A/N: Hello. Psylent here. This came to me and wouldn't leave me alone, so here it is. A huge rash of Riser Phenex SIs coming around here, and I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring because it looks like fun. Though I can already tell that this is going to cross the 40k threshold so fast that sticking it in the Plot Bunny thread would just be a waste of time for you and me. This story will also serve as some nice training for delving into the DxD lore (lore so rich yet wasted on following Issei) for my Abe no Seimei SI (I hope). I've watched the three seasons of DxD anime many years ago, and consumed every quality fanfiction I could get my hands on, so I'll hope its enough to hit the mark. lmao.
Enjoy!
[Phenex Clan Estates]
Lady Elise Phenex nee' Barbatos stared down at her child with a wonderous expression on her face.
He was here. Finally. Her prophecied child.
A gentle titter escaped her lips as she cooed lightly, the fingers of her freed hand not supporting her precious bundle lightly ghosting over his face- the woman alternating between the tips of her nails and the pads of her fingers.
The child had the most adorable expression on his face!
Even if devil children were different than human babes, his eyes were still mostly sightless, but despite this, they seemed to drink in their surroundings with equal parts wonder and shock- with nary a cry from his lips!
"Isn't he just the sweetest, dear?" She murmured softly as she started rocking him back and forth in her arms, and when she felt the bed lean the Lady of House Phenex turned her head toward her husband.
Tall and imposing, with a strong square jaw and features that seemed to be etched from stone, the Lord of House Phenex lay himself down next to his wife, a single finger from his large hand reaching out to stroke the chubby cheeks of his son. The third son gave a burble of discontent, the weak little thing trying to twist his head away from the stimulation, but after a few moments, he seemingly gave up and instead reached out with a tiny hand to latch onto the interloper. The father chuffed at the actions of the son and turned to his wife so that he could nose a sweat-soaked strand of her golden blonde hair out of the way, his lips puckering to press a warm kiss against the side of her brow, "The boy has a strong grip."
"He does indeed, does he not?" She cooed as she let her finger squish his cute little nose, and her voice turned dreamy and unfocused as her eyes grew misty, "Borne the 3rd, but not the last. Intelligent eyes of fire consume with wrath. With not a sound cried at his birth, he will show the world his worth."
The Lady's voice was as serene and as placid as the lake just a short walk from their estate, and it made the Lord's hair stand on end as she began to descend into a giggling fit. One that dragged on and on, the tinges of madness palpable- caressing his ears in a way that made the man shiver despite himself.
Lady Phenex was a Phenex by marriage.
Born the third daughter to Paltros Barbatos, one of the Dukes of the Demon Pillars, she was 'traded' to the Phenex Clan centuries ago by Marcus Phenex's father as a suitable bride for his son.
The dowry?
A small but direct supply of Phenex Tears as long as Paltros Barbatos lived and remained as the Barbados' Head.
Phenex Tears were inherently valuable due to their impressive healing properties, with even just a few drops able to heal all but the most grievous wounds. They were incredibly expensive, with each vial being sold on the markets for inordinate sums of money or favors that most devils not belonging to a Pillar family could ever hope to afford. The deal was made in secret between Marcus' father and Lord Barbatos, with only the families of each knowing of the arrangement, and the Barbatos family regularly rotated out their stocks while selling the excess vials they had on hand to the open markets for some rather tidy profits.
Though on the surface it seemed as if the arrangement was merely financial, those who understood the politics of the Pillar Houses knew that this was a preventative measure more than anything else. It was in a Devil's nature to strive to rise above their station and to claim the holdings of others, and in Houses with poor control over their children- those who did not instill proper loyalty and respect towards the family that bore them- often saw the leadership of their Pillar House change hands with the coming of the next generation.
Whether the current head liked it or not.
Lord Barbatos had stagnated in his strength, his power growing no more, and his First Born Son had sought to have him removed, but it was the stipulations on the Phenex Contract that stayed his hand and prevented him from moving against his father. Their family's wealth and power had been in decline for centuries as the Great Prophets of the Devils were slaughtered during the Great Civil War, and it was the Phenex Contract that brought in the coin and favors needed to keep their family in their lofty position.
Should Caelid Barbatos depose his father- a feat that could only be accomplished by slaying him- then his House would fall to ruin unless the young Devil had plans in mind to keep their finances and power. Seeing as the old Devil yet lived it appeared as though the Heir to the Barbatos family had not come up with a viable solution to the loss of the contract, and thus the current Head stayed in his seat.
"It came true," Elise Phenex giggled happily to herself, "Oh Marcus! It came true!"
"Indeed, it did, my love," He murmured into the dampness of her hair, and when her free hand stopped toying with her newborn he reached out and took hold of it- their fingers intertwining.
She turned her head and looked at him, the happy, brilliantly blinding smile on her face was only marred by the hazy, soft blue glow emanating from her eyes.
This was the primary trait of the Barbatos family.
While they were most known for their ability to speak the languages of all animals- be they mundane or magical- the Baratos' primary talent was one of Prophecy.
Of foresight.
To peer beyond the fabric of time and space to see events that could unfold.
