Chapter XXI: The Sunless Temple Part I
Among the waves of the dream, he heard a mellifluous voice, humming a tone he knew from a long time ago.
"You're finally here…"
The air and environment felt strange. Avernus struggled to open his eyes. Still sleepy, he soon found out that he wasn't in his cabin,
He was still at the beach.
"Wh-what?!... Why am I still here...?"
"Rise and shine, big boy."
The sudden greeting startled him, nearly jumping up, he turned and saw Tiamat sitting behind him,
"Oh, for god's sake Tia!"
"What? You expected someone else, your highness?"
The sarcasm in the Malak's voice irritated him. He knew that she probably saw the whole affair last night.
"No, but I wasn't expecting to find myself laying here on the sand."
Tiamat looked up to the sky,
"Oh, that… yes, the thing is that you passed out last night."
As soon as Avernus managed to get up, he quickly turned his head at her,
"Passed out?! When? Why?!"
"Judging from your recent "socialization" performances, you absorbed too much malevolence from or maybe something she did to you..."
Sighing, he knew that there was no point of hiding anything, "Oh boy, what an embarrassment… When did she leave?"
"Embarrassing or not, I think she enjoyed it; having a helpless Shepherd under her sharp claws…"
Avernus rubbed his forehead, shaking his head in shame, "Tsk, stop with the teasing the tell me what happened already!"
Tiamat faked a smile and said, "Okay, here is a detailed version; after you fell asleep, Velvet stayed for a bit and she watched you for about ten minutes, then she sat and placed your head on her lap. She also stroked your hair from time to time, looking at the moon. I have to say; this was the first time I saw her smile for a second. Anyway, she did that for a bit, then she left."
Avernus, imagining the scene, unintentionally grinned, "So I was resting in her lap… she stroked my hair too and I was sleeping when she did that, damn it..."
Tiamat sneered at his ridiculous smiling face,
"The things you said to her last night was so sweet and lovely. Your honeyed words were going to make me want to throw up. I think she kissed you just to shut you up."
Avernus narrowed his eyes as he stared at her, vexing,
"Look, I'm free to choose whoever I want to like and when I thought I had found one, the whole world went to hell. I even died because of that. Then, I found her again and turned out; she was changed into a daemon and had been locked up inside a prison for three years. I just wanted to tell her how I feel before something happens. Yet you kept insisting that my decision was wrong."
Tiamat also stood up, irritated, she moved closer to him,
"She does not care. You're nothing but a passing hobby. Velvet specifically told me that her main motivation and what drives her to live; is only her revenge and she wouldn't hesitate to choose it over you. I was just worried that you might get hurt. You, humans, are all naive and stupid."
"She was … confused. If I was imprisoned in a cell and the only thing that I could've done was killing daemons for three years, I would've chosen that road too. But I know, somewhere in her heart, she is still that considerate, warm, soft, and kind girl that I once knew."
Tiamat widened her eyes, curious, "You never told me the real reason why you were interested in her in the first place… that why you started this crusade at all. In the beginning, I thought that we're avenging a fallen princess, not a regular, everyday peasant girl."
Avernus pulled his pendant from under his collar, staring at it,
"When I first met her, I thought she was a normal and a simple village girl. Then she showed that compassion towards Laphi, towards Arthur, and for a time… even towards me. I… envied them. For the first time, I was jealous of something others had… I wanted that freedom. Those simple pleasures. One thing you never understood about me, about the humans, that people like her are rare. The only tenderness I've ever known was from Rosa. I thought somehow, I could have that back."
Tiamat slightly smiled,
"I understand now… so you yearned for that "will to live" … and you saw it in her of all people. You're such a sentimental creature, Avernus. What happened to that warrior mindset you had?"
"That's still with me. I'm no less than a warrior that I was before. It is just I don't carry that burden of a nation that once was on my shoulders."
Avernus firmly squeezed the pendant in his hands,
"She was sixteen, still young. She hadn't seen the world. But she was thoughtful and supportive. Laphi, her brother was so talented, a free soul who you'd never expect to find in that corner of the world. I wanted to take them away from the imminent danger. To protect those still pure and untainted souls. Those memories are painful, even to me. I thought for once in my damn life, I could be a shepherd and not a killer...But I failed.
The calamity followed me again. In the end, Laphi was dead and the only life Velvet knew was taken from her. My grievance was back yet again; revenge, kill, and decimate. The only things I was good at."
"Then you found out that she was still alive," said Tiamat.
Avernus paused for a few seconds, "Yes… and I saw the same "me" when Rosa was killed. I knew what was waiting for her at the end of that road. I never wanted anything more than fixing that wrong, my mission was clear, even If it was the last thing I would do. But…"
"Yes, yes. You somehow "fell for her in the middle of all that fighting" I heard it last night. Like one of those garbage love stories you read." Tiamat finished his sentence herself, waving her right hand in the air. Showing she didn't impress by it.
Avernus smirked, the memories were pleasant enough for him to reimagine them again, "Yeah… I didn't want to make things complicated. But when I saw that letter, I knew that our feelings were mutual. I was scared. We didn't even want to communicate our intentions. Heh, talk about being the adult and the mature one in the relationship… But I didn't have to hide it and I decided not to. Went in, took my chance and she somehow accepted this. I don't know, she sent a lot of mixed signals. I'm not even sure what to do with it now. Nevertheless, I'll be with her till the end of this journey, at least make sure she survives."
