"Where the fuck am I."
"..."
"Helloo? Lucifer? Astal? Fishbone addict?"
"..."
"Buncha asses."
Black.
Nothing else.
Pure darkness.
I don't even know how much time has passed; I can't even take a guess, I'm stuck between 8 seconds, or about three hours. My perception of time is all jumbled up like spaghetti code from a scammer making a crappy computer game.
I've been standing in a void of black from every visible direction, just basking in my thoughts.
It's just what happens when you're alone, and all you have to keep you company is your five senses.
There's no temperature, it's not cold, and it's not warm, all I can feel is the blood travelling through my body.
There's no sound, none. All I hear is the faint ringing in my ears.
I think I have tinnitus.
And all I smell is darkness.
It sounds stupid, but if you've ever stayed in a room of pitch darkness, you'd understand.
"Greetings."
"Who the hell?" I turn around to see where the disembodied voice came from, but I am still met with darkness. "Ok that's actually not funny. If there is someone here, or a presence.. make yourself known, I have god on my side."
"Still the frivolous one, I see."
"No but for real, show yourself." I'm actually starting to think I'm going insane from being isolated with my senses for hell knows how long. If I really am going crazy I'll drown myself. "Show yourself NOW."
"Very well."
"Yo." I look at the tall man now in front of me, sitting on a leather green sofa with his leg crossed over the other, his fingers interlocked.
He kind of looks like Mr. Denmark. With a top hat, a fancy gothic black suit in a coat, and a mustache, like someone from the 1930's.
But there's something about him I can't understand.
Or explain.
"So Alek, how are you enjoying yourself in this world?" He looks at me with an empty smile.
"Wait.. you know about me?"
"Ah." He stands up and dusts his elegant black coat, before stepping towards me and walking behind me. "I know many things, young lad." I turn around and see him still walking forward, his hands joined behind him, before he turns back around to face me. "And all about you, as well."
"Soo.. what, is this the part where you tell me you're the one that brought me into this world orr..."
"Ah yes, I can see why you would think that, but unfortunately that isn't quite the case." He starts to approach me. "You came into this world in your own free will." He places his hand on my shoulder. "After all, you were unsatisfied with your previous life, as well as your every circumstance."
"Well yeah but I didn't exactly open a portal. I got a face full taste of asphalt, and it was wet..."
"Then, who knows what brought you here?" He legs go of my shoulder and goes back to his sofa. "This world is quite the mundane one, which I am sure you agree."
"It's something alright..." Who the hell is this guy? Does he own some kind of know-it-all rune or something? The heck is his problem claiming he's some kind of smarty pants?
"I've told you, lad. I simply know many things, nothing less."
"Stay out of my head." I'm serious, keep out of my monologues. You'll disrupt the flow of thinking.
Then I shall do as you request, do pardon me.
Thanks.
"So why do you know everything? Did you touch that one stone too or what?"
"Lad, my knowledge transcends that of what the Philosopher's stone wishes it could transcend."
"Weird flex but ok."
"Well, it has been quite the pleasure." He sits back down on his green sofa and lifts his leg over the other and crosses it. "Until then..." A bright portal materializes under my feet. "I remain eager to witness how far you'll go, do continue experiencing new things."
I fall into the portal, and my vision gets blinded by white.
.
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________________________
The Deathbearer Chronicle - Volume 4: Dark Horizons
This is a work of fiction. It is in no way related to real life persons, locations, or events. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.
Seriously.
You twat taco.
__________________________
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<[ 11:24 PM ]>
"WHAT THE FU--" I scream as I look down at the bright lights of the Capital, as well as the various sorcery fireworks exploding under me as I am free falling from the sky.
"W-what happened? Where are we? W-what's going o-... EEEKK!!"
"WE'RE GONNA DIE NYAAAAAA!!!!"
"Wheeeee~!"
*FWOOSH*
"Hi mister." Akki greets me after she swooped in with her big ass black dragon to catch me. "It was really bothersome freeing you, don't forget to thank me later."
"What the he-"
*FSHHNG* *FSSHNG*
A couple of red projectiles get shot from behind us.
"Who the he-"
*FWSSSSSHING*
I ducked my head before a longer projectile could slice off my head. "AYE." I yell as I look behind me and see a monstrous black gargoyle chasing after us, throwing red glowing claws. "CHILL."
"Oi! Get back here, girl!" The bald dude peeks from atop the gargoyle's head as he's riding it.
"Akki what the hell happened."
"Oh, mister, I forgot you were there." She looks back at me, her smiley face mask has a few cracks on it. "Well basically.. that mentally faulty doll mask guy sealed you into a black cube, and I had to try very hard to steal you back... and then I dropped you."
"Are you serious."
"Mhm.. butter fingers, see?"
"That isn't butter, that's cake frosting."
*FWOOSH*
I grip onto the black dragon's scales after it suddenly started to dive down. "SHIIII-"
"Oh, yeah," She licks her frosting covered fingers. "Hang on tight mister, you wouldn't want to flatten into a pizza, mhm?"
Before we could impact onto the ground, we zoom back up into the air, my ear drums taking collateral damage from the bright and loud sorcery fireworks exploding literal feet away from me.
"Okayy I think we lost him." She turns to look at me still clutching onto the black scales. "You don't have to be so touchy... you know I can just catch you the next time I drop you..."
"Well at least you're being honest and letting me know there'll be a next time." I relax, sit down, and lean back. "Feels like I'm sitting on a pile of rocks."
