"Well, hello there, my dear host."
I look behind me and on to the only wooden door within the room I find myself in, then back to the woman with horns in front of me sitting on a throne.
She has short gray hair with red highlights that reaches her shoulders. She's wearing a black suit with a bow tie as red as blood, and a chain wrapped around her neck.
And I can see her fangs as she's just smiling at me.
"Who? Me?" I point to myself, and noticing the necklace wrapped around my neck is missing.
"Yes you! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon, you weren't supposed to meet me until you've fully awoken your power of Sin you silly little devil!" She giggles.
"My what?"
"Oh, you cute little thing, have you not realized the full extent of what you truly are?
"Not really."
"Then I'll give you a bit of an explanation, come here~" She gestures with her finger to come closer.
I step closer as I look around the room.
It looks like some dungeon room you'd find in... well a dungeon.
"Now, kneel." She demands.
"No."
"Im kidding~" She leans forward and presses her finger against my right hand.
"If you wanted to shake hands you could have just said so." I say as I look down at my right hand. The mark looks like it's twisting and turning before the shape changes slightly. And I can make out a sort of small trident shape in the middle.
It then blends into my skin and vanishes.
Now I won't have to go through the trouble of hiding it with a bandage.
No seriously, it makes my hand sweat.
"There, now I'll be able to see what you see in the mortal realm. I'll even be able to talk to you, isn't that grand? It'll be like I'll be accompanying you on your little adventures~!"
"I'd prefer if you didn't. I've already got a travel companion in the form of a bratty book."
"Oh? How interesting... Well truth is, I've been able to watch you for a while, however only for short periods of time for every moment you've activated the Rune of Death I had one of my liches deliver to you."
"Sigh The what?" I am once again faced with a term I have no clue about.
"You really are a cute little thing~ That thing on your right hand, that is me. Well, what remains of me. I've made... a little big of a ruckus a little over twenty-five years ago across the central continent. Of course, this upset that vixen in her ugly cathedral. My masterfully crafted plan of slaughtering mortals and collecting their souls was interrupted when she decided to descend with her army of ugly children." She shifts her eyes away in embarrassment.
"Uh huh."
"And... well, one thing led to another, this led to that, and I resorted to transforming my physical shape and soul to that of a small Rune in hopes of implanting myself to a being for my survival. Brilliant, is it not?"
"Yes, no, maybe. I dunno."
"Hmph.. I thought it was pretty brilliant."
"What'd you need souls for? You trying to level up or something?"
"Oh, seems you get the full scope of things after all~"
"Wait what?"
"The process of collecting human souls in order to fuse it with your own and strengthening it to unparalleled heights has always been the greatest of all sins. It started when one of the first child of heaven discovered they could absorb mortal essence onto themselves instead of powering the Grand Cathedral. Heaven took notice of this and waged war against the angel, who's soul grew corrupted from the imbalance of merging the many human souls onto their angel soul. The corrupted angel then brought down and absorbed the soul of the Cherubim, which in turn created the first soul of a Demon. As a result, 'She' along with the power of the Seraphim banished the first demon onto the mortal plain. Over the next course of the millions of years, the demon brought its corruption across the land, tainting everything in its unholy substance, cursing the land for generations to come."
"I think I got down everything you just told me, but just in case, simplify it down for me.
"That angel was me; I created the Rune of Death by corrupting the heavenly sigil of Dominions I was granted. In doing this, I created the only way of killing heavenly entities. The very first sin. The first that walked in death."
"Cool."
"It does sound rather majestic, does it not~?"
"No, I'm lost. You just made my brain turn to mush." I look behind me then back to her. "Wait, so you're like Satan or something?"
"Ohh stop it~ That old nickname is soo outdated. I go by Lucifer these days, but I grant you the right to call me Lucy~" She winks.
"No."
"Oh, boo." She looks away.
"Wait who is 'She'?"
She turns her gaze back to me, and her dark pink eyes look into mine. "God."
"Hmm.. well shit."
"So, let's get along, alright~?"
"May as well."
She gives me a wide smile.
"And where the heck am I?"
"Ah yes, welcome to my little room that is within the confines of the Limbo Domain.
"Are you serious."
"Yes I'm serious, this is the Limbo domain. It's really just a dungeon outside of time that stretches for endless amounts of miles. This is where the souls of sinners go to get punished for all of eternity. It is also how I can sustain myself, along with the souls you gather of course." She winks.
