· · · · · · ·
Rita said no to taking in El, of course. No ceremony about it. She took a few notes on Nina's appetite and sleep pattern, confirmed she was alright, then left with the words to tell Azazel to pay her for babysitting or sod off.
Honestly, he preferred that. Rita was not only moody, but also busy. Nina was the opposite now. Perhaps too much. She pulled out some board games and talked about home and things she liked, went on at length about some guy she hoped would come for a rematch, and had not a squeek for what she planned to do now her goal of sending money to her mother was met. Fantasizing about marrying the aforementioned guy didn't count.
It could've gone on like that all day, if not for an approaching argument outside between Bacchus and someone else.
A feminine voice spoke in lowered but harsh tone, "No. Your carriage wasn't anywhere to be found last night while a high end demon and a dragon attacking the king. What is going on?"
"Nothing is going on. We just went out of the way cause we didn't wanna get caught up!"
"Really? Let me see what your bounty machine prints."
The door swung open. In stepped a woman with disarrayed pink hair and commoner's clothing, yet the aura of a god. When she faced him, he was sure. This was the angel who had once dropped down on his mother's farm.
Nina perked up. "Hello, miss. Are you a friend of Bacchus and Hamsa?"
"Hardly," she said, her eyes locking on El. She froze, doubtful but not outright recognizing her. He smiled at her, but made no move to clarify he knew her.
Bacchus stepped between him and the angel. "Hey kids, why don't you go grab lunch?"
"Who are they?"
"Just some brats I took in to help out. There's a festival soon and I want some extra cash."
"Really? Heaven's salary is not enough?"
"Well ..."
"Uh, don't we—" Before Nina got any further, El pulled her out the carriage. Hamsa threw out one of her larger bags, heavy with her wallet.
"Oh, okay." Hopefully that meant she had to be quiet about the money situation.
The angel was kind, but would likely take him away. El wouldn't leave Anatae. Azazel was here, and if she was alive at all, so would his mother be. She had spoken nothing but good of heaven, but El had not seen any of it for all of his life. If they loved her, they wouldn't have left her alone. They didn't need her, he didn't need them.
They were on outskirts of the city, and Nina took a turn to the city center. "I know a nice restaurant or two, but ... Do you have any friends we could have lunch with?"
El wasn't close enough to call them friends, but he knew their names at least because they'd personally told him.
Five children lived together within a small room at the edges of the slums, still a group since Azazel had freed them. Prior to losing his voice, he'd been able to interact a little with them. His mates in the slaver's cage : Siem, Arai, Kiprio, Otyan and Daurre.
"Hello, I'm Mugaro's new friend!" Nina said, bursting into the room. "Who wants to go get fancy lunch and some nice clothes with us?"
Having a bright bundle of apparent humanhood break into in their home left them searching for words. Mugaro couldn't do much other than nod at the friend claim and give assuring smiles, but even if he could talk, how would he even begin to explain Nina?
El waved at them, which set them a little at ease.
"Uhm, in the upper city?" Arai asked.
"Of course, that's where the good stuff is."
Arai shook his head fiercely. "No, there's bad humans there."
Nina hunched down on the dirty floor. "You'll be with me, it's safe! I promise. Can I have your names?"
Otyan and Daurre stayed put, but Siem and Kiprio stood up. One a little girl with tiny horns and short beige hair, the other a stern boy not much older with red hair and cut horns.
"I'm Siem," she said.
"Kiprio," the boy said. "You said fancy lunch?"
Nina nodded with a bright smile.
"The grumpy guy isn't around either," Kiprio said. "Okay, where's the food?"
"In a restaurant up there. I'm also buying you new clothes, you gotta come to the store to try them."
"Uhm, okay."
Daurre muttered it wasn't safe. He had a bandage around his arm and Mugaro could imagine why. He himself wasn't too sure of Nina's plan, but he also wanted it to go right. Just once pretend there was no rift between the realms.
On the way up, Nina asked, "So, how'd you meet Mugaro?"
"She was with us in the cages," Kiprio said.
"It was really weird, actually. She didn't come in with any of us, we know," Siem said. "The humans thought they'd just missed writing one up, but we're not that stupid. Some of the others said she'd come in with a blond woman who was chased by the black knights. They were pretty sure she smelled human. Mugaro isn't human though."
"You sure? She can't handle fire well," Kiprio asked. They started arguing over this, Siem bringing up his scars and eyes, Kiprio his many vulnerabilities. Mugaro didn't mind they called him a girl, but he didn't like being left out. The kids didn't mean badly, but still, they forgot.
The elevator master stood outside her boot, for once.
"Hey, Seppe and Passant! The elevator is out of commission?" Nina asked.
"After something like last night, it's more likely for humans to come down the stairs to taunt demons," Malphas said. "We normally have a guard for this, but they got taken. They either returned injured, or didn't. So those fleas have the misfortune of dealing with me today ... Where are you taking those kids?"
"I wanted to show them around the city."
"You're nuts," Divesepid said.
"It'll be okay, we're just visiting some places I know are good."
"If you lead a mob here, we close off this stairway and the elevator stops, and warn the other stairways guards to do the same. Just so you know."
"Got it!" Nina said so brightly, it was infectious.
· · · · · · ·
"We did that," Dante said. "Why did we do that? Eligos, this is your fault!"
"You've very welcome," Eligos said with a small smirk.
"That was the right hand of Lucifer. Unlike Lucifer, he has a temper. I have a responsibility for people now, I could have handled that better."
Eligos rolled his eyes. "Dante, he marched in here expecting to be de facto leader yet he turned around without a show of force. We can work with this."
Belphegor scraped her throat.