"Hey did you know I had the urge to destroy all of Azula?"
"Why tho."
"I thought it would be funny."
"You're demented."
"Anyways, I'm taking you back with me mis-"
"Ok stop."
"Y'know I don't think you have much of a choice mist-"
"I said stop."
"Just give up, now that I have you here with me you actually can't get away miste-"
"Stop." I stand up and carefully make my way over to her, and she just looks at me in silence while the bright sorcery fireworks reflect off her shiny cracked smiley face mask. "I don't care where you're taking me or who you're taking me to. Just. Stop. Calling. Me." I stand right in front of her and look down at her short frame. "Mister."
"Huh..." She looks up at me and takes off her mask, "But... I'm kind of used to it miste-"
"Alek."
"W-.. who?"
"That's my name, just start calling me that. And never call me 'Mister' ever gain." I thought I could overlook and just get used to being called that by her, since I don't really see her much. But I was wrong, the cringy sour taste it brings to my ears every time she calls me that only gets worse and worse, and I want it to stop. "Start calling me Alek."
"Hmm.." She continues to look up at me with an expressionless face, the lights of the sorcery fireworks don't even reflect off her eyes, and it's hard to tell if she's looking back into my eyes or somewhere else since I can't even see where here black pupils are focusing on. "I'll think about it."
"Think for as long as you want, I don't care. Just stop calling me that from here on."
"Hmm... I'll think about i-"
*PSSHNG*
The black dragon we're riding on stumbles in the air after we get hit by a projectile, and I find myself now clutching onto the end of its large tail as I fight for my life. "Oh this is really nice." I look down and onto the bright Kingdom streets below me that threaten to turn me into red mush. "Well, it was a life well lived."
"Hi." Akki peeks down at me from the top. "Yeahhh sorry, we might experience some turbulence because of him." She points up. "We'll have to reschedule, so stay alive till then okaay?"
"Oh." I look up at the person in the doll mask floating above us, and onto the ring of black projectiles rotating all around him. "Sucks." My fingers start to slip from the black scales.
"Sorryyy" She yells from above as I am now free falling from the sky.
Again.
*FWoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo!*
The air scrapes against my ear drums as I am rapidly being pulled onto the ground by gravity.
"Wheeeee~~!"
"THIS EXCITES YOU!?"
"How many times can you say you've experienced sky diving hm~?"
"WE'RE GONNA FLATTEN INTO STINGRAYS NYAAAA..!!!"
"I'm just gonna close my eyes and accept it head on. Maybe losing my eyesight while experiencing my oncoming mortality will make it go quicker."
"J-JUST LIKE THAT?!?"
"NYAAA DO SOMETHING LUCYYY..!!!"
"Yes yes very well... you lot are quite the needy ones.."
*FwOoo*
"Good evening~"
I open my eyes and look up to see Lucifer winking at me as she has her arms wrapped around me. "Oh, when did you get here."
"MAAASTEEEEEER...!!!"
"NYAAAAAAAA..!!!!"
*FLAP*
Before we could impact onto a rooftop, Lucifer sprouted two large black wings and flapped them once, saving me from turning into a red puddle.
*THUNK*
I fall against the roof after the rough landing. "J-jeez.." I open my eyes and can see I am laying against Lucifer with her arms still wrapped around me, as well as her wings, almost like a blanket. "Lucifer can you let me go.. your feathers are tickling my nos- ACHOO!..Sniff.."
"Whaaat? No! I wish to stay like this for a little longer and look at the fireworks with you~.. Ah look! That one is shaped like a cross!...Disgusting!.. FuFu~"
"Why have you never used your wings before.. you could have saved us a lot of effort with our previous trips.."
"You never asked~..." She pokes at Astal's necklace form.
I manage to slip off her grasp and stand back up, then I raise up my right hand to dust off the black feathers caught on my hair, which causes Lucifer to also stand up thanks to the short length of the chain on my right hand still connected to the collar around her neck. "Ahn~... So eager.."
"Chill out." I turn to look at her, and then onto her long black wings. "I didn't know you had wings..."
"Of course I have wings!" Her wings flap slightly as she smiles enthusiastically. "Would you like to touch them~? Oh but do be careful.. they are extremely sensitive.." Suddenly her wings disappear into red particles, which slowly fade away. "Oh, shame... I don't have enough essence to maintain their form.."
"Well excuse me for slacking off..."
"Oh you~" She pulls me in against her chest and wraps her arm around my neck, then bringing up her other arm onto my hair and ruffling it. "I could never hate you! You little slowpoke you..."
"S-st.. d--dude let me go..!!" I struggle to breathe against her chest.
"Aww... seems like my time is running thin..." She lets me go as her body starts to slowly fade in and out.
"Whoa, what's happening to you?" I straighten up and look at her body slowly fading.
"It seems I've used up too much on my physical form these past two days.." She straightens up her red bowtie. "Well then, Alek, now that you are free from every puny mortal's grasp, it's about time we head out on our trip to gather more souls." She walks towards me and kneels to look into my eyes. "After all, I have many more things I'd like to do with you in my physical form..." She smiles. "Now let's head out into the wilderness and collect more 'fuel' for my physical form, mhm~?"
"I guess so.." I wipe off the confetti landing on my hair from the various confetti particles travelling in the air across the Kingdom. These people really know how to make a day feel special. It sucks that everything's going back to the usual gloomy mood after today.