"At least you're at ease. I know that you're living in the moment kind of guy but remember that women are manipulators and Velvet is a daemon, so that goes double or even triple for that girl." presumed Tiamat.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes,
"I appreciate your concern but in the middle of all that drama, You came along and made it complicated, without consulting it with me first, Tia. I've to say; I didn't like it."
Tiamat crossed her arms, the seriousness had governed her posture,
"Sometimes you don't understand. I had to protect you from being hurt. You're still young. You can preach about how you can fight but you don't know how to live or even how to love. Since you chose it for yourself, I suppose I can't do anything about it anymore. Guess you need to fail to understand how you're wrong."
"You sounded just like Eizen."
"Oh, speaking of Eizen, you need to talk to him, you know, strengthened your friendship bond? If you can get your head out of those fantasies, you know that our group is kind of a mess. So less goofing around with her and more to important issues. Artorius would probably kill himself if he sees your kissy-faces, you ignorant morons."
"Wow… Tia, you're really acting like a big sister. I can only guess what Laphicet felt when he's among those two." Avernus thought to himself.
The duo slowly started their way back to the ship.
"So, Avernus... Did she say anything special to you last night?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, you keep telling her about your feelings and you show her affections which in my opinion; she doesn't deserve any of those. There must be something that makes you keep coming back for her other than that stupid "sense of responsibility" you decided to suddenly develop out of nowhere."
"No, she stays silent all the time. Cold stares, uncaring sighs, frowning. That's all she gives me... although she DID bite my lips last night. I still have a taste of blood in my mouth. That's progress, right?"
Tia rolled her eyes, regretting that she ever asked him,
"...You are hopeless, Avernus. But let me give you some advice..."
"Oh, that's going to be interesting... Tia giving me some advice on the relationship."
Tia's face wrinkled,
"Silence, you little imbecile. Listen, you want her to get closer; you pay less attention to her from now on."
"Paying less... What?!"
"You showed your affection, you told her that you care about her, and you even put yourself in danger just to keep that daemon safe... and she didn't care. So, time to turn the table. You'll show her your worth. Make her chase you instead."
"I...I don't know. I'm not sure about this. What if she thinks that I'm not interested anymore and decides... you know... end it?"
Tia giggled and glanced at him,
"I don't think so. In these circumstances, you need to make her understand. She's getting a lot of confidence from our group; Rokurou owes her, so he always follows her around and act as her bodyguard. Eleanor lost the duel and obeys her every command. Eizen sees her as a valuable ally. And the one and only Laphicet, the only cutest kid Malak in existence is willing to lay down his life for her, just like you."
"Your point, Tia?"
"She needs to feel that she's losing you. She gained a lot of allies in a short time, it is time for her to understand that "You can't always take everything for granted"."
Avernus grunted in anger but he knew that she was right.
"... I'll think about it,"
Near the docks, they saw everyone already disembarked and walking towards the town. Eizen, frowned and serious, shouted,
"There you are. I hope you rested enough because we have a long day ahead of us."
GROWL
Avernus's belly rumbled. He hadn't eaten for nearly two days. Luckily, they were still far away from them to hear it.
"…Very well, onward then."
Their group was compromised of ten individuals. Tiamat was unsettled, she never spent time blending in such a large group. After shaking her head, she merged with his pact holder.
Zaveid moved closer to Avernus, with a grin on his face,
"The Malak you're traveling with, Tia…Tam…"
"Tiamat."
"Yeah, that's the name. She seems too shy to be around strangers." teased the maliciously grinning Zaveid.
"I don't know. Why you don't ask her yourself?"
"Maybe later… She's not showing that interest I wanted."
"That's because she's interested in women… mostly. And if you don't mind the age difference. She's very old."
Avernus said that in a normal manner as it was common knowledge. Eleanor began to cough and grabbed Laphicet's arm to take him away a bit further. Velvet acted as if she didn't hear anything or didn't care at all. Zaveid stroked his chin.
"You're doing it on purpose Avernus?!" Tiamat whispered.
"So what? You need to have some fun from time to time. Who you're saving yourself for? If I can get you, someone, to share your time with, maybe you'll become busy enough to leave me alone to enjoy myself." responded Avernus.
"Damn… then it's a no go. By the way, I know why you didn't want to spend the last night on the ship, we've already spent so many days on the sea. Although it was fun talking with Aifread's crew, that man commands with respect."
"Good for you… I guess. Oh, and if you still wondering about Siegfried, I still need it for one more day."
Zaveid groaned,
"C' mon, why are you so slow? I thought that the lady said that her work was already done."
"Hers is done, not mine."
Totally disappointed, Zaveid moved to the other side, moaning in anger. Avernus saw Laphicet slowly walking behind him as they moved into the village. He pulled something out of his satchel that was nicely wrapped up.
"Here! Velvet made it for you. She said you'd probably hungry since you didn't come back to the ship last night."
Avernus instantly took the pouch and unwrapped it,
"Katsu sandwiches… Thanks!"
"No sweat. I didn't want you to fight on an empty stomach." Velvet insensitively replied.
Velvet coldly glanced at him, but her eyes were less threatening. Although she could frown, sulk, and pout at him all she wanted. For him, none of those mattered and he was neither scared nor intimated. He also knew that she wanted to keep that strong and uncaring expression in the public.
Same as Laphicet, what he was seeing was different than an angry and bloodthirsty daemon.
