Hello everyone!
I was editing this chapter for the next release when my feed notified me of the new Episode being released. Of course, I watched it immediately.
Not only was I blow away by the increasingly amazing artistry, but also torn about certain aspects of the new episode. I am not going to spoil for those who haven't watched it yet, but I implore you to head over and speculate your own opinions upon it. As always though, Vizie did an amazing job.
With that out of the way, this is Leon's introduction into Stolas's manor. I hope you all enjoy, now onto the chapter!
Chapter 3: Inter(Work)ings
To say Leon was unprepared was an understatement.
His mental interpretation of who his new….client was got blown out of the water upon seeing the tall, bird-like demon. How they stood high above them, as if taunting him with their superior wealth, height, power…. everything. The crown-like top hat which sat upon their head, and the twin set of eyes that shifted with his expressions. How someone like Madadh spoke to them like they were the best thing to walk into the Dog House.
While Leon had only been in hell for about three years, he had some knowledge of the hierarchy. Especially of those who stood above him as a sinner. How Lucifer ruled over his 'kind' in Hell, as well as the powers and nobility that positioned themselves above people like Leon.
So when he saw one of the Ars Goetia, his concerns and thoughts of escape turned to dread.
And confusion.
"Come, sinner, there is much work to be done. I do not wish to waste my time." Leon followed the Goetia, not wanting to find out what was to happen to him should he refuse. He was forced to take larger steps to keep up, the long strides of the bird demon easily longer than three of Leon's own.
Leon was given little time to look upon the manor, though what he caught was nothing short of jaw dropping.
Beautiful. It was the only word to describe the exterior of the mansion. It was a mixture of Roman-Gothic and Victorian, large columns carved from marble and standing high and tall to frame the base of the first floor. Filigree and stylized patterns carved their way throughout the whole of the walls and reversed arches.
The higher levels gave vision to the layers of windows, shooting into the sky and trouncing the environment with its majesty. The mixture of brick, tile, and marble were only accented by the style and artistry dedicated to its creation, golds and rich colors accenting the entirety of it.
Even as they walked closer, the light of the day bouncing off of the walls, Leon could make out…. constellations. Star patterns and dots littered the exposed portions, shining through and only adding more detail to what kind of mansion such a place was.
And now Leon lived here…. as a slave.
It was better than a plantation.
Leon followed the Goetia up the carved steps. His eyes trailed to the high french doors, noting their tinted glass fixtures. It was the first time he had seen unbroken glass doors since coming to Hell, much less ones of such quality. Leon noted how Stolas slowed his steps as they grew closer, the trail of his strides becoming much easier to follow. Leon looked up at Stolas.
Stolas was looking at the door.
Did he want Leon to open the door? Was this a test? Shit, he wasn't sure. The Goetia was just waiting. Not looking at Leon though.
Just waiting.
The day had been a clusterfuck thus far. The last thing Leon needed was to get punished for random crap twice in a row. He eyed the back pocket of the Goetia, trying to make out the imprint of the remote from within, only to fail due to the swishing of the cape material covering his vantage.
Taking larger steps, he moved past the Goetia, all but running to make it to the door. He didn't want to take a chance on something like thi-
The door swung open.
"Good morning, Lord Stolas." An imp greeted cordially. "Tea awaits you in the dinette."
Stolas merely nodded back, striding past a dumbstruck Leon. "Come, sinner. I shall show you to your work and sleeping quarters."
Stolas turned his head, getting a once-over on the sinner who took hasty steps to keep up with his own strides.
It was his own little test, in a way. A stubborn or incapable subordinate would not maintain close range of him. To his surprise, however, the sinner was all but running to keep up with him. Stolas had more than enough power to force the sinner to follow his orders, or to merely put the leash on him with little concern.
However, it seemed that the sinner was aiming to please their new master. He did not speak (though that was a given), he made actions to aid Stolas (Stolas would have been blind to not notice how the sinner ran up the steps to open the door for him), and kept within safe distance. Whether out of a desire to get in Stolas's good graces or out of fear was to be determined. He still had the remote after all, which seemed to hurt his newest charge quite a bit upon use.
Stolas grinned as he rounded a corner, noting the wide eyed expressions revealed upon the sinner's face. The way their dark red eyes stared up at the interior of his manor. It was almost cute in a way: how completely out of his element the sinner was.
