CHAPTER 15:

CITY OF CANALS

"…Why were the drinks so expensive?"

Raynare snorted at Harry's question. "Venice, in the more touristy areas, is ridiculously expensive. And here we are, having tea and coffee in St Mark's Square."

Which indeed they were. Harry looked around the famous square, the beautiful architecture, the bell tower dominating one end of the square. He'd never even dreamed he would be here. Not that he had any particular desire to come here. If he wanted to come to Italy, it'd be to Rome rather than Venice. But he couldn't complain, not with the instant travel here.

Still, one thing bugged him. "We're in Italy, right? The seat of the Vatican? Is it okay to be here? I mean, the Church and the Angels aren't going to get shirty, right?"

Mittelt, who was nursing her own coffee, said, "It's fine. Places like Venice are more or less neutral territory for the most part. As long as we don't start shit, the Church isn't going to start shit either, at least in theory. Anything that's a world-renowned tourist trap is neutral ground for the Three Biblical Factions, more or less. Of course, there's places that are the seats of other supernatural factions. You don't want to start shit in Kyoto, for example, lest you piss off the Shinto Faction and the Youkai there. And of course, heading to actual churches or the Vatican itself is a no-no for Fallen, never mind the Devils, unless they're deconsecrated. We're probably being watched, but no more than some people are watched by CCTV back in Britain."

"Joy," Harry said flatly.

"It's fine," Raynare said. "Believe me, this is more relaxing than it used to be. I remember when Venice was ruled by the likes of the Doge. Italy was little more than a bunch of city-states with, at best, complex and intricate politicking. Corruption was everywhere. I mean, the Doge at the time managed to persuade the Crusaders in the Fourth Crusade to attack the city of Zara rather than 'liberating' Jerusalem, due to the Crusaders' mounting debts."

"Zara?" Harry asked.

Mittelt waved a hand. "Used to be a Venetian-controlled city in what is now Croatia, but which rebelled against them. It's now called Zadar. And then those arseholes went on to attack Constantinople. Long story. Florence was also a notorious hotspot of intrigue and corruption, and so was Rome."

Raynare chuckled. "Yeah. Niccolo was writing his treatises at the time that Rodrigo Borgia had his arse on the papal throne."

"Niccolo?"

"Niccolo Machiavelli," Raynare said with a wistful smile. "I was actually friends with him. Nicer than you'd expect given his reputation. So was Lucrezia Borgia. Ruthless woman, but nowhere near as bad as her reputation suggested. Great in the sack too. And no, she didn't fuck her brother Cesare, that was all propaganda. Not that all of the bad press against the Borgias were lies. Ah, those were interesting times."

"In the cursed sense of the term?" Harry asked.

"Yes and no. They were also genuinely interesting times. The Renaissance was one of those times when you could truly feel the potential of humans. Leonardo da Vinci was a case in point. Brilliant painter and engineer, as well as the closest thing you'd have to a scientist back then, but honestly, he was also a fun prankster who would have given your father and his merry little band pointers."

"…And there's only one of them left," Harry said quietly in solemn realisation. "Hell, if it weren't for my going into that Juggernaut Drive or whatever it was…Remus could have ended up dead. So would Tonks. And their son would've been an orphan."

"Hey, in a way, that's a good thing. You going berserk probably saved so many lives, so many people you care about," Mittelt said gently. "That's the bright side. Voldemort is dead, for good, along with a lot of his followers. Because if he wasn't, well, by now, he'd probably be making plans to conquer the world. Dunno if he would have succeeded, and I'm sure he would have done something to piss off the Three Factions enough for them to get off their arses sooner rather than later, but still…"

It was of little comfort to Harry. There were still people who died, good people, and evil people who had lived. The latter had lived long enough to screw him over, especially Snape. A man who, despite claiming to be friends with Harry's mother, didn't hesitate to fuck Harry over at every opportunity he could. All out of spite towards James Potter, and towards Lily, Harry felt. Whatever love Snape had for Lily had transformed into an obsession long ago.

Raynare chuckled. When Harry looked at her sharply, she said, "I know the look on that face. You want to fuck someone up real good, don't you? Someone who's screwed you over?"

"Yeah."

