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Lightbringer
Chapter 13
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Kiah had little time to process what she had just witnessed before Lucifer called to her and then set off down a side street leading away from the scene of the fight without so much as a backward glance. Not wanting to be left behind when there were apparently groups of violent thugs walking around this part of the city, she quickly followed after him.
But not before taking a few seconds to eye the now crippled and bloodied forms of the two such men that Lucifer had taken down so easily, drawing some sense of satisfaction at their current state. She was, however, somewhat disappointed to find that they were still, if painfully, clinging to life with short, noisy breaths. These were the types of humans she was most familiar with, the ones who enjoyed preying on the weak and downtrodden like herself. The ones who found pleasure in tormenting the powerless and had nothing but wicked thoughts and desires.
In her opinion, they deserved nothing less than an excruciating death. And for the briefest of moments she debated finishing them off herself. Had she been in Lucifer's shoes, she doubted very much that she could have stopped herself from ending their pathetic lives during the fight. It made her wonder why he hadn't done just that. It would have been so easy for him.
She had to break into a run to catch up to Lucifer, and it wasn't long before she could hear the echoing of panicked shouts and the sounds of commotion coming from behind them. Some people who hadn't been there to see the fight go down were probably now coming across the unconscious thugs lying crippled and bloodied in the middle of the street. It was really a pity that the thugs were probably going to get their injuries tended to and thus survive, but she took some comfort in knowing that they were at least suffering through considerable pain.
She continued to walk behind Lucifer as they moved along at a brisk pace, the armored man seemingly unhindered by the girl he carried in his arms. Kiah stared at his back and wondered if he had carried her in a similar manner when he saved her only a few nights ago.
She took a good look around as they moved down the street. The structures here were dull and unremarkable stacks of gray and sometimes brown stones that loomed over either side of the cramped streets, casting them entirely in shadow despite the afternoon sun. They occasionally passed a streetlamp, but they were dark and lifeless since it was not yet evening, though it would have made sense to leave them on given the dim light of the streets here.
The buildings, cruder in design compared to the other parts of the city she had seen earlier that day, were numerous and pressed too closely together, as if whoever built them had purposefully wanted to cram as much as they could into the available space.
That idea had apparently extended to people as well, and Kiah noticed that some of the buildings that appeared to be residential seemed to be housing many more families than would be comfortable living there. An experience she was keenly familiar with given that she had been until only recently forced to live with about two dozen others in what could generously be called a shack that probably should have only fit ten of them at most.
Half the time she had ended up sneaking out to sleep with the animals in one of the barns or stables at the farm, even if it meant potentially getting discovered by the guards and beaten for it. The animals didn't seem to mind. She liked animals. They didn't hurt her.
She saw hard eyes watching them from some of the windows as they passed. The few people out on the streets did their best to keep their distance from the man in armor carrying the injured girl, not wanting to get involved in whatever trouble had occurred. Most gave them wary looks while quickening their steps to get away as fast as possible, but a fair few didn't seem bothered by their appearance at all and walked by largely untroubled as if they saw such things fairly regularly. That was concerning.
Lucifer did not let up the pace and Kiah did her best to keep up, but her breathing soon turned ragged as she tired quickly. Her thin body was still rather weak from long-term malnutrition, and she had only barely begun to recover some strength. She hoped they would not have to go much farther but dared not voice her troubles.
Almost as if he were reading her mind right then, Lucifer slowed and then turned down another street, one even narrower than the last. The air was stuffy here, and hung heavy with the smell of human refuse and damp stone. Kiah crinkled her noise and tried hard to ignore the smell, which was proving to be difficult.
Lucifer then slipped into an even narrower alleyway and stopped about halfway through. Kiah nearly ran into him, so worried was she that she would get lost and left behind that she hadn't noticed until the last second that he had stopped in his tracks. She stood about a foot away from him and waited quietly as he turned and looked to either end of the alley. Then he glanced up. Was he looking for something?
"Kiah," said Lucifer, making her jump a little at the unexpected address.
"Y-Yes?"
"Hold on to me. Tightly." He spoke with urgency and she didn't even hesitate to comply, regardless of the questions that cropped up within her. She trusted that what he was saying was important and was also safe, so she had nothing to fear.
A second after she had wrapped herself around one of his arms, feeling the cool metal and soft fur-lined edges of his armor against her skin, they were immediately engulfed with magic.
Kiah blinked.
The dank and dark alley was gone, replaced instead by the familiar sight of two beds with a night stand in between them and a chest at the foot of one of the beds. They were back in their room at The Rose Moon Inn.
But how? Her mouth was agape as she was left stunned at their sudden traversal of the city in the blink of an eye. She was so stunned, in fact, that she had forgotten that she was clinging tightly to his arm, thus hindering his movement.