"Wonderful, this whole experience has just been electrifying. Can I go now?" I'd rather not stay in this weird room for much longer. The fact there is no time is making my body feel really weird. Almost like that feeling you get after your foot wakes up from being asleep and tickles you till you feel like dying.
"Aww... and here I was having fun talking to my dear host~ Have you not had your fair share of amusement in learning the origins of your power?"
"That entire lore dump made the veins on the back of my head pulse in agony."
"I see, well if you have any more questions, you need only ask, I'll be with you from here on till the end of time." She smiles.
What a scary thing to say.
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*THUMP*
"Uuwaahh.. who's making all this ruckus damn it?" I face up from the little corner in the lower deck I decided to take a nap in.
"Hi master, you slept all day you know? I was getting lonely." I look down at the necklace
Looks like it was all just a dream.
"Well hello there, I didn't expect I'd be sharing a host with you, Astal~." Says the familiar voice I just got done talking to.
It wasn't a dream.
"Wh- you?? What are you doing in master's body?"
"So you do have a name huh? I was planning on just calling you book or something."
"Fufufu~ Ah but that is all she is, correct? Just a ghost within a book."
"Hah?! Shut it Satan! I may be a book, but at least i'm not a hag!"
"It seems the little girl is in need of some discipline. Alek, can you bring your right hand to your little necklace please?"
"Yeah whatever."
"No don't! Master you blockhead!"
I bring my right hand onto the necklace, then a small red tentacle protrudes from the mark and latches onto the necklace.
"Noooo! Eww eww get away! Stop that you stupidhead! Idiot! Dummy! Dopy HAG!"
"I see I'm not done getting through to your bratty head."
The tentacle glows, then the necklace goes back to its original form.
"HYAA!?"
The red tentacle then digs itself inside its pages.
"MASTER! STOP H- KYAA!?.. STOP HER! PLEASE!"
"Alright alright chill out Lucifer." I bring my right hand back down.
That was the weirdest shit I've watched all day.
"Sniff.. master you dummy.."
"So Alek, do you not know about your little friend there?"
"Nah." I say as I hold it by its thin chain and look at it.
"The Astral Codex. One of the first grimoires to ever be written since the dawn of sorcery. And the first Grimoire to give shape to magic from the cosmos."
"Sniff..The name's Astal.."
"Could've said that when I found you."
"It was too embarassing..."
"How cute."
"Shut it hag!"
"My oh my."
"Pipe down, the hell's going on up there?" I've felt the ship shaking since waking up. And I can hear loud thumps.
I go up the stairs and almost trip on a pool of blood dripping down the stairs.
"What the heck."
I try pushing the door open, but something's in the way.
I then kick the door in and see half the body of one of the sailors on the ground.
"Huh."
"DON'T STOP FIRING! GIVE IT HELL!" Yells the pirate lady, the boat shaking as the waves of the ocean rock the ship thanks to the storm.
*BANG* *BANG*
*GRLLRLRLRLR*
I see sailors shooting their muskets at a giant crab, who's currently eating one of their fellow boat mates.
*SLAM*
It drops its giant crab arm on top of a group of sailors, crushing their bodies and part of the ship.
"Uhh master, shouldn't you be helping?"
"Quiet down, things are getting quite interesting."
"FIRE THE CANNONS!"
A couple sailors on the top deck position the cannons and lock onto the crab before sparking the rope.
"I don't think that's a good idea captain." I say as I approach her.
"Alek?! Where the devil have you been?! This blasted crustacean has invaded my ship and has been eating my men for the past I don't know?!" *BANG* She fires her musket at its eye. "TEN MINUTES!"
"Mhm.. mhm..." I look at it wobble around in pain at having its left eye shot with a musket ball.
"But don't ya worry now, those cannon balls will be more than enough to bring this FEDIT CRUSTACEAN TO HELL! FIRE!"
*PWOOM*
The cannons fire their cannonballs that explode on the wooden floor as the crab leaped into the air then wrapping itself around the tall poles.
*TRRFF* The loud sound of the storm echoes across the ocean.
"DANGNAMIT!"
"You know somehow I knew that was gonna happen."
"HAH?" She turns her head to look at me.
*GLRLRLR*
The giant crab pounces at our direction as me and the pirate lady dodge and throw ourselves near the edge of the ship.
*SLAM!*
It plunges its giant crab claw onto the wood surface next to me, the vibrations causing me to drop Astal.