"Yes?"
"I don't know what you've heard of lord Azazel, but I've seen him hold the trust of children and even of those exiled gods. I do not believe he will be needlessly cruel."
Eligos gave a most sceptical look, but told Dante, "There, that's our current status. We can in all likelihood afford to vex the big shot every now and then. Now chin up before your resistance force."
The rest of the hall's residents had drifted off into chatter of their own, some worried for similar reasons as Dante, others more attuned to Belphegor's mood. The dissaray confused her — when they finally had hope, why was there so much doubt?
Eligos leaned over. "Dante, get their attention and then give me the word, okay? I'm about to ramble some useful details."
Dante did as asked. When all faces were back to their little platform, Eligos sat at the edge of it. Smaller than Dante, but also closer to the crowd.
"Everyone, I'm Eligos, and I say if one of the princess had not gotten fed up with me pointing out the stupidity of his plans, hell would not have fallen. I hope you're all wiser, so let me ask a question I have a question. Five years ago, why did hell fall to humankind?"
"They were stronger," someone said.
"Do you know what minister of warfare and strategy entails in a kingdom where all the leaders are so much stronger than the citizens? Strategy is only for when someone is bored. I'm a farce. Yet, a human who's been on the throne a mere two years and even lacked the education since birth of usual human kings, he comes into Cocytus with an army bearing only a unique magic. Regardless of his power, we should have won with clever use of teleportation, physical traps, fortification, and throw in some poison gases that human are not immune to. Or stoke the fires a little more or collapse the caves. Humans tend die without air. Chaos, we didn't even have proper walls or gate blocks in place. If we'd had just that, we could've trapped the humans there and starved them to death, then raised the corpses and turned them against their leaders. Why did hell lose?"
"All they had to be was a little stronger."
"You, stand up," Eligos said. "Your name?"
"I'm Nishaol." A pale woman with dark brown hair and small horns jutting, clad in crude mercenary material. "I agree with you, our organization depended too much on the powerful elite."
"Good, now we're getting somewhere. What are your abilities?"
"I don't have much magic, so before my capture I was a mercenary for the lower castes. I can work alone and in groups, though I do not have extensive experience with the latter. Organization was discouraged by the leaders of my tribe, if they must be called that. They didn't think of us as a threat, they just saw us as infringing their leader image. So I've had to specialize in stealth operations rather than open warfare. I've had some success at assassination."
"Tccht, yes, I've encountered similar. Nishaol, I'll be questioning everyone on their skills and send those who claim they can fight to you. Test them and report to me. Next up : if the resistance grows, we need not only more food, but enough to keep in peak shape for combat."
"I've got a growth house running," Belphegor said.
"Do you have actual experience growing things too?"
"Uhm ... not, but ... alright, I don't. I thought I'd have time to learn."
"Anyone here who can handle that?"
Belphegor couldn't judge the candidates who offered at once, so let them report to her later. For now, she wanted to hear Eligos out. The knowledge was out of her domain, but no less interesting for it.
Eligos fell into his role as educator. He went into detail on limiting raids, the need for shelter, expanding what Arachne did and testing her potential, the potential for human contacts, obtaining Rita's loyalty, smuggling demon doctors into the city, winning the alliance of the rebellions in other provinces, locating specific demons with useful magic, giving everyone proper training. The longer Eligos spoke, the more unease settled in her gut. She herself had been one of the princess of hell, often deeming herself a misfit for her interests. It hadn't occurred to her before, or even after the fall of Cocytus just how little she knew about her realm's dynamics, its people or its potential. It wasn't that hell was bland compared to inventive humankind, hell was simply arranged too much by power alone.
Dante grew quiet as herself. Did he too realize how unprepared they were, how shaky hell had always been? She would ask, but this was not the time.
"Last, we have to prepare for the aftermath. If we do win and succeed at taking over the capital, we need to handle any other province read to overthrow us. They'll either declare independence or send their armies to liberate the capital. The king's death will not be complete victory. See humans do not have the kind of strong differences in power level depending on individual. They can't just wipe their hands and mow down a mob with their own strength, so they have their strength from the organization we lack. This I do not know how to handle yet, but I recommend we find ourselves human allies somehow."
"You say we have to act more like humans." The one who had spoken was a female orc. Of all those assembled, she was one of the few without a face to match humankind. Hers was of an animal humans kept for the meat.
For the first time, Eligos softened his tone. "Yes, unfortunately. It won't be easy, and we should not to let their thinking overtake us, but we must change. Let's do it in a way that's better than where we came from, and where we are now."
Eligos gave a short nod at Dante, who stood up and said, "That's it. Everyone get to what he assigned you do. I will check up on progress and arrange materials."
He made a quick retreat. Belphegor hesitated to follow him and Eligos. She wanted to go to her projects, but no. Better check up on them, if she was to be a second in command.
Dante and Eligos had a smaller backroom behind an extra thick webbed door. Here, charts were pinned to the wall depicting the city, trade routes, guard routes and a number of worn down magical artifacts. Most were useless or depleted of magic; a reminder of how little they had to work with.
They didn't speak. Eligos had lost the confident air and drank tea from a cup in unsteady hands, while Dante sat back in a wide, probably stolen fancy chair. She sat down on table.
"You sounded borderline blasphemous, Eligos," Belphegor said, more thoughtful than accusative.
"Thank you," Eligos said.
"I noticed a distinct lack of plans to get aid from other demon lords," she said. "Wouldn't asking Azazel about reinforcements get us more than all this?"
"Lucifer and the others in the fridge, they just don't care," Eligos said. "Leviathan receded into the oceans. Mammon, Abaddon and Asmodeus were purchased by rich humans, even if they would sympathize now or desire vengeance, we couldn't get to them easily."