Avernus started to quickly consume sandwiches one by one. He ripped them with each bite which looked kind of scary to Laphicet. Like a hungry dragon gashing at its helpless prey. Eleanor growled in anger,
"Mind your manners, Avernus! I can't believe someone like you could eat like that in public!"
At first, he was indifferent, then he starred Eleanor in the eyes and added more facial expression to the act just to frustrate her more.
"Oh my… you're such a stubborn child! Hmph!"
"I don't care. I'm hungry, alright? I haven't eaten anything for the last couple of days. Don't judge me."
Avernus answered Eleanor with food still in his mouth, making her even madder.
Laphicet kept laughing at the scene. Eleanor looked at him and said,
"Don't learn that from him, Laphicet. It's totally atrocious manner!"
Avernus rolled his eyes and then asked,
"Whatever… Any news on Grimoirh?"
Rokurou shook his head in response,
"No, still no leads."
"Magilou. When did you get that letter from her you mentioned?" asked Velvet.
"Hard to say. It must have been… last year? A decade ago?" Magilou mockingly replied which made nearly everyone furious, Eizen stopped and said,
"Take this seriously or I'll feed you to the sharks."
Magilou stopped and shook her body as she ridiculed Eizen,
"Oh, what? I think I'd at least rate a Kraken."
Avernus devoured the last of the sandwiches,
"You barely rate a Piranha, but it's nice to see them slowly consume you, alive."
"Oho! I'm sorry that I'm not THAT scared your majesty."
Velvet walked passed Avernus and nearly shouted as she gritted her teeth in anger,
"Keep this up and I swear I'll eat…"
Her eyes caught a glimpse of two familiar figures walking in the distance.
"It's them!"
Avernus, still sleepy, narrowed his eyes at them to understand what and who Velvet is pointing at. She grabbed his arm and pulled him behind one of the huts.
"Hide you fool."
"They look familiar… oh, I remember, those two were at the Empyrean Throne…" Avernus finally figured out.
"Teresa and Oscar. Also, Velvet is the cause of that guy's injury." Magilou whispered.
"Really? You didn't tell me, Velvet." Avernus continued to murmur.
"Tsk, I'll tell you later!"
Teresa, the girl with the long blonde hair stopped and with a smile, turned to Oscar,
"You will have the whole garrison under your command once you assume your new post. The final preparations are already complete."
"Thank you, sister. But to be honest, I worry that these shoes I'm filling might just be a bit too big for me."
Teresa smiled in response, encouraging Oscar she said,
"You need not to worry; Lord Astor has confidence in your strength and skills. Shepherd Artorius has high hopes for your deployment to Palamedes. Fear not, just be yourself and you'll do fine. Believe you're a leader, and you will be."
Avernus hearing focused more precisely as he heard Lucian's name,
"For a foreigner, Lucian rose up in the ranks so quickly."
Tiamat heard his thoughts,
"Maybe he's filling the role you were supposed to do."
"But Why? What he will get out of it? And how they could've contacted the mainland? Damn it… like always, something doesn't add up until we hit something big."
Before Teresa said goodbye, she warned Oscar,
"Watch out in your search for the relic, that daemon in Haria is stronger than we anticipated. We've even had some casualties..."
Rokurou turned to Avernus,
"There's a daemon in Haria. Sounds like it's a pretty feisty one, too."
"And there is a relic…"
Both the sorcerer and the swordsman grinned. It seemed that they've found their entertainment for the day.
Velvet looked at them with approval,
"Both may prove useful."
Nevertheless, Magilou walked in the middle and as the exorcists left the scene mockingly said,
"Still, what magical timing for Oscar to show up here at the very same hour we do."
Eleanor caught her intentions and felt the weight of their glances,
"… I understand your suspicion of me. But have you any proof?"
"None, it's true. But as an exorcist, you're certainly sympathetic to Abbey's cause." Velvet stated.
Avernus kept his focus on Eleanor, looking at her as it seemed he knows all,
"Of course. She still believes in their agenda. There is no reason for her to no be sympathetic… at least not yet."
Magilou grinned, wickedly,
"And soon you may wish we were sympathetic."
Finally, Eleanor lowered her head, feeling miserable. Laphicet felt her sadness,
"Eleanor hasn't been snitching on us. I'm sure of it."
Magilou, straight forward as ever, said that,
"And how would you know? Are you watching her even when she's taking a bath?"
Laphicet suddenly blushed, his voice began to stutter,
"No, I don't… I… I always stay outside when she's taking a bath… and…"
"Then isn't it possible she's communicating with the Abbey in secret while you're not there?"
Avernus wasn't totally onboard for what Magilou was doing,
"That's enough Magilou."
Velvet walked towards Eleanor, gawking at her with skepticism,
"You pledged to obey me until the day you die, correct?"
"…Yes, that I did."
The tension was high; everybody knew that Artorius ordered Eleanor to brought Laphicet to the Abbey and they couldn't have brought themselves to trust her. Nonetheless, she didn't show any sign of treason.
Avernus joined them,
"We can argue about it later, right now we need to get on with the mission. If we fight among ourselves, you can consider that we've already lost the battle."
"Avernus is right; when you two trade blows, only the Abbey wins."
"One less daemon and one less traitor for them to worry about." Rokurou and Eizen said respectively.
Both girls still locked in a staring contest until Laphicet said,
"And that daemon could be attacking Grimoirh!"
They heard the boy's plea, still unsure of each other's intention, they moved further into the village.
Velvet pulled Laphicet away and began to ask him a series of questions. Avernus still fixated on that relic the exorcists mentioned, went into deep thinking.