They were highly valued by the original Lucifer and his three Satans, their abilities sometimes able to pierce even the Great Veil of Heaven and 'divine' the intentions of their foes and possible outcomes. This powerful ability naturally made them primary targets during the War, with only the Old Man being the sole survivor of the Pillar Family, and upon its conclusion, he had taken many wives to rebuild it and prevent his family's extinction; to save his where the others had fallen prey to Holy Light from both the White Feathers and Black Feathers alike.
Elise Phenex's gift for this ability was the strongest the Barbatos family had seen in centuries, not since her Aunt's murder during the Civil War, and that made her a valuable piece- one that the Old Man had been keen on utilizing. Though it was still a far cry from her ancestors', with it coming in fits and spurts, and leaving her heart, mind, and soul frazzled for days or weeks on end... all for a cryptic poem that all too often only made sense after said foretelling came to pass.
Not that Marcus Phenex cared about any of it.
As far as he was concerned her 'gifts' had been more a curse than anything else. They left her in a daze for far too long, leaving her bedridden and listless until her mind finally regained clarity, and she lost time... lost time with her husband and her children. Her 'gifts' deprived her of much and left her with very little in return.
Perhaps if her prophecies were less cryptic and more straightforward he could find some beauty in their utility, but as it stood now... he would much rather his darling wife not spend months of every year laying in her bed or lounging on a couch with her mind addled- trying to comprehend secrets and meanings beyond her kin.
It had hit him hard, seeing her seated in the garden with her head looking towards the skies- her sightless eyes staring up at the violet clouds and purple skies of the Underworld without a connection to the world- but it had hit their two beloved sons even harder. It took a great deal of time for Ruval and Regenald to understand that their mother wasn't ignoring them because she didn't love them enough. Their young minds found it difficult to parse the true meanings behind her inborn blood ability that caused her to sit still and spiritless; lifeless to the world around them.
Once they did understand, however, their two darling boys followed their father's lead and made sure to make each bout of lucidity one to be cherished and remembered.
He could only hope that their newest addition would come to understand as they did.
"He will," Elise whispered, her lips ghosting over his as if she'd heard his thoughts, "He will. He will be strong. He will be thoughtful. He will be ruthless. He will be kind-"
Glowing, misty eyes tracked away from her husband and back down to their son, her fingers stroking the underside of his chin, "-He will be the one the others turn to. A brilliant beacon. A shining example for all. He will rise from the tribulations like a true Phenex."
She burst out into giggles, and after a few breaths, they turned into full-blown laughter. Laughter that once more took on the tinge that made the hair on the back of Lord Phenex's neck stand stiff, "Yes! Yes! I see now! He will rise! He will rise!"
Pale blue eyes lost their ethereal glow as she disentangled her fingers from her husband's so that she could hold up her little bundle high in air, "Yes, you shall rise up, my Little Phenex. My darling little bird. Huuhuuhuu~! My darling... Riser."
Lord Phenex felt his lips twitch.
After she named their first two children she had promised him that she would let him name their third-born, and yet it seemed that in her joy she had forgotten this little detail.
He did his best to contain his disappointment, but her words from before- her prophecy- chimed like a bell within his mind.
"Born the 3rd, but not the last..."
Marcus Phenex shook his head as he nestled himself up next to his wife.
Donovan Phenex would have been a fine name for the lad, but he supposed that if they were to have another then the fourth son of Marcus Phenex could be Donovan. And if it was a daughter? Then... hmm... yes, Estella would be perfect.
"Riser Phenex?" He pressed his lips to her ear, and she tittered at the ticklish sensations, "A good name. A strong name for a strong boy."
The child's face scrunched up and then for the first time he opened up his lips and exercised his lungs, the babe formally announcing his presence to the world.
[Five Years Later]
It was something that never got easier.
Riding the currents of a prophet's mind, that is.
Images and voices whirled around me like a tornado, thousands of flashes and voices all vying for my attention at the same time. Everything that has been, is, and would (could) be swirling around in a kaleidoscope of sensations that overwhelmed my senses and numbed body, spirit, and mind. It was impossible to try and understand them all, his mother had taught them, and thus they could only try to grasp onto the threads of fate that they cared about and pull them in close for inspection. Even then, it was an arduous task, one that was made all the more hard as even with one thread grasped it immediately spread into thousands of other threads the moment it was touched.
I have been reborn as Riser Phenex.
I am of the Pillar Family known far and wide to the entirety of the Underworld as the "Giver of Tears" to those who adored us, and the "Weepy Birds" by those who sought to denigrate us.
Born the 3rd Son to the 3rd Daughter seemed to me to be quite ironic, but to learn that she was born 3rd to the 3rd wife of Paltros Barbatos seemed to have some sort of mysticism about it- three is considered a magic number, after, and three '3's seemed to make it all the more magical. Something one might consider 'auspicious', and if my strength and abilities were any consideration there might have been some truth to it.