"Right." Dante ran a hand over his face. "Makes sense. Why do I ever bother being the leader if you have this all figured out?"
"Cause I'll be eaten alive. I know what to do, not how to do it. Especially not the people thing. You know, before I got here, I was with Olivia." Eligos crossed his arms now, which pushed up a sleeve. On his arms were scars. "I'd say the reason Olivia and the others don't believe Azazel is here is because if he was, where are all the stories of the capital dressed up in hellfire every other moon? I wouldn't be able to do with her what I did just now. We denied him leadership and it's ... interesting."
Oh. The kind of leaders willing to burn the cities down didn't care to save those captured within it, or for Eligos's logic.
Though, that could be worked around.
"While I do agree that we do not mass murder the humans, I believe we can do a thing or two to knock them down. Have you ever heard of gas bombs?" They shook their heads. "Like explosive spells, but made from matter. I can produce it for others to distribute. I'm out of my elements with chemicals, but I'll learn. We won't need to fight or burn any mobs if they're not moving, after all."
Dante smirked. "Good idea. Bit unconvential, but that's ... not a bad thing. Eligos?"
"I'll add need to breathe clean oxygen to my inquiry list for our warriors."
"Bel, go ahead."
"It will be my pleasure." Truly, there were more things to like about rebellion now than just Azazel's presence. Work, and perhaps also that in small ways, it was rebellion against the old creed. That had always been up her alley.
· · · · · · ·
Rather than the usual bustle, people hurried through the streets and cluttered together to whisper and worry. The king had failed to kill the rag demon, and now that terrible dragon nearly got to him. The king had been injured. Would hell at least wreak vengeance on Mysteria?
Too many people saw that hell in Siem and Kiprio, but Nina's cheer also met some friendly hellos. Whether those were less than usual, El couldn't tell.
El kept the kids each by the hand, up until Siem pulled at his arm. "That's her. That's the woman! Right, Mugaro?"
She pointed at a statue before a small church, barely visible through a small alley.
Of course, Nina instantly led where Siem pointed.
On a pedestal was a human woman on unicorn, clad in unique armor and wielding a spear. The face was so true to his mother, the artist must have seen her, though the expression held a harshness he did not know of her. The unicorn trampled over two dying demons. Facing them was a lion like face, teeth bared in a cry of death. On the other side was a four horned humanoid demon, face etched in hatred. His mother had only talked distantly of her past as a knight and her fights against demons. El hadn't though much of it. Bad demons existed as much as bad humans existed, it was a lie they were all bad. But as he looked at the ones his mother had killed, he could at least imagine some of the fear humans had. Of course they'd be afraid, if they thought all demons were like these ones.
"Who's that?" Nina asked a passerby.
"You must be out of town. That is Jeanne d'Arc, our great slayer of demons," the man said, a sideglance at the Siem and Kiprio, before quickly walking on.
"Jeanne d'Arc? I think I heard that name somewhere before. Anyway, Mugaro, we should show Azazel. Maybe he can help you find her. She's an ally of the demons, right?"
Mugaro grabbed her by the arm and shook his head. What was she thinking, saying this out loud in a human space?
It only confused her. He put a finger on his lips and gestured around the street.
Whether she got it was unclear, because Kiprio spoke up. "I don't think I want to meet a slayer."
Nina hunched down before him. "In the tales of my people we also dread the humans in iron, who treat us like our non-sapient fellows : wild beasts and enemies to safety, even when we're not that. But I bet this lady helped Mugaro somehow if the bad knights chased them, so she can't be bad."
"I guess."
Before they went to a restaurant, Nina brought them to a tailor shop so they'd look nice within the place. Barely had they stepped in, or the owner said, "We'd prefer one didn't bring their slaves out in the open."
"They're not slaves." The man just glared, so Nina's pulled a lot of gold coins from her bloated pouch. "Oh well, I guess I'll go to another store to spend all this money on all the things I'll need extra hands to carry."
"I mean, uhm, I suppose it makes sense one gets whatever extra hands one can acquire on this day, what with people being so afraid to head out."
"Good. Cause I'm going to have a fun day and everyone must look their best."
Siem and Kiprio forgot where they were pretty soon, as the human customers made a point of going out of their way or ignoring them. Mugaro had seen them happy sometimes, when they played. This was more cautious, but also more wondrous. He kept a close eye on them, in case of of the humans did anything to break that.
Nina startled El by popping before him.
"Which do you want?" Nina held out two dresses, one a pale green coat piece and the other blue with pink ribbons.
He blinked. Those were for him?
Just saying he was a boy was easy enough by pointing at the nearest pants and denying the dresses, but ... why though? There were rules about what to wear, but El had not paid them heed for the first four years of his life. Outside of the occasional farmer, he and his mother avoided other people. His mother had called herself a woman of faith, but hadn't ever laid out what El was. It hadn't been important. Rita had called him a boy though, and she probably knew about that sort of thing. Azazel had been unsure at first, but went with what Rita said.
He took the pale green one.
When he emerged from the dressing room, Nina fell around his neck. "You look so lovely, it really fits you better than the drab boys clothes. Do you like it too?"
The mirror said yes.
"Do you want any to try any others?"
Yes.
She got him a whole arm full of dresses she thought he might like. Every time, she asked what he liked, putting him to figure out preferences he'd never had to think about. She assumed he was a girl and ... was he? Life with his mother had been poor, life with Azazel only better because of their gruesome work, which still didn't lend to luxuries like questioning how one fit together. It didn't quite feel wrong though. Maybe it was right. Maybe he ... she'd try it for a while.