"Just leave already!!"
"I'm hungry Nya..."
"Haah Very well very well." Lucifer gets closer and places her hand on my right hand. "Let's work hard, my host..." She glows brightly before becoming a red light that gets absorbed back into my right hand. "Now then Alek, our destination lies to the far west. Let's head out of the walls now, okay?"
"Alright." I take a step forward before pausing. "..Wait.. how far do you mean by 'far'...?"
"Oh, about three months away by foot."
"You're twisting my taters."
"Nope! Of course I'm being truthful! What, how big do you think the central continent is? As big as the island Ragnav is located in? Oh don't be silly now. If that were the case, it wouldn't be called a continent, silly..."
"I still think you're tugging on my nuggets."
"A-actually she's being serious master..."
"The Abyssal hollow is actually bigger than the entirety of the Ragnav Kingdom Nya~"
"Imagine a crater the size of an entire Kingdom."
"Christ..."
"So, chop chop!"
"Yeah fine whatever, I'm used to inconven-" Before I could finish my groaning, I quickly jump backwards.
*PFWOOM!*
The spot I was previously standing on got slammed in a red explosion.
"Yeah I can't say I wasn't expecting you to find me again." I look at the bald guy standing on top of his gargoyle in front of me.
"As long as you're still alive, you'll continue to have those expectations, kid." He jumps off his gargoyle before it disappears into a light that gets absorbed into the tattoo on the side of his bald head. "Count on it." He clutches his large hook sword.
"Well that's just not fair..." I clutch onto Dysma's black talon knife, then I wrap Astal's thin chain around the hilt again. "This was supposed to be a danger-free day I'll have you know."
"Yeah yeah day of the spear or whatever." He wipes off the confetti particles from his bald head that continue to slowly rain down on us. "I'll let you in on a little secret." He starts to slowly approach me. "I used to be in the Order of the King's Will...Heh, surprised?"
"Who."
He gives a sharp toothed smile. "Me, kid."
"ASKED."
I throw the black talon knife at him, which he blocks. "Really, kid? Mature a bit will you?"
But that was calculated.
The black talon knife wraps around his hook as I rapidly grapple myself towards him while I charge up a punch with my right hand.
*WAM!*
Our fists meet in a hard impact.
"Whoa, those are quite the strong bones you have, kid." He looks down at our connected fists. "Your hand should have broken ..." He looks at my right hand which doesn't even compare to the gorilla size of his.
"Milk." I raise my right foot upwards and manage to give a kick to his chin as I flip backwards into the air, then I tug on the thin chain and pull his hook towards me, before I land back down. "Lots of milk."
Milk is very good for you.
And it tastes good.
"Heh..Heheh..HAHAHAHAHA!" He starts to laugh to himself as he rubs on his chin. "I see..." He looks over to his hook sword now resting right next to me. "I can already tell you're gonna be a pain in the ass... But oh well, it'll be worth it when I watch Thrash crunch on your bones..Heh.." The tattoo on the side of his bald head starts to glow again, before it travels down his neck and below his feet, then manifesting the huge gargoyle below him as it rises. "Let's hurry up and get this night over with.." The gargoyle roars as it spreads its long bat-like wings, then it starts to rapidly approach me like a large gorilla chasing after a gazelle.
"Shiet.." I turn around and sprint across the roof, then I throw my talon knife onto another rooftop across from me before grappling towards it. "Whoa.." I look down at the bright Kingdom streets below me as I'm grappling, and I look at the pretty bright lamps. "I've gotta get me one of those for my room."
*THUNK*
I grapple on top of the roof and roll across it before standing up. "Ow."
*ROOAGH*
The huge gargoyle roars as it is now rapidly flying towards me with the bald guy on top of it. "CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME KID!" He yells as his gargoyle slashes at the air which causes various large red glowing claws to shoot my direction.
"Crap." I turn around and break into another sprint as I get ready to grapple towards a different roof.
*PFWOOM* *PFWOOM*
The nail-like projectiles land inches behind me in an explosion, causing me to stammer a bit to which I decide to just throw my talon knife onto a taller building to my left. "This is getting frustrating damn it." My talon knife hits and sticks to the side of the building as I grapple onto it and grab onto the ledge of a window.
I then look over my shoulder and see the gargoyle rapidly flying and approaching towards me. "Uh oh." I grip the hilt of the talon knife and pull it back out from where its currently stabbed in, then I throw it further up and grapple upwards.
*PFWAM!*
The gargoyle slams against the side of the building, before it looks up at me.
"Hi. Happy day of the sword to you." I look down as it starts to rapidly climb up towards me with its large jaw gaped wide open. "W-whoa!" I dodge its huge bite before I jump and grab onto another ledge above me.
It jumps and sticks to the side right next to me. "Gotcha!" The bald guy grabs onto the horn on its head with his left hand, steadying himself as he slams his hook sword with his right hand right at me.
*THUNK*
I let go of the ledge before he could strike me, then I grapple onto a separate higher rooftop on my right.
"W-woops..!" I almost fall off the edge after grappling onto it. "This day is actually starting to suck... I miss eating cake.." I start to back up before my back makes contact onto something.
"Oh my..!" A familiar voice says before I turn around to look at that Rozelia woman now standing in front of me. "Well hello there, what's your predicament, hm?"