Lucifer let out a soft chuckle. "Kiah, you can let go now. We're here."
Kiah blinked again and then shook her head as she quickly let go of him. Her mouth shut as she looked meekly down at the floor, her hands clasping together in front of her.
"S-Sorry!" she managed to say as the now freed Lucifer stepped towards his bed and laid the blonde girl on it carefully.
Kiah glanced up in time to see him hold his hand over the girl, a magic circle forming as he called forth his healing magic. Green light suffused over the girl's body as her injuries were instantly healed. The deep gash on her head was gone, and her broken arm that had been pointing at an odd angle was now perfectly straight and normal. Other than the lingering blood all over her that had spilled from her wounds, it was as if she had never been injured in the first place.
Noticing this, Lucifer did another wave of his hand as he cast another spell. This time, all the spilled blood disappeared.
It was at that moment that Kiah really began to wonder if there was anything Lucifer couldn't do. He seemed to have powers far beyond anything Kiah had ever seen or heard of before. Though to be fair, she had little experience of the world so it was entirely possible that this all wasn't as extraordinary as she was making it out to be. Still, she could not help but feel impressed and amazed at the human who had saved her life.
"There. That should do it," Lucifer declared, sounding satisfied as he took a step back. He turned to Kiah, his face still hidden beneath his helmet. "Are you okay?"
Kiah nodded quietly.
"It's been quite the eventful day, hasn't it?"
"It has," she agreed softly. So much had happened that she was still trying to wrap her head around it all. And it wasn't over yet!
Lucifer gestured towards Kiah's bed. "Why don't you relax a bit and take a seat."
Kiah thought that was a good idea. She was feeling pretty tired after all. A few short steps later, she was sitting on the edge of her bed, facing Lucifer and the newcomer. "What happens now?" she asked.
Lucifer looked at her for a moment then faced the blonde girl again who was now sleeping peacefully on his bed. "Well, I suppose now we wake her up."
Without a moment's hesitation, he proceeded to lean over and shake the girl just enough for her to wake from her slumber.
"Mmmm..." the girl groaned sleepily, stretching and rolling a bit on the bed as she blearily opened her eyes. Then all of a sudden she bolted upright, her eyes now wide open and revealing her panick-stricken sky blue pupils.
She scanned the room, looking utterly confused, until her eyes shifted to Kiah and then settled on Lucifer.
"Y-You!" she gasped, apparently recognizing him.
"Hello, Julia," greeted Lucifer, and Kiah was taken aback by this. She had no idea that he knew this girl from before, though now it made even more sense as to why he had intervened in that fight earlier.
"You are Julia, right? Or are you actually Janna?" Lucifer asked, sounding curious. "You and your sister look very much alike, so forgive me if I'm mistaken."
Julia blinked. "N-No, you got it right," she stammered, apparently getting over the surprise of his presence. "I'm Julia," she acknowledged. "And for the record, we're not thaaat alike. I'm taller and older than my sister, you know."
Lucifer laughed lightly. "Duly noted."
The blonde glanced around the room again. "Where am I?"
"My room at The Rose Moon Inn," answered the armored Lucifer.
Julia nodded absently at first, accepting his answer, but then she suddenly peered at him suspiciously. "Wait. Do you often bring unconscious girls to your room like this?" she asked him accusatorially.
Lucifer, for once, seemed unsure of what to say. "I. . . ahh. . ." He glanced towards Kiah, whose lips twisted into a small grin because she was actually finding the spectacle rather amusing. After all, he did bring her here pretty much the same way he had brought Julia here. It would have probably been even more amusing if she could see Lucifer's face, hidden beneath his helmet as it was.
"How did I even get here in the first place?" Julia continued, scratching the side of her head.
"Well, I carried you," Lucifer answered easily enough, sounding inordinately glad that they had moved past the previous line of questioning already.
"Hmm. . . but where did you find me?"
"You don't remember?" Lucifer sounded surprised.
Julia shrugged and shook her head. "Nope! Not at all." For someone who couldn't remember what had just happened to her, she appeared surprisingly okay with it, which baffled Kiah. If she was in Julia's situation, she would probably be incredibly worried and anxious.
"Interesting," Lucifer said as he held up a hand to the bottom edge of the face of his helmet, looking thoughtful. "We found you in the midst of a fight with a bunch of lowlife thugs somewhere between The Lion's Tale and the Guild Hall. It seemed like you knew each other."
"Really?" Julia sounded surprised.
"You're not some kind of delinquent mixed up in criminal plots are you?" inquired Lucifer with an amused tone.
"No! Of course not!" exclaimed Julia incredulously. She gave him the look that said how dare he even insinuate such a thing.