I was blessed equally between the Barbatos and Phenex lineages, with not only the ability to effortlessly speak to and understand beasts of all kinds, but I showed promise with the four affinities of the Phenex Clan, those being Phenex Fire, Hellfire, Regeneration, and Wind. I also had the rather dubious honor of being the first Phenex born of my mother's womb to carry the Barbatos trait of 'Prophecy'... though my 'gift' was far lesser than my mother's. However, in my personal opinion that was more a boon than anything else.
I didn't have time to sit around for days, weeks- or on particularly bad bout- months on end in a spiritually induced prophetic haze.
I barely remember jack shit about High School DxD, and because of this I couldn't kick back, relax, and metagame the current system by triggering certain flags or snatching up valuable Sacred Gear holders and the like. Fuck, the most I remember was that there were big boobs and other female archetypes and that the Heavenly Dragon named Ddraig was wasted on an idiot like Hyodou Issei.
My eyes crossed as a ribbon seemed to smack against my nose, the image of a newborn in swaddling held tightly against the bosom of my mother flashing behind my eyes before the sudden shock caused me to release the thread that I had been clumsily grasping.
It hadn't hurt, but it had been... something.
"Ah." The utterance left my lips as I felt a tap on my shoulder, the void and storm of brightly colored ribbons wavering around me. Then the tap came again, this time a little bit harder, and the area around me shimmered like a mirage before a tug on my cheek snapped me awake.
I jolted lightly, but the thin, waifish pair of arms wrapped around my waist stopped me from tumbling forward onto the ground.
"Young Master Riser," Came my maid's gentle voice, "You asked to be disrupted when it came time for dinner."
I blinked as a hand with thin, beautifully delicate fingers slipped up from my waist to stroke my hair- the tips of the nails digging into my scalp just so that made my flesh break out into pleasant goose pimples. My belly was simultaneously being stroked, the fingers swirling over my belly button from underneath my shirt, and a soft sigh escaped my lips as I peered up at her.
Soft Asian- Japanese to be precise- features gazed back at me, with perfectly straight raven-black hair, ocean blue almond-shaped eyes, and rounded but distinct features. Her cute nose was complimented by her full lips, and the figure that filled out her professional maid uniform was on the small side; one would assume that it was due to her heritage, but Devils by their very nature were shapeshifters, able to adjust and change their looks slowly over time. The more powerful the Devil the more broad and sweeping the changes could become, but after a certain amount of time a 'mental image' of sorts is developed and it becomes harder to change as the years go on; not impossible, certainly, but more difficult.
I think that her growth into an understated frame was more likely to do with avoiding my older brother's lusts rather than anything else.
"Thank you, Lirianne, you are a gem."
Upon seeing her smile I turned my head and looked over my shoulder while I patted gently the hand stroking my belly, "Alright, Mother. It's time for me to eat dinner."
Vacant blue eyes stared across the garden, her lips moving slightly but nary a sound escaping them. She stared down at me in a fashion that I once found unnerving when I first saw her in this fugue state, but time, exposure, and understanding helped me keep the small thrill of unease deep in the pit of my belly where it belonged. She blinked slowly, but her stroking fingers ceased their tender caresses and I slipped off of her pillowy thighs and onto my feet.
I turned around and squeezed both of her hands firmly as I stood up on my tip-toes and placed a kiss against her cheek, and I whispered into her ear, "I will come visit you again tomorrow, Mother. I love you."
Even in her listless state, she had enough motherly instinct to press her lips against my cheek in return, and I stepped away slowly, letting her hands slip from mine before I strode toward my maid and took hold of the hand she offered, "Did you take the photo?"
In a flash of light, a small card appeared in her hand, and she held it out for me to inspect: There I was, dressed in my daywear, and seated in my mother's lap, with my face scrunched up in concentration.
I huffed, as it looked like I was trying to take a rather stubborn shit, but I knew that my mother would love it, and she would add it to the collection she kept in her study; the binder tucked away carefully on the bookshelf next to her desk.
It was sort of my way of showing her that I still wanted to be around her even when she wasn't 'at home', so to speak, and her embrace- her aura- seemed to act as a valve that reduced the strain of my prophetic gifts immeasurably. Not only did I get to spend time with her, but it also doubled as a training aid for me!
Not that I could make heads or tails of the mess to begin with.
I handed back the magical photograph to Lirianne, "She'll no doubt love it."
The maid chuckled warmly, "Fufufu, of course she will, Young Master. Lady Phenex cherishes every moment she gets to spend with you, even the ones when she is... absent. Though you can tell that she enjoys your presence even still with the way she cradles you. Nufufufu."
I rolled my eyes internally as she guided me out of the interior garden of the Phenex mansion and toward the primary dining room, and having nothing better to do while we walked I allowed myself to sneak looks at my personal maid out of the corner of my eye.
Lirianne Suzukawa was a natural-born Low-Class Devil, the daughter of a reincarnated Japanese woman with some magical talents and a Mid-Class Devil who'd wormed his way into the middle ground of the Rating Games in my 2nd eldest brother's peerage.
