A Meeting in Pandaemonium
"No, I will not duel with you again."
"Why? Please!"
The warrior looked over at the mage. Short dark blue hair and dark blue eyes. He wore an irked expression on his face. He sighed.
"I just want to try something out." The mage begged him. His face looked long and desperate. Medium red hair draped innocently over the mage's emerald eyes. "Please?"
"Fine."
"Yes! Okay, now step back a bit…"
The two asmodians were outside the tavern in the Crandale district of Pandemonium. It was evening and spectators passed by and some stopped to witness some kind of battle that was taking place.
The warrior took a couple steps back as he was asked. "You first."
The redhead grinned and his eyes gleamed crimson as he whispered a strange incantation. He summoned a large ice shard with his magic and smashed it over the warrior following a powerful fiery explosion.
The warrior winced and drew his sword and shield and rushed at the sorcerer to attack when his feet became entangled in sudden foliage growth from the ground.
The mage took a few steps back and murmured another incantation creating a bright sigil on the ground beneath them. Fire rained down on top of the warrior, singeing him and breaking the snare away from his feet.
"Okay, that's enough," the warrior said as he rushed at the mage, swinging his sword and slashing through the mage's sleeve.
The redhead gasped and nearly fell backwards until he cast another spell sending him back several meters instantly away from the attacker. "Not so easy, " he grinned as another spell came into effect.
Immediately, the warrior was encased in a bubble of pure aether and was thrown into the air while freezing bolts of ice stung him all over his body. When it was over, he came crashing down to the ground.
"Ha! I win!" The mage announced pridefully. "What do you think about that?"
The warrior got back up and smiled. "I think you're wrong."
"Eh?" His face went blank in confusion.
The knight charged at full speed to the mage, knocking him flat on his back with his shield and sealing it with his blade at the caster's throat. "You really shouldn't underestimate your opponents so easily."
The sorcerer groaned, his face flushed from his public embarrassment. "Fine…"
"What's going on?" A female voice inquired.
"Oh, Tina. How are you doing?" The warrior turned to her.
Tina was a priestess. Her hair was long and a bright shade of violet with matching eyes that were kind, yet honest. "You guys aren't fighting again, are you?"
"Oh, no." Replied the warrior. "Innes was just trying something out." He smiled.
The red head groaned again and rolled over as he got back up on his feet.
"I see," she replied. "Well you guys rest up. We've got some work to do today. Governor Vidar wanted us for something."
"Oh, work. Don't remind me." The knight paused. "What would Vidar want?"
"I don't know," she told him. "It sounded like something serious."
"I bet." He turned to Innes. "Keep practicing. You'll get better if you do."
The mage nodded.
Tina eyed them both and sighed. "Well, I 'm going to go check our supplies. You should go see what Vidar wants, Arthen."
"Right. I'll catch you guys later then." The warrior smiled and made his way from the Crandale district to the capitol building.
Before Tina headed off herself, she helped tend to Innes' wounds from his sparring. "He beat you again, did he?"
The mage was silent.
"He's really strong. He has to be for our sake. I wouldn't let it trouble you." She smiled after he looked good as new. "All better?"
"Thanks," he told her, though he still looked completely irked about his loss.
"Well, try not to wander. Arthen should be back soon. I'll be getting some things and picking up some stuff from the broker."
"Alright," he said.
After another moment, she continued off as well.
She entered the temple of gold where there were people on either side selling and buying goods and a few people checking things in and out of storage. It was a place of great prosperity and trade in Asmodae.
"Blessings upon you, miss Tina." An older woman at a counter in the center of the room smiled, green eyes and long blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
"Thank you, Veldina," she told her.
Tina approached the storage manager and withdrew some medicines and charms she checked in previously that week into her storage box. Afterwards, she sighed. "Now the broker…"
She walked further down the room where asmodians fought for the cheapest prices and tried to sell off their weapons, armor, trinkets, and goods that they crafted in the artisan hall down the street or items that they plundered from the enemy.