"Just checking." Lucifer chuckled.
"Hmph," Julia huffed, crossing her arms.
"Well, seeing as how you don't remember what just happened to you, it's safe to say that you must be suffering from some short-term memory loss because of the trauma from your injuries," Lucifer informed the blonde girl.
"Injuries? What injuries?" Julia made a show of patting herself all over and looking herself over as best as she could. But before Lucifer could say another word, she yelled, "WAIT!" Her eyes went wide as she stared at her previously broken arm, gently running a hand across it. "I remember now. . ." she whispered. She raised a hand to check for the wound on her head, which was of course also healed up already.
"We healed you right away once we got back here," Lucifer answered the unasked question.
The skin around her eyes tightened. "Those bastards!" Her hands balled into fists and she shook with anger.
"So who were those guys anyway? Friends of yours?"
"No way! They're not my friends!" Julia practically shouted at the top of her lungs. She immediately looked embarrassed by her outburst and hugged her knees to her chest.
"But you know them?"
"Yeah." Julia gave him a subdued nod. "Everyone in my neighborhood knows them. They're a few years older than me, but we all grew up in the same part of the city. They were always troublemakers even back then, but they were more of a nuisance than a real threat so people just tended to ignore them. They always picked on me and my little sister whenever they saw us."
"Well, it seems like they've recently graduated from nuisance to real threat status then," Lucifer said.
"I guess. . ."
"So you were born in Oldaven? What part of the city did you grow up in?"
"My home actually isn't too far from where you found me." Julia reached up with both hands to finger the copper plate that dangled from her neck. "Officially, that area of the city is called the Northern Quadrant. But everyone knows it as the slums. I'm sure you noticed."
Kiah had certainly noticed. It had been strange to see free humans who were clearly impoverished. That explained why some of them became slaves too. She was aware that even humans could be cruel to their own kind, and there were a handful of human slaves at the farm, but they were treated much better than the elves so she never felt bad for them at all.
She peered at the young blonde, wondering about her upbringing and what thoughts she harbored for elves. Would she be as friendly as she was now if she discovered that Kiah was actually an elf?
"Ah, well it did seem like a rather depressed area," admitted Lucifer. "But what were you doing out and about by yourself, then?"
"What's wrong with that? I can take care of myself, you know."
Lucifer was silent, but it was clear that he was staring intently at Julia.
"Most of the time. . ." the girl mumbled, her head sinking. "Honestly, it's usually not that dangerous, especially around the part where you found me since it's fairly close to the Guild Hall. I was on my way to The Lion's Tale to try and find a party that my sister and I could join up with when those bastards showed up."
Lucifer laughed. "Well, you're in luck, Julia," said Lucifer. "I was actually heading to The Lion's Tale to look for a party as well. Perhaps you could say it's fate."
The blonde girl's head jerked up at that, giving him a surprised look. "You mean. . ."
"How about we form a party together?" Lucifer extended his armored hand.
"My sister too?"
"Of course."
Julia stared at his outstretched hand for a few seconds in disbelief. "A-Are you sure? I mean. . . aren't you like, already really strong? We're not-"
"I'm sure."
Julia's face turned serious. It was clear that she was giving this some thought. Then she nodded, more to herself than anyone else, and reached for his hand. "Then I accept!"
Kiah was surprised. Given what she had seen of the girl's martial skills, she was amateurish at best. Certainly nowhere close to the level of skill that Lucifer possessed. What he saw in her to actually form a party with her, the elf could not fathom. Perhaps the sister was who he was really after? Though she found it hard to believe that the younger sister could be any more skilled. Or maybe he was just being nice since they were looking for a party too. He was a very kind human after all.
Julia turned her head to look at Kiah. "By the way, who is she?"
"Oh, forgive me. I forgot to make introductions," Lucifer indicated the elf with his hand. "This is my assistant, Kiah. She's the one who healed you."
Kiah stared at him, flabbergasted. Whaaat?!
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Sir Black grasped the man by the throat and proceeded to shove him into the nearest wall, the impact thudding hard enough to knock some air out of the man. The knight's eyes were filled with fury as his glare bore into the man. His grip was steel as the man feebly tried to pry his gauntleted fingers loose from the man's neck, to no avail.
"What did you say?" the knight asked dangerously.
The man tried to speak, but was having a difficult time of it, what with the knight practically choking him to death. With an irritated sigh Sir Black released the soldier and stepped back, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself as the man struggled to catch his breath.
"Tell me again," Sir Black commanded, a little calmer than earlier but still positively angry.
Coughing, the soldier reported the news once more. Two of his men, Eggert and Derek, had been spotted suspiciously leaving the city at separate times and in separate ways. Troubling news, considering that Sir Black had assigned them to a special task involving the stranger who had attacked them.