"A relic… whatever that thing is, we need to get it."
"Why?" asked Rokurou.
"It seems to be important to the Abbey. We need to deny them the chance, whatever it is."
Rokurou and Zaveid nodded except for Eizen who seemed to try distant himself from him. Avernus knew the reason behind it.
"Eizen…"
The reaper glanced at him from the corner of his eyes as he called his name.
"The reason that I took Siegfried was to extract the formula. As soon as I can copy its function, I will give it back to Zaveid."
"Aha…" Eizen uncaringly replied.
Avernus gasped,
"You still don't trust me, do you?"
Eizen began to groan as he mustered enough energy to answer him,
"No, it's not a matter of trust. It's just I still don't fully understand your motivation."
"Why is that an issue? Isn't everyone in our group have some kind of a "hidden agenda"?"
Eizen stopped and turned to him, looking cynical,
"You are a Shepherd… or were one. The thing is you used to kill daemons, tethering my kind to suit your benefits, and now you're hunting the leader of an organization that had been built upon your teachings. Moreover, you're helping the very beings you used to hunt. Some revenge story like Velvet won't be going to cut it anymore."
Avernus frowned and pressed his lips. He wanted to play his cards right but the reaper was more into him than anyone,
"You think being a shepherd was my own creed and I'm betraying that idea?"
"Yes… betraying your own creed is not something I'm really comfortable with. Why did you abandon it?" as Eizen asked him seriously, Avernus mildly smiled and looked at him with confidence. It was time for a history lesson,
"Did you know that originally, we were called the Whisperers? It was insulting to Malaks, dividing them into different groups. However, many had hoped that we could somehow coexist. We were taught and made into bridging that gap. But in the end, it didn't work. My endeavors brought nothing but misery to both sides. The main decisions fell on me and I didn't make the right call. Artorius is not different. I saw the flaws. The life of a Shepherd wasn't what I chose for myself, others chose that life for me because I had some kind of extra talent for dealing with your kind. Fixing the mistakes is, and I intend to do just that."
Eizen closed his eyes, seemingly thinking about the sorcerer's claim. To Avernus's surprise, the pirate smiled,
"We're good then."
"So… it means you will trust me?"
"No, not you. But your goal and your conviction are what I respect and that's all I need."
Avernus let out a sigh of relief, reliving old memories was hard enough for him,
"Phew… thanks for not making it harder."
Laphicet slowly came to his side and lost in his thoughts once again.
"Hey, what's up Laphicet?" Avernus asked.
"Velvet… she told me to keep an eye out for Eleanor but she also told me to "Watch out for the older girls" … what does she mean?"
A grin formed on the sorcerer's face, the banter between the girls and Laphicet was becoming a new entertainment for him,
"Um… well… older girls are more experienced than the younger ones. They mostly know what they want and as we said earlier; they'll manipulate men into getting what they need. Although, except for Magilou I don't think you need to worry that much about Eleanor. But beware, don't get into their games."
Laphicet listened closely and acknowledged him,
"… Alright, I will."
The group asked the townsfolk about Grimoirh once more, trying to at least narrow down their search, they almost came up empty-handed until they reached a store. Laphicet pointed to a series of small statues on the shelves,
"Hey! Those dolls look like Bienfu."
Avernus glanced at the dolls. He found them to be very familiar.
"That's a good observation. This is a doll of the Empyrean Amenoch. I've seen her with my own eyes. Real dignified, but not without a bit of a temper."
"Why she was angry?" asked Velvet.
"The Abbey banned all profession of the Amenochian faith in Southgand, despite her popularity. That's probably the reason. I tried talking to her, but no matter what I said, she was just kept sighing."
Magilou took a glimpse of Avernus as he was rubbing his forehead and shaking his head. She instantly knew that he wasn't lying when he said that he met her before.
"Hah! Luck smiles upon us, weary adventurers! That listless goddess in none other than the old Grim!" Magilou declared.
Velvet growled in annoyances. She and everyone knew that Magilou was always vague in giving information.
"So where did you actually see her?"
"I think it was down by Maclir Beach." responded the shopkeeper.
"Quickly everyone, to the beach!" shouted Magilou.
They'd found the clue they were looking for. Velvet took the lead and went through the gates and into the beach area. The sun was already up high. The area had a strange geometry; the sand fronts were surrounded by large pieces of rocks, narrowing the traversable roads. The team members began to move away from each other to cover more ground, but they kept each other in their line of sight.
Zaveid joined Avernus once more,
"Hey, can I talk to you?"
"What is it?"
"I've watched you during these days and I have to say; you're not what I expected."
"Hmm… what did you expect?"
"A heartless, selfish killer. Like that daemon girl you're always following. I was reluctant to join Eizen but I'm not regretting it that much. Nevertheless, it is not the place for someone like me. But… can you spare any Malakhim you come across? They're not to blame for whatever is happening in this world. I don't trust those daemons or even Eizen with that, but Malakhims are being brainwashed and you are the only one who could understand it if you're claiming to be who you are."
Avernus broke the eye contact, thinking.
Zaveid was right, Malakhims were being used. As a Shepherd, they were the closest allies to him and he was supposed to be the ambassador of peace between humans and Malakhim. Until that moment, He didn't care and wouldn't hesitate to kill either of them if they're going to get in his way.
He thought maybe he should've started to focus more on saving more lives, even if he had to take more risks.
