Peter held onto Penelope as he looked to the skies. The two deities seemed to not pay them any heed as their conversation wasn't hidden away from them allowing him to understand a bit of what exactly was going on.
He turned to look at his sister but he didn't see the fear he held towards those beings in her eyes instead he saw what seemed to be... excitement... Was this the difference between them? Where he saw danger she saw opportunity?
But isn't this opportunity a little bit too much to handle. He knows his sister had a daring personality but according to what he just heard the being behind the two golden suns in the sky was even more fearsome than the old man that was already unfathomable to them.
He had decided. This time he will stamp his foot down and not allow his sister make any silly decisions. Just as he was going over what he would say to convince his sister, he looked up and noticed a black cat with dark golden pupils staring at him with disdain.
The skies were no longer dark but instead were now grey like the rest of the world and the two golden suns in the skies seemed to have disappeared...no... Peter looked back at the cat, specifically it's eyes. As he did, his consciousness was being drawn into it and it was only until the cat meowed softly before he was able to break away from it.
'The Golden Suns didn't disappear into thin air, it's in the cat's eyes.'
The cat seemed to have lost interest in him as it turned to his sister who was completely focused on it. Unlike her absent-minded brother she had seen as the darkness in the skies shrunk inward and coalesced to form this cat. The two suns were also shrunk into the cat's eyes.
The cat let out what looked like a grin before speaking out "I heard that kids like furry animals. What do you think of this form? Am I cute? Am I adorable? Am I? Am I?"
Peter asked curiously "Is this what a Devil looks like? I thoughts you'd be more..devilish"
"My real form? Ha! You must be joking, you can't say my name even if you sacrifice your soul and if you hear my unfiltered voice you will descend into madness. Talk less about seeing my true form, if you saw that the best outcome would be death, the worst would be getting corrupted by witnessing what is far above you. Let me give you a word of advice towards deities kids. Never say their true name, Never look at their true forms directly and for really powerful ones like me even hearing their voice is a disaster you would not be able to handle. Understand?"
Peter nodded vigorously but Penelope was lost in thought.
'We cannot say their names, we cannot see their true form, we cannot hear their voice. Basically we cannot use our senses to interact with them, if we touched them or even tasted them by any chance I reckon that it would be as equally as dangerous.'
'Indeed you're right. Such an action would be a one way trip to damnation'
Penelope abruptly shook as she looked towards the cat to see it grinning at her. The realisation that even her mind couldn't hide her thoughts before this being made her understand that this being was truly beyond her imagination but she didn't panic, instead she was more excited. Such a powerful being will definitely be able to help her brother.
"Alright I don't have all day to play with you kids, my junior is in trouble and I need to go and save her so I'll make this quick." The cat tapped the space before it with its paw and a goatskin appeared from the void.
"This is how it will go down. You, Penelope, will give me your gift and in return I shall grant you one wish and yes I can easily solve your brother's condition. I think that's fair enough, just give your consent and we'll be done here."
The cat looked at Penelope but Penelope didn't jump at the chance like he thought she would and instead seemed to be considering something. Just when he was about to look into her mind she suddenly spoke out with determination in her eyes.
"I want to gamble against you."
The cat tilted it's head to the side as it looked at this girl with new found interest.
"Interesting. Okay, since you initiated the game you can pick the game and I'll pick the rules."
'It worked! I was right. Indeed the opportunity the old man said wasn't a lie.' After Penelope saw the cat and heard the terms it proposed indeed she was happy but at the same time she was confused.
The old man had said this was an opportunity for them to live a fulfilling life but as she thought about accepting the terms and sacrificing her gift she felt a great foreboding as though she was about to make a decision she would regret for the rest of her life.
She also considered that should she sacrifice this gift of hers, she and her brother would be ordinary people who would live at the whims of fate. How could that be a fulfilling life? Taking some hints from the conversation between the deities she drew out the one possibility she could fight for a better future for her and her brother. A Gamble, one with everything on the line.
"A coin toss."
"A game completely reliant on luck. You're a smart one alright. Although my primary path focuses on covenants, I also have a great authority over gambling and I indeed enjoy a good gamble. Don't worry I won't cheat, that'll reduce the fun. The rules would be a simple best out of 5. If you lose I'll take your gift but if you win I'll grant you 3 wishes which under certain conditions have a time limit of 1 year. Is that fine?" The cat seemed very patient in setting the terms and wasn't overbearing allowing Penelope to relax and think it over.
As she thought, the rewards from gambling were more generous than if she had just directly sold off her gift however if she lost she would lose everything but would that stop her? Only with risks like this could she have her way to the future she seeks. In fact....
