Peter looked at the night sky. He didn't know why Asmodeos had kept this pendant to himself for so long, but what he did know was that here in this place he could build an army.
The fact was the only thing he needed was a single hellhound.
Of course, after they managed to get out of this world and into the fantasy world they had come from, he wouldn't be able to go inside the pendant for a year, but that didn't mean that he couldn't plan.
And while he was at it, he was going to become strong.
So strong that Asmodeos was finally going to notice him. Now Asmodeos probably already noticed him, Peter had to be real with himself, but that didn't mean that Asmodeos liked him.
And just because Asmodeos might not have noticed him and might not still like him, didn't mean that Peter was not going to try.
There was something about the blonde necromancer, who had been once a white-haired necromancer and was now actually a mage and no necromancer, that simply called to Peter.
Maybe it was his easy smile, or maybe it was the amber eyes?
So animated, so light.
But the fact was, Peter wanted to try something.
Peter looked at Asmodeos, who was also staring at the night sky.
The man was beginning to shape up. His robes were becoming loose, and they had spent only a week in this fantasy world.
In this fantasy training pendant, time flew like a river.
But that didn't mean that they had both sat idle.
"Asmodeos," Peter didn't like the uncertainty in his own voice.
He wanted to be certain; he wanted to be the man Asmodeos needed.
For Asmodeos was a ray of light most of the time.
If the sun was actually an imp bent on world domination, that was.
"Yes, Peter?"
Asmodeos, for all that he sounded sleepy, was alert. He knew what Peter wanted, could actually read thoughts.
"Peter, I don't know you at all. But you know, if you let me get to know you, we might go and eat some cake and get some coffee sometimes," the mage said.
Peter could have whooped in joy. That wasn't a no. That was a maybe.
And a maybe was always more certain than a no. After all, if someone didn't want to agree with you, they would have simply told you no.
But if someone was considering it, then they told you a maybe, then there was hope.
"I like chocolate cake," It was important for Peter to say this detail. He wanted to see if Asmodeos was a chocolate cake kind of person or a vanilla cake kind of person.
So important that he actually propped himself on his elbow and looked in Asmodeos' eyes.
The necromancers chuckled, then looked back at the stars, his gaze traveling to Peter's eyes without him meaning to.
"I like strawberry shortcake," Asmodeos said, winking.
And so, Peter finally found out what sort of person Asmodeos was.
A very, very fancy person.
"I think I can actually make a strawberry shortcake," Peter had made only a couple of cakes during his lifetime, but he was pretty sure he could manage to make one for Asmodeos.
After all, it was one thing to buy the cake, it was another to actually go through all the steps to manage to produce one.
Asmodeos chuckled. Feeling a warmth spread in his heart.
"And I can make you a chocolate cake. Do you like lava cake?"
Asmodeos wanted to steer the conversation towards lighter fields, not ready for a commitment.
"Yeah, love it," Peter said, already imagining the treat.
"Good. Then I can make you a lava cake tomorrow. I think I still have the portable kitchen here somewhere," Asmodeos yawned. Oh, it had been a long day.
Peter blinked. Portable kitchen? Was that even a thing?
"What do you mean by portable kitchen? Please, please don't tell me we could have used that instead of the one in the watchtower? I actually had to pay from my allowance to use that kitchen," Peter whined.
Asmodeos chuckled once more.
"I can use that kitchen only once every week. So, you must understand it is for emergencies. Just think, we will be in the middle of the forest. There will be no guard watchtowers for miles in any direction. And there, we'll have to cook for the gnomes. If I don't actually make them enough food to feed an army, then they will starve," for all that these words were grave, Asmodeos knew that it would not come to that.
Peter already had someone to greet him after a hard day's work. Already had someone who would actually listen to him as he told him how his day had gone.
Peter laid back down and reached out. In a moment of bravery, he dared to place a hand over Asmodeos' hand.
To run his thumb over soft skin.
To make a promise without saying a word.
"You know, I think that now that we are both magical creatures, we can actually do something for ourselves," it was a very strange and hard thing to ask someone who you barely knew, but Peter felt that this little request of his would not be the too much to ask for. "How about we all to be eternal friends?"
Asmodeos scrunched up his nose.
It was all going too fast.
But as he looked back at the night sky, he decided that he had already let Peter into his heart.
"Yes, let's. May there be no challenge which we won't face together. May there be no villain whom we won't slay together. May we be there for each other in good and bad times!"
The spirits above were suspicious. After all, they knew that Asmodeos wasn't taking his role as a hero seriously, but as they saw the hope in Peter's eyes, they let the magic settle.
After all, Peter was a good sort, and he deserved a good thing to happen to him.