Amidst Zaveid's request, Magilou crept up on them. Zaveid nodded and whispered,
"Just consider it… Shepherd."
Magilou moved a lot closer to Avernus. He knew that time for another interrogation was up,
"Hey, Avernus. I was wondering…"
The sorcerer exhaled but tried to look natural.
"What?"
"… Is it permissible for the very two enemies that are destined to kill each other to… oh, what is the word I search for… aha, fraternize?"
"You mean me and the daemons? What's wrong with that?"
"No, you and Velvet specifically. It seems most undisciplined, for someone who claimed he wanted to end the daemon's threat to be involved with a daemon."
Avernus knew that his affair won't be hidden from the group for as long as he had hoped. He remembered as he said to himself before: No more hiding.
"One thing has nothing to do with the other, Magilou. This is a…a ridiculous question."
She still had her wicked gaze and grinned on her face the whole time,
"Is it? It seemed you and our callous leader are inseparable, joined at the hip almost."
Avernus face wrinkled, "That's a bit of an overstatement, don't you think?"
"You see, I'm not a stupid witch, my young one. You're always watching her. With great interest, I might add. In fact, I believe you are… enraptured by her."
Avernus assembled enough energy to control his face, "She is our leader. I look to her for guidance."
Bienfu started to sneer from behind. That was a trap alright.
"Oh, I see. So what guidance did you find around her heaving chest or around her swaying hips, hmm?"
"What? No, no. I wasn't looking at… you know, her… I gazed… glanced, in those directions, maybe. But I never stared. Or really… saw anything, even."
Magilou viciously laughed, "Of course, little Shepherd. Watch out, Laphicet might learn those from his pappy Avernus."
"Damn it! I hate you, Magilou. You're a bad person."
Annoyed and mildly angry, Avernus walked out of the ambush as the wicked witch and her personal assistant was giggling.
"People are talking…" Tiamat whispered like she was humming a tone.
"You know, Tia... now that I've been thinking...It's hard to calculate how few fucks I give about people's opinion."
"Even about the little Laphicet?"
"Don't bring him into this. He's different..."
Avernus went towards Laphicet. He was talking with Velvet and Eleanor about two Pengyons that was sitting on a small rock.
"… they look like a momma and a poppa. Pengyons are monogamous, faithful creatures. They never leave their mate. Isn't that romantic?" said Eleanor.
"So they lay eggs because they're like husband and wife… But… how do they make the eggs?"
As Laphicet concluded, Velvet and Eleanor looked at each other. Eleanor nearly panicked and Velvet had no idea what to say. Avernus opened his mouth,
"Well, to put it simply, when momma and poppa lov- "
His speech was cut off by the enormous pain he felt in his right foot. His breathing suddenly stopped. Velvet's Solleret was pushing hard against his own, nearly leaving a dent in his armor. Eleanor quickly took the opportunity to change the subject and took Laphicet away from him,
"S-So, Laphicet! Here's an interesting fact! A single Pengyon egg actually contains dozens of smaller, orange eggs..."
"You're… crushing it…" Avernus murmured in her ears.
A drop of sweat fell from his brows, Avernus looked at Velvet from the corner of his eyes. She didn't look mad and even took part in their conversation while adding her own weight to the pressure, blaming Eleanor for her interest in eating the eggs. He kept nodding as they conversed but Velvet didn't raise her foot. After their talk ended, she instantly gazed at him with an utmost rage.
"…Dumbass." Velvet whispered as she left his side.
"Damn it... Nowhere is safe..."
After walking alongside the beach, they noticed a small creature sitting on a tree trunk. Avernus recognized the small grey figure with a large hat. Velvet increased her speed and called out to her, loudly,
"You're Grimoirh, right? We've been looking for you. We need your help."
Velvet's angry and demanding tone prompted Grimoirh to lower head, hiding her face behind her large hat. Uninterested, she let out a long sigh and asked,
"Who are you?"
"I'm Velvet. And I know your witch friend and… and your sorcerer acquaintance."
Grimoirh immediately realized she meant Magilou but didn't know about the sorcerer. She glanced at the group to find that acquaintance. Her eyes fixed on the guy.
"Hi, Grimoirh." Avernus raised his hand and slightly waved at her.
He looked different now but she knew what she was seeing.
"Oh… I see you've risen from the grave."
"Yeah, that's what Morgrim also told me."
Contrary to his expectation, Grimoirh didn't sound very surprised nor interested. Magilou and Bienfu then came forward,
"That is so wonderful to see you. It has been forever. We need help deciphering an ancient tome."
"You two, the outlandish pair. My goodness, Magilou. You of all people jointing a team… I didn't know you had it in you."
"They keep me entertain at least."
"Well, I don't need entertainment."
All of sudden Velvet drew her sword and pointed it at the Grimoirh's neck.
"Maybe you need some convincing."
Grimoirh looked at Avernus, unimpressed,
"You've got some very interesting but questionable companions with you."
Velvet frowned more, Grimoirh began to annoy her,
"I'm serious!"
"I bet you are."
After a moment of silence, Avernus came to her side,
"Listen Grimoirh, this is a serious matter. After all, I saved your lives that night. You owe me."
"And we picked up your lifeless body from the sea and gave it a proper burial in a sarcophagus. Consider that as repayment. Or you would've rather wanted that we left you for daemons and animals to feast upon, hmm?"
Avernus sensed that he was dealing with another version of Magilou,
"…God, you're impossible."