The sinner's footsteps, while soft and numerous, patted through the air with small echoes, the open halls catching the air and letting it sing down the corridors. Stolas slowed his steps, allowing for the sinner to gain a bit of ground. The Goetia came to a gradual stop, turning towards his servant with a stoic look.
They now stood in front of a small doorway, aligned near the edge of a corridor's end. The Goetia stood tall over the meager form of the sinner.
With a twist of a doorknob, Stolas pushed open the simple framed door. He gestured inwards, to which the sinner slowly placed themselves at the now open entrance.
"This is your quarters." Stolas explained. "It is equipped with everything you shall need from now on. Clothes and linens will be dropped off later today by one of my staff."
Leon stared into the room with a bewildered expression.
A small, single bed was placed at the far wall of the room, simple white sheets pressed overtop of the body of the mattress. To its side was a dresser with a mirror overhanging just above. A small table with a singular chair stood in the center of the room, the rounded form of the material showing off function with a hint of form. On the opposite wall was a rather large desk with an adjacent chair, a desk lamp and several pens/pencils being the only thing of note upon it.
It was small, with no windows, and resembled that of a retirement home bedroom, Leon thought to himself. It was more of an office space with an attached bed, spartan in design and bland in detail.
It was…. a lot nicer than he had been expecting.
"If you are finished." Began Stolas, who looked down upon the sinner with a raised eyebrow. The sinner in question shook their head of whatever thoughts they had, their attention pulled back towards the Goetia Demon.
Stolas, silently moving past the lesser demon, strode into the room, taking up the chair adjacent to the meal table and sitting down. With a single finger, he beckoned forward the sinner, who complied to his request wordlessly.
The sinner stopped several steps away from Stolas. The Goetia's eyebrows raised with a hint of being impressed, a pleased look in their eyes. "Tell me-, er. Nevermind." Stolas cleared his throat. "I am going to assume that they did not disclose the reason as to why I purchased you from that…. facility."
The sinner seemed to stare at Stolas for a few moments, as if contemplating. They shook their head.
"Then I shall do so now. Pay attention, because I am only telling you this once." Stolas pressed, to which his newest servant garnered a look on their face before nodding their head.
"I am currently going through a situation regarding the relationship with my wife. A divorce, more blatantly speaking. As such, the separation of our assets is a coming presence that needs to be addressed. While I would love nothing more than to just get the whole problem over with, she is making it difficult. So much so that advisory and financial counsel is impossible to organize."
"Any scheduled meetings I decree are ignored. Her family's financial advisor has kept quiet and she is not involving them. This means that the proceedings on this aspect of our separation are at a grinding halt." Stolas grumbled, his feathers puffing up. It seemed to elicit a look of amusement from the sinner, who tucked their lips in as if to cover a smile.
"My own family's advisory treasurer cannot come here for a meeting unless I have guaranteed that my wife's advisor is in attendance. It would be seen as creating an uneven playing field by upper nobility, as well as a slight, considering I am the one initiating the divorce." Stolas huffed, smirking at the little sinner before him.
"And that's what you're here for. I need a financial advisor." The sinner's eyes widened. "One that is loyal to me, who will do as I see fit. One who will go over my assets in accordance with current law. An actuary who will lay out a proper foundation on which I can cement my divorce on, economically wise." Stolas tilted his head forward. "A quiet asset in my pocket who will help me complete my goal in a timely manner."
"And you, little sinner, are such an asset." Stolas pointed at the other demon. With their other hand, they flicked open a portal with little difficulty, reaching inside the window-sized dimensional gate. A moment later, their arm returned from the other side, the portal closing up just behind it.
In Stolas's hand was a thick set of documents, pressed inside of an overstuffed organizing folder. With a thud, they landed upon the small dining table, Stolas still maintaining eye contact with his dumbstruck servant.
"You are here because of your apparent knowledge of financial matters. If I find it lacking, then you shall no longer be here, and I will find someone else. Understood?"
Stolas received a tentative nod.
"Good. This packet right here is all of the documents I will need processed by the end of the week." Stolas tapped his finger over top of the folder he had just teleported in. Inside of the packet was just his tax papers and documents which held his publicly known assets. A majority of the packet contained the newest tax code and legal divorce papers utilized by accountants and attorneys, for the sinner's benefit. It was more than likely that the sinner was a bit rusty. Even so, Stolas wanted him to do his job right.
"Complete this task, and I shall deliver more work with designated completion dates. A time calendar and clock are already in this room so you will not lose track of time. Fail to provide results, and you will find that I can make your life here….. unpleasant." The sinner stared at the packet, then back up at Stolas. The pale skinned demon nodded once more.