"When? Who else was with them? And where were they headed?" asked Sir Black, his raging anger subsiding beneath the surface as he began to think about how he was going to deal with this latest development.
Apparently they were spotted a few hours ago, and they seemed to be acting alone. Though they both appeared to be heading west after they left the city.
The knight couldn't rule out that they were coordinating and would meet up at a prearranged location at a later date. But why? What reason could they possibly have to suddenly abandon their duties and flee the city? Had they found something and were now trying to profit from it? Or did they ally with the stranger somehow? Sir Black needed to know. It didn't make sense to him.
These men were two of his more loyal subordinates, ones who had done dirty work for him in the past. He trusted them enough to carry out whatever mission he assigned them. To have them run away like this was previously unthinkable. And now it shook his trust in all of his subordinates while also infuriating him. He opened his eyes, adjusting his glare once more upon the poor soldier who had felt some of that anger firsthand. "I want them brought in front of me. Alive."
"Y-Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and left in a hurry.
Sir Black clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together. If those two fools thought they could run somewhere beyond his reach, they were sorely mistaken. He would get the truth out of them easily enough. He had a whole dungeon gathering dust with tools that were already beginning to rust from disuse. It had been a while since he had needed to be that kind of man again, and a small part of him certainly missed it.
It took him a while to calm down enough to continue with the more mundane duties of his post. With only a few days left before the return of Lord Rubeon from his business in Arwintar, the knight had to make sure he crossed all his t's and dotted all his i's. He had no doubt that his lord and master was expecting him to report as soon as he arrived, and he did not want to disappoint the nobleman. It took him a couple of hours to finish his business for the day, by which time the sun had gone well below the horizon and the magical lamps in his office flared to life.
He sighed, leaning into his high-backed chair and shutting his eyes tiredly. He absolutely hated paperwork. It was one of the worst parts of the job. He hated it so much that he had even considered getting someone else to do it for him, but he didn't trust anyone nearly enough to do such an important task, so in the end he simply had to force himself to get it done. He briefly imagined the disgusted and amused looks of his former underworld comrades Sera and Peter, respectively, at his predicament.
Those two most certainly had other people handle their paperwork. Perhaps he needed to find someone trustworthy enough to do the same. But where was he going to find someone like that?
Sir Black left his office, located in the upper levels of the sizable barracks built not far from Lord Rubeon's mansion. It housed several dozen of the household guard that were stationed in and around the mansion. The main barracks was located further away on the estate, close to all the slave pens and farm buildings.
He made for the stables, where he retrieved his horse and was quickly off on his way to his own home, which was also built on the estate. Lord Rubeon had granted him permission to construct his own home, and had even offered to foot the bill, much to the knight's delight. He had refused, at first, but when the noble lord had insisted he could not refuse a second time. It was a lot of money, after all.
He rode for a few minutes before he sighted the torches and lamps that lit his home. It was a well-built two-story stone and brick structure with its own little stable and freshwater well. His own small slice of paradise. The basement, of course, was outfitted into a mini-dungeon that had yet to be used since he took up his post as knight to Lord Rubeon. He was excited at the prospect that it would soon enough be broken in, and his anger briefly flared at the thought of why.
As he rode into the courtyard in front of his home, three figures stood at attention to greet him, one standing in front of the other two. The one in the lead was dressed in the proper black and white attire of a butler. The other two wore tattered cottons and leathers. All three bowed as he pulled to a stop. Closer inspection revealed that the butler was human, while the two behind him were elves with their ears clearly clipped. Customary for elf slaves.
"Welcome home, master," they greeted him in unison, their tones neutral and respectful.
"Hmph. Is supper ready? I'm starving," he said as he dismounted, his boots crunching on the gravel.
One of the slaves walked around and quietly took his horse to the stable.
"Yes, master," responded the butler respectfully. "I can have it served in short order. Will you eat in the dining room, or elsewhere?"
"The dining room," he answered. "And have that new elf girl prepare me a hot bath."
"Right away, master."
Sir Black didn't bother changing out of his armor as he made his way to the dining room. He sat and waited a thankfully short time before his food was served by the second slave who had greeted him out front earlier. She was quiet while she set the food in front of him, and then stood off to the side afterwards, waiting for any orders he might have.
The butler was off probably supervising the new arrival. A young elf maiden that had only been recently brought into the city. It had been an expensive purchase, but it was meant as a surprise gift for Lord Rubeon upon his return. The nobleman loved to break in new slaves himself, though that didn't mean that Sir Black couldn't have a little fun beforehand. He smiled at the thought as he proceeded to dig in.