"MAAASTER!!" She screams as her book form slides across the wet floorboards and near the edge.
"God damn it." I throw myself across the slippery floorboards, drenching my skin and clothes as I slide across before grabbing onto the thin chain in the nick of time.
"MASTER YOU DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY!"
"Bahahaha~ Drop her Alek! Go ahead and drop her into the ocean~!"
"NO PLEASE DON'T!"
"You two are noisier than this storm." I pick myself up, the crab stammering back as it gets shot with musket balls.
"WHAT'RE YA DOIN ALEK?? GET YOUR ASS UP HERE NOW!" Says the pirate lady as she fires from the top deck.
I join her up on the top deck, almost slipping from all the excess water on the floor.
I can't believe we're having this much trouble against a giant man-eating killer crab.
"READY THE CANNONS! GO GO GO!"
The men on the other side start to light the ropes again before getting interrupted.
"AAAGHHH!" They start screaming in horror as large numbers of giant tentacles emerge from the waters and begin grabbing a hold of them.
"HOLD ON!" She jumps from the top deck and pulls out her cutlass, then dodging the crab and leaping into the air before grabbing a rope hanging from the sails and swinging around and slashing at the tenacles.
*SHHLCK*
"Whoa."
"Wow!
"Oooo"
Suddenly more large numbers of tentacles come out of the water and wrap themselves all over the ship, trying to drag it down into the ocean.
*GRLRLRLR*
And the giant crab is still trying to grab and eat me.
"Get away from master!"
*zzzEUOOOM*
A small blue beam fires itself from the book and onto the crab, hitting and vaporizing its leg.
It plops onto the wood and gurgles in pain, blood dripping from its mouth.
"What was tha-" The pirate lady gets grabbed by a tentacle, dangling up in the air.
"Lucifer, show me this thing's hit points real quick."
"20,000"
"Thank you, Lucifer." I raise Astal up high. "Astal, if you will."
"SUCK ON THIS!"
*zzEUOOM*
Another blue beam fires, ripping into the many tentacles, causing them all to drop back into the ocean.
"Thanks Kid, I owe ya one." Says the pirate lady as I approach her on the other side of the ship, nearly tripping on the stairs.
"Is it over?" She asks as she looks around the ship.
I also look around the ship, from the many bloody bodies, the guts spilled everywhere, the blood pools mixing with the rain, and the crab just plopped on the ground still gurgling in pain.
"Yeah probably."
"That's one hell of a book ya got there." She says as she puts her cutlass away. "So that's a grimoire huh? I've gotta get me one'a those." She walks over to the other side then going on the top deck.
"Anyone still breathing?"
"Here!" Says a bald man in an eyepatch, dropping onto the floorboards as he crawls out of a barrel.
"Hmm.. anyone else?" She says as she watches him crawl out like a buffoon.
Nothing but the sound of the waves hitting the ship and the storm raging across the ocean.
And the crab slowly dying right next to me.
I look at it then back up at the pirate lady.
"You guys ever had crab before?"
"Gasp Master! Don't you dare!"
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"I really owe ya one, kid." She says as she watches me pick up my bag, the sunlight hitting her eyes.
"It's nothing, but can you tell me anything you know about this Kingdom?" I ask as I look off at the distant forest.
"Hmm.. nothing that I know of, other than they're a buncha sickos, experimenting with their potions and worshipping their King instead of the outer heavens."
"Sounds weird, I'll be off then."
"Wait, almost forgot, take this." She throws me a small silver whistle. "Ya gonna need it to get back to the Luthran Kingdom. It'll call a big ol' owl to fly you back. Don't lose it, kay?
"Right." I stick it in the pocket of my coat.
Why didn't I just use that to fly here?
"Goodluck kid, and thanks." She turns away and disappears into the bottom deck.
I jump off the ship and begin my journey towards the Kingdom.
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"The hell is this?"
I look up at the gray gates, the gothic pointy walls and the towers.
Not sure how I'm supposed to get in though.
I could just run up the walls, but I'll have to say goodbye to my lower region. The spikes along the top will shred through me.
"Need some help, master? I can-"
"I'm gonna have to stop you right there, Astal. What Alek needs to do is blow a hole right through and let himself in. So what if their fancy walls get breached? Alek doesn't care the least bit, riight Alek~?"
"Perhaps." I say as I am now holding onto my trusty great sword.
"Master no! You're supposed to be sneaky remember?"