Regenald, or 'Regen' as he preferred to be called outside of formal occasions, was what I considered to be one of the 'best' Devils to work for; outside of being a perpetual hornball, taking male and female lovers alike, he was kind to those he considered close friends and family. He was the very walking personification of "Party Hearty", with my older brother hosting parties and get-togethers before, during, and after prominent Rating Games. Or, well, any Rating Games. He was the eternal fratboy who still shows up and grills out at the college football games despite having graduated decades prior- the type to never miss a game even if it was raining, snowing, hot as balls, or cold as hell.
The bashes were spectacular if what I've heard was any indication, and considering he used his own money for the events my mother and father were content to let him be the social butterfly he was always meant to be.
Still, he was a Devil about his lusts, and considering he'd had both the father and the mother, there had been the possibility that he'd turn his eyes on the daughter as well. Not that he'd force her or anything, but he was a man incredibly seasoned in the Art of Seduction, and he was a High-Class Devil from a prominent family, and the Master to her father's Peerage... so the possibility that she would deny him outright was slim to none.
So they enlisted her among the Maids at the Phenex Estates under the careful eyes of our Head Maid, Clarissa, and as lascivious as my brother was not even he would dare try to cop a feel or tantalize the working men, women, and teens under her purview. He'd attempted it before. Once.
He never told me what happened and when I asked my mother she simply smiled and patted me on the head before telling me to return to my studies.
The doors to the dining room were pushed open by a pair of well-dressed butlers, and the sounds of buzzing chatter filled the air.
House Phenex was very much like House Gremory in that they had considerably close relationships with their peerages, and they were considered to be family regardless of whether they were reincarnated or natural born. The children born of the families of the peerage were considered to be children of the Phenex family, if only in spirit rather than the letter, and it was that closeness that laid the foundation for generations of love and loyalty from their vassals.
Make no mistake: My family were Devils, and they were greedy.
However, they'd long broken the code that sentient beings responded better to carrots and encouragement than sticks and mind-numbing amounts of fear. Never before has a Devil left the service of our household outside of death, not a single one. They were well-paid and well-trained. They were cared for and they were protected. There was always some way up in the ladder for advancement within our family- as the estates were large and numerous, and we had businesses both in the Underworld and in the Human world to boot!
If an employee of our family was unhappy or dissatisfied then there was always someplace else where they could find said happiness or satisfaction, and unlike the other Pillar families, we set them up for success instead of kicking back and laughing as they floundered.
Though with all of that being said, the Phenex family was a little bit like "Hotel California", in that 'You could check out any time you'd like, but you could never leave'. Those seeking employment with the Phenex family knew that it was for life and the loyalty and fortitude required was something that most Devils didn't have the spirit to agree to; only the young and desperate ever joined up, as they quite didn't have an accurate understanding as to just who long forever actually was.
Still, it was family policies such as those that saw to it that we never diminished as a house; we didn't experience 'brain drain' as talented and seasoned members of the family left for greener pastures. We merely shuffled them around, and given the wide variety of jobs within the family you could work a different position every decade for five hundred years and still not reach the end of our internal job list.
It was because of this mentality that the massive dining hall was constantly packed to the brim with every evening meal.
The hardwood table was encrusted in gold filigree and intricately carved runes, its long length able to seat fifty people on either side comfortably with plenty of elbow room; it was also covered in a variety of enchantments- something that most would scoff at as being frivolous- but in truth, it was one of the more ostentatious ways we displayed our wealth. Enchantments to keep diners cool and comfortable, the food warm, and the atmosphere enticing was pretty much a waste if you truly thought about it, given that we are Devils, and thusly such things are unnecessary, but regardless I thought it was rather neat.
I sometimes liked to run my fingers along the runes and feel the ambient mana powering their workings.
Not that I knew the first thing about runic inscriptions or how they worked, but that was something that I was going to have ameliorated here soon enough. Once my mother woke up.
"Ah, Riser, my son," My father's voice traveled effortlessly over the din, as if wafting over the crowd like a cloudy mist, and he waved me toward him.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I strode down the length of the table towards my father, and when I was within arm's reach he wrapped one of his massive mitts over my shoulder and pulled me into his side; I twitched a little bit as his beard bristles tickled my neck and cheek, but I didn't fight it. Instead, I just wrapped my arm around his shoulder and gave him the best side hug I could, "Lord Father."
At the Head of the Table was where the Phenex children sat. My mother and father sat next to one another, with Ruval- my eldest brother and the Heir to the Phenex family- seated at his right hand while Regenald was seated at my mother's left hand. My usual place was on Ruval's right, and then from there the peerages of both brothers slipped down the table, merging into the members of my mother's and father's small but powerful peerages, and then the remainder of the chairs were filled with the various department heads managing the family estates... and the last forty seats were reserved for employees who'd essentially been named 'Employee of the Month'.
They got to have their efforts rewarded by dining at the table with their Lord, and on occasion, he had been known to grant small boons to those employees whenever he was feeling 'festive'. So those coveted seats were always filled with the hungriest of the hungry.
Regen snorted as he took a sip of wine from his cup, "Ah, actually been paying attention to those etiquette lessons, I see?"