The food was quite good, though when he tried some of the soup he immediately spat it out as the liquid was too hot, scalding his tongue a little. His sudden actions caused the slave waiting on him to look on with worry, though she remained silent. She had learned long ago that she was not to speak unless spoken to.
"You!" he growled, beckoning to her angrily. He grabbed a napkin and wiped some of the mess he had made off himself with short, sharp movements.
She rushed to his side. "I-Is something wrong master?" she asked tentatively.
"This soup is far too hot," he stated flatly. "So hot that I've now burned my tongue." He noticed the elf practically quaking with fear, and it pleased him greatly that she acknowledged that this was not a good thing. Not in the slightest.
"I-I'm s-sorry master!" she cried, tears already beginning to well up in her eyes. "It w-wont happen again! I swear!"
"Get on your knees."
"P-Please, master. . ." She choked back more tears.
Sir Black glared at her. "Don't make me repeat myself."
She complied without saying another word, slowly going down to her knees. She was visibly shaking, snot bubbling from her nose as she wiped some of the tears away with her hands. It was really pathetic.
"How long have you been working in the kitchens? You should have known this soup was too hot," he berated her. "Did you mean to have me burn my tongue, slave? Was this your goal all along?"
She immediately shook her head. "N-No! Never, sir! I would nev-"
"Silence!" he roared, making her jump and shut her mouth. He looked at the steaming hot soup and had an idea. With a wide almost innocent smile, he asked her if she had eaten yet.
"N-Not yet, master."
"Good," he said. "Open your mouth."
"M-master?"
The back of his hand, gauntlet and all, smacked into the side of her face with a loud smack that echoed across the dining room, forcing her head to one side and back.
The crying elf cried out in pain from the hit and reached up to gingerly touch the side of her face where he had hit her. It was already bruising. She was openly sobbing now, not that Sir Black cared.
"Open. Your. Mouth."
She obeyed, presenting her open mouth to him as she knelt next to his seat. Her eyes were filled with pain and terror, and the knight absolutely loved it. He could feel all the stress and tension of the last few days already beginning to ebb away, and he hadn't even stepped into his bath yet! How he had missed this.
He reached for the steaming bowl of soup, and it was then that the slave realized what he intended to do. Her mouth twitched as she subconsciously tried to close it, but the fear of what he might do to her if she did made sure she kept it open, despite what she knew was coming.
He poured the hot soup into her open mouth, and she recoiled, wincing as a good portion of the soup poured into her mouth and burned it just as it had his. No longer having access to her mouth, the knight continued to pour some of the soup all over her face and arms, the hot liquid burning her there too. She cried and whimpered in agony. She started to move away, reflexively trying to get away from what was causing her pain.
"Stop moving!" he yelled menacingly, and she froze long enough for him to pour the rest of it all over her head. "There. All finished. I hope you enjoyed your dinner, slave. Now go get yourself cleaned up! You've made quite the mess."
She left quickly, crying and surely traumatized. It was unlikely his food would ever be scalding hot again. He would be most upset if the elf slave did not learn her lesson here.
Having had his fill for the evening, he left and made for the stairs, where he crossed paths with his butler who was descending the steps.
"I hope you had a good dinner, master?" asked the butler with a bow.
The knight smiled. "Oh, yes. It was quite good."
"I am glad to hear it, master."
"Is my bath ready?"
"Yes, master."
"And the slave?"
"She's waiting for you, master. I gave her the usual instructions."
"Excellent." Of all his servants, the butler was certainly the most valuable and most agreeable. As he should be.
He made his way to his room, where he found the new elf slave waiting as expected. She was dressed in a sheer silk nightgown with nothing underneath, and Sir Black made sure to take her all in as he approached. Her hair was a light brown and fell in curls to her shoulder. Her face was youthful and attractive, and her eyes were a lovely dark green. Lord Rubeon would be most pleased with this one, and he was sure to receive great praise for his selection.
"Master." The slave bowed to him in greeting.
"Help me with my armor," he instructed her.
She hesitated a moment, but was soon unbuckling and removing his armor, leaving him with only his clothes.
"And now my clothes."
Her dark green eyes flicked up at his own dark brown ones for just a second, clearly not liking it, but knowing she had no choice. A short while later only his underwear remained. He was pleased with her obedience thus far, and her submissiveness was certainly turning him on. She seemed to be fairly well-conditioned to her new situation. He would have to applaud the slave trainer from whom he had purchased this slave for her excellent work.
"One last thing," he said, motioning for his underwear.
Again, there was the briefest hesitation, before she complied. She made sure to look away as she did so, careful not to even glance in the direction of his privates. He couldn't help but laugh a little at her reaction, but said nothing. He couldn't really do as much as he'd like with this slave at the moment, but surely once Lord Rubeon had gotten tired of her he'd be able to enjoy her for himself. He eagerly looked forward to that day.
