Ch.10
Hatos had been sending out small bands of Lesser Demons to spy or spread rumors within other towns and villages. They were trying to stir things up. Sell had been watching them and staying a few nights within the towns or villages listening to the chatter. One man struck up her curiosity that would slip in and out of topic. A man called Dra'tor who was the son of a leader in the sands.
She kept that name within her memory as something to look up and seek out later on. He seemed to be of some importance of a kingdom or something from years past. He had a brother who wanted the throne but the old Arche had handed it down to Dra'tor instead. This had caused the oldest brother to leave and create his own kingdom. Hel sat in the corner of the bar reading the newspaper while keeping a keen eye on Sell.
They had been doing these small jobs to avoid being stuck in the tunnels. Poor Hel had been itching to get outside. The garden wasn't doing him any good anymore ever since he had pledged his loyalty to Sell. He was on the edge of his seat to get out of the tunnels with eagerness and Sell had bitten him back from getting too worked up. She pulled him into one of the hidden tunnels one day and gave him a swift slap across his face that jolted him to his senses again.
The stinging pain that had been inflicted to his face made his hand touch the now healed cheek. After her slap there were clear nail marks that had scratched him which made all the guys of the barracks hound him on telling them who his new interest was and how he had been sneaking out to find his excitement. This embarrassed him greatly to the point of his face turning as red as a beet that was in front of him at the time. It all ended when Knives walked in and the room went silent, seeing as he disliked loud voices. Knives only grinned at him and turned his face towards him better to see what damage had been done to him. "My poor brother. You've been put in your place by someone, eh? It's never a good idea to let your mouth run wildly."
Hel had slapped Knives's hand away and gave him a glare before turning away before the two sat together talking about things that were happening in the tunnels. Of course they also spoke of the training that had been going on in the mornings with Sell. With her teaching them the guys had made leaps at getting better with their abilities. She showed them small tricks and techniques that she had learned from the Elders but not everything. The training also let her understand about their transformations and weaknesses.
She knew how to use them to Hatos's advantage and how she could defeat them if she needed too one day. Upon these outings that they had been going on it allowed her to teach Hel more things than she was willing to share with the others. These things were to be strictly kept to ones self. Hel's blue gaze stared only at Sell as she sat at the bar talking with the bar tender about minor things. Something was stirring that caught Hel's attention but he knew that Sell had known about it moments before he had. Without a moment more of sitting there Sell was at the door of the bar holding the door open to a man that had come from the sands from the looks of him. Hel rose seeing her face as she stared into the face of her father.
Hel sat to Sell's right as Grande Arche Rien sat across from his daughter. He had a feel about him that meant business. "Why have you come here?"
"I'm in no shape to say," she replied curtly. "I can not. Try again?"
"Stirring up trouble? I know what's going on. A messege was sent to me by an informant that I had stationed here. He told me that he had sighted you here," Rien paused as a female server came over and handed out drinks with food before leaving them. "You're out here collecting information for that bastard? I know you had nothing to do with the attack and did what you could for us. I thank you."
"He certainly speaks a lot," muttered Hel as he ate his mushroom soup.
Sell looked to him for a second before looking at her father. "We are collecting information, yes. It's nothing to do with you or anyone at the Red Kingdom. That's all I can say on the subject." She cut into her steak as her red gaze stared at the cooked meat and avoided eye contact.
"You were such a pitiful lier," Rien said with a smile and laughed as he cut into his chicken. "You do the same thing as your mother. Avoid looking at someone."
Sell heaved a sigh as she chewed before speaking over the steak. "Father, it would be in your best interest to keep your head down and mind your own business. We have a rabid dog that bites anyone that pokes their nose into our business. I don't want to kill him so soon. Understand?"
Rien stared at his daughter as Sell's red eyes held his gaze. Chills went over him that caused him to give a slight shake. "Very well. I'll do as you say. What will come of this if I keep minding my business? For how long?"