Stolas stood up from his chair. "One more thing." He strode forward, but a single step took him within proximity of the sinner. "You will not leave this room. Whether you consider it a prison matters little to me. However, you cannot be seen throughout the manor by any means. This room is the only space you are allowed access to from now on. Keep it clean, maintain it, and do your work." Stolas smiled down at the diminutive sinner. "And in exchange, should I complete my goals because of your actions…. I may free you of your duties and of this 'encampment'."
The sinner's maroon eyes met Stolas's crimson, ears flicking ever so slightly and making their hair puff up at the sides. It was adorable to the Goetia demon.
Stolas strode past, making his way to the door. "Meals will be presented three times a day. You are expected to maintain the sleep schedule that is in the dresser, along with the other set of rules listed out." Stolas grabbed the handle of the door, swinging it halfway closed, but not before sticking his head in to stare down the sinner.
"Good luck, little sinner."
The door shut, the sound of the door locking just after.
Leon continued to stare at where the Goetia demon was. His eyes were glued to the door, red lenses stuck upon as though he were frozen in place. His eyes traced the frame of the doorway, taking in each groove and pattern of the painted wood. The handle, which was snuggly locked into place and fastened with a deadbolt.
There he stood for several moments, before the need to blink forced him back down to Hell. Leon looked around at the room once again. At his new 'cell'.
The bed that was nicer than the one he had owned in his old apartment, a single sheet across it currently. The desk which looked to have all the space necessary to do his work, sans a desktop computer.
He took note of a small door near the corner of the room, left ajar and which revealed the contents darkened by shadows. He could make out a toilet seat. His restroom/bathroom then. Not a bucket in the corner, like he was expecting. Possibly a shower as well.
Flooring that was carpeted and cleaned, fresh smells emanating from the polished and refined interior of the room. The bland, but unperturbed design which neither welcomed him in, but did not make him feel as though he were the prisoner he really was.
'In exchange, should I complete my goals because of your actions…. I may free you of your duties and of this encampment' Flashed through his mind. Leon thought about his stay at the Dog House versus what could become of this manor.
His key to freedom.
He took in a huge breath, closing his eyes. He exhaled heavily, repeating the process several times. He reopened his eyes, attention going to the pile of papers on the small dining table.
Leon pressed his teeth together, then nodded. He took his first step forward.
"Good Morning, Octavia!" Octavia groaned into her pillow. "Come now, my owlette. You must get out of bed." The young Goetia girl shoved away the hands. To her dismay, they wretched her blankets from her, exposing her to the cold air of the morning.
"Dad!" Octavia gruffed out. "Why are you doing this? I don't have school until 9:00! It's a late start day."
"I know that, Octavia. That's why I thought it would be nice if we went out this morning!" Octavia leveled a single eyed glare at her father, trying to keep her head tucked away under her pillow. With another hand, she grabbed at the pillow beside her and layered it over top of the other, concealing her face further. Stolas chuckled awkwardly. "I know you probably wanted to sleep in-"
"That sounds nice, right about now." She muttered.
"But we don't go out very much." He offered. "I know we don't have much in terms of breakfast this morning, which is why I reserved a table at Dante's Prandium!" Stolas said with enthusiasm, hands clapping together as he gave a closed eyed smile to his beloved daughter.
Octavia didn't move from her spot. "... isn't that the place with the Mouse Benedict?" Could be heard through her layer of pillows. Stolas's beak turned into a large grin.
"The very same."
The pillows shifted over, revealing a tired looking, but slightly more optimistic looking Octavia. She gave her joyful father a slightly less irritated look. "Let me get dressed, I guess."
"Oh, splendid!"
The door clicked behind Leon, ripping him away from the set of documents he had been staring at for the past hour. Shoving back his chair, he stood up and faced the door. Seconds later, an imp walked in. More specifically, the same imp that opened the door upon his entry into the manor
In their hands was a bundle of sorts, which they deposited onto the ground beside the door. Leon walked towards them, lifting his hand to garner their attention. To his dismay, however, the imp left as soon as he arrived. The door clicked shut, the sound of the lock moving into place seconds later.
Leon looked at the locked door with ire, before huffing to himself. He listened as soft steps disappeared down the hall, inaudible after a moment. Leon was alone once again.
The white haired sinner looked at the bag. Walking over, he grabbed at the drawstring, unclasping the notch on it. Sticking his fingers into the hole at the top, he pulled it open. Maroon eyes took in the assortment of items inside.