"Some bald dude on a gargoyle." I look over my shoulder and watch as the gargoyle flies up the roof before landing onto the roof. "You?"
"Oh dear... well I'm currently dealing with-" We both jump and dodge the impact of the spider lady's strike.
"And how's that going for you?" I look at the spider lady standing in our previous spot as the purple bright smoke of her slam starts to clear.
"Oh it's no problem at all." Rozellia says with a wide smirk as she is sitting by the edge, her long legs crossed. "I'm winning~"
"Oh? Then why do you reek of sweat?" The spider woman asks in a mocking tone.
"Actually that's me..." I raise up my hand in embarrassment. I never realized how hot it gets when you're wearing a black suit and constantly moving around trying to stay alive.
But at least the autumn night air doesn't affect me much.
"FuFu.. I see." Rozelia stands back up and walks right next to me. "That isn't all that's been irritating me though..."
*CLANG*
Her metallic pole creates sparks after blocking an attack I didn't even see. "What the-?"
"Aw man..." I hear a voice, before I look over my shoulder and see the dude in the rat skull mask appear out of thin air. "I thought I silenced my breathing..."
"I can still sense your bloodlust, silly boy..." Rozelia says as her metallic pole continues to create sparks against his bone knife.
I lunge forward and thrust towards his chest, which to my surprise my talon knife actually makes contact. "Yay."
"Aww.. ya got me..." He drops his bone knife, which shatters against the ground and releases a green smoke. "Juust kidding.." The green smoke travels through the ground, then it combines in the air above before it focuses and shapes four other replicas of him. "Plague-mist clone jitsu!" He does various rapid motions with his hands like a god damn ninja, before the clones throw a volley of bone shuriken right at us.
"A sneaky rat you are..." Rozelia rapidly spins her pole and jumps upwards, slicing at the various projectiles before they explode into a thicker green smoke.
"You idiot, you fell for it!" The green smoke spreads through the air and surrounds her, before the rat skull guy re-appears on the ground below her and does a different ninja gesture. "Pyro style.. Pyro plague inferno!" He looks up, before a stream of fire gets released from the eye holes on his rat skull mask.
*FwOoOo!*
The green smoke in the air gets lit up in an orange and green glow, before catching in a green fire and exploding.
*PFffwBOOM!*
The various confetti particles in the air catch in small and bright green fires as they slowly descend onto the rooftop.
"Yes.. quite the sneaky little rat you are..." Rozelia's voice comes from the thick black smoke still in the air, before it slowly dissipates and revealing her floating in the air, encased in some kind of angel statue with its wings spread wide.
"Tsk.." The rat skull guy groans as he takes his rat skull mask off, revealing some guy wearing red goggles, which he takes off and revealing his pupils still burning before they slowly go out.
"I see it's about time you revealed your little secret.." The spider lady looks up at her and onto the bright golden light emitting from the angel statue's halo. "I certainly wasn't expecting a vixen belonging to The Order to have access to miracles of God.." She gets a disgusted look on her face.
"FuFuFu.. surprised?" She gives another wide smirk.
*ROOAGH*
The gargoyle leaps into the air and gives a punch before it connects onto the golden angel statue. "So what if she can use miracles, ah?" The bald guy leaps from a top his gargoyle and swings his hook sword onto it. "Just kill her the same way we deal with priests, Heh!"
*SMACK!*
The angel statue swatted him off like a fly, sending him plummeting to the ground. "FuFuFuFuFuFuFuFuFu~~!" Rozelia giggles to herself.
"Do not bother wasting your idiot breaths on one of God's slaves.." The spider lady groans audibly in irritation. "Our objective is the Rune of Deat-... Oh, please..." She watches as I'm already out of there.
"Cyaa!" I yell from a different roof top across, before I turn around and sprint away, then grappling across the various roof tops and out of sight. "I hope they didn't think I was gonna just chill there and spectate, I got things to do damn it."
"I didn't know evil people were able to use miracles Lucifer..??"
"Yeah isn't her soul 'Tainted' or whatever?"
"Don't look at me! Do I look like I know that person, hmm?"
"Well whatever, important part is I can now finally..." I land onto a balcony and sit on a wooden chair overlooking the Kingdom, the bright streets, and the sorcery fireworks still exploding in the sky around Luthran castle. "..Rest" I lean back and stretch my arms.
"Your hair is covered in so much confetti, master..." Astal appears behind me and starts to dust off my hair.
"FWUAAAH..!" Dysma also appears in front of me in her cat form and lays against the railing. "I can finally stretch...Mrow~" She takes off her witch hat and starts to scratch at her little cat ears.
"No fair! I want to come out and lay Alek on my lap..."
"So? How long was that?" I look over at Astal still wiping off my hair, the confetti particles in the air slowly falling onto hers.
"About half an hour, master. I think if we continue our training, we'll be able to go past two hours in our knife forms..."
"Yeah cool, anyways I might nap." I lean back and stretch my legs on top of a small wooden table. "...Day of the sword, huh.." I look off at the bright sorcery fireworks lighting up the night sky. "I'm down to participate in another one." I close my eyes and feel the confetti particles continue to pile up on my hair and skin, as well as Dysma hopping on top of my legs and laying down.
"Uwaah... I deserve.. fishbones... tomorrow.. Mrrow... Zzz.."
"I wonder if they think I'm still in the bathroom..."
"Probably..." I feel Astal walk around and sit on the chair next to me then leaning her head on my shoulder.