The broker dealers of Asmodae and Atreia were shorter furry creatures who called themselves shugos. They looked more like well dressed ferrets with paws and a long tale with copper metal rings at its end. Their eyes were dark and beady and their nose and mouth features were soft. They looked cute, but they were greedy.
Tina knew better than to be fooled by such an innocent appearance.
They sold themselves out to anyone who offers the most coin. It didn't matter if it were a friend or foe.
One of them turned to Tina as she approached the broker counter. "Hello, daeva. What can I get for you today?"
"I believe you owe me some kinah from my last transaction. My name is Tina if you don't remember."
"Oh right. I'll get that for you right away. Akakakaka"
The cleric eyed him as he dug through records of recent sales and counted each coin before handing it over.
"528,000 kinah. Nyerk. Here you go."
Tina paused. "No, that's not right. That's still about two hundred thousand short, atleast."
"No, daeva. Gororunerk would not cheat you."
"Don't you lie to me, shugo."
"Oh, no! I promise you that the amount is right, mighty daeva. Nyerk."
"You dishonest little-"
"Hey Tina! Is that you?" A young man's voice interrupted hers.
She turned to see a scout clad in leather with dark eyes and short dark hair that wisped over the side of his face.
"Oh, Vince…" She paused. "Hey."
He smiled sweetly. "What are you in town for this time?"
"More work," she said. "Give me a minute." She turned back to the shugo. "I haven't forgotten. Now give me the rest of my money."
"Nyerk!" The shugo squeaked. "That is all. I would not lie to you, daeva."
"Unlikely."
"Hmm?" Vince butted in. "Is this shugo giving you problems, Tina?" His gaze switched from her to the shugo.
"Yes. All he needs to do is check the records. He owes me more money than this. All of my merchandise was sold and I am not receiving the full price that I requested them to be sold for."
The scout sighed and pulled a knife out from its scabbard on his waist and grabbed the shugo by the scruff of its jacket. "Give this woman the rest of her money. Don't make me skin you, shugo."
The shugo gasped and squeaked in surprise. "So frightening, daeva. Please let me go! I give up. I'll give her the rest. Nyerk!"
"You better," he said as he unhanded him and sheathed his blade.
The shugo rummaged through change and counted out the rest. 267,000 kinah in all and handed it over to Tina. "Here's the rest. Please don't hurt me. Nyerk, nyerk."
The cleric scoffed and snatched the rest of her money off the counter and started out the building with Vince behind her. "Thanks," she told him. "I appreciate it."
He smiled. "You have to use a little force sometimes. You can't trust those guys."
She chuckled. "It seems so. Sometimes I wonder if it would be cheaper to take the time to sell my things, myself. Then I don't have to pay any fees or worry about that happening."
"Yeah." Vince smiled and nodded before pausing again. "So, uh… What kind of work is it this time? These general guys have you running around doing their errands constantly it seems."
"Someone has to be willing to do them," she told him. "And none of the big guys ever do anything themselves. Atleast they pay decently well."
Vince laughed.
"It's true."
"Indeed, it is!" He told her. "So any clue as to what you're doing this time?"
"No idea," she replied. "But we got a missive from the governor of Pandaemonium himself so it must be something important."
"Wow! I'm impressed."
She smiled. "We've definitely come a long way in terms of our line of work. It seems like it was just yesterday that we weren't doing more than crushing Arachnas and chasing Mosbears around Altgard."
"You got that right," he told her. "Oh those were simpler days… No nerve racking fortress sieges or pesky Elyos to knock out."
"Indeed."
"So, are you waiting on someone?" Vince asked.
"Yes. Arthen should be speaking with Vidar now. He'll be back this way soon."
"Oh, I see!" He smiled. "Well, let me know if you need my help. I'm gonna go back to the abyss to hunt some sun rats. See you around!"
She laughed. "Don't have too much fun with that."
"Oh, I will." He told her. "See ya."
"Take care," she told him as he dashed off.
The abyss. The space between Asmodae and Elysea which was created when the tower of eternity that linked the two was shattered during the cataclysm. Ultimately, it was a place of siege and war.