"I'll tell you when it's safe again," she bit into another piece of steak and looked towards the door warily. "Hel, go outside and stop Knives. Take him else where while I and my father have a chat."
Hel was gone in a teleportation in an instant leaving Rien with his daughter in the bar. Sell looked at her father and went back to eating. "You have caused trouble I hope you know."
Rien hadn't sensed anyone following him and didn't know that there had been back up stationed in the village. "My apologies, daughter. To be honest I came here to kill you but-"
"Your fatherly instincts and feelings got in the way. You can not kill your long lost daughter that was to be a decoy for Sin." Her red gaze narrowed and grew cold. "It's better off if I remain out of your sight. If we keep meeting like this it'll cause me problems in the future. If I want to meet with you I'll come to you. I know what is moving about more than you at this moment."
The air between father and daughter had turned slightly unappealing. Sell wasn't in the least bit happy with what her father had brought about unknowingly. She knew Knives could be side tracked by Hel easily but the others that were within the bar all eyed her suspiciously. Hatos would have many questions now. Questions that she hated to answer on this surprise meeting.
The door opened with a shout from outside and Knives flung Hel over the tables and went crashing into the bar itself sending the bartender and other occupents scattering with screams. Knives stood there glaring at Sell. "What's the meaning of this?! Eating with the enemy?!"
Sell placed the cloth on the table and stood to stand in front of her father giving the cold glare right back at Knives. "This was a surprise. You did well in following him and doing your job but now I must do mine. Information is what we want and it is what we will have. Stop causing a rucus." She looked towards where Hel was getting up and brushing himself off. "Take Hel out of here. I don't want other people bothering me. That's an order."
"Hatos gives the orders, Ananon, not you!" Knives growled drawing his iron sword and weilding it. "You're a traitor!"
This had been what Knives had wanted all this time. Dirt to ruin her name. Knives advanced attacking first with a downward stroke. He spun around quickly to do a side swipe that were both dodged before Sell brought out her own sword. Knives was like a double edged sword in his personality and actions. If he saw a wrong some where he would eliminate it without was about to jump in to take on Knives but Sell gave a shake of her head. "Grande Arche, Rien! Leave here immediately!" She barked as she clashed with Knives.
"Oh no he doesn't!" Snapped Knives as he teleported to reappear atop the table swinging his sword at Rien's neck when Rien was suddenly gone in seconds. Rien suddenly found himself standing in the Red Kingdom square with the water fountain splashing loudly. He blinked and looked around expecting to see Sell but she was gone. How had that happened?
Sell's blade struck down the back of Knives causing him to cry out in agony as he felt his flesh get severed deeply and blood flowed freely. Her blade was suddenly piercing the thin flap of skin beneath Knives chin and angled his face upwards to her. "I do not appreciate you or your antics, Knives. Do not bother yourself with things that happen unexpectantly. I will speak to father when we return myself and you will see that it hadn't been my idea in the least!" Her head looked to Hel then as she whipped her blade sideways and slitting under his neck just a little. "Take him home!"
Before Knives could object he was gone in a teleportation and was back in the tunnels before being slammed in the center of the floor by Hel. Knives and Hel were suddenly scuffling on the floor, blood splattering and pooling around when Hatos entered from all of the rucus and saw the gory sight. "Enough! What's the meaning of this?!"
Sell appeared in a teleportation then standing atop of Knives that Hel was pinning still from their scuffle. "Hello, father. We need to have a long chat in private. I'll also explain why I didn't kill Knives when I so badly needed too."
"Some one better explain it right now or I'll be killing all of you!" Hatos barked and looked at Knives annoyed. "Clean yourself up! Don't report back until that's done! Hel, come with me and Ananon!" The old man stormed off towards his office with Ananon in step behind him. Hel sprang off Knives and sprinted off after them to leave Knives to pick himself up and hobble off to get some healing.
The door of Hatos's office slammed shut as Sell plopped herself down in an updated chair made of wool as Hel stood behind her leaning against the wall. Hatos sat back in his chair staring solely at his daughter. "What's all this about? Why did Knives come back all bloodied and injured?"