"Yyyyesss?" I grit my teeth a little bit, but I forced myself to smile a touch smugly, "Lady Frostwhite is a bit of a... stickler when it comes to the peculiars, but as long as you pay attention to her lessons then you'll find that she'll let you go... early."
My bishounen brother frowned into his wine, his voice barely more than a mutter, "She never let me go early. No matter how pretty I smiled for her."
"Now, now, Regen, none of that," Ruval chastised with a quirk to his lips, "If you hadn't tried to skip all of Lady Frostwhite's lessons to go practice kissing behind the garden shed then maybe you too would have gotten out of her lessons early? She rewards punctuality, persistence, and hard work just as much as she punishes the opposite."
"Bah, what do I need 'etiquette lessons' for? As we can all see I've grown up to be a rather cultured and refined gentleman," He sniffed haughtily with an exaggerated air as he swirled his wine around in his glass, and to his left his Queen- Calliope- tittered behind her hand.
If Regen was the 'Bad Boy' sub-species of the 'Pretty Boy' line, then Ruval Phenex was the 'Cultured Boy' sub-species. While Regen liked to wear what was trendy and fashionable- given it was the 90s denim blue-jean everything was currently 'in- then Ruval always looked the part of a fine English Gentleman. A pretty boy, to be sure, but there was a fine difference in the airs of sophistication between them.
From what some of the ladies have said about them: 'Where Ruval was the one you wanted to bring home for life, Regen was the one you wanted to stay the night.'
Granted I hadn't heard any such scuttlebutt about the eldest and Heir being anything less than an exceptional lover- and not that I cared seeing as I was still five years old- but even casually walking around unattended can net you some rather juicy gossip if you perked your ear to whatever gathering of ladies was nearby. Be they the maids or the ladies of the peerages.
"Never mind that," Regen shook his head before turning his attention to me, his once-haughty expression gone and replaced with something softer, "How was Mother, Riser?"
Though he could be rather selfish at times, Regenald still had a heart of gold on him, or at the very least a soft spot for our Mother.
"She was doing well," I gave him a soft smile as I squeezed my father's shoulder with my hand, "Given the way she held me close while I was exercising my blood trait... I think she might be waking up sooner rather than later."
With my talents and close proximity to our Mother I'd sort of become a barometer of sorts; I knew her best while she was in her fugue-state, and over time my ability to read how 'deep' she was had become more refined the longer time went on.
"More to the point," I turned my attention to my father and gave him a broad grin, "While I was training?"
Markus Phenex's lips twitched, making the mustache over it dance like a caterpillar, "Yes?"
I deliberately paused for effect, and he gently pinched my side, "Go on, it isn't polite to leave your dear father in suspense."
"Well? While I was meditating with Mother I saw something- a vision," I let my eyes drop to the table before I swept them over Regen and Ruval, "I saw Mother holding another baby."
Ruval's eyebrows perked up as he leaned back into his chair, Regen tossed back his cup before holding it out to be refilled again, and as for my father?
Well...
"Do you have any idea as to when?" He asked almost timidly, the man leaning down closely to my ear, and I gave him a small shrug.
"The ribbon was kind of short, so... soonish?"
It was my best guess, but a guess was all it was. However, the ribbon felt firm, and it sort of jumped out at me rather than me seeking it out. Though given my mother and I interpreted this void beyond and the threads of fate differently there was little she could do to help me except act as a limiter- to keep me from being overwhelmed... just as her great aunt had done for her when she awakened her blood trait.
He patted my bottom firmly with a tight smile on his face, "Well then, go ahead and take your seat and get to eating; I've approved your... training request. Clarissa will accompany you to the dungeons just as you have asked."
There was more than a hint of trepidation in his features, but that was for good reason- the Phenex family was home to one of the best training grounds that I'd ever heard of. Of course, it was actually a prison, but that was neither here nor there. Thank you Regen-nii for indulging me in my quest for power!
The moment I heard about it I began pestering my father and mother immediately, and from the looks of it my mother had been successful in wearing him down. Sure, dungeons could be pretty freaky but it wasn't like the place would truly be dangerous for me, right? They wouldn't just let me go down there if there were some crazy shenanigans down there, right?
I blinked and then grinned broadly, "Oh, father! Time in the Dungeons? You get me the nicest things!"
"Time... in the Dungeons?" Regen placed his freshly filled wine glass down on the table and stroked his chin, "Hmmm... you do realize that I was joking about that, right? Right?"
My older brother by almost fifty years gave me a queer look but I ignored him in favor of giving my father a quick hug around his neck so that I could scamper towards my seat. Though not without giving my eldest brother by two centuries and his Queen their customary hug before I nestled myself between them and folded a napkin into the collar of my shirt before laying the other across my lap. I needed it because the thrill of anticipation surged through me, and my arms and hands felt shakey, which made me highly prone to dropping whatever was on my fork if I wasn't leaning over my plate like a feckless heathen.
Even still I wolfed my food down.
Correction: I elegantly wolfed down my food, as I could see Lady Frostwhite's piercing, icy gaze looking down at me from above- the woman enjoying a meal by herself on one of the numerous balconies near the ceiling of the dining area.