Nina paid out half her pocket to the tailor, who complained about inconveniences of demons loudly. Nina left the store having chosen just one dress, a frilly teal one which might've attracted more positive looks on the street if she didn't have two obvious demon children in tow. Siem got herself something of a mix for boys and girls and didn't even care to find out the rules, while Kiprio had a little more down stated clothing, being a little older and expecting things to get dirty. They each had bags of more for themselves and others. And El had a few for himself. Herself. All dresses.
It might've felt nicer if the humans didn't stare even more now.
Almost oblivious to this, Nina dropped by the post office, where she meant to mail some money to her mother. She just kept smiling.
While Mugaro waited outside, the crowd got a little thicker, a little more distant. The eyes got worse. The whispers increased. Faces that had been on the street around the tailor still were, even though they had gone for blocks.
At one point, someone said loud enough for them to hear, "You know, isn't that the foreign pink haired girl girl who just the other day spent an inordinate amount of money on food and medical supplies?"
Once, her mother had warned her to always hide her wings and flight, because once one person knew, soon the entire city could. People liked to talk evil.
· · · · · · ·
When Rita returned from spending Nina's money on rare medicine, she found a very ticked off demon leaning against the back alley wall. He might as well have painted the shadows full black.
"Hey," she said, not even turning her head.
"Where is Mugaro?" he snarled. "I told him to stick with you, but he isn't here."
"I can't take care of a child." The door clicked open and she closed it right behind her. He ghosted right in front of her.
"Answer me!"
Rita would never have picked up, let alone mastered the black bible if she didn't have a curiosity for playing with dangerous things. She waited a beat, before saying, "Is this a joke? Didn't you ask Nina to take Mugaro last night? She did that. Now he lives on her pay check. Whatever your game is, you used to do better."
She knew very well that wasn't what he'd meant. Regardless, it was so good to see see him stumped for a second as he tried to figure out whether he'd actually said it like that. Messing with Azazel was one of the many small pleasures of her life.
"So why did you come here anyway?"
"I need to introduce Nina to the rebellion, so I will leave a message with you. The games are cancelled, I can't wander the city today."
"Ah, you figured out you had to organize." Rita opened a newly aquired jar and shoved a lollipop in Azazel's hand. "As your doctor, I'm proud of your progress in utilizing your brain."
He threw it at her head. "Where is Bacchus's carriage?"
"They had to move since the people of the district got suspicious, they're at the riverside now."
Azazel was about to leave, but Rita said, "Azazel, if this goes through, where will you leave Mugaro?"
"What?"
"If Charioce falls and his kingdom with him, you'll have hell to return to. What about Mugaro?"
"Mugaro comes with me," he said without hesitation.
"All the way to hell? How do you think he'll like it there?"
"If he doesn't want to, he can stay here. Maybe Lucifer will give me the city. I don't mind staying on earth for a while."
"Hmm. And what about the other demons? The ones you're not willing to introduce Mugaro to?"
Azazel tensed up. "They won't defy me in the future. Once it's safe—"
"Hell is never safe from what I hear. A lot of demons only want back to hell cause it's not as bad here as there. Not all loved it, and you alone came here. They're not loved back."
He had nothing to say to that.
· · · · · · ·
"Hello, Emeline!" Nina said, then leaned over to Marcio's stall. "And hello to you too, Marcio!"
"Hello, Nina. How's it going?"
"Good. I'd like you to meet my friends, Mugaro, Siem and Kiprio."
"Right, how nice. By the way, Nina, have you heard? That pink dragon appeared again and tried to kill the king! Just last night!" Emeline said.
"Uhhh, yes, I did hear that the dragon went to save the demons he was going to kill," she said, forcing the smile to stay. "Anyway, I'd like to order some long herb bread from Marcio, and some fried bacon from Emeline. The best. To go."
Nina had noticed the crowd. Along with Mugaro's worried looks and the little kids huddling closer, it was probably better not to visit a restaurant. But she would keep her promise for fancy food.
Marcio worked faster than usual, and Emeline grabbed the nearest fried meat — it wasn't bacon — to hand to her in paper.
Behind her someone bumped into Mugaro, who staggered against her.
Marcio cut the bread roughly before handing it to Nina without a word.
"Thank you."
"Maybe she's a demon sent to infiltrate," whispered the man on the other side of Marcio's stall.
"Nina, you better move along," Marcio said. "Don't take me the wrong way but ... this is bad for business."
"Okay."
She stuffed her own bread in her mouth and kept a close eye on the kids, who ate just as hurried. Mugaro handed her food to Nina, both hands instead on the shoulders of the kids.
While she put the spare food in her bag, she kept her eyes on the feet behind them. By the end of the street, Nina was sure a group of at least seven followed them. She sped up pace, but they closed in soon.
The moment they were in street away from the main roads, they spread before them, to their side, and behind. Kiprio and Siem huddled near Mugaro against a wall.
"Hey, little lady. We noticed you have a lot of cash. Care to share with us humans? You seem pretty eager to share with monsters."
This man had hung around the tailor shop around the time they'd left, Nina was pretty sure. "I earned it," she spat. "You're in my way, you know."
"So what about all the people in whose way you are by walking here with that scum?" another man said on the other side.
"Everyone can walk here, it's a public street."
"All people can walk here. Demons don't count, stupid woman." This one she didn't see, he was behind the thickening crowd.
Not all faces where hateful, some even tried to hush the more aggressive people, but the action she expect those people to take didn't happen. Most walked on, leaving the mob.
"Demons do count." Nina crossed her arms. "They walk, they talk, they think just like you all can do."