"I know that feeling. I'm not going to tell you whether it's right or wrong to do that, I'm a bad example, to say the least. But if you want me to help…well, sometimes getting revenge is a pyrrhic victory, something that leaves you feeling hollow and unfulfilled. And sometimes, it's one of the best feelings ever, almost as good as sex. Take it from someone who's experienced both."

"Sex and revenge?" Harry quipped.

"Well, those too, but I'm talking about hollow and satisfying revenge," Raynare said. "I think I can guess who you're thinking of most…Snape?"

"…I'd ask how you could guess, but…I've bitched about him often enough."

"Yes, you have. I actually remember meeting one of his predecessors, Professor Sharp. Still an arsehole, but he was a very competent teacher who, if you followed the rules and his instructions, would praise you, no matter what your House. And he was a Slytherin himself. You would've liked him, at least more than Snape."

"Didn't they say Snape had gone into hiding? Your friends, I mean?" Mittelt asked.

"Yeah. A lot of the Death Eaters have gone underground, even those that got pardoned," Harry said bitterly. "It makes you wonder where they buggered off to."

"…Good point," Raynare said. "In any case, let's stop talking about such shit. Let's just enjoy the scenery and the coffee…"

And so they did, trying to make small talk as they did so. Of course, there was the elephant in the room: Raynare's actions the other day. And nobody wished to speak of that at the moment.

After that, they headed to the nearby Piazetta adjoining St Mark's Square, and to the edge of the lagoon. Raynare looked contemplatively at the murky water. Eventually, she said, "This city is always in danger of sinking back into the muck of the Venetian Lagoon. I dunno whether that speaks to humanity's insanity or tenacity. Or maybe it's to humans' nature in general. You see all around you the beautiful architecture and art…and yet, Venice, like so many other cities at the time, like Florence or Rome, were hotbeds of sin and intrigue."

"…And like the Grigori," Mittelt said.

Raynare scoffed, or rather, it was a single, sardonic bark of laughter. "…Yeah. We're closer to humans than we realise. More than those brown-nosers in Heaven or those Devils are. When I think about it, so many of us Fell because we dared to make a choice. Not necessarily the right one, true, but we showed we had more free will than those suck-ups in Heaven did. Humans were granted free will…so why is it a sin for Angels to have it?"

"Don't ask me, I know nothing about theology," Harry said. "I mean, aside from the fact that so many gods exist, and so do Angels and Devils. And actually confirming their existence was only a relatively recent thing for me. But…free will…well, it means you can do good or evil, right? What matters is that you have a choice."

"…Yeah. But…I think I've come to realise…I haven't been much better than those asshats in Heaven. The only thing that changed was the boss. Lord Azazel is nothing like God, thankfully, he's more fun, but…I did everything for him, out of loyalty to him. Not because I wanted to, but because I was smitten with him. Don't get me wrong, I'm still loyal to him, to the Grigori…but I'm looking for my own path now."

Harry and Mittelt shared a look, before Harry explained the idea of Raynare and Mittelt potentially being his liaisons if he left the Grigori. Raynare looked to them, and then scowled. "You couldn't tell me this sooner?"

"By the time we were going to tell you, you were getting drunk! We didn't want to tell you earlier because you were still coming to terms with everything, Raynare!" Mittelt retorted. "I'm surprised Lord Azazel didn't say anything to try and soften the blow."

"…I probably told him to fuck off by then," Raynare said quietly, groaning in irritation towards herself. After a pause, she said, "Ugh, it's not a bad idea, really. Honestly, I could do with a change of pace. I mean, it's not the first time I've acted as a liaison with outsiders, though they were usually brought into the Grigori eventually. I've often worked with Stray Exorcists and Magicians who have worked with us, but not under our aegis, for example."

"Yeah, and that's a mixed bag. True, you get a lot of Stray Exorcists who have genuine grievances against the Church, but then you have too many guys like Freed Sellzen," Mittelt remarked.