Seated so close to my father I could see him beckon Clarissa, the Head Maid and Queen of his Peerage, over to him. When she leaned down he took the opportunity to place a warm kiss against her lips, and then he whispered something into her ear; I wasn't exactly a savant at reading lips, but it wasn't beyond me to infer he'd said something along the lines of 'mumble, murmur, clear my schedule'.
While I knew that Ravel Phenex was going to be born, soon-ish, my parents as far as I knew didn't, and the thread of fate slapping me in the face and providing me with the vision of her birth served to seal the deal.
I could see Regen and Ruval chatting animatedly with their peerage members via their wind magic, allowing their conversations to carry through the background noise of the dinner as though they were seated right next to each other, but my focus was on the Dungeon and the wonderous mysteries that laid there for me.
We were deep.
Very deep.
The Dungeons of the Phenex mansion, despite being called as such, were not held in the basement but were instead held in the very bowels of the large mountain range that split my family's holdings in twain.
"Phenexmount" it was called, and I had to stifle my chortles every time I heard it because it was just so deliciously trope-y that it tickled.
Buried under a kilometer of solid rock and painfully enchanted by the Master Enchanters of the family over the course of centuries following the end of the Great War between the Three Factions, the "Dungeon" was anything but plain and simple. Certainly, it had dark corridors, drab stone walls, and moisture-laden, stale air, but the stereotypical aesthetic merely hid the thrumming power behind the runic arrays and devil magics sustaining its defenses.
My brother Regen once boasted that any Devil short of Sirzechs Lucifer himself would have a hard time breaking into the facility, and even then there were plenty of countermeasures in place to prevent any brute force attempts.
The first and most powerful defense it had was its near-total obscurity.
Phenexmount was a mountain range almost two hundred kilometers long, and its entire surface was suffused with mana- both of the demonic and holy variety- and this made attempting to locate a facility hundreds of meters below the surface of it incredibly tedious and not worth the effort. While doing so an intrepid devil would have to contend with the various magical monsters that roamed its peaks and valleys in addition to the roaming patrols of the Mountain Rangers loyal to House Phenex. It didn't matter if you were the weakest of the weak or the strongest of the strong, either way, someone or something would find you; and even if the nearby beasts sensed your strength and stayed away... the absence of said monsters in the area you were searching was just as much an indicator of a foreign presence.
The only ones who knew of the Dungeon's location were my parents, older brothers, and the Queens of their respective peerages.
And now me.
The second defense was the literal mountains of rock in between the Dungeon and the surface.
Unless you were Satan-Class or on the borderline, mountains of limestone were far from 'easy' to break through. For all devils might be able to crush large boulders with their bare hands or powerful magic spells, the density of the mana in the Underworld suffused all things within it- giving it unnatural strength and resistance to outside forces. This includes the stone that protected the Dungeon from the surface.
During the Civil War, two entire Legions of the Old Satan Faction invaded the Phenex lands with the intent of setting free some of their members who had been captured. To this day it wasn't known how they knew that the Dungeon wasn't actually underneath the Phenex Estates, but their efforts led to a very long and protracted battle as they drew up their lines in front of an area they believed to contain the Dungeon, and then defended that spot while their most powerful devils worked on rotation to try and bore a hole into the mountain. The legions of my father, reinforced by one Zeoticus Gremory and his legions, fought them in bits a pieces, skirmishing and drawing out their lines with multiple retreats screened by fast-moving calvary and their Nightmares and Hell Hound mounts.
It took weeks of constant harassment to break their lines, and that was when they completed the encirclement and the two Pillar Devils descended upon them with reckless abandon. Phenex Hellfire, Gremory magic, and Bael Destruction ravaged the ranks of the invading Old Satan legions, and they were destroyed in detail; among the fallen were the heirs of three Pillar families loyal to the Old Satans, and they had been too drained from trying to bore into the mountain side to put up more than a token fight. The tired remnants of the two legions were then shown an opening and allowed to retreat- their survival and return to their Masters to tell the tale of how they had lost far more important than slaughtering the last few hundred Low-Class and Mid-Class devils left alive.
And to think that they were only a few kilometers short of their intended target...
Yes, when my father personally attended to my tutelage- particularly on my studies in politics and tactics- I did indeed pay attention. He was a busy man, and while I was not worshipful of him he was a good man, worthy of my admiration and respect; when he took time out of his schedule to see to my education personally I couldn't help but want to do my best for him. If only because I so rarely saw him outside of the family meal times.
While most children would feel as though they would be neglected, me being a grown man made this sting a lot less since I knew that he was doing his best, and I also knew that there would come a day when he would block out more of his schedule for me to discuss the family business and my role in it going forward. Having a fourth Phenex capable of making the family's greatest asset, Phenex Tears, would go a long way to lightening my brother's and father's workload, and that meant they would have more time for themselves and their peerages; having felt how strong Ruval was there was no doubt in my mind he wouldn't crack the Ultimate-Class barrier sooner if he didn't have to spend multiple hours each day in the ritual chambers seeing that our family's supplies stayed stocked.
Though all of that was just ancillary and a distraction.