White winged Elyos who lived in the sunnier parts of Atreia were the foes of the ebon winged Asmodians who learned to survive in the harshest of conditions through barren lands and frozen tundras. The two were age old rivals who served different masters. The Asmodians followed the Shadim Lords after the cataclysm and the Elyos followed the Seraphim Lords respectively.
They fought each other over the plentiful resources that resided in the abyss and to also defend their homelands from potential infiltrating forces. A war between two celestial immortal races that would never end… and then the Balaur…
Thoughts aside, Tina sighed and seated herself on the stairs to the temple as she waited for Arthen to return.
Arthen approached the Capitol building, the center of all Pandaemonium. High ornate collumns surrounded the outside of the entrance and spanned around the plaza out front along with beautiful floral and water gardens that beautified the city in all of its glory.
As he entered, he was greeted by the most elite soldiers of Asmodae, the Fangs. Arthen smiled and continued straight down the hall.
On either side were powerful soldiers standing guard as well as Asmodae's best scholars and teachers conducting their own duties. At the end of the hall, the governor Vidar was waiting for him.
"Ah, Arthen, it is good to see you. I hope you are doing well."
He nodded. "I am. I hope all is well with you also."
Vidar smiled, silver penetrating eyes and long aged gray hair. "I am, but there are some things that concern me which is why I summoned you here."
Arthen continued to listen.
"Something happened in Gelkmaros that requires more attention. We've already dispatched some of our best people that are already working on findings and solutions, but I am afraid that it isn't enough still."
"What do you need me to do?" He asked him.
"It's more complicated than that," Vidar told him. "You already know that Lord Marchutan discovered that there are some powerful items in Gelkmaros and Inggison and those are Siel's relics."
"Yes, sir. I remember receiving a report about those."
The governor nodded and continued. "We are afraid that the Balaur already have these items in their possession and have every intention to use them. We are sending our most powerful daevas to neutralize the situation as fast as possible. This means that you must help us retrieve these relics from the hands of the balaur before they have the chance to use them. If they get that opportunity, then you know what the future holds. The destruction of Poeta in Elysea will become a reality. After that, it would only be a matter of time before Asmodae is overrun as well with the drakan and their disciples." He paused. "To do this successfully, a good measure of fighting will be involved as well as traveling and learning to communicate with our allies who are native there in Gelkmaros and Inggison, the Reians."
"Sounds like quite a task," Arthen remarked.
"It is. That is why I want you to handle this. You will be boarding a ship to Gelkmaros first thing tomorrow so be ready. Once you are there, Richelle will fill you in on the rest of the details."
"Got it, governor. We won't disappoint you."
"Oh and one more thing," Vidar told him just before Arthen turned to leave.
"Yes, governor?"
"Recently, the balaur assaulted one of our outgoing ships to Gelkmaros with one of their dredgions in an attack on our fortress base there. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again so always be ready and on guard, Arthen."
"Yes. Thank you, sir."
"Walk in Azphel's shadow, soldier." Vidar told him.
Arthen smiled and nodded as he headed back out to meet with Tina. He found her by the Temple of Gold, waiting patiently.
Tina's gaze switched from the ground to Arthen as he walked up to her.
"Everything okay?" Arthen asked her.
"Yeah, just thinking," she said. "Did you get to talk to Vidar?"
"Yes. I'll fill you in a bit later. We're going to Gelkmaros tomorrow morning."
"Gelkmaros?"
He nodded. "Yep, in Balaurea. That's where our assignment is this time."
"Sounds like fun," she remarked.
Arthen smiled. "Make sure we have enough supplies to last us a while. I'm not keen on them giving us much aid in this. I'm going to go find Innes and let him know as well."
"Alright. We should have enough already," she replied.
"That's good." He paused. "Well, you should get well rested. Can't have our healer tired on the job."
She smiled. "Don't worry about me. I won't be the one in the front lines."
"Touché," he told her. "Well, I'll see you in the morning."
"See you."
He nodded and smiled.
Tina watched him as he hurried off again before returning back to her thoughts.
It was peaceful aside from the murmured voices and the sound of rattling change from the vendors all over town.
After another moment, she sighed and headed home.