"Come with me," he finally said and made for the bath.
There was nothing quite like a good massage while in the bath. He only hoped the slave could do a good enough job of it.
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Lucifer was enveloped in the familiar rush of cool wind all around him as he hovered effortlessly in the dark of the early night sky, his eyes fixated on a lone house amid the trees far below.
After leaving an understandably much bewildered Kiah back at the inn, with a promise of explaining everything later, he had escorted Julia home. The girl had been anxious to return to her sister, who she had apparently left home alone.
The sun had set by the time they arrived at their destination. The two girls lived on the third floor of a tall and narrow structure four stories high and built from the same moss-covered dull gray stone that made up the majority of the buildings in the neighborhood. He had been invited to come inside and meet the younger sister, apparently their parents were still out working, but he politely declined. There would be time enough to meet and get to know Janna, seeing as they were in the same party now.
He had other business to attend to that could not wait for another day. Especially since he was likely going to be busier moving forward with Adventurer work, and he preferred to get this particular business out of the way before all that started.
The shadowy form of a cloaked figure coalesced from the darkness next to him, black wings beating rhythmically behind it. Bezaliel, Angel of Shadows. The first angel he had summoned here in this new world.
Out of curiosity, Lucifer had used the summoning spell again, and was rewarded with the appearance of the angel in question in exchange for the requisite amount of mana for the spell. Then he cancelled the spell, and sure enough Bezaliel remained where he was, seemingly unaffected by the loss of the magic that had called him here. Whatever happened to the summoning system here in this new world with regards to angels, he was not about to complain. That meant he could summon angels without imposing limits on his mana like they normally did. In YGGDRASIL, this probably would have been classified as a game-breaking bug and there would be many complaints from the players.
"Well?" Lucifer asked.
"He is currently in the bath, Lord Morningstar," reported Bezaliel in that otherworldly voice of his.
"Is he alone?"
"There is a servant girl attending to him at present, and there are three other servants within the vicinity of the structure."
"No guards?" Lucifer was surprised.
"No, Lord Morningstar."
Either this man was supremely confident that he would not be attacked at his home, or incredibly foolish. Or perhaps he believed himself capable enough to defend his own home alone if it came down to it. Or perhaps the servants were powerful somehow, strong enough for the enemy to have no need for guards.
"What of the servants?"
"They are unremarkable," responded the Angel of Shadows. "Shall I dispose of them?"
"No. That won't be necessary." Lucifer shook his head. This was going to be easier than he thought. A part of him felt disappointed, but that didn't matter as long as he could get this over with. He was about to head in when a thought struck him and he turned to the Angel of Shadows. "By the way, if you could scour the rest of the estate for anything that might be of interest, that would be great."
"As you command, Lord Morningstar." There was no hesitation in Bezaliel's reply as he disappeared into shadowy nothingness.
"So cool," whispered Lucifer excitedly as he stared at the spot the Angel of Shadows had previously occupied for a second. Then he shook his head to refocus on the matter at hand.
First things first, he was going to summon another angel. In part to test out his theory about the summoning cost and persistence of angels in this world, but also because having another intimidating presence nearby would be useful should his own efforts to frighten this enemy into submission himself prove futile. However, he had many choices, and it had been difficult to choose which one to bring out this time. In the end, he settled on another angel of similar strength to Bezaliel.
"[Summon Fallen Angel: Turiel]!"
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It was the freezing cold that woke Sir Kenrick Black. A heavy tingling and a growing numbness permeated his whole body. He shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering audibly as his eyes flicked open in panic. He could see his breath frosting in the air. He was still in the bath and the frigid water now had little sheets of ice floating on the surface. When did it get so fucking cold? And how? He tried to grip the edges of the tub so that he could lift himself out, but he could scarcely gather the strength. His mind scrambled for an explanation just as much as it searched for a way out of his predicament. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some strange dream.
And where was that elf slave? Was this her doing? Fear struck him then. Had she been sent to kill him? Was she some assassin sent by the stranger who had attacked them before? Or was this another enemy? His mind turned to Sera. The bitch was unhinged enough to attempt such a thing, but somehow he didn't think it likely. Especially after their meeting earlier in the week. Besides, even if that were the case, surely Peter would have warned him. The man owed him that much, at least.
"Oh good. You're awake," spoke a male voice that he definitely didn't recognize.
Still shivering, Sir Black slowly swiveled his head towards the man who had spoken and inhaled sharply at what he saw. Or at least, as sharply as he could given that he was already experiencing the effects of severe hypothermia and was therefore breathing in rapid, quick breaths.