I was distracting myself because right now my hair was standing on end and my heart was thrumming in my chest because the Dungeon was really, really, really fucking creepy. Eerie. Spoopy AF.
'Turn back.'
The darkness of the tunnels, the constant yet infrequent dripping of water from the stalactites onto the stalagmites provided a background white noise that was impossible to ignore, and the whistling of the wind was piercing despite its overall softness. Torches on the walls leading down into the Dungeon only seemed to highlight just how black the darkness was, and the overall atmosphere of the place just made your instincts flare and go wild; as if you were being watched with every step from a thousand eyes in a thousand places. It was as if the entire place was meant to slowly erode your sanity, grating your ears like dry cotton being rubbed against a brass pocket watch.
'There is no hope to be found here.'
I couldn't stop the shiver from crawling down my spine as I followed Clarissa, my father's Queen and the Chief Maid, down the limestone steps leading me deeper and deeper into what my spirit was telling me was a pit of madness. Yet... I pushed on, following so closely that I might as well have been holding onto her skirts like the young boy I was.
Still, despite being so close, she took frequent pauses to gaze at me from over her shoulder, those crystal clear glasses of hers seeming to always somehow catch the light and obscure her eyes from my sight.
'Only darkness and suffering awaits ye, childe.'
As if she was expecting me to cry 'Uncle' and give up at any moment, to break down and blubber while begging to be returned home.
It galled me, even though I knew that she would never harbor such expectations.
I think my coat was smoking, but the clothes of a young Phenex were always enchanted with the finest fire-retardant spells because fire- let alone hellfire- was our natural trait, and the emotions of children often let blood traits run amok. Ours just so happened to leave us naked if we experience emotions so strongly, thusly we were clothed to save everyone involved time, money, effort, and in the cases of the children- embarrassment.
Still, she never wavered in her stride, and I wrapped my demonic energy around me, keeping it close- just under the surface of my skin- and that seemed to mitigate a lot of the ill feelings I'd been experiencing on my way down. It turned out to be necessary because the further down we went, step after step, staircase after staircase, the air became thick with the scent of fresh blood and it was almost as if I was breathing through a wet cloth.
'Abandon it. Abandon your pride and live, little devil.'
Oppressive is what I'd use to describe it. An atmosphere of anguish and despair; the Dungeon seemed to moan at me, fetid whispers slithering into my ears and telling me that there would be no salvation for me if I continued.
Yet, as much as my feet wished to falter, my Father had seen fit to allow my request to venture down here, and... and I would not turn tail now.
Not when I was so close. We were almost there.
The dripping of water from the ceiling to the stone floor grew until it was almost deafening- like cannon shots impacting the ocean. The haunted whispers of wind had become howling gales, the wails tearing at the heat of my body and sheering into my soul. The sounds of our footsteps echoed back to us tenfold, accompanied by the moans of the damned and the clinking of chains.
Flames were actively dancing around my shoulders, but they did little to stop the cold sweat from beading on my brow and slipping down my face to soak into my clothes.
Finally, we stepped off of the last of the stone staircases and entered into a large cavern. It was just like all of the other ones, with stalactites, stalagmites, and other curious glowing rocks, but this one had a small stream rushing through it with a stone bridge. Dozens of torches lined the walls with half as many standing braziers emitting the same light, and unlike the other torches, they actually seemed to illuminate the area as they should. Off to the right-hand side of the cavern, I could see a large comfortable chair with a large wooden desk that had bits, bobs, and loose parchment strewn across it.
Though I could not see Clarissa's face I could just tell she was scowling at the mess.
On the left-hand side of the cavern was a large dias that looked to have been painstakingly carved from a single slab of marble. Six phoenixes, our family's namesake, were arranged around the dais in a standard hexagonal formation, and they seemed to burst from the stone with their wings spread; if they were pristine white and grey marble I could have mistaken them for being alive. Though it was far away I could see an intricately carved teleportation array that had been inlaid with blooded silver; from my studies, this meant that the circle could only be activated by one of the Phenex line.
Whether it would simply remain inert if someone else used it or there were nasty traps integrated into it I didn't know, and likely wouldn't know until they saw fit to tell me.
It sucked being a kid, but I couldn't fault them for their discretion; even being seen as a 'budding genius' I was still a child.
"This is the final gateway to the Dungeon," Clarissa spoke gravely as she turned around slowly, her eyes looking over me with cool calculation.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants, "It does appear to be that way."
She tilted her head minutely, the woman carefully choosing her words before continuing, "You have done well to make it this far, Young Master."
I nodded and decided that gracefully accepting the compliment was the best course of action, "You honor me, Auntie 'Rissa."
"Did you know that it took dear Master Regenald many, many years before he could make it this far?" Her lips quirked, as she strode toward me, the woman circling around with her fingers ghosting along my shoulders and neck, "He'd come down here when he was a boy not much older than yourself, however, the whispers had gotten to him. Scared him away. It took him almost forty years of growing his strength before he could push them away and face down his childhood fears."
"While that is amusing, I am afraid that I would never allow myself to take advantage of this juicy morsel of information," I was serious despite finally having something of note that I could dangle over Regen's head, but something like what I had experienced coming down here was no joke.