Grimoirh looked into Velvet's eyes, assessing who's she dealing with,
"Your eyes tell me you're dangerous, Trouble follows you like a hawk tail a rabbit. And at my age, trouble is something I'd rather avoid."
"Then it appears that we've wasted our time." Eizen disappointingly said as he wanted Grimoirh to hear his own protest.
"A walk on the beach is never wasted… But sorry."
"Is deciphering a book too much to ask?" Zaveid asked.
"I haven't got here by helping troublesome bands, dear."
The group didn't leave, still staying as each individual either trying to come up with a bargain or hoping for a change of heart. Laphicet slowly walked towards Grimoirh.
"Well, how did you learn to read the ancient tongue? Are there books for studying it?"
Grimoirh glanced at the young Malak, smiling,
"My my, are you actually thinking of learning it on your own?"
Laphicet gathered more courage to express himself more,
"I love reading, and I want to learn more about history… Besides, we need what's in this book."
"You have passion child. I'll give you that." Praised Grimoirh.
Magilou quivered her lips,
"Not to mention you want to be helpful to Velvet and Avernus, don't you?"
Laphicet blushed as he looked at Velvet and acknowledged her claim.
"…Yeah."
"My tuition isn't cheap, you know." Grimoirh declared.
Avernus loosened up a bit. Having found a glimmer of hope, he immediately said,
"I don't care, whatever it is, I'll pay for it."
"I won't teach him, Avernus. But I admire his dedication enough to read it for him. Now, where's this book?"
Laphicet was excited. He pulled the book from his satchel and ran towards Grimoirh.
"Here you go, ma'am."
"You don't need to be so formal…" advised Grimoirh.
Laphicet turned to Avernus as he held the book. Like someone who was waiting for a confirmation from their parent. Avernus winked and nodded as it was okay not to be formal with her.
"Yes…ma'am. Er, uh—Not ma'am!"
Grimoirh narrowed her eyes at the nervous Laphicet which made him even more anxious,
"Go easy on him, Grimoirh. I'm sure you can appreciate the extra respect that he's giving you."
Grimoirh sneered at Avernus, murmuring something,
"Guess you love to play big old guardian for everyone... Let's see what we're looking at here…"
Grimoirh's face was now hidden behind her large hat. She began to check the contents of the book.
"The language of ancient Avarost… Had to be the hard one, of course. A lot of wear and tear, too. This'll take some time."
"We're in a hurry." Velvet kind of threatened and complained at the same time.
"There is a village called Haria nearby. I think we can find somewhere comfortable to decipher the book." Advised Avernus.
Velvet looked at him as she was still impatient. He quickly felt her uneasiness,
"Trust me, it is better to stay in a safe zone rather sitting here under the sun. Besides, it will take some time. I don't want to endanger our only chance to discover the book's meaning while we're in the open." Suggested Avernus.
Velvet nodded in response,
"Fine. Haria village then. Whatever gets the job done."
Grimoirh accepted his idea by closing the book and coming down from the tree trunk.
"You're still the same considerate man that I remember." complimented Grimoirh.
Tiamat suddenly appeared, prompting the little lady spirit to check her new acquaintance.
"Oh, you brought another guest from afar I see."
Tiamat, with her usual confidence and having an egotistical expression, slowly lowered her head and looked at Grimoirh,
"Our lands were never this diversified. I've met a lot of interesting Malakhims during our journey. meeting another common spirit with a knack for ancient knowledge is… refreshing."
Grimoirh was slightly shaken up by Tiamat referring to her as a common spirit. The phrase that Normins hated most. But it seemed the selfish Malak decided to be direct with her that she wasn't that impressed.
Eleanor quickly moved between Tiamat and Grimoirh, asking,
"I apologize if I'm being rude, but I have to ask… You're not Amenoch the Empyrean… are you?"
Grimoirh nearly moaned at the idea,
"Of course I'm not an Empyrean. I'm just a simple girl. It would be hard for anyone to worship an Empyrean like me, am I right?" Grimoirh directed her attention at Tiamat.
"What? Are you talking to me?" asked Tiamat.
"Maybe. You seem to be someone who've seen a lot. Still, look young and in a good shape, but haughty and proud at the same time. I guess perhaps you could fit an Empyrean description. Although I think it would be too much for some normal sorcerer like Avernus to handle."
Tiamat grinned, for her, Grimoirh seemed to be amusing of all that she had met,
"Perhaps I'm. I don't know how you Midgand residences classify everything. Avernus also proved to be a useful asset up until now."
Velvet and Grimoirh both nodded at Tia's observation which in return pissed off Avernus,
"First, I don't know what it has to do with me of all people. Second, I'm so glad that I'm nothing but a useful asset to all of you... Tsk, women." He replied.
Rokurou laughed and sarcastically said,
"Beware of the women!"
Avernus growled in response.
After reaching the Haria, contrary to their expectations, the village had a friendly and calm atmosphere and there was no dangerous daemon to be found. They went straight for the inn and reserved a room for Grimoirh to decipher the book in peace.
Grimorih jumped on the table and opened the book,
"All right, time to start deciphering this scroll."
Avernus pulled a chair and sat on it, with a serious face, he looked at everyone,
"I'll be here helping her. You guys can go and wait outside so we can concentrate."
Laphicet quickly asked,
"Do you think maybe I could stay and watch?"
Avernus nodded,
"Yeah, sure. I don't mind."