"I want to add one more condition. For each round I win, I get an extra wish and if I win all five you will take care of that behemoth without me having to use a wish."
"Ho?" The cat was really taken aback by her boldness. "The ignorant are indeed courageous. If it were someone who knows me they wouldn't even be able to discuss terms with me out of fear. It's good this way, I can have a good game. Alright but I'll add my condition, if you want to take another gamble after now you have to win 4 rounds out of 5 and the time after that you have to win all 5 rounds."
Penelope slightly regretted her decision to alter the stakes but she gritted her teeth and went along with it. Humans were greedy by nature, to ask anything of such an expert was the dream of many. She could never complain of having too many, the future can take care of itself but for now she wasn't going to back out because of fear. She nodded and signed off the contract with a Quill that floated beside the goatskin scroll.
"Alright it's done. Pull out a coin and Peter will be the one to toss it and as I said before I won't interfere in it in anyway." The cat seemed very excited as it's tail wagged back and forth.
Penelope pulled out a coin and handed it to Peter who looked into her eyes but there was no hesitation as she looked right back with unwavering determination. He sighed and resigned to the course of things.
"I'll take heads." Penelope spoke out without hesitation to which the cat expressed it's admiration with its eyes. Even though her gift granted her fortune, fortune was a fickle thing after all. For all she knew it could fail her greatly and she would lose everything and gain nothing but she was still bent on going through with it.
'This lass isn't half bad. I can consider grooming her after this, with or without her gift she's a talent. If she can follow the way of the Devil, she can tread far on its path.'
"Tails it is. What are you waiting for kid, stop being a pussy. You're not even the one losing anything in this gamble. Toss the coin"
Under the cat's reproach Peter took a deep breath. He tossed the coin and it shot up while flipping rapidly. The excitement in the eyes of the cat was practically shooting out and it's tail wagged faster.
Penelope seemed to be indifferent towards the result but her clenched fists betrayed her. Peter was in an even worse state, his back was already soaked before he even started and at this moment he felt his breathing suddenly become difficult.
The coin quickly descended to which Peter caught it and planted it on the back of his hand. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding as he removed his hands and saw heads.
Penelope let out a restrained grunt of joy while the cat hissed sharply. Before shouting "Again! Quickly"
Peter tossed it up again, caught it and planted it.
Heads.
Heads.
Heads.
At this point Penelope was smiling brightly while Peter couldn't hold back his giggles meanwhile the cat's expression was already darker than it's fur. It's tail wasn't swaying anymore and it's eyes were shining dangerously.
"I refuse to believe that I will lose all the rounds."
"Oh? Do you want to gamble on it Sir?" Like a Devil, Penelope seized the chance to whisper to the cat and tempt it making it increasingly believe that this girl really had talent towards the path of the Devil.
"Hmph." The cat harrumphed but Penelope used her eyes to signal Peter to hold on. Peter was already restless, he felt if they kept on they may provoke this Devil and he would slay them in his anger. However he still did as his sister said and held on.
"Don't you even want to hear the stakes? If you win this round then all my victories for the previous rounds will be null."
The cat was now interested. No matter what, even for someone as casual as him, waiting around on some mortals to grant their wishes didn't sit right with him. He was the 5th Devil Lord, The Idol of Covenants, The one who stands against the natural order, The one who slayed True Gods, False Gods and Demi Gods till the heavens wept and the earth broke, The one who at a single word of his can thrust the world into chaos. How can he do such a thing, if he could avoid such a fate he was naturally interested.
Seeing as the fish had taken in the bait Penelope reeled in the line "If I win however I don't want extra wishes I just want you to be sincere about granting the wishes."
The cat turned around and looked at this smiling girl with narrowed eyes. At this point he realised he had underestimated the girl, if she steps into the path of the Devil, she would surely reach the summit if accidents do not occur. He was more determined to groom her now than he was when he saw Lilith. Lilith had a penchant for chaos indeed but it was just that although he loved her for her simplicity, he wished she were a bit more cunning. If she were she wouldn't encounter some of the problems she faces.
Penelope was different though, he vaguely saw the shadow of the 2nd Devil Lord in her. Such cunning and wit was too impressive. She was right, if they won he would naturally be disgruntled and although he would have to grant their wishes he could be non chalant about it and they would not be able to say anything.
With this stake even if she lost at least she would get his good will and only lose some useless wishes that would have been filled with drawbacks. If she won, then she would have complete wishes without any draw back.
"Alright. You've impressed me enough. I won't bully you, I concede the last round." He can't help it, he had been bought over by her smarts. If before he was only interested in her for her gifts, now he was completely interested in her.