HELLO AGAIN! I know it's been 2 months since I posted the prologue, but I really forgot to update this and the story had stayed in my laptop for weeks. I'm so busy with Test Construction and Psychology classes right now so I didn't have time to log in untill today :")
Thank you for the supports that few of you gave me, it's a real pleasure to know that even one person enjoyed reading my story. This is the reason why I love making fanfic, to be read and enjoyed :)) I'm sorry if there's any grammatical error or any typo, as this chapter also haven't been beta'd.
P.S: Please read the A/N after the chapter end please :3
Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Highschool DxD in any shape or form. This is merely a FAN-fiction because who ever got satisfied with only the original story right?...right!?
Chapter 1 -PART 1- "Moving Day"
The everyday life in the Vine mansion was hectic, at 6 in the morning the maids and butlers had to woke up and prepared breakfast for their Mistress and her peerage, after that they had to clean the backyard that was used as an early morning training ground, immediately this followed by preparing lunch. Later, at 1 PM they would go around the mansion cleaning every room and washing all the clothes. At 4 PM the butlers would go preparing afternoon tea time while the maids went to the kitchen to began on cooking dinner. At 6 PM dinner will started and as their mistress and her peerage ate they would clean the backyard again after it was used for afternoon training. From then until 10 PM they rotated to accompany their Mistress whilst she was doing her work in the study. At midnight they had to go check the study again to make sure mistress was already on her bed because sometimes she seemed to forgot everything except work. The day end for all the servants at exactly 1 AM except for those who work night shift that day.
Of course, even though it's a full time job that consumed their life, the servants of Vine clan never felt they want to quit or complain. They love their job and they really respect their Mistress as well as her peerage. The peerage never ever abuse their power or treat the servants badly, instead they always insist their servants to join them on tea time or at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The servants never accept this invitation but in their hearts they were touched by this gesture. They vowed they will serve this clan until the day they perish from the world.
But, today will proved to be the busiest day of the servants' lives. Frenzied footsteps were heard throughout the mansion, as maids frantically cleaning and packing all the miscellaneous things while butlers went back and forth bringing all the packed boxes outside to the yard. Some were seen packing books, documents and reports from the library, others were checking every room if there were things still left in there. Windows were closed, blinds were shut, all private corridors were checked and doors were locked. Today was the last day the Vine clan will resides here, in the afternoon they are going to move to another place as their mistress will announce her existence to the whole underworld. This white mansion is a sanctuary for hiding and as Arael Vinea at last will declare the revival of Vine clan, she need to move back to civilization so that this place should never be known by the outsiders.
"Are there anything left to box in?" The aforementioned mistress, Arael of Vine, asked the people pacing around her. Her white long hair swayed around by the wind, but she never bothered to tidy it back. White pearl dress with pale fuchsia high heels adorned her body, in addition to a white star sapphire diadem rested on her forehead. Arael Vinea looked like personification of an angel, contradicted by her real race, a devil.
"Hmm, not on my end. I already sent off my belongings this morning." a girl with violet hair replied. Her red eyes were busy inspecting all the boxes that the servants brought to the teleportation circle. She wants to make sure all important artifacts were packed.
"How about you Thoros, Kazu?" Arael now turned to two other devils from her peerage.
Stood by her left side, were two men with clear differences, one were tall and muscular while the other were also tall but slim in build. The muscular man was the one who is called Thoros, blond haired, grey eyes, he also wore a golden armour with white diamonds glittering across it, on his right hand was a long silver spear. The slim man was Kazuhito, black haired, black eyes with traditional japanese kimono and hakama as his clothes, a dark blue fan accompanied him on his hand.
Thoros shrugged his shoulder, "Meh, I only has my armors and weapons in my room, so I easily sealed it in my pocket dimension, no problem."
"Ah, how envious Thoros-san, I on the other hand has to brought out my cute little soldiers to help me pack. They're still packing my things right now." Kazuhito said lazily while hiding his mouth with his fan.
"It's because you are weak Kazu, dammit that's why I always invite you to join me in training. You need some muscles to lift those boxes." Thoros fired back.
"Ah, ah, why do I have to do that while I have my minions to help? In the end you can say I packed with my own power you know, as I had to use my onmyouji to summoned them."
"That doesn't count you damn scarecrow." Thoros scowled.
"Neh, what does and doesn't-"
"Enough!" Luana, the violet haired girl cut in. "Instead of idly arguing like children, why don't the two of you help me check all the boxes here. That way we can finish faster." She ordered the two older men with a deadly glare on her face.
"Yare, yare… yess little madam~"
"Whatever.." Thoros grumbled while Kazuhito humorously waved his fan as he walked closer to the teleportation circle.
Arael silently watched the ongoing arguments between three members of her peerage. She was amused, but doesn't want to get involve with the silly conversation as it would get more heated as she the King joined in, trust her she knows from experience how this will escalate if she interfered. How could two older men being scolded by a 16 year old girl like petulant children will always be a mystery to her.
"Ah, they are at it again hm." Commented someone from behind Arael. A tall shadow appeared, with deep black cloak with a hood, a dark wisp surrounding the person. It was Crow once again, the last member of Arael Vinea's peerage. In the morning light his figure was more imposing as his dark attribute look as though it devoured the light around him, but people could easily decipher him as a male with the light now.
"They are lively as always fufufu. I'm just thankful Luana can be patient with them, if it's me they will not survive pass 5 minutes." Arael said with a disturbingly gentle smile. All the devils that heard her comment shuddered in cold fear. Thoros, Kazu and Luana stopped their arguing after hearing that, then they quickly started to do their work without anymore utterance. The heir of the Vine clan could be ruthless when she wants to.