"Awww SHIT you're right." I put my sword back inside my hand.
"Booring."
"Then master, get close to the wall for me."
I walk towards the surface of the wall as the jewel on my necklace starts glowing, then it shoots a small beam onto the wall, creating a portal.
"There~!"
"Neat." I step inside.
*FWOoOoOooOooSH*
I am instantly hit with strong gusts of wind as I look down at the gothic towers and buildings.
I am standing at the very tip of a ridiculously tall pointy church tower.
"Thanks, Astal."
"Mhm."
"He hates you."
"M-master.."
"She's messing with you."
I begin sliding off from the side of the tower, looking at the various gothic Victorian architecture.
I can already tell this Kingdom is going to be quite the odd experience.
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/*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*//*/*/*/*/
I am now walking along the dark bricked roads, the long hood around me swaying.
"Master, you look like a bum."
"Thanks, Astal."
How am I supposed to find traces of the Luthran King in this edgy Kingdom?
The streets are even foggier than the ones in the Luthran Kingdom, except the air in this place has a constant touch of blood.
I stop and look at a wall, it has a weird red mural in the shape of a circle and weird looking writing.
"The hell kind of graffiti is this?"
Looks like a logo of a metal band, but in a fancy way if that makes sense.
"Hey you."
I turn around and see a bearded man approaching me, holding a suitcase.
"I know that look on your face, friend. It's the look of someone blood starved."
"What?"
"It's alright pal, your secret's safe with me. In fact, I'll throw in an extra if you buy right now, just for you." He opens his suitcase and reveals a row of small vials with glowing red liquid encased inside of them. "Whaddya say? Five platinum coins and they're yours." He holds out two vials in front of me.
"I think I'm fine."
I don't want whatever the heck this is, I don't condone buying weird liquids from strangers on the streets.
"Are ya sure? The night of a Hunt is upon us friend, don't regret missing out on a deal worth ten platinum coins. Two of these and you'll be set for the Hunt. The beasts won't wanna mess with you once you've laid waste to their kin."
That sounds kinda baller, I'll be buying off a stranger after all.
"Get away from that boy." I look over my shoulder and see a woman in a black coat uniform, tricorne hat, and a saber around her waist. "Off you go, this instant"
Everyone has a British accent in this place for some reason.
"Tch." The man collects his things and disappears down an alleyway.
"Are you quite alright?"
"Yeh."
She scans me for a moment, then speaking.
"What's your name?"
"Ale-"
Wait a minute.
I'm undercover here.
I'm on the job.
I almost just gave out my name like it was a hot bun.
"Aleksander."
Bingo.
"Well then Aleksander, I don't recommend you stay out on the streets before the night of a Hunt. The plague is spreading at a dastardly rate. You best hurry on home now, do you understand?"
"Yeh."
"Hm... off you go then." She crosses her arms and looks at me, waiting for me to turn around and leave.
I'll do just that then.
I turn around and begin walking down the dark bricked streets, the natural sunlight quickly dying and getting replaced by the lights emitting from the many streetlamps.
"That was a close one."
I'll need a new disguise; I don't want to be forced in getting off the streets if I keep getting recognized as a young boy.
"Hey Astal, I'm gonna need to borrow you for a sec."
"Yeees~?"
"Can you somehow give me a new form? One that makes me look.. older.."
"Of course I can! I can do a lot~"
"Hmm.."
"Zip it!"
"Then make me look like someone ready to Hunt."
"Okayy"
*FwoOoOo*
I look at a window and at my reflection.
I've gotten taller, and I've got a sick mustache.
"Hell yeah."
"Does this form please you master?"
"Heh.." I grab a top hat that's on top of a barrel and put it on. "Is grass green?"
"Yes!"
"Exactly." I grab a long black coat that's hanging and drying outside then putting it on. "I'm ready to Hunt. But first.. Astal, take the form of a badass revolver."
*FwOoOoshh*
The necklace around my neck slides and circles along my arm before landing on my hand and becoming a silver revolver with gold engravings along the barrel and a small golden bayonet under it.
"Beautiful."
I give a kick to the double doors in front of me that lead to a small tavern, the faces of the many hunters within its confines gazing upon me.
"Hm." I step inside, then I sit myself at the bar next to a lovely woman.
She gives me a glance.
She wears the usual black coat, short skirt, tie, and tricorne hat. She has blue hair with a gray streak, and a sharp gaze.