"…Who's that?" Harry asked. "I heard his name thrown around in the Grigori before, but…"

"He's a Stray Exorcist, as well as a failed product of a project designed to recreate the legendary Germanic hero Siegfried," Raynare said, grimacing in disgust. "The problem is, while a talented Exorcist, he's also a raving lunatic who got excommunicated for too many messy deaths and torture, and rumours that he's also a rapist. Unfortunately, he's also too useful to the Grigori to be put down like the rabid dog he is, though it may only be a matter of time. And before you say anything, Harry, the Grigori is where outcasts make their home. Unfortunately, that means a lot of people who are outcasts for a very good reason, and who are accepted only because they're more useful than they have a right to be. Besides, there are worse Fallen within the Grigori. But I've worked with them, and alongside them. The Grigori can't be that choosy about our allies."

"But you're fine with being my liaison if I work independently?"

Raynare chuckled. "Of course I am. Honestly, it'll be a nice change. Fuck, I must be going soft, or maybe what happened the other day shook me up worse than I thought. But…well, enough of this shit. Let's do some sightseeing. I think we need some…"

"You wanted to see me, Old Man?"

Azazel looked up at the features of his adopted son. True, there was still a distance between him and Vali, not helped by the Lucifer Cambion following the beat of his own drum. But he liked to think that their relationship was far better than that Vali had with his biological father. "Yeah, Vali," Azazel said. "Now, Harry's getting restless, and I'm looking to set things up so he's a freelancer who'll work for us, or any faction as long as they meet his standards. How do you feel about that?"

"…Well, I'm not really one of your mooks, so 'permission to speak freely' doesn't really apply here," Vali said with a cocky smirk, that soon became thoughtful. "I'll admit, I'm not surprised. Harry seems to be the sort who chafes at leashes. Not that he had any overt leashes to Magical Britain, but he certainly has issues with how Dumbledore stage-managed his life. I did my research after he ended up here and you had me training him. I even spoke to that Lupin guy and Harry's friends when they were last here. Once Voldemort was killed, I'm sure his first thought would have been finding freedom. Of course, the surviving Blood Purists royally sodomised his chances of doing so. Why ask me this?"

"Well, even though you're not officially part of the hierarchy here, I do value your opinion. If I'd asked Kokabiel, he'd say to keep him here by force, and Baraquiel would agree with what I went along with. Shemhazai agrees with me, as does Penemue, but they have their own views on the matter. In any case, you're about Harry's age, Vali, and I appreciate your viewpoint on the matter."

Vali nodded. "Thanks, Old Man."

"Oh, there's more to it than that. I might have your group check in on him every now and then. I'm assigning Raynare and possibly Mittelt to be his liaisons with the Grigori, but your group is less strongly affiliated with us. I'm just a little worried, about the possibility of the more vicious Devils, particularly the Old Satan Faction, coming after him to conscript him, never mind the Khaos Brigade."

Vali grimaced. Azazel didn't quite understand the emotions behind it, and that perturbed him a little. However, he decided it wasn't worth worrying about. "I wouldn't put it past either of them. The Khaos Brigade has been gathering strong beings under their aegis for some time now, and…well, the Old Satan Faction goes without saying. Those monsters are drawn to power like moths to a flame, power for dominance or destruction. My sperm-donor and that bastard Rizevim are the worst amongst them. What worries me is what the Blood Purists may do once Harry re-emerges into the spotlight in the supernatural world again."

"It worries me too. They may be weak by comparison now, and Harry would probably curbstomp them normally, but they fight dirty. They may try to target Harry's loved ones," Azazel said. "I've put precautions in place to prevent that, but nothing is foolproof, as you know."

"Hmm. Can you trust Raynare with Harry, though?"

"…I do. Don't get me wrong, I was worried her ambition and her desire for me might lead her to a dark place. It's one of the reasons why I made it clear to her what my feelings were to her recently, but…well, as you no doubt know, it went badly. Then again, Raynare's come out through the other side. I have no doubts to her loyalty to the Grigori, Vali. The problem is, I've been inadvertently stringing her along. I'm not really cut out to be a leader, but unfortunately, the other alternatives either don't want it, or would be worse than me."

"Old Man, you do a pretty damn good job, even if you hate it," Vali said. "And at least you finally manned up and told Raynare the truth. Only took you several centuries, but hey, better late than never, right?"