Sell went on with the the story of what happened. Hatos looked rather interested when the word spy came into play from Grande Arche Rien. As Sell finished up the incident report Hatos leaned forward to prop himself on his desk. "So Knives is a problem in this? Is that what you're saying?"
"It would've gone more smoothly if he hadn't done what he did. I've already dealt with him and I suspect he's regretting the fact he just fought me." She crossed her right leg over her left. "He's gotten better from his lessons. He's still lacking though. Won't be much longer until he's a pro."
Hatos looked at Hel then in a studying gaze. "What of Hel? Making improvments?"
"Very much so," Sell replied with a nod. "Everyone is. At the next raid or big battle you'll be seeing quite the fire power."
He was rather eager to see this and gave a smile for his daughter. "I'll be waiting. As for Knives, He'll be following Anzel from now on. Just so you don't kill him, my dear."
Sell was pleased with this but not happy about it. She thanked her father before leaving with Hel following after her.
"Well, one down and two to go." Hel whispered not looking at Sell as they walked side by side. "Was this what you wanted to happen?"
Far from it was what she wanted to say but her mouth wouldn't work at that moment. Her mind pondered on her words more before she stopped him. "Unplanned. It's not a problem though. I can still go about what is to be done."Sell went on down the hall as Hel walked on after her but slipped next to her right side again.
"Very well then. I'll not worry about the jerk."
It was pushing their luck but Sell didn't care what she pushed right then. They showed up in the nursing ward where they saw Knives laying on his stomach with his back exposed to the light that the doctors worked by. Knives had scented them long before and heard their familiar footsteps. "What do you two want? I don't talk with traitors!"
"I came by to tell you that you really blew it today," Sell replied flatly. "You stepped out of line and not only did you attack me but you also attacked your brother. Father isn't happy with you."
Knives looked over his shoulder at her with a glare that would stop a hundred men and strike fear in them. "So you blackened my name to father?! That's all you wanted to do!"
"Enough!" Sell barked causing the doctors to pause in their work. "Knives, father says you'll be accompaning Anzel from now on. I and Hel will be carrying out our own plans of putting out rumors and such still. You can't be trusted if the enemy shows up unexpected again."
"Completely ruined it for us when we were trying to get information from the Grande Arche Rien, Knives." Hel said then folding his arms. "He was literally in the palm of Ananon's hands! Not to mention you deserved your butt to get kicked by Ananon."
Knives flung his cup of water at them both that was struck out of the air by Hel before it reached Sell. Sell turned away to walk out but paused briefly to look back at Knives. "I don't hate you nor do I harbor ill will towards you, Knives. I apologize for striking you down like I did. Please heal well and take care of your body."
Hel looked at Knives for a moment more before leaving behind her. As he caught up with Sell she was stopped by Hel's mentor Inohani. "I heard what happened in the village of Acacius. Can't believe Knives screwed up like that."
Sell waved her hand to dismiss the issue. "He did what he felt was right. It did look like I had turned traitor but it was a complete surprise to me. I'm not worried about it in the least but father has placed him under brothers watch now. Hel will be my guard now."
Inohani nodded in approval of this. "Knives is too brash at times. Is he like that during training too?"
"He's different during training but you act one way at one moment and different in another." Sell excused herself from the conversation to head to her stood with Inohani watching her go briefly before looking to his mentor.
"I did what I had to do. I know it wasn't right but it was needed."
"I understand that," Inohani said placing a hand on Hel's muscled shoulder. "I'm not here to reprimand you for the actions that were taken. I came to warn you. Knives has changed. I'm not sure what's happened to him but I've been noticing some oddities in his behavior. Please be careful around him?"
Hel gave a slow nod as he took this information in. "I'll tell Ananon about this as well. Two eyes are better than one."
Inohani turned away walking off down the tunnel and teleported away some place within the base. Hel went on his way towards his own room to rest as his mind pondered over what had been told to him. Was the training the cause of the odd behavior or something else?