It seemed so obvious to her. How could they look at children and see only horns?
"No wonder we never heard from your country, where ever that may be. Must be full of people too stupid to live. Demons are evil and those who don't learn that fall to their temptation," yet another man said.
She wasn't wearing foreign clothing right now, but ... she had made a display out of her power in the arm wrestling challenge, and she'd been noticeable at work. Mugaro's warning to keep her voice down came to mind. Oh spirits, had she noticed much sooner than Nina had, that they'd been watching her?
Nina looked around for a way to lead the kids out.
Right then, a rock his Kiprio on the head. A small line of blood flowed down. Nina whipped around, but didn't see who threw it. There were too many people.
"What is wrong with you? He's just a child!"
"He's a demon worm," the first man said, cold, looking down. Nina considered hitting him, but that'd probably only make things worse.
Mugaro stomped on the ground, demanding her attention. Just as she looked, Mugaro walked on with the kids firmly held by the hand. Nina stepped ahead and shoved as the people blocking the path.
The mob followed, their voices growing louder.
"Why are they doing this now?" Nina asked.
"That's how humans always are," Kiprio said.
"I wanna go home," Siem said. "Can we?"
"We should visit Rita first," Nina said. "That cut looks bad."
"I've survived," Kiprio said. "Mugaro, don't bring her again."
"I'm sorry," she said again, but it fixed nothing.
"You should be sorry for bringing that filth on our streets!" someone behind her called.
Just as she looked back, another rock sailed at them. She caught it before it hit Mugaro and threw it to the ground so hard, it echoed through the buildings.
"What do you think you're—"
Pain shot through her head, followed by a trickle down her face. As she brushed her hand over her face, it returned covered with blood.
Another blur next to her, she caught the rock before it hit Siem, but it left her back exposed. A sharp, long pain shot through it; someone had hit her with a staff.
Now the attacker went for the children. Faster than a human Nina grabbed the staff, and splintered it against the wall. A deep growl rolled out her throat. The man backed away, but not quick enough to avoid her punch. He fell back so far, so fast, he tore along two people behind him.
The mob stepped back, but didn't disperse.
"She's not human either!"
"Must be one of those demons who can pass for human if they cut their horns. Wanna bet the remnants are under that headband?"
"Even if it's just those two brat, that's two too many! Get off our streets, you filth!"
Some tore open the streets to get bigger rocks.
The next brick sailed past her. She caught it too, but had more than one place to focus on. The threw more than she had hands to catch. Nina could fight them, but not without leaving the kids unprotected.
Mugaro turned around and pulled Siem and Kiprio close, while casting a desperate look at Nina.
Another brack hit her on the side of the head, but she blocked the next two with her arms. She didn't fall, despite the protests of her back. The smaller rocks she could ignore, but the children yelped every time they were hit even as Mugaro shielded them too.
"Mugaro, can you carry them maybe?" Mugaro picked up Siem and let Kiprio climb on her back. It wasn't easy, but she managed.
Nina found the least dense part of the mob and charged. For a few seconds she went half out, throwing people against others and hitting those who struck at her. This way she plowed a way for Mugaro to run past.
The moment the kids were out of range, Nina stopped and sprinted after them.
Mugaro was fast, despite being out of breath soon from carrying the kids. Nina could keep up, so they lost the mob long before the slums.
They didn't stop till they reached the stairway.
Saphant and Seppe had been right. Facing them now seemed too painful, so she took over Kiprio and they walked down the stairs.
They got Rita to apply bandaids quickly. The kids left with their arms full of the food she should've just given them right away. They didn't look at Nina, but Mugaro gave her a worried look.
"Hey, go with them, have lunch without me. I shouldn't have done this. I thought if I could just show them you're just like other kids, the people would understand they're not different," she said. "I shouldn't have gotten them involved with my stupid little tests. Tell them I'm sorry, okay?"
Mugaro put a hand on her shoulder.
"Really, it's okay. Go. Besides, I better clean this soon." She held up the tip of her new dress, which now had red splatters all over. "Gotta see whether I get these out before it stains. I'll take a while."
Mugaro didn't look convinced, but did thankfully leave. Once alone, Nina did exactly what she said she would : clean the dress. Everything else she might say or do, she kept within her head alone.
· · · · · · ·
There was a freaking angel at Bacchus's carriage. Azazel hid nearby till she left, irritated all along that after all this time he suddenly started entertaining old relations.
"What's she doing here?" he said by way of greeting.
Bacchus shrugged. "Looking for some lost kid. What're you doing here, hmm?"
A lot of bottles on the ground, but neither Nina nor Mugaro.
"Apparently the same. Where are they?"
Right then the door opened again and Azazel tensed up, ready to fight if the angel returned, but it was only Mugaro.
In a dress.
With a bandaid on his face.
Of the struggle which to respond to, the second won out.
"Dammit. Let me see."
Mugaro seemed alright beyond a cut on the face and a bruise on his hand, his smile was the mostly at ease kind. He'd be alright.
Hamsa offered some paper for Mugaro to draw on for the story, but he could guess who had to do with it.
"Mugaro, where's Nina?"
He traced a circle with two dots in the air, a crude sign for a skull, then a house. The zombie's place. Right. He'd be having a word with her.
Mugaro gave that horrible pleading look, which might as well be an advocate's closing argument in itself.
"I'm just getting her into the rebellion," he said. "You stay here."
Only when outside, it crossed his mind Mugaro's timing was a little odd. Had he been hiding from that angel too? How had he known? ... oh well, not important. He had a dragon to chew out. She'd probably done something stupid like play a rough game with that super strength of hers.
Not too long later, he threw open Rita's back door.