Sitting on what could only be described as a small throne of ice was the stranger that had been described to him in detail several times before. A man dressed in magnificent white robes with a shock of spiky white hair and brilliant golden eyes that shone in the dimly lit bathroom. He appeared to be entirely undisturbed by the cold, much to the knight's confusion. But it was the towering figure standing behind the throne that really drew the knight's eyes.
His impressive muscles appeared to almost be chiseled out of rocks and his smooth bald head nearly touched the eight-foot tall ceiling of the bathroom. His craggy face and large prominent nose were striking, and his dark eyes were like crevices in the dim light. Draped over one of his massive shoulders was the pelt of a giant lion, with its roaring head still attached and acting like a pauldron.
The man was as imposing as a mountain, and the knight had never before felt so small. The hulking stranger wasn't included in any of the reports he had received about the one who had attacked the farm, and he wondered where in the world this newcomer had come from. Surely someone would have noticed him walking around Oldaven, and yet this was the first time he had ever seen or heard of anyone like the man standing before him.
"You've been out of it for a while. Enough time for me to play around with my spells a bit," said Lucifer, tapping the armrest of the icy throne. "What do you think?"
"W-W-Who. . ." Sir Black could barely speak.
The stranger smiled, his teeth white as pearls. "The name is. . . Samael. The big guy behind me is called Turiel."
The giant of a man called Turiel let out a grunt that Sir Black swore shook the room. Maybe even the whole house.
"And don't fret, I already know your name, Sir Kenrick Black. A pleasure."
Samael? He thought the stranger's name was Lucifer or something just as odd as that. Were the reports all wrong? No, that couldn't be the case. There was certainly someone named Lucifer involved. But were there more that they hadn't accounted for? All the information he had been given pointed to only one target, but perhaps that was their play all along. These enemies were far more cunning than he had given them credit for. And far more powerful. It only made sense, considering that his sources told him that the Lucifer they were targeting was actively attempting to join the Guild as an Adventurer, and was a warrior. Not a mage like the man sitting in the middle of his bathroom right now. And this Turiel was a mystery as well.
"W-W-Wh-Why?" Sir Black managed after considerable effort. He already knew, of course, but he was just trying to buy time to think. If they meant to kill him, he would already be dead and they wouldn't be having this conversation, which meant they wanted something from him. Something only he could provide. But what?
"Why, he asks. . . has the cold addled your mind?" The stranger furrowed his brow for a moment and then shook his head in disappointment. "You sent your men after us, and you're asking why I'm here?"
Sir Black should have been angry. He should have been seething and growling, barking at this stranger who dared to come into his home like this. He wanted to yell and ask if this intruder knew who he was messing with, but all he could feel was fear. Total and utter fear. He was at a complete disadvantage. Not only was he caught unawares, but he was facing off against a powerful mage and he was naked and weaponless. There was no way he was going to survive the night unless he could somehow talk his way out of it, and he couldn't even talk because of the damned cold! He couldn't even shout for help, not that there would be any useful help from the few people nearby to hear him. It occurred to him then that he should have probably posted guards around his home, but he didn't think it necessary until now.
"Y-Y-You. . . a-a-att-attack-ed. . . u-u-us f-first." He struggled to enunciate the words. Damn this cold.
Samael sighed. "Yes, I suppose you do have a point there." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully with a gloved hand. "How about a compromise, then? I attacked you, you attempted to attack me. . . we can call it even and stop all hostilities between our parties henceforth. What do you say?"
Sir Black couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man could pretty much ask anything of him right now and the knight couldn't refuse him. Not if he wanted to live to see the next morning. Although, he supposed that regardless of what he said here, he didn't necessarily have to follow through once he was free and clear. But it would be foolish of him to betray a mage who was clearly, at the very least, a third-tier magic caster. In addition to the behemoth of a warrior behind him. It was surely the wiser choice to comply, at least outwardly, even though it grated against his pride.
"Y-Y-Yes." The knight nodded. Or tried to nod. But he was shivering so much it didn't look distinct enough to actually be considered a nod. What other option did he have? He was neither brave enough nor foolish enough to defiantly say no in the face of what was likely certain death.
"Excellent. Your people will stop following and interfering with our people, and in exchange we will let you live. Everyone wins." Samael smiled again as he got to his feet and pointed a finger at the tub beneath the knight. "[Burning Flames]." A small magic circle that glowed black and purple emerged from the tip of his outstretched finger, quickly followed by a jet of similarly colored flame that rushed towards the spot he was pointing at.
Almost immediately, Sir Black could feel the water in the tub getting warmer. The ice on the surface melted in a few seconds and the shivering of his body diminished as the water changed from unpleasantly frigid to nice and warm. As this was happening, a thick steam began to fill the room, obscuring his vision. By the time it cleared enough for him to see, the intruders and the throne of ice were gone without a trace.