"Hey now... we were supposed to head out tonight you lazy bones..."
"We will.. just let me nap man, I went through way too much tonight.. have mercy."
"She's the Devil, master... don't expect any from her..."
"FuFu... you overthink too much~ Also Alek, there's a tracking sigil on your back~"
"DAMN IT."
"Hey! I'm trying to sleep here Mrrrow~!"
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*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
<[ 12:06 AM ]>
"How long is he going to stay in there..?!" Rin taps her finger against her arm, impatiently looking at the wooden door to the men's restroom in front of her.
"M-maybe he fell asleep.. Haha.." Emillia laughs nervously to herself. ^ ^;
"Uhm.. I don't think Alek is the type to just fall asleep on the toilet.." Akane sighs to herself. "..Probably."
"I-I think.. M-maybe he had a stomachache a-and went home.." Himari fidgets with the hem of her dress.
"I think he would have told us that before leaving all by himself in the dark..." Akane looks at Himari fidgeting to herself.
"Hii." Yukki strolls into the hallway and joins the other four girls gathered in front of the men's restroom. "Is he really still in there? *CHOMP*" She chews on the cake piece in her mouth before swallowing. "And where the heck are Astal and Dysma? Gasp You guys think they all left to go look at the fireworks together alone??"
*THUNK* *THUNK* "Open up, Alek! I know you're in there! Don't think you can escape your duties as vice president!" Rin starts to bang on the wooden door impatiently. "Come out at once!"
"Ah?" A boy with red hair steps out of the washroom, a confused look on his face as he looks at the five girls surrounding him. "You gals got a problem? Get out of my way!"
"A-Ah! Hello to you Damien..!" Emilia smiles politely yet nervously. ^ ^; "Pardon us but.. is Alek in there..? We have been waiting for him to return for about thirty minutes haha.."
"Hah?" He raises an eyebrow in irritation. "I don't even know who that is! Now move!" He walks past Yukki after she quickly stepped out of the way to allow him to pass.
"Hmph." Rin crosses her arms as she watches him walk down the hallway and disappearing from sight before a white robbed knight steps into the hall.
He leans in and whispers into Rin's ear. "There has been a commotion within the inner capital."
"Hmph. I see." Rin uncrosses her arms and turns away. "Akane, go ahead and take her home." She looks over to Yukki. "Let's go." She then starts to walk down the hallway, the sound of her clacking heels slowly fading.
"Awww dangit, already??" Yukki groans. "Good night! Be careful on your way back!" She smiles over to Akane and Himari before catching up to Rin and the white robbed knight down the hallway.
"G-goodbye..." Himari waves as they disappear down the hallway, out of sight. "I wonder if something happened..." She looks down at the ground.
"It's alright, I'm sure it's just student council stuff... Now let's get you home!" She grabs Himari's hand and begins to lead her down the opposite side of the hallway. "Did you have fun?"
"M-mhm..." Himari smiles shyly. "It was really nice.. being with everyone.." She grips onto Akane's hand. "...I hope Alek is ok.."
"Knowing him, he probably got sidetracked on his way home.. he's probably fine.." She leads her outside where the crowd of people are already on their way out through the academy gates. "We'll most likely see him slumped on the couch..."
"Yeah..." Himari looks off at the distance and onto the bright inner capital, the final group of sorcery fireworks exploding before stopping completely, returning the clouds to their original dark blueish color from the shine of the grand cathedral.
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*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Ah, Rin, there you are." The headmaster looks over to Rin and Yukki in their academy uniforms joining the group of pale knights surrounding and investigating the scene of fallen broken building debris on the ground. "As you can see, it seems this area has seen a bit of destruction. We are yet to determine by whom..."
"I see. And where is Phardwin?" She looks off at the distance and onto Maxwell kneeling on top of a pile of rubble and inspecting a shiny white object.
"He is elsewhere looking into a different part of the Kingdom with the same casualties." The headmaster looks down at his pocket watch. "From what we are able to deduce, these events occurred about half an hour ago, perhaps more..."
"Half an hour ago??" Yukki jolts up. "What the heck!! Why was no one aware of this!!"
"Perhaps our hidden adversaries used the commotion of the sorcery fireworks to mask their operations..." Maxwell joins the group, holding some kind of bone shuriken in his hand.
"Maxwell! I sense alchemy! Get rid of that this instant you twit!" Rin yells with alert.
"W-what!" He looks down at the bone shuriken starting to faintly vibrate. "Indeed!" He immediately tosses it into the air.
*PFWOOOO* A green explosion gets set off, spreading a green smog in the air before vanishing.
"Hm.. Alchemy, I see.." The headmaster strokes his chin in contemplation. "It appears we might be dealing with The Order after all."
"So we were correct in assuming they would be showing up." Rin looks off at the distance and onto a pale knight loading a large black piece of debris with telekinesis onto a carriage. "But.. why did they show up here instead of the academy.."
"Actually, they did appear at the academy." A man with red hair shows up and joins the group along with a woman in a purple witch hat. "But something was off about them.."
"Ah, Draken, is that so?" The headmaster looks over to him. "Do explain."
"It was more so about their appearance.. and their arsenal.." Mira steps forward. "We have encountered an assembly of red hooded individuals...They wielded dark magic..." She pauses, before resuming. "..As well as another pair of two females, however we believe they belonged to a separate faction, as they wore uniforms separate from the red hooded figures, and they wore black tags around their right arms... They didn't seem to belong to this Kingdom."