He looked at Grimoirh, waiting for her confirmation but she had a stiff look on her face,
"I really do want to study the ancient tongue. I promise I'll be quiet and not get in your way, teacher." As Laphicet finished his request once more, Grimoirh eyes widened in surprise to hear him calling her a teacher. She then smiled,
"Hmm… I like that. In fact, I'll teach you how to read ancient Avarost."
Laphicet nearly jumped in joy. Avernus looked at Tiamat and asked,
"You don't want to help? I'm sure you dealt with the ancient text before."
Tiamat shook her head,
"No, I'm sure you three got this. Besides, I will do nothing but getting in your way. We'll leave you three alone."
Avernus felt some uneasiness. Tia should've had some knowledge regarding the ancient tongues but she definitely didn't share it. He also knew that he had the primary knowledge to read the basic Avarost but after his revival, that wisdom was lost.
The group left the room and they began to skim through the beginning pages.
A long hour had passed. Laphicet was closely observing both Grimoirh and Avernus. He already learned the meaning of a lot of words, but the problem was deciphering the meaning which proved to be difficult. They both began to show some signs of weariness. Avernus was holding his head by his two hands,
"Oh, that is impossible… every rearrangement I've done, lead to something totally meaningless and stupid," complained Avernus.
"Yes, ancient Avarost is like a denied lover who refuses to move on," complained Grimoirh.
Laphicet looked at the lines that both were stuck at,
"From what you taught me so far, it looks like it says "Sa, popo, mucho, sanchon."
Avernus pointed at the lines and said,
"You're right Laphicet, but you can't translate it word for word. Because as of now it means; "The parent hates tomatoes so the child hates eggplants." See? Those have nothing to do with Innominat unless it is pointing at that he's not from a family of vegetarians."
Laphicet chuckled at his seriousness but tired tone. Grimoirh continued,
"Their grammar is nothing like ours or anything modern at all. Sometimes you have to reorder the words, and even then the meaning can require leaps of logic and flashes of intuition."
"Reordering? So, like… "Sansan… Pochopocho… Pochomusan, pochomusan." Can you read it that way?" asked Laphicet.
Avernus was nearly laying on the table, tired and exhausted. But after hearing what Laphicet said to them, he began to sit upright and his eyes widened, waking up as he found something new.
"He's right… If pochomusan is repeated here, then it can be same for here and there… the title of the passage turns into…"
"… The Nameless Empyrean." Grimoirh finished Avernus's sentence.
"Of course, Empyreo Innominatus… Outstanding Laphicet!" Avernus's praise made him cheerful. Now the unexpected guest turned out to be their savior.
At the outside, everyone was waiting impatiently for the results. Tiamat found Velvet walking around and talking to everyone, until she came to the beach and crossed her arms, thinking. She slowly went to her side,
"I see that you weren't true to your word, Velvet."
"No, I wasn't."
"So, have you changed your mind?"
Velvet stood silent, looking at the calm sea in the night. As the wind blew through her long hair, she said in her emotionless voice,
"No… my revenge comes first but I won't let him go now. Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone except for that damn stupid naïve man."
"He's not a man of your dreams, is he?" asked Tiamat.
She swallowed and turned to the Malak,
"I dream of no man and I don't need of such person to take care of me. My sister once fell for a Shepherd. Now it seems the same thing is happening to me... I don't know If I even want this but in the meantime,"
She clenched her fist, staring confidently at the lady Malak,
I will use him, as I'm using Laphicet, you, and everybody else. Whatever Avernus told you of my past, I'm not that same person anymore... She died along with her brother. But If that's what he wants, then so be it. I will not be around for much longer. You don't need to worry about me getting in his way. I dug two graves when I started this quest. The place I'm headed is not meant for him."
"That's what scares me, Velvet. Those graves... Avernus knows pretty well what's your resolve. He is probably stupid enough to fill the last one for you."
Velvet suddenly turned to Tia as that was exactly she was afraid of,
"I will not let him! This is my fight and my decision!... Who the hell think he is to choose for me?!"
Tiamat, satisfied with what she said, slowly and slightly bowed her head at her,
"I don't know you enough Velvet but I know that you're lying about your feelings. If you want to torture yourself by betraying your emotions... very well. You seemed to be aware of the situation even better than him. I might not fully trust you but I'm impressed nonetheless. Your temporary affair can continue, all I did was voicing my concern. Having him unhappy was a problem for me but I think you have this one covered. This will make my life a bit harder later but... anything for him, I guess."
Velvet sighed and frustrated, began to walk towards the inn,
"Let's see what they've found, shall we? I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Agree. But before we go Velvet... Know this; Avernus and I once went through this process. He was a very different man back then; broken and with a shattered will to live. You're kind of mirroring him right now. Watch the path you walk."
Velvet hid her face as she turned away from Tia. She was aware of the path and nothing at that moment could change her decision.
The party gathered and entered the room. Avernus was sitting a bit far from them, crossing his arms and thinking heavily. Grimoirh and Laphicet were together, still having their heads deep in the book.
"Well, any results?" asked Velvet.
Grimoirh serenely nodded and smiled,
"Yes… thanks to the boy here. As it turns out he has quite the knack for languages. He also works very well with others. As I told Avernus having him around is a blessing."
"That's only because I've got best teachers."
Grimoirh slowly glanced at him and winked,
"Careful, honey-tongue, you'll give this old girl some ideas."
Velvet eyes narrowed at Grimoirh. Avernus noticed that and grinned at her jealousy.
Laphicet was undoubtedly cute. Since Velvet started to care for the little guy, she had to anonymously fight other people such as Eleanor, Magilou, and sometimes, even Avernus himself.