At the top appeared to be a brown paper bag. Pulling it out, he shook it around a little bit before opening it as well. Inside was an apple, two snack bars of some kind, probably oat or something akin to it, and a paper wrapped something at the bottom. A sandwich, his mind supplied.
The bag contained two water bottles as well. Immediately, he took up one of them and drank. His greedy throat taking down the fluid without remorse. He already drank plenty from the sink faucet, but the cooled bottle hit a spot that could not be attained by stale, hand washing water. The crinkling of plastic and the gulping of water made itself known, before the bottle was completely drained, followed by a content sigh.
Leon placed the empty bottle on the floor, looking back inside the drawstring once more. Sticking his hands in, he pulled out a folded set of garments. Two sets of the same clothing: Two white button ups, each with a black button vest. Pairs of black slacks, socks, undergarments, and a single set of dress shoes completed the collection. Near the bottom of the pack was also a single set of sleepwear, which he couldn't help but appreciate.
His warden was being very hospitable, to say the least. An incentive to do his job right, more than likely.
Leon made his final push through the contents of the bag. At the very bottom was the largest item: A blanket and pillow.
Flipping the bag inside out, he emptied the remaining contents. To his surprise, underneath the remaining linens were toiletries. A toothbrush, toothpaste, bar of soap, and towel all fell out alongside the items.
Leon stared down at the collection of products bestowed upon him. He looked to the pile of papers on the desk, then back to the large assortment of…. leeway delivered onto him. Leon grabbed the blankets and pillow, placing them upon the bed. He took a few moments to set up and arrange his bed, laying the blanket overtop of it properly. He moved back to the pile, grabbing the brown bag and water and placing them on the break table.
Leon took the towel and toiletries and walked into his bathroom. Reaching around the wall, he felt a light switch and turned it on.
It was very small. The toilet was pressed up right beside the small single sink counter. The mirror hung low, more than likely made for an imp. The shower was compact, a shower curtain laid up to stop water from flowing out, as there appeared to be not enough space for a shower door. The lip of the bottom ceramic went up several inches, nowhere near enough for a bath, enough to stop overflow into the rest of the small bathing space.
Despite the size, it trumped his stay at his old prison cell.
Leon placed the towel over the curtain rack, then put the bar of soap on the floor of the shower and the toothbrush/toothpaste on the sink edge.
He exited the bathroom, flicking the lights off. Walking back to his shrinking pile of stuff, he grabbed up his clothes and placed them in the dresser. It was not enough clothing to take up even a single drawer, but that was to be expected.
Leon looked around the room again, then back to his desk. He smiled to himself.
It was no paradise….but it was something.
Leon finished his first day out with little fanfare.
To be truthful, he had taken most of the day reading up on the tax codes and processes he would need to go through with the new stack of paperwork.
It had been months since he had worked on a financial document, and Leon was rough around the edges. He could admit that himself. However, after about eleven hours of reading the itinerary and going over the files, he felt more confident than he did before the day began.
Two more bags were nudged into his door throughout the day. Again, the imp refused to speak to him in any form, merely dropping down the items before leaving in haste. He had waved his hands to get their attention, but to no avail. Leon wondered if he could write something to elicit a reaction. A thought for possibly tomorrow.
Leon felt that his situation was almost too good to be true. He was still a captive, being forced to work with an aspect of indentured servitude. No means of communication to the outside world, and no way to say a single fucking word.
His hands went to the collar firm upon his neck. A sour look crossed his features.
Even so… it was better than the past few months. Had Leon gone from his single living apartment to this manor, he would have had a stink for a bit. But being in the Dog House for the past while had left him a bit more pliable to his new surroundings.
It also helped that he hadn't gotten any negative ramifications thus far. Leon was expected to do paperwork, and that was it! While he still had much to do, it almost felt like his old job again, except with way less cursing.
Slipping into his small bed, he pulled up his blanket. Leon laid down on the slightly tough material, sighing as his back relaxed into the frame and sheets.
Six days left to prove himself. Leon snorted.
He would be done in four.
End Chapter
Dante's Prandium: A play on Dante's Inferno. Prandium means 'Breakfast/Luncheon' in Latin.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I plan on having the next one out soon enough. I will have to make slight alterations to my plans for the future, considering that the new episode has caused some differences in what I had interpreted from the show.
I hope you all have a wonderful day! Until next time, see ya!