?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that. I just…" He paused for a moment. He was unsure of whether or not Alastor would fulfil his request-he did just eliminate them after all.
But regardless, he had to try. He told Alvara that he'd revive her, and remove her from the seemingly horrible Death Faction. He had to try…otherwise, he would've killed her for absolutely no reason.
Once again, he took a deep breath, Alastor eagerly awaited his words.
"...If it's alright with you, I'd like you to bring the young girl I killed, Alvara, back to life. And heal her familiar, Quth, as well."
"Hmmm?"
"I know that it's my fault she's dead in the first place since I am the one who killed her, but I did it with hopes that you, Alastor, would revive her, and make her your disciple, instead of her remaining a Disciple of Achlys, who clearly wanted her dead."
"..."
That was a request Alastor least expected him to give. To revive a former member of the Death Faction as a member of the Marionette Faction, that could very well pose an issue for her.
If Alastor was to change Alvara's position as a Death Disciple to a Marionette Disciple, that in the Death Faction's eyes, would be an act of aggression, and it could serve to aggravate Alvara's patron deity.
Then again…Alastor knew Christopher's reason behind this, as she herself was there while he fought her. She sensed the reasoning behind Christopher's sudden request, and that was what convinced her to accept it.
Looking at him, she snickered.
"You do know that if I do revive her and make her my disciple, she will be seen as a deserter of the Death Faction, do you not?"
"Yes. I am aware of that. Est explained it to me before I came here." He responded with.
"Then you are aware of what these factions do to their deserters, are you not?"
"Yes, I am." He once again answered.
"Then you are prepared to guard them both with your life for when the inevitable happens, and the Death Faction catches up to you both?"
"Yes, I am." Trice, he stated.
"Hmph. You're playing a dangerous game, Christopher Hallowswift."
"I know. No matter the risk, I can't just leave her with them. Who knows what'll happen to her there?"
"..."
There was a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Alastor believed Christopher had what it took to protect Alvara from the Death Faction, but she also thought he was being stupid in thinking he could. After all, he possessed no fighting experience whatsoever, neither had he even seen what a Death Disciple was capable of.
But after seeing the determined, desperate look on his face, Alastor found herself unable to refuse him.
"Are you certain, this is what you want?" Alastor questioned him for the fourth time.
"Yes, Alastor. It is." Christopher nodded. "So please, do this for me. I'll do anything."
It took her about a minute to respond, but she accepted.
"Alright. I shall accept your request…but on one condition."
"What is it?"
The Goddess stood up from her seat, and stared him right in the eyes, enticing him to pay attention.
"Christopher Hallowswift. In order for me to fulfil my request to you, you must promise me, you shall guard the two with your life, and you must ensure their safety at all times. What I am doing for you may very well be seen as an act of aggression toward the Death Faction, and it may very well anger the Death Goddess Achlys, who as a response, may wish to send her disciples out to eliminate you, Est, and your new party members. You must take care, and weaponize your abilities as a demon, and the ones given to you."
"..."
"Your journey from now shall be far from easy. Throughout, you shall be faced with great peril and bloodshed, but keep in mind that I shall be with you every step of the way. Do not give up. The next time you die, that will be the end."
"..."
"Farewell, Christopher. You may return here at any time you please, I shall be waiting for you."
Alastor said her farewells to Christopher, and was about to send him home…until he beckoned her. He wasn't finished speaking. Not yet.
"Wait." He abruptly stated, "One more thing…do…do you think…Achlys really did want Alvara dead?"
"Hm? Oh…" The question was valid, as Alvara was sent to kill on a nearly impossible to complete quest by that deity.
"...My apologies, but I do not know the answer to that one, darling. If you'd like, I can look into it for you for our next meeting."
"Ah, sure…thank you, Alastor." He didn't receive the answer he hoped for, but it was a start.
He sent a cheerful smile toward his patron, and waved her farewell.
"Farewell, Alastor. May we speak again soon."
"Yes, darling~ Take care. When you wake up, if you look toward your mattress, you'll see both Alvara and Quth sleeping, and in perfect health. Inform them of the changes made to their statuses, and please, do not let them return to the Death Faction. Goodbye."
Immediately after, Christopher awakened from the meeting.