But Avernus was proud of him. He was at a delicate age but the quality he had was far beyond any other Malak at his age.
"Now, child. I'm sure they're curious about the song we unearthed. Why don't you read it aloud?" advised Grimoirh.
"Eight-headed is the Lord of the Land/With seven mouths to devour malevolence. /Through pulses of earth doth base nature flow/As he awaits the time of awakening. /Four Empyreans may tear him asunder. /But so long as there is one receptive to divine power/ Therions shall be forever reborn. / In sight of the full crimson moon. / The Nameless Empyrean hath one heart. / The Nameless Empyrean hath one body."
"Therions?" as Velvet said to herself, her eyes suddenly locked with Avernus as he was watching her. He exactly knew what that meant. Their focus was disturbed by Grimoirh,
"Essentially, this ancient text you've found is an annotated volume of drawings and songs pertaining to Innominat and some other that we don't know."
"Then hurry up and just tell us what it means!" Nervously Velvet demanded.
Avernus rubbed his tired eyes,
"We've only been able to read the song lyrics. Unless someone is willing to help us…"
He then looked at Tia which she was still showing the disinterest in that matter.
"I take it we're still in for a good long wait before it's thoroughly decrypted," noted Magilou.
"No matter how long it takes; we need to know what's in this book or Abbey will still be several steps ahead of us." Informed Rokurou.
Eleanor unexpectedly moved closer to the table, looking at the book,
"We can learn still learn a lot from lyrics alone, the only thing I don't understand is this malevolence it talked about. Is it different from normal malevolence?"
"What about the second part of the song?" asked Eizen.
"The common belief is that this world was created by four Empyreans: earth, water, wind, and fire. But they also call Innominat an Empyrean."
"The lowlands, I mean Midgand's common belief is this, not the whole world. I never knew the name Empyrean before I started my journey. I can only relate them to the great spirits. They are not the entities responsible for the creation but they seem to be the guardians and governors mostly. The unsettling matter is that even Innominat is an Empyrean, he's definitely not in the same league with the rest of them." Explained Avernus.
"I don't know, perhaps a war broke out between them that resulted in him being sealed away." presumed Eleanor.
Magilou leaned against the wooden wall and said,
"But if there is someone to connect with this "divine power," the therions will keep spawning, and just like that, Innominat will be revived."
Avernus stood up and continued,
"Then we can assume that Artorius fits that description and he's trying to reawaken Innominat. Everything perfectly lines up."
"Then our job is to find these therions and cut off the entity's heads." As Velvet concluded, Rokurou began to look baffled,
"Where do we start looking for them?"
Tia joined the conversation, saying that,
"The therions job is to feed Innominat through the earthpulse. The best places to do that is to position them at earthpulse points."
Eizen nodded,
"She's right. The places where the flow of earthpulse power is concentrated most."
Laphicet quickly pulled his beetle out of his pocket,
"Remember the barrier that was keeping rhinostagros in the forest?
"So that thing is a therion? That explains why the Abbey was keeping it locked up…. That goes with that Griffin monster at the royal villa." Said Avernus.
Zaveid began to itch his head,
"This is getting more complicated and nasty as it is. You mean that these therions all come in different shapes and forms?!"
Eizen smirked,
"So what? Are you disappointed?"
"No, it's just… why it needs monsters to feed him? If he's called an Empyrean, he sounds more sinister than benevolent." Said Zaveid.
Laphicet suddenly jolted to the side and quickly pulled his large compass out of his satchel. Its needle was going crazy, moving around until Laphicet put more focus to lessen its movements,
"I… I'm feeling the thing as I did in Warg Forest!"
A white aura surrounded him and after a few more seconds, the needle stopped and pointed towards the south,
"The needle's pointing in the direction of Amenoch's temple, Palamedes. Do I recall hearing that the Abbey took that over?" asked Magilou.
Avernus began to rub his chin,
"Palamedes… Tabatha told me that Kamoana and her mother traveled to that temple from Loegres."
He raised his head and declared in his serious tone,
"Rest up people, tomorrow morning, We'll be going to Palamedes."
Everyone looked at him with approval. Velvet nodded and said,
"I agree with Avernus. Better than sitting around waiting on the book. If nothing else, we'll find out what Laphicet is sensing."
As the group began to move out, Avernus went to a table on the other side. He unpacked a series of engraved miniature but elegant tools. As he sat and place the Siegfried beside the tools, he pierced his pointer finger and a drop of blood fell on a small golden plate. He whispered something and the engraving began to glow.
Unknown to him everyone was staying and watching him working his strange arte. A small, silver and shiny looking thing conjured on the plat. Avernus slowly turned and saw everyone watching him,
"I… I'm making bullets for Siegfried. I can appreciate if you leave me to my work. Go and get yourselves ready." requested Avernus.
Rokurou pulled one of his short swords and said,
"I think my swords need some sharpening. The sea weather is also bad for swords. Velvet, I suggest you let me check your wrist blade."
Velvet nodded and everyone left the room except for Tia, Laphicet, and Grimoirh.
Tia joined Avernus and added some kind of magic to already created bullets. Laphicet moved beside him and picked one of those shiny rounds, examining it from close,
"Bullets for Siegfried…"
"Yep, I advise examining your own guardian papers Laphicet while you're still awake."
"Why?" asked Laphicet as their emerald gaze met one another. Avernus smirked and said,
"Because … we're going to war."