"What? At the academy?" Rin speaks up. "We had the Inquisition stationed at every possible corner, why was I not aware of this?"
"After hearing a ruckus on the roof, I went to check it out... but I was too late." Draken sighs. "Upon arriving, I found the units I stationed on the roof already dead, as well as the two girls engaged in a battle with the red hooded figures..."
"W-wait so the red hooded people and the two girls were against each other..?? I'm so confused!!" Yukki groans.
"After I arrived with my units, a handful of the red hooded figures as well as the two females fled towards the capital." Mira speaks up. "The ones that remained engaged, to which we disposed of... however there was something quite particular about these people... Apart from their dark magic, their corpses began to burn before vanishing. And as a result, we were unable to confirm any identities."
"Just what the hell is happening.." Draken looks up at what remains of half of a building.
"It's simple." Rin crosses her arms and looks up at the moon. "We're dealing with two separate factions. But... who are the ones with the black tags?"
"Perhaps the red hood people belong to some kind of cult, and the ones with the black tags are with the Order..." Maxwell thinks to himself out loud.
The other five look at Maxwell in silence.
"That would actually be quite the viable explanation! FuFu~" Mira giggles as she smiles over at Maxwell.
"Huh? Cult? What kind of Cult?" Draken scratches the back of his head.
"Maybe they're related to why the moon has an upside-down start on it!" Yukki points upwards.
"Yukki." Rin looks over at her.
"Yeees?"
"That is very stupid." Rin crosses her arms.
"Never mind that now, we will look into that a separate time." The headmaster puts his pocket watch away. "We must continue the investigation. Where is Alek?"
"..."
There is a brief silence.
"Uhh.. is he not here with you?" Yukki twirls her finger around her twin tail in confusion.
"What? Has he not been stationed somewhere?" The headmaster looks at Yukki and Rin with a confused look on his face.
"He refused to join the Inquisition." Rin speaks up with a tinge of dejection in her voice, before crossing her arms. "He kept claiming how 'Things were changing' as his reason. Knowing that idiot, he's probably venturing out of the walls alone and getting lost in pursuit of clues... Haah.." She sighs to herself in annoyance.
"I see... then we best leave him to it, if true." The headmaster turns away. "However... he does not strike me as one to depart on his own at a time of need... could it be he's in trouble?"
"Who? Alek? PFFFTTT! I'm sure he's fineee!" Yukki giggles to herself. "Maybe what Rin said was right, he probably is off on his own looking for clues~!" She smiles smugly.
"I'm along with this notion..." Maxwell steps forward, tugging on his fedora. "A warrior can sense another warrior's resolve, and his is one full of conviction indeed..."
"Oh please." Rin sighs. "Whatever the case, our time here is done. Let's go meet up with Phardwin." She turns away and starts walking down the confetti covered streets.
"W-wait up..!!" Yukki runs after her.
"Have you no shame!? Let a warrior think befor- Oh, no matter..." Maxwell starts to follow after them.
"Are we certain this boy is off pursuing information on his own?" Mira looks over at the headmaster who is currently looking up at the red glow around the moon. "If it's true he really is venturing beyond the walls alone... there's no telling what will happen, the outer wilderness is quite unpredictable..."
"He'll probably come back crying within a day, heh.." Draken holsters his broadsword and follows after the other three down the now empty streets.
"I have a feeling developments will only get more unpredictable from here, until then, we wait." The headmaster adjusts his top hat and follows after the others down the streets.
"I hope the unpredictable doesn't prove to be the bad kind..." She follows after them, her heels clacking against the rubble covered in confetti as she walks through the now empty streets.
.
.
.
/*/*//*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
"I can't see shiet."
"Maybe we shouldn't have left so late into the night..."
"Oh I'm quite certain we'll be alright."
"Maybe the three of you will, not so sure about me though. What if I get my guts slurped by a night beast or something?"
"The creatures of the night can easily be avoided Nya. Just don't be an idiot."
"Thanks..."
I've been walking through the dark for around 20 minutes. If it weren't for the faint glow of the moon and the ugly cathedral, I would have walked face first into a tree about 20 times over. I honestly couldn't tell you why I thought it was a perfect idea to set out tonight rather than wait till morning, but oh well, we're out here.
"Wait I just realized..." I stop in my tracks as the sound of my boots stepping and cracking over the grass gets replaced by the loud crickets, the tall grass rustling, and the slow night air scraping against my ears, as well as other nighttime ambience. "What'll happen to all three of you if I die one day?"
"I'll go back to traveling the continent and stealing from Kingdoms Nya~!"
"I-I.. haven't even thought about it..."
"If you were to die, then it'll be the end of me as well..."
"W-wait really..?!"
"Oh of course not... As long as the Rune of Death remains, along with a host, so will I... Forever..."
"How does that even work? Are you immortal or something?"
"You could say that~"
"Lucky." I look off at the rest of the empty grasslands in front of me. "So? Are you the same as Dysma with traveling and what not?"
"Oh I wish... Unfortunately for me, since embedding my soul into the Rune of Death my freedom is very much restrained. It is the price I had to pay in order to remain everlasting."
"Huh?
"That's an explanation for another time~"
"Alright then keep your secrets."
"..."
There is a brief silence on the empty grasslands.
"You know Alek... there is a way to stop your body from aging..."
"Really?!"
"Liar."