***
"Ugh…I…am I…back…?" Slowly, the boy opened his deep green eyes, and sat up. He looked around the room until Est was within his sights. She sat upon a large mattress, gazing neutrally toward both Quth and Alvara, who were comfortably sleeping at the time.
Upon hearing this voice, she locked eyes with him.
"You asked Alastor to revive them, I see." She uttered.
"Yeah…I hope you aren't too mad." He replied, "I just…had to bring them back, you know?"
"Is there something to be mad about, master? If you are wondering, I'm just…surprised. Showing mercy to the enemy…I thought you were stronger than this."
"..." He couldn't respond to that.
Were Alvara and Quth my…enemies? Alvara and Quth, putting it simply, were Christopher's enemies. They were sent to assassinate him by Goddess Achlys, who clearly knew that both of them alone weren't enough to annihilate him. So in truth, both of them were his enemies.
Except, he didn't see it that way. What he saw was an innocent young girl and her familiar who were abandoned by their faction, and sent to their inevitable deaths by their Goddess. It was only natural for him to show them mercy.
And because of it…those two were labelled as deserters, and shall be hunted down until their final breaths by their faction. That was their fate.
However… Christopher thought to himself, As long as Est and I are still alive…we will not let anything happen to them, not if we have something to do about it. He recalled the promise he made to Alastor, that he'd guard Quth and Alvara with his life-he intended to keep that promise.
The boy stood up, and walked over to the side of the mattress, where he watched as the two girls slept.
"Wouldn't you have done the same, Est?" He questioned his familiar, "Asked Alastor to revive them?"
"No, master." Est shook her head, denying his remark, "I believe that mercy should never be given to an obvious enemy unless they can aid us in some way. But I respect your decision. Whatever you need me to do, I shall accomplish it to the best of my abilities."
"Thank you, Est." Christopher smiled toward his familiar, who only stared blankly at him in return. "How long have they been sleeping?"
"They were brought here approximately three and a half hours ago, master."
"And were asleep ever since?"
"Yes, master. That is correct."
Christopher took Est's word for it.
"Alright." He said. Nearing the girl, he placed a hand on top of her head, and lightly patted her. "Thanks for watching over them for me."
"You're welcome, master."
***
About a day later…
"Master, I have returned with the meals."
"Great, thanks Est." Est returned to the room with four bowls of red bean soup, one for each of them. The two which were for Alvara and Quth were left upon the nightstand beside the mattress.
Christopher raised his wooden spoon, and dipped it inside the liquid, scooping up one red bean in the process.
"Wow…it looks just like the soup back on Earth…" He noticed, "...The texture is the same as well…"
"Is it to your liking?" Est looked at him with a partially curious expression, in which he answered,
"Yeah. Very much so."
"Good."
"Do you like it as well?" He, in turn, questioned.
"I harbour no feelings toward a specific type of meal. I am only eating because you suggested I do, master. So I cannot say whether or not it is to my liking."
The boy took note of this. He did recall her telling him that familiars did not require the same kind of maintenance mortals do.
"Alright. Well, I hope you enjoy it." Was the only thing he could respond with.
"Likewise, master."
After their dinner, Christopher went to check on the two girls. It didn't look like they moved at all.
"Mmm…" When willl they wake up? It's been nearly a day already…
"Ugh…mmm…"
"Huh?"
"Mmm…nnrng…o…owwe…hhnng…n-no…please I…"
"..."
Alvara's consciousness stirred, Christopher's mind went blank the moment he saw her moving. Her eyes suddenly shot open, and the first thing she viewed was his face hovering directly above her own.
"Alvara…" Seeing her there with him, he was at a loss for words. He wanted to apologise for his actions, he wanted her to forgive him. But after what he and his familiar did to them both, he just couldn't say it…
Christopher was trapped, unable to utter a single word to her.
"You…you killed me…" Just barely, was Alvara able to speak. She had trouble recalling the past events, but she knew enough to realise that the boy who stood beside her was indeed her killer.
"I know…" He found himself unable to look her in the eyes. Not only was he embarrassed, but he was also guilt-tripped.
To him, she was just a little girl. The horrifying, broken face she made at her final breath was engraved into his memory. He just couldn't forget it. He wouldn't. He never wanted to see that again.
It was his ultimate goal to ensure she never made that face again, and to do that, he had to kindle a relationship with her.