Even Crow, the emotionless ice-stick - the moniker given by Kazu - felt a bead of sweat ran down his back, "Ah...it's good we got Luana then…"
Arael who show no sign of being aware what transpired after her remark, nonchalantly added "I think we need to activate the magic circle soon, I promised Lord Beelzebub I will meet him at noon. I don't want to be late at our first meeting."
Crow nodded his head, "Alright, I'll notify the other servants, you should go first with Thoros as he had finished all his packing."
"Okay, thank you Crow. Thoros! Let's go first, I need a companion for my meeting with Ajuka Beelzebub." Arael called Thoros over.
"Alright." The burly man replied curtly, he stood a little bit behind on Arael's left side. They went to the middle of the teleportation circle and faced the others who stopped their activities to see them off.
"I'll see you all in the afternoon, we will hold a meeting right after I finished my conversation with Lord Beelzebub. So, if you want to check out our new place I will let you, but do not come to the east wing or wander off too far from the properties." The Vine heiress warned her remaining peerage.
"But of course my King~" Kazu easily replied.
"I will make sure everything is on place when you finished Ara-sama." Luana said with a serious expression, seemingly taking the warning to heart, although the facade was crushed by the affectionate name she called Arael.
Crow was the only one who was silent, he showed he's listening with only a miniscule tilting of his head.
"I expect all of you to behave yourselves. If one of the servants even hinted you did something stupid…." A sadistic aura now came out from Arael's body, she smiled sweetly with eyes closed, "I'll make sure your first death would look like a heaven on earth."
"A..ah...understood!" Everyone simultaneously answered. The peerage still remembered when the last time they accidentally pissed her off. They had to stay in the medical room for a whole 2 weeks after that certain incident. Since then, they learned to not only respect the young beauty, but to fear her as well.
"Right, then see you guys later!" Arael cheerfully said as the circle started to shined and a blinding light consumed them before the two figures disappeared from the clearing.
Arael and Thoros appeared in the middle of a big enchanting backyard. Beautiful white flowers of all kind surrounded the yard, plus a big marble statue of a man stood tall in the middle of it all. And standing tall above all else was a big castle like building with white and silver stones as it's foundation. There're two towers at each end of the building and a small barrack next to the training yards that were placed on the corner of the ground. Big pine trees forest was circling the place as a natural parameter.
The blonde man whistled, "Wao, talk about big huh. You really didn't pull any punches, how much did you spent to built this?" he asked.
"None" The young woman replied.
Thoro looked surprised, "What? What did you mean none?"
"By none I mean I spent none of my money to built this."
"Huh? Then how could you acquire the land and the resources?"
"Well, let's just said I met with a couple of old acquaintances of my family and they were so eager to help to repay my family's kindness. This is the result." Arael proudly smiled.
"I don't know should I feel respect or exasperation that you had blackmail so many old nobles like that."
"They are just a bunch of stuck up old men, so there're many things they felt embarrassed about. It's too easy to rile them up. " The white haired said, shrugging her shoulder. 'I can't resist teasing them ne~' that kind of feeling emerged from her expression.
"Anyway let's go in and help me prepare the drawing room for the guests. They will be arriving soon."
"Let's go."
They went inside the castle from the backdoor. The inside interior gave a warm welcome, red wine colored curtains, old paintings depicting the history of Vine family, statues and chandeliers were placed artfully along the corridors. Armors in every corner and some highly valuable weapons are placed in between. Thoros with childlike eyes scanned every single thing while following his king's footsteps. She lead them into one of the carved doors in the east wing, it was the drawing room for accepting guests. Dark brown velvet chairs were placed around one big glass coffee table. A fireplace was on the other side, with drinking bar filled over by alcohols rested on the far wall.
"Thoros, could you please call Mae over to bring tea and scones for our soon to be here guests? I'll clean the room and prepare the chairs for them."
"Understood."
"Now, let's see if I can organize this new bookcases before the guests arrived…"
Arael sat on the velvet chair that was facing the door whilst Thoros stood on by her side. Gone all the humor on his face, now it was set like stone statue, hard grey eyes stared ahead. This is why Arael like to brought Thoros in any serious meeting as he really can set a boundary between personal life and formal work. He was the definition of emotionless when he was on the job, even better than Crow's. Besides, Luana and Kazu have shorter fuse despite the dignified appearances, so she couldn't bring them to meet the 'stuck up' devils. Usually the choices are between Crow or Thoros.
Not long after she sat down, Mae the maid came in, bringing two people in. She bowed to them before going out from the room. Immediately Arael stood up to welcome the long awaited guests. She walked over to face them, "Ah, I welcome you two to Vinea clan house, my Lord Beelzebub and Lord Astaroth. Thank you for giving me your time to come here." She naturally bowed to the two who stood higher in the devil's society than her.
"I appreciate the warm welcome Lady Vine." Lord Astaroth said first. The man posed an intimidating figure with green hair and cold blue eyes. Arael nonchalantly held out her right hand to be kissed by him. She already met the head of Astaroth a couple of times so that's why he talk first. All for tradition and all that jazz. "Let me introduce you to my son and one of the Satan, Lord Ajuka Beelzebub."
I had done research about the Astaroth clan, and I haven't found any more details about Ajuka's father and I'm not done reading through Highschool DxD yet, so I created him based from what I know. SO PLEASE DO NOT FLAME ME ABOUT THIS _ Just think this as an AU if you will hehehe
You may realize that Crow, Thoros, Kazu and Luana were loosely based from some canon characters in different animes. You can guess and send me your answer if you want XD
Well, I hope you like this chapter although it's not as long as I like... ANYWAY stay tune to this story, coz I'll post the characters' sheet in the next update. Please R&R, send me constructives review please and I'll ignore any flame or idiotic rambling XD