"Vali…I wasn't sure I could ever get through to Raynare. And even then, what is she to me? She's a footsoldier in the Grigori, and I can't give her the love she wants. I wasn't sure how to explain that to her. For all I knew, she was going to go all bunny-boiler on my arse. Look, I know I'm a perpetual bachelor, fit only for having lovers, not a love of my life. True, that probably makes me a coward when it comes to relationships, and yet…well, there it is. What can I say? I love peace, just as much as you would love a good fight. But…Vali…never go seeking for war. War is Hell. It's a cliché, but it's true. Many clichés are true, and for a good reason. And some relationships are a war in of themselves."

"…I think you mangled that metaphor a bit, towards the end."

Azazel nodded. "Yeah. Some relationships can go sour, true, but they've nothing on real war. Well, save for some spats between deities. Those became actual wars. In any case, don't get me wrong, I still feel that Raynare's loyalty to me as a leader is still there. But, well, I've been toppled off her pedestal as Best Husbando of the Grigori, and as flattering as that may be, I'm very much a perpetual bachelor. She needs someone better than me."

"…Do you reckon Harry would fit the bill?" As Azazel looked at his ward sharply, Vali shrugged. "I know you made it clear to Raynare not to be a honey trap to lure him into staying with the Grigori permanently, but you wouldn't say no if they hooked up more naturally."

"True, but I didn't bring them together with that in mind," Azazel said. "Oh, it'd be nice if Raynare and Harry got together. Both of them could do with happiness in their lives. And to tell the truth, I did hope it would happen naturally. They're more alike than they care to realise. But I didn't bank on that possibility. Still, it may happen."

"Is that why you finally manned up and told Raynare you couldn't be hers?"

"Not at all. That sort of manoeuvre is simply cruel," Azazel said with a shake of his head. "Harry and Mittelt just had me realise that I'd been running from that issue for too long. If this means Harry and Raynare get together, it's just a cruel serendipity with a hopefully good outcome. If nothing else, this ensures she is friends with him. I hope, anyway."

Yes, he hoped. Azazel hoped that they would get together. But reality was often cruel. He couldn't bank on this. All he could do was hope, and do what he could to ensure Harry was, if not directly under the aegis of the Grigori, then at least on friendly terms with them. And if he got a happy life into the bargain, and so did Raynare? Well, that was a welcomed bonus.

Still, Azazel knew that there were forces out there that would covet Harry and his powers. And he needed to do his best to prevent them from getting their claws into Harry. And to prepare Harry to fight against those powers…

CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry, Raynare and Mittelt have a relaxing holiday in Venice, while Azazel discusses events with Vali. Just a nice interlude chapter before the next one.

I remembered about the Venetian Doge's little bit of political chicanery and the eventual sacking of Constantinople in Terry Jones and Alan Ereira's book Crusades, the one I mentioned before.

Also, the thought of Raynare namedropping the likes of Machiavelli and the Borgias seems…well, if she was old enough to have lived during the Renaissance (her canon age is never established), she would have known the times. I remember reading Mario Puzo's novel about the Borgias long ago, and I have seen parts of the Showtime series (where Machiavelli is played by Julian Bleach, aka Davros from the new series of Doctor Who).

Review-answering time! WearyCurmudgeon: A fair point, but Raynare's a self-loathing mess. But it is still a good point, as I once heard that Mary I and Elizabeth I executed about as many people during their respective reigns, but Elizabeth I had a far longer reign than her half-sister, and actually tried to be tolerant to Catholics (whereas Mary pretty much jumped to burning Protestants from the get-go).

And don't forget Loki. In Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell, he had just fallen off the Bifrost after the end of Thor, and had earlier tried to kill his own brother, and had attempted genocide against the Frost Giants. He'd already crossed the line into villainy even before Thanos got his hands on him.

Killing Issei after tricking him into a date is still pretty nasty, though. It'd be one thing if he actually crossed the line from voyeurism and perversion into sexual assault (ironically, his first dub actor was charged with possessing child porn), and of course, if he was actually a genuine threat to people with his Sacred Gear, then killing him would be justified. But it's still a bit of a dick move to trick an otherwise relatively harmless pervert into a date and then shanking him after he goes all out to please her. Just sayin'.

No numbered annotations this time.