He opened his mouth to speak, but her tear-streaked, petrified face was too much for him to bear. He found himself to be completely mute
"I need some air…" Eventually, he decided to take a breather. He turned to his familiar, who knew exactly what he wanted.
"...Look after them for me, will you? I'll be back in a few."
"Yes, master. Take your time."
Before long, he, without looking back, left the room.
***
Christopher returned shortly following. He reentered the room to see both Alvara and Quth sitting up with a bowl of red bean soup each on their laps. Upon his reemergence, she glared in his direction, whereas Quth just avoided eye contact with him. It seemed as though they were both fully healed…
"You have a lot of explaining to do, jerk!" Alvara exclaimed, her face twisting up in anger.
The boy put a hand behind his head and anxiously smiled. He was genuinely relieved they were both alright…but he had no idea of how to speak to them.
We killed them…and brought them back. Maybe I should apologise first…
All he did was stand there, stupidly staring at the two with that awkward smile on his face.
"WEll, what're you waiting for?! Say something already!!" Alvara shouted out. Half her mind was telling her to throw her wooden spoon at him.
"U-um…it…it's nice to…see that you're both alright…?" Christopher at last uttered. It was all he thought about. "I…I'm sorry for what we did…especially to you, Quth. If we had only known that you were forced to assassinate us, then we would've let you go. I know apologising wouldn't fix anything we did, but I hope you can forgive us."
"..." The girls remained silent. Quth glanced over to him, then quickly looked away. Alvara was more shocked to hear it.
She put her bowl down onto the nightstand, then stood to her feet. She kept her eyes focused on him as she fearfully mouthed,
"So, is that why you brought us back? Or did you bring us back just to make us your slaves like Est said to Quth last night. C-cause if you even dare lay a finger on her again I'll-"
"No, it's nothing like that." Christopher swiftly cut her off, "Don't you remember what I said right before I stabbed you?"
"Huh? Err…" Alvara attempted to recall the past events. When she finally remembered, her face once again grew furious. "...And what does that matter?! You stabbed me way too soon! Why should I care about what you said?!"
"Because," Christopher replied. He gradually made his way over to her, "what I meant by those words is that I'll remove you from the Death Faction."
"Eh?"
"And ask Alastor to make you a Marionette Disciple like I am instead."
"W-what…?"
Those words made Alvara's blood run cold. Quth too, wasn't expecting that. She quickly raised her head, and shot a look toward Christopher.
"W-w-what do you mean?! Christopher, does that mean we're no longer Death Disciples?! B-but Achlys, sh-she wouldn't like-"
"Christopher…" Alvara interrupted Quth mid sentence with her remark. Her head hung low, and her voice wobbly lowered in pitch.
Her hands balled into fists so tightly that she felt as though her nails were digging into her flesh. If…if I…if I'm no longer a Death Disciple…then…
"...Are you saying…I…Quth and I…we…we're no longer part of the Death Faction…? And are part of the Marionette Faction instead…?"
"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying. I couldn't leave you in there, not after what you told me."
"..."
Out of the blue, Alvara started whimpering, then that whimpering soon turned to weeping. Tears rolled down her cheeks like a river as she processed what Christopher told her.
Quth came up from behind to comfort her, but before she was able to, the girl wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, and pressed herself onto his chest as heavily as she could.
"Christopher…th…thank you…"
"Huh?"
"*Sniffle* Thank you so much…*sniffle* Y-you don't know how horrible it is inside there I…I've been trying to find a way out of there but I just couldn't…thank you…oh thank you, Marionette Disciple!!!" She cuddled him even more tightly. Despite his shock, he returned the embrace.
He slowly moved his arms around her shoulders, savouring the cushion-like softness of her skin.
Once Christopher saw her reaction, he knew he did the right thing. He was certain Alvara would find happiness within the Marionette Faction. However, there was still the issue of the Death Faction hunting them…Given what he'd heard of their deity, he knew he had to be ready for an attack at any moment.
Upon retracting, he peered at her, a stern look on his round face.
"There's more to it though, come with me, I'll explain everything." Next, he signalled Est, who quickly reacted. "Est, guard the entrance. Make sure nobody could hear us."
"Yes, master." Est nodded. She left the room, and stood in the hallway.
At that moment, with the three of them seated on the mattress, Christopher explained the meeting with Alastor to them both.