"You know I would never lie to you. It's a very simple process, would you like me to teach you?"
"Do it master! Say yes!!"
"Should I?"
"However, you'll still die from fatal injuries, but you'll stop your body from wrinkling and withering away!"
"That's stupid, I'll think about it."
"It's the easiest offer you can say yes to Nya~"
"I said I'll think about it."
"It requires souls, however, many, many, many souls..."
"Damn it just how many things need souls? I'm tired of all the salt that's going into my wounds lately."
"FuFu~ let's work hard to return to our days of glory~ I am certain it misses us just as much..."
"I guess so..." I resume my walk down the dark grasslands. "Three months... unbelievable..."
"Don't be so down, they will pass by in a flash! Don't forget you have me here to keep you company all the way to the end..."
"You mean US."
"Hey settle down, don't start. I'm enjoying the silence and you'll ruin it."
*RoOaAg...*
I stop walking and look over my shoulder after I hear a distant howl.
"There's no way they sense me already right? I'm not even bleeding..."
"T-there's always the chance they picked up your scent.. you should keep moving, master..."
"Damn it, I'm not fit to fight a whole swarm of these." I resume walking slightly faster down the grasslands. "Why do they even exist?"
"Blame Lucy over here Nya."
"Wait why?"
"The Abyssal Hollow exists because of her, master..."
"Are you for real." I peek over my shoulder to make sure I'm not being silently stalked as I start to pick up the pace. "What's that got to do with nocturnal furry monsters though?"
"Everything that wants to kill you exists because of the Abyssal Hollow Nya~"
"Lucifer, explain."
"I'm not apologizing~"
"Don't you use that tone with me." I reach a lone tree standing out in the middle of the grasslands and get behind it. "I really don't want to deal with this right now..." I peek over it and see nothing. I hope it stays that way just for tonight, because it never occurred to me just how tired my body is getting from all the events that happened and me trying to stay alive and stuff. "Lucifer, scan the area for potential threats."
"I can't without essence, silly boy."
"Godd frickin' damn it." This is probably the most broke I've ever been. And that's not just from the rake I had to buy with four silver coins. "We'll probably be fine here." I sit and lay back against the tree bark. "I'm beat."
"So what's the plan for tomorrow hm?"
"We keep travelling west, duh."
"Okayy Nya!"
"But... will we really be ok..?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe."
"H-huh! That's it?!"
"Well what else were you expecting?" I rest my hands behind my head and look up at the leaves above me. "I'm nerfed." My body started to feel less and less light after the events with the King of Luthran. It feels like all the stats I've spent 10 years leveling up just got reset to their default values. Imagine losing 10 years of progress, that would shatter just about anyone.
"Master... are you crying..?"
"Huh?" I run a finger up my cheek and can confirm a wetness, before I look up and can see rainwater dripping down the leaves and onto my hair. "What's with all this rain lately?! I thought we were in September not April?!" I stand up and start to run off into the forest just ahead in search of some kind of shelter. "Why is it always me..."
"Today is just not your day~"
"Yeah no shi-" *THUNK*
I ended up running into a short wooden fence and falling over it and onto the wet mud. "...Oww.."
Remember to always be aware of your surroundings at night.
And no running in the rain.
"NYAHAHAHAHAHA~~!"
"Haah.. you really do need to watch where you're going, master..."
"..Well excuse my clumsy behavior..." I stand up and wipe off the excess mud and water from my clothes before something amazing catches my eye just ahead. "Oh look, my luck's beginning to turn." I start to walk towards the abandoned house in front of me. "I hope there's no squatters in here." I walk up the creaky porch and approach the wooden door before I take a peek into the window next to it. "This is kinda scary..."
"It's just an old house, what is there to be afraid of hm~?"
"I used to sleep in vacant houses all the time Nya! Man up!!"
"You two just don't get it." I lean closer and peek into the cracked holes. "I read a story about how a guy went to meet up at someone's house to pick up an item he bought from him." I try to scan the inside, but I can only make out darkness. "When he got here, he was told to go around the back, after he did, he didn't see anyone, so he peeked into the window, and he saw a live taxidermy person with his eyeballs still moist." My eyes start to adjust, and I can make out a living room with a sofa in the middle and a set of stairs just behind. "And it groaned at him."
"W-what..?"
"Fufufufufu~"
"Fake and stupid Nya."
"You just don't know with people sometimes... Anyways let's make ourselves at home." I kick the door open, to which it instantly falls in. "Woops." I step inside and plop onto the old couch as a cloud of dust travels across the air around me. "Cough Cough.. Jeez when was the last time this couch was maintained? The renaissance era??"
"S-so what happened after the person saw the taxidermy person, m-master?"
"Well..." I take off my coat and set it against the armrest. "After he saw it... he thought it was just a really strangely well-made taxidermy model, so he decided to take his phone out and dial the person... after he did, he heard a phone ringing within the house... to which a HAND GRIPPED HIS SHOULDER BEHIND HIM."
"EEEK..!!!"
"Nyahaha~!!"
"My oh my...I have never heard of such a story... tell another hm~?"
"N-no way..! It's way too dark and spooky in here!..W-wait.. what's a 'Phone'..?"
"Who knows...Anyways let's take a tour around." I stand up and begin to look around the room. "Oooo look at all these knickknacks." I look over at the various small clay angel statues and the dusty books along the shelves. "You think I'll find a spell book in here?" I switch on a lantern resting against a pile of books before picking up a small brown book and start to flip through its pages.