"Where is she?"
Rita was in the front, but Rocky stood in the hall. Ve crossed vun fingers and gave no directions.
"I know she's still here."
Why even argue with a disembodied hand? A trail of water led from Rocky to the kitchen, so he went there first and threw that door too.
Nina sat on the kitchen floor, back half towards him.
"What the hell did you do with Mugaro?" Somewhere behind him Rita complained, but that didn't matter.
Nina looked up. Her face was half under bandaids and one of her arms had been bandages halfway. Before her was a wide bowl with a dress half in it, its water red with blood that she'd been trying to scrub out.
"Hey, Azazel, you're back already?" She forced a smile.
... dammit. This wasn't some game gone wrong, was it?
"What happened?"
"I ... I made a mistake. I took the kids to the city and ... the people didn't like that. The humans, I mean. It won't happen again, I swear."
She looked like a cat that had fallen into a raging river. Chewing her out for it seemed overkill, but he had no idea how to handle this.
"If you're looking for Mugaro, she's either still with her friends or Bacchus."
Beeline for change of topic.
"What's what the dress anyway?"
"Huh? Oh, I bought us all some nice clothes. Except it didn't turn out so nice. Heh." She resumed scrubbing. "I should ask you too what happened, you know. Why'd you just run off and leave Mugaro behind?"
"You need to come with me. Mugaro stays with the gods, he can't be involved in—"
"She's a girl, you know."
"What? Mugaro isn't ... Rita said ... " He frowned. Heaven had more than two sexes and associated genders, but he hadn't noticed much of that with demons.
"Oh? Well, Mugaro wanted dresses and liked it when I called her a girl. She's a girl or she'd have told me otherwise. She makes everything else clear just fine."
He'd have to cover that later. For now, he had a rebellion to organize.
"Can you get up?"
"Yeah, it's just a few scratches." To demonstrate, she stood up and stretched. "I'm fine. Anyway, about the kids, I was trying to—"
"For what we're doing, you better let go of any nonsense of talking to humans. We're going to overthrow Charioce and you have to—" Rita jabbed him in the ribs from out of nowhere.
"Hey. Ask," Rita said.
He rolled his eyes, but said, " ... will you help kill Charioce if I keep it a secret how you transform?"
"Yes," Nina said without hesitation.
"We keep Mugaro out of it, got it?"
"Absolutely," Nina said. "No getting children involved what so ever."
She said nothing else as he led her to the outer edge of the slums, its east peak. Above the wall was the corner of the riverside road and the edge of the human houses.
The sun had yet to set, but the place was deep enough below the walls it might be night here. He'd chosen the location cause he wanted to turn Nina into a dragon, well out of sight. The resistance wasn't here yet, but others had been.
Someone had dumped corpses here and then collapsed one of the walls on it. Prints of wyvern feet were in the earth. The knights had been here, disposing of those who had died last night. Azazel clenched his fists, willing the rage down. Of course demons got no burial like humans, didn't even need it, but that they put corpses here? Mockery, probably justified with some stupid reason like keeping the scenery clean.
There were a few other wide cavities without bodies, he chose the furthest. Dante and the others would find them easily enough. He considered meeting them ahead, but wasn't sure what way they'd go.
Nina sat down on a rock, staring at the ground with a somber look. When she had this mood, she didn't seem so young anymore. Almost ... worn down, in the way some of the most down beaten demons were.
She started scratching at one of the bandaids on her arm.
"You got injured from having rocks thrown at you?"
"Shouldn't I?"
It sounded too human, but granted, many lower ranked demons had similar weaknesses now he thought about it. A lot of his own invulnerability came from his divine heritage.
"I figured your dragon heritage gave you superior endurance."
"I am stronger than humans, but I'm still just a physical being. I wouldn't survive a fraction of the fall I saw you survive last night either as dragon or human," Nina said. "It's not being half human, in case you think that. If anything heavy falls on me as human I need to use my magic counter strength or I'll be squashed. We're as vulnerable to being stabbed as any ordinary human. It's kind of amazing, all the things you can survive just innately."
"You have some extra power even in this shape though. Show me."
"What for?"
"I want to figure out what will happen if we are raided and you can't transform."
"You could just say that and ask me," she grumbled. Still, she went to a nearby rock taller than herself. She grabbed it on the top, heaved it out and staggered around to find balance below it. At some point physical strength stopped mattering against mass. It shouldn't have worked with how tiny she was, so there had to be some kind of innate magic like his own at work.
"See? Easy, as long as I got my hands below it. It's more difficult though if it's got momentum, so it's still gonna hurt if I fall and put my hands below me. Why are you so surprised?"
Azazel's limit for how much he could carry and how he counteracted gravity were well below that. She was also a tad faster than him, from what he recalled during her weeks chasing him. Yet ordinary rocks cut her skin and falling down hurt her.
He picked up a discarded metal rod and stabbed it through his torso. Nina yelped and the rock fell behind her, but before she could do anything he pulled it out and the hole sealed.
"You can do things I can't, yet you're vulnerable to things I brush aside.
"Oh." She took a step closer to see ... and poked him. "Every your clothes are fixed."
He batted her hand away.
"Pick that rock back up and throw it at me."
She picked it back up, but waited. "Are you sure?"
"There's no magic to it, I can handle it," Okay so it would absolutely hurt if it hit him, he just pulled together.
"Okay then."
The rock sailed at him with an impressive arc. Azazel balled his fist and hit it right at the center, splitting it into pieces. The pieces fell all around, far enough even beyond Nina.
"Oh spirits, that's amazing! How did you do that?"