"I don't believe I've seen you around here before" She takes a sip of her drink. "Got a name?"
"You may call me Mr. Denmark." I say as I wrap my hands together on the bar and lifting my leg over the other, making myself at home within the bar.
"I see. And what's someone with your... presence doing in a place like this?" The other hunters sat at their tables give us their glance.
"Ah, I merely wish to embark on a night of blood and glory." I reply gracefully, sipping on my apple juice that is absolutely delectable.
"Blood and glory, huh?" She sips her drink before setting it down, then standing up and throwing her saber, swiftly disposing of the beast behind me.
She turns around and watches as another beast receives a bullet through its skull and dropping dead, then returning her gaze onto me.
"Oh, and a touch of fun too. I do enjoy amusement in my hunts." I say to her, reloading my elegant revolver.
"Hmph, I see." She walks over, then retrieving her saber.
The men sitting on their seats then start tensing and shaking, before dark fur grows along their skin, and their eyes turn red. A sight that would make the average man tremble in mortal anguish.
"So, this is the plague hm?" I stroke my mustache.
Truly the stuff of nightmares.
"Hideous, is it not?" She says as she gets behind me and leaning against my back, ready to defend our flank.
"GRRAWW!" One of the beasts' pounces from a table before getting its head swiftly and cleanly sliced off.
*SHLCK*
"But this is just what happens when you grant your citizens the right to alter their genetic code." She says as she flicks her saber across the ground, clearing its edge from the dark blood. "I'm Lucia, pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Ah indeed."
*BANG*
Two beasts in front of me meet their end as their brains get pierced by a bullet.
Lucia lunges onto a beast behind and into the backroom of the tavern.
"Very well." I retrieve a silver coin from the bar and toss it into the air. "Heads."
*BANG*
*PIOOM*
The rest of the beasts drop dead as the bullet I shot onto the coin ricochets into their heads then across the room, breaking the various glass cups and bottles along the shelves before I catch the silver coin.
"I see you're quite done." Says Lucia as she reemerges from the backroom, a beast head impaled on her saber.
"I'm afraid so. And I beg the question, who had the most hunts?"
She looks around the now empty tavern and onto the shattered glass cups, their contents mixing with the blood of the many dead beasts.
"No need to speak, the answer is clear as the moon." I say as I smirk at her. "Heads or tails?"
"Hmph, tails."
"I see." I look down at the coin before looking back at her. "A pity." I put the coin in my coat and step foot outside as she follows.
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*BANG* *BANG*
*SHLLCK*
We have been roaming the dark streets for quite the while, disposing of any beast that may find their way onto ours.
And I must admit, it has been quite the while since I have last had night this exciting.
"So? How long have you been on the Hunt, Mr. Denmark?" She asks as she flicks her saber across the ground, clearing its edge.
"Too long." I reply as I reload my revolver. "And what of yourself?" *BANG* A beast drops dead in front of me.
"Since I was but a little girl." *SHLCK*
"Grand." *BANG*
The area is now clear of all beasts, then I notice the same mural on the wall in front of me that I saw when I first arrived here.
"And what do you make of that symbol on the wall, Lucia?
She retrieves her saber that was impaled within the skull of a beast, before returning her reply.
"Ah, something that's had the people of the Ragnav Kingdom on edge for the past century. That would be the mural that belongs to The Order."
"The Order, you say?"
"Indeed, they are a group that spread their corruption across the Kingdom. Many say The Order is an organization that assassinates those they deem as troublesome. Some say they are a group that sell unauthorized materials retrieved from the bodies of humans or monsters on the black market. And some say they are the reason the Plague has been given a spot within the people. They have existed since the Kingdom's founding."
"Ahh, I dare say I'd like to meet these people."
"I bid you the best of luck on that matter, Mr. Denmark. They have always managed to stay hidden in the shadows, no matter the efforts given to locate the source of their operations."
"You're too kind, Lucia." I notice the sun beginning to rise over the horizon and decide this is the best of stopping points for our given time. "Regrettably, I must bid you farewell, haste makes waste at a different location."
"I understand, I am in your debt for your assistance. Do reach out to me if you wish to embark on yet another collaboration with me, Mr. Denmark. You may find me frequenting the tavern by Ragnav castle." She exclaims, gifting me a bright smile.
I tip my hat at her, then turn around and proceed down the street.
"Fufu.. 'Mr. Denmark'? Seriously?"
"Shut the fuck up, Lucifer."
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