It depicts strange drawings of various kinds of plants, along with written words and symbols that look like they were written by a mental patient.
"I doubt we'll find anything valuable in here... Which is why we should go look for a dungeon! Come on let's go~!"
"Hmm nah let's save that for when it's not dark enough for me to trip over a fence again." I set the book down before something catches my eye.
I look over to a cracked picture frame facing down before picking it up.
It shows a man and a woman with their faces scratched off, and a little girl with pink hair in between both of them, wearing a tiara, and a castle off in the distance.
"Huh.. this kinda looks like-"
*THUMP*
I set the picture frame back down after getting startled by the sound of something falling over upstairs. "Did you guys hear that..."
"Hear what Nya?"
"I heard.. something go bump..."
"Huh? But I heard something go THUMP...?"
"Shhh.." I stand motionless, trying to hear past the rain that's dripping off the roof and slipping through the small holes in the ceiling and wetting my hair. "I'm thinking I'll go check it out." I then grab the lantern and head towards the stairs.
*CrEeEk...*
The dusty stairs creek eerily as I take not even 1 step onto them. "Alright." I take another step, then another, slowly making my way up the stairs as the darkness surrounds me.
"..." The ambience of the faint rain outside along with the creaking of the old house is all I hear as I slowly make my way up the stairs, careful not to fall and hit my big ass head.
"Faster Nya!! Hurry up..!!"
"Ok jeez." I then disregard any attempts to take in the atmosphere and GUN IT up the stairs and down the hall before BASHING myself through the door at the end of the hall and HITTING my BIG ASS head against the floorboards after stumbling and tripping over the loose tattered carpet on the ground. "Ow."
"Are you ok? Did you get any splinters anywhere??"
"NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA~~!!"
"..Yeah I'm alright.." I stand back up and pick up the lantern I dropped, then I look around the empty room.
It's empty.
"Why didn't anyone of you try to convince me to not waste my time in coming up here?"
*THUNK*
I heard something louder downstairs.
"Sounds like someone's breaking in..."
"It's just the storm, silly, sit down."
"It's not storming outside though."
"M-maybe it's a taxidermy human being that c-came to eat our brains..!!"
"You really think I'll let that happen."
"You have a brain Nya~?"
"Alright that's it." I grip onto the lantern and storm my way down the hall and down the stairs before entering the living room again. "WHO'S OUT HERE BEING A BIT-" The realization that there's nothing there hits me harder than the impact of falling face first against the carpet upstairs, and I'm the only one in this old house shouting and stressing over nothing, which again, I am very much alone in here other than my three disembodied companions that don't know how to shut their traps and not make rude comments "LIKE YOU DYSMA."
"Nya..?"
Woops, said that last part out loud.
I should work on not doing that.
I need sleep.
"I really need sleep." I walk towards the couch and plop down on it facing down.
It's dusty.
And it reeks of old carpet.
"G'night."
"A-already Nya!? But I'm hungry!!"
"Then come out and go look for a rat to molest." I roll on my side, trying to get comfortable on this old dusty tattered couch.
"What did you say Nya! No rats! I'm allergic!"
"Pfft."
"TEEHEEHEEHEE~ YOU ARE??"
"Pfffft."
"Nya... I dare you to keep laughing..."
"Teeheeheeheeheeheeheehee~~"
"Pftttttttttttt" This couch is too damn dusty, no matter how hard I try I can't get the dust out of my mouth and tongue.
"I'VE WARNED YOU NYA."
"Wait what are you do- OOF" Dysma jumped onto my back like a cannonball and is now clawing at my hair and pulling on my ears. "OWW Oww.. you're so freaking heavy..."
"WHAT NYA?" *SMACK* *SMACK* Now she's smacking the back of my head and pulling on my cheeks. "SAY IT AGAIN NYA."
"... You're so frickin' heav- AYE CHILL CHILL CHILL" She is now digging her claws into my ears.
"BWAHAHAHAHA~!"
"Stop bullying master you furball feline!" Astal appears and pulls her into a headlock. "Apologize!"
"HISSSSSS" She starts to hiss at me and Astal, before she shines in a bright purple light and turning into her little cat form and escaping Astal's grasp, then running into a small hole on the wall and running off.
"Unbelievable!" Astal sighs before leaning over me. "Are you okay? I think I have a band aid on me..."
"She's quite the kitty, hm Alek?"
"...."
"Master?"
"Just let me sleep..."
I don't have the strength to take any more today.
And it doesn't help that I'll have to endure this lifestyle for the next three months as I continue my journey to the abyssal whatever.
Unbelievable.
.
.
.
[__________________________________]
"You know, Akki, I don't suppose you'll be able to spot him from all the way up there..."
"Shhhh, I can't focus with you talking."
"Then ignore me, simple, no?"
"Roze please, you make it very difficult to focus from up here."
"I do wonder why you chose this place as your vantage point?"
"Obviously because it's the tallest place that overlooks this place... Oh, another group of bats."
"We have been seeing quite a few of them as of late, are you not afraid you will get bitten by a bat up there, hmm?"
"Stop it Roze, the top of Luthran castle is the best scouting place hands down and you won't get us to leave just because you're cold, now shuddup so I can look for mis-.. I mean.. Alek.."
"Oh my! Has he given you his name? How adorable..."
"I'll kill you."
[__________________________________]