"The same way you did, but with a different magic focus. You have push and pull and something that negates gravity in a way different than my wings. Can you break those rocks?"
She shook her head.
He threw up the rod and broke it apart with one of her dark serpents.
"Are the full bloods of your kind able to break rock or metal?"
"Uh ... " She turned away; the blushing had come back at last.. "No, I have the same strength as ll the other ones, technically. It's the transition stuff I have the most problems with."
"Any other dragons of your kind inclined to help out?"
"I don't think so. To be honest, I was slightly very much breaking the rules of showing strength a lot. We remain hidden exactly because we don't want the world to find out we exist and think we're a threat. All humans need is a single summoning circle to isolate us. It's especially easy to strike us down when we're in human shape. Y'know, they only really even let me go outside the protected zone is cause me being a halfblood, I can't be summoning with any existing circle. So no trapping me in poison gas rooms or setting up spike traps over the circle."
"You're vulnerable to poison too? You're barely more than a damn human."
She glared at him. Without a word, she lifted another rock. "Azazel, catch!"
He just broke it again.
"That's not catching."
"Don't disrupt me, I'm trying to—" And there was another giant rock.
"You can't catch it, do you?"
Oh, like he was going to let her win.
"I was just unprepared, like with the Onyx Knights. Try me again, girl."
"You'll be out of your league for a long time, you know. I've had to become very good at playing ball from the ground."
With an insufferably cocky grin, she picked up another gaint rock and hurled it twenty meters to his left. He'd expected her to aim at him. Crap.
Out came the wings as the next one went to his right. Before it hit the wall he blocked it, but was unable to actually hold it without being pulled down entirely. He could not carry things heavier than himself, but if she could, then he should too.
"No using wings, I can't grow those in this shape." And she threw the next one.
Fine. No wings to hold it up.
He used his wings only to get before the next rock, got himself under it, tried, really tried to envision his power manifesting as a lift ... and failed. He just got pulled along as the rock collided with the walls, bringing everything down on him.
He punched his way out, sending a spray of rocks all over the place.
Nina clapped. "Can you teach me how you do that?"
"What?"
"The breaking thing. If I get buried I can dig myself out but I can't make such explosions. Can you tell me how, please? I'll help you with lifting things as soon as I know how do my grounding thing."
She just stood there eyes averted, kinda red, hands clasped behind her back. No dignity, didn't even know the proper way to address a demon of his class, couldn't even control her form and he was above doing this. She'd challenged him. Who went from that to admitting they needed help? And expecting him to give it? Really, the nerve.
Also, he had no idea how to explain it.
He picked up a rock and said, "See your strength as a blade. Not hands lifting things. Make it sharp. Concentrate all that force on a single point through your hand."
He threw the rock and she hit it flat with her palm. It bounced off.
Ugh.
Flying over, took her arm and directed her fingers flat, pinky on the surface of the nearest rock. She got very red, which he was quickly learning set her on the way to dragonhood.
"Eyes on the rock, not your hand," he said. "Nor me."
"But you just said I have to focus on my hand!"
"Do you have to envision your hand moving every time you want to?"
"No, but I'm pretty sure that's only cause I learned it all as a kid. This is new."
"I can see why you can't even control your natural dragon power," he muttered.
"Yes, I'm not good at this, I know. But it's only been a minute, maybe this isn't like with my dragon shape. Can we try again?"
"No. The others will arrive soon, I don't have time for this." For all he knew, she just played difficult cause she wanted to be near him.
He walked away to see whether the others were.
"Azazel, catch and ground!"
He swung around and found another massive rock sailing at him. She'd thrown it off to the side, so he had to dodged aside to put his hand below it. Gravity meant he toppled over instantly.
"See, that's something you can't learn easily."
"I'm not a cargo demon," he growled. "Carrying things wasn't ever necesary for my work."
"So what kind of work did you do then?"
"None of your business." As he scrambled up he threw a rock at her, aiming not above but to her stomach. She caught it between two hands, smirked and hurled it right back, as intended.
This time he caught it within a field of telekinesis. This was a limited power he didn't use that often since it took a lot of energy and focus, but it also shut her up.
Mostly. She came to his side and looked at the space between his hands and the rock. He gave a cocky smirk, but rather than oohing again, she poked his hand. Then his arm, then his hand again. He started to lose focus just because of how irritating it was.
"Will you stop that?"
"I'm trying to see whether I can sense the magic. You grabbed me a lot so I thought that touching people randomly is just what's normal for demons," she said. "If it's not, stop doing it."
"Hmmmph."
She leaped back to her early spot and picked up another rock. This one was bigger than her again. "Let's see what you can catch with that power."
Of course. "Bring it."
Right then, Dante, Belphegor and Eligos appeared around the corner. In the moment of distraction the rock collided full for with him, sending him into the wall, which of course collapsed on him a bit more. Only his wings stuck out.
He wrestled out as quick as possible and stood straight, but it was too late. They'd seen. Dante had a skeptical glare, Belphegor giggled and Eligos addressed Nina with, "Even if your dragon proves uncontrollable, you're hired."
Azazel tried to speak, but couldn't. A swallowed bit of gravel itched in the back of his throat, forcing out a coughing fit.
Nina slapped him on the back. His wings floofed out, but the gravel didn't.
"Azazel! You can't die from choking, right?"
"Nah, he's a fallen angel," Dante said.
Eligos chuckled. "He needs the air to talk though, so maybe leave it in."
Nina had him harder and this time it worked. The treacherous rock shot out and landed before the trio, who made admirable efforts not to laugh. To make it worse, Nina started rubbing his back. He shoved her away with a wing and stood up.
"This is her," he muttered redundantly.