He slumped back into the tub, letting out a long breath. His overly pruned body prickled painfully all over as it began to warm up in the now pleasantly hot water. He had survived. Somehow. Now what was he going to do about this? What could he do? The wheels in his mind turned slowly, and soon enough a plan began to emerge from his thawing mind. He was going to have to call in some favors.
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"I think that went well," Lucifer said cheerfully.
He and Turiel were standing in a small clearing some distance away from the house of the knight they had just visited. The big angel, massive arms crossed over his even more impressive chest, stood completely still with his eyes closed. If anyone were to look at them now, it would seem as if Lucifer was simply admiring the fine craftsmanship of a larger-than-life statue. That could talk.
"May I ask you. . . a question, Lord Morningstar?" Turiel's words came slowly and in bunches. His booming voice was deep and sounded clear through the night, yet Lucifer was certain that this was Turiel's conversational voice. He hoped that he would not find out what the angel sounded like when he was yelling.
"Yes, of course. What is it, Turiel?"
"Why did you not. . . simply kill the human. . . who was opposing you?"
Lucifer stared at the bigger angel. It was really amazing how these summoned angels could think and speak on their own to the point of initiating and sustaining entire conversations. There was definitely nowhere close to this level of interaction with summoned creatures back in YGGDRASIL. Even the custom player-made NPC's weren't as lifelike. Though some of the NPC's he had seen were definitely impressive, it was still obvious that they were NPC's.
Lucifer chuckled. "You know if we killed everyone who disagreed or opposed us without giving them a chance to change their mind, we might have to kill most of the people on this planet."
Turiel was silent.
Lucifer stopped chuckling and gave him a sideways glance. ". . . and I'm guessing you see no problem with that, do you?"
Turiel opened his eyes and leveled a serious gaze at him. "Would it not be. . . easier?"
Lucifer facepalmed and took a deep breath before responding. "Wiping out most of human life is not something you do lightly, and I'm not inclined to commit genocide on any race unless there are absolutely no other viable options available," answered Lucifer with a pained expression.
In fact, he preferred not to commit genocide at all, but he didn't want to completely rule out any options from the table. For instance, if there was a race of bloodthirsty soul-sucking creatures or something he might actually consider such a drastic option. Besides, there was still so much about this world that he did not know. And doing something so horrific would probably get all manner of powerful beings opposed to him, which was likely going to get him killed. If anything else, staying alive was definitely priority number one.
"But this human will. . . continue to oppose you," stated the angel firmly.
"Yes, perhaps," Lucifer acknowledged. "But until he tries something against me again, we do nothing."
Lucifer did consider it highly likely that Sir Black would attempt to circumvent the agreement by getting someone else outside of his group to attack him, but Lucifer believed firmly in second chances. Even for his enemies. And he would give Sir Black that chance. If it turned out that any future attacks were directly linked back to the knight, then he would suffer the consequences. Until then, Lucifer would act as if the agreement was being honored. Besides, given how weak he sensed the knight was, he doubted that the knight could scrounge up anything worth troubling him. There was very little to worry about.
"Mmmm..." Turiel hummed in response, but said nothing more.
Lucifer had the sense that he did not really approve. Would the angel do things of its own accord? The thought troubled him.
The two angels that he had summoned thus far continued to persist even after he cancelled the summoning spell that had called them forth into this world. They also continued to obey him and were not hostile to him so far, as if the summoning spell was still in effect. While the discovery was a blessing for him in terms of the immeasurable value of having a higher mana pool than normal as a summoner and a much higher maximum number of summons, he realized that it was also potentially a curse. Because it was entirely possible that the summoned angels could decide to go rogue and follow their own will, potentially even disobeying him and becoming hostile to him. Though he could not know for certain until such an event happened, of course.
Before he could contemplate more on the subject, Lucifer's train of thought was derailed as a creepy ethereal voice echoed unbidden in his mind, startling him. It was Bezaliel.
"Lord Morningstar. I have found something you might be interested in."
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AN: This is long overdue, I know... I know... I apologize for the significant delay in getting anything out. It's been increasingly difficult for me to find both the time and the energy to write, and only recently have I started to do so again. Honestly, I wrote this chapter at least five times and it's changed considerably each time. Still not happy with it, but at this point I think the show must go on. My goal is to minimize the amount of jarring POV switching (so no more drastic jumps, but there will definitely still be POV switching) per chapter as well as to speed up the plot a lot more, which also means the chapters will be slightly shorter than before. Hopefully this will make it an easier and better read for you all. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism, praise, suggestions, all are welcome. Just don't flame please. Thank you and take care everyone!
Next chapter will focus on quests and more actual fighting!