"I'm Nina Drango," she said. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Dante." He gave her a confused look.
Belphegor held out her hand for a human greeting. "And I'm Belphegor. We're so glad to have you with us."
Nina happily shook hers. "I'll be happy to join you, but please don't take me as representative for my tribe. I'm doing a little rebellion right now."
"A little of teenage rebellion," Eligos muttered. "Lord Azazel, this is barely more than a child. Dragon or not, young people have a poor record in war by my experience."
"I'll be 22 soon! I can handle this. I just look a little younger cause my people age weird, I swear."
"I don't care how old you are as long as we overthrow Charioce. What brought you to Anatae other than your own rebellion?" Dante asked.
"I didn't rebel by leaving, just by agreeing to go dragon outside my home. I left cause I tried to earn money for my mother, but I got caught up with the knights and then Azazel saved me when I fell off that tower," she said. "So, wanna see what I can do?"
Eligos held up a hand and looked around. "What's the size of your dragon?"
"I think almost as tall as the average building with a stretched neck?"
"Likelihood of wandering out of cover from this place?"
"That can definitely happen," Nina said. "Also I smelled blood back there. I'm an obligate carnivore as dragon so that could be a problem."
"Great planning, Azazel," Eligos said. "Miss Nina, we'll arrange a better place to see your dragon later. Would you come with us?"
That was apparently good enough for Nina to consider herself part of the team. By the time they passed Arachna's first door, Nina had pulled them into chatter that was half nonsense, half history. Belphegor was a scientist with too much goals, and Dante had a lost love he tried to find, and Eligos wanted his own domain to retire to. Azazel wasn't familiar with being left out and somehow not in attention at all.
Rounding past the third and final spiderweb door, he saw Nina go ahead with Dante and Belphegor. The door slammed shut and Arachna sealed it. Eligos stood against the wall.
"A word with you, lord Azazel. What is your problem?"
"Mind your tongue."
"Mind your soldiers if you want to win this. You see an injured ally and play games?" Eligos hissed. "You wanted to have her summon that dragon in that small space too?"
"She knows her limits."
"You know this because she said she's fine, I bet. Sure. That must mean it's true. It's not like people might claim they're fine because their superior expects them to be fine for unreasonable nonsense," Eligos said.
"Hmmph."
"And another thing. I've been told you are on talking terms with gods. Why did you not bring them? We can use any ally we get, even holy ones."
Azazel really wanted to put Eligos in his place, but he had a point here too. He took a deep breath. The pride of demons would soon be regained, and he had already made several concessions to survive here. "I didn't bring them because they're being pestered by an angel. They'll be here."
Probably. Bacchus and Hamsa were on his side on little more than a flimsy alliance from long ago, and Rita's association. Convincing them might not be as easy as with Nina, though ... if Nina could convince them to let her move in, perhaps she could pull them in.
· · · · · · ·
Dear self. Next time wear a fucking helmet.
His head pounded and the piercing light did not help. Charioce turned over in bed, away from the source. He considered punishing who ever thought it was a good idea to have the windows open while the sun was doing its thing. Doctors had fussed over him for the remainder of the night, alert at every little potential problem. It was hell. His mother would have done better. Just give him medicine and let him rest. He'd needed three hours and lots of incoherent groaning with some threats to make it clear they had to leave.
Like he'd sleep with anyone in the room, no matter how quiet they were. It was bad enough that that thing was still standing at the end of the bed. In the dawn it stood out even more. A dark purple shadow with a few vibrant parts, worst of it the empty eyes.
A knock on the door distracted him. In leaned a servant who said, "Pardon, my king. The captain of the Onyx Knights wishes to speak to you."
"Grant him entrance." And for crying out loud, make it quick.
The captain stepped in shortly after.
"With all due respect," he said in a not so respectful tone, "Perhaps next time you might consider moving away from the rampaging dragon at more than a walking pace and maybe look in the direction you're attempting to escape to."
"I understand." Point taken. Rock hard. "What did you come for, other than to lecture me?"
"What should we do with Kaisar Lidfard?"
"The man saved my life. Whatever his deal is, he appears to be to our benefit more than our detriment."
"The reason he vanished the instant he brought you to safety was to channel away our demon captives. He met with a winged demon, who led him to a city gate where other demons received the escaped ones. We lost track of them in the slums, but Kaisar returned to help others escape."
Yes, pretty much what he expected: Kaisar was a hopelessly idealistic fool. Nearly seven years of service and Charioce thought he had him in line better than Jeanne d'Arc, but alas. Those simmering noble tendencies finally peaked out. He was willing to bet it was somehow related to the magenta dragon.
Still, Kaisar was relentlessly loyal and in these unstable times, he needed that. Outing another beloved leader of the Orleans Knights would not go over well.
"Let him be. We no longer needed those demons, while we do need the Orleans Knights not in upheaval. Kaisar is competent. I'm willing to overlook his sympathy for them as long as this does not leak out."
"As you wish." The captain waited for the dismissal, but Charioce didn't give it yet.
The fate of humanity required more than just the defeat of the enemy tribes, he could not afford the collapse of this kingdom at such a crucial time. Perhaps a few metaphorical helmets were in place too.
"Gather up all the remaining male bastards of royal blood." He held up his left arm, the accursed bracelet shining in the sunlight. The phantom glowered. "We need to be prepared in case I do die too soon."
"This would be a bad time to introduce rivals to your court."
"I can handle them. That dragon is what may get to me yet."
That done, he needed something to take his mind off death. Not too long ago, he'd come across something that embodied all the liveliness he'd left behind. Maybe he'd seek her out again, see whether she wore that ring.
· · · · · · ·