"I would expect no less," She tickled my ear with the tips of her fingers, and I did my best to not squirm away from my aunt's teasing ministrations; the more I reacted the more she pushed.
Giving ground to Clarissa was as good as signing your own death warrant.
In cheek pinches and cuddles. When she was in the mood for them.
"However arduous the journey was to get down here, you must remember that the wards and enchantments you experienced are only just the beginning," She pinched my ear firmly, making sure I was paying attention, "Once you walk across the stream and enter through those doors the Dungeon will... actively try to keep you there. It will drain you of your mana. Sap you of your strength. It will addle your mind, toy with your senses, and try to crush you with its very existence."
"Of all of the methods you could have chosen to strengthen yourself, my sweet nephew, this is one of the most dangerous you could have chosen," I couldn't stop myself from licking my lips and I looked up to see her gazing not at me but at the slowly moving waters of the stream, "Though admittedly the most effective."
Her piercing eyes returned to me once more, "However my place is not to question the judgment of my King and the Lady. My place is to obey. So I will. However, in return, you will obey me, Riser Phenex. You will follow my orders to the letter, do you understand? If I tell you to come, you will come. If I tell you to follow then you will follow. If I tell you that you have reached your limit then there will be no whining, complaining, or lollygagging about. Am. I. Clear?"
I reached up and cupped her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze as I gave her what I hoped was an earnest smile, "I have always followed your lead, Auntie. So much so that I've been told I resemble a duck more than a magical Phoenix. As far as I am concerned your word is law- only superseded by the words of my father and mother."
She whipped her head to the side and covered her mouth with the hand that wasn't currently pinching my ear.
Clarissa coughed delicately into her hand, "Very good. So long as we're clear."
My smile turned into a full-on grin, "Crystal."
She released my ear and pointed to the teleportation circle, "This circle, as I'm sure you very well know, is keyed so that only those of the Phenex bloodline can access it. I cannot, nor can the other Queens of the peerage. There aren't restrictions as to who can access it, but I am trusting that you of all children wouldn't go and do something so foolish as to access it without supervision, yes?"
I nodded, "Of course, Auntie. Your word is law."
She bit her lip before continuing, "G-good. Now, the desk is normally staffed by one of the Queens, either myself, your Mother's Queen Veranda, or Chandra and Calliope, the Queens of your elder brothers... however, that is only when the Dungeon is actively being utilized for its intended purpose. It is very rare that the Great Satans deem someone dangerous enough to hold here as opposed to the normal prisons, and of course, Tartarus is reserved for those found guilty of their crimes. It seems as though Calliope was the last one to use it, given its state of disarray."
She clicked her tongue.
"Now, if there is one thing I must stress to you, Riser," Oh, she said my name, "Is that you must always, always, always cross the bridge."
She bent down to pick up a loose pebble and tossed it toward the stream, and immediately upon crossing the threshold a bevy of skeletal spirits shot up from the crystal clear waters and lashed out like lighting.
Strange.
It was strange because I could have sworn I saw the pebble disappear into the ghostly apparition's hand and yet... the stone pebble landed into the waters with a barely audible 'ploop'. I blinked rapidly to divert the bead of sweat that slithered into my eye.
Clarissa squeezed my shoulder, "The stream and its bridge are old magics, Riser. This stream was enchanted personally with combined magics of Lucifer and Talonous Phenex... and should you attempt to cross anywhere other than the bridge then you will have your very soul snatched from you. Not even Sirzechs Lucifer has opted to test his strength against this protection, and I will accept nothing else from you. You will follow the line etched in the direct center of it and never, ever stray."
I swallowed thickly.
Fucking-A.
What the hell am I doing down here?
I felt my lip peel back into a snarl, "I... understand completely. Walk the line. The straight and narrow. Never stray. If I do it's likely a fate worse than death. But wait, I thought the Dungeon wasn't built until after the Great War ended?"
"Just so," She responded before considering my question, "You are very well studied, nephew, but not everything written- even our books- is to be truly trusted. For reasons I'm sure you can understand."
I nodded as I gripped her hand and squeezed it again, though whether it was for my comfort or hers I wasn't quite sure.
The trip down here had been positively hair-raising in its intensity, but up until this point I had never truly been exposed to anything I would consider truly demonic until I ventured here. The wards and the like could be copied with illusions, the same for the sense of foreboding and ill-portents, but the stream? That couldn't be copied by anything other than two true-blue demons of monstrous power.
"Shall we proceed?" I asked lightly, and Clarissa caressed the side of my head.
"That is what I should be asking you, my dear child, but it appears as though you've made up your mind, so there is nothing else to be done except to take the final steps. Now. Follow." She turned and strode toward the bridge, and I reached out to take the back of her skirt, holding onto it like a lifeline.
My throat tightened up with every step toward the bridge, the sounds of my footsteps against the stone positively quiet compared to the chorus of malice and agony that I had endured on my way down.
I almost stuttered in my step when I finally noticed that there was no more rattling of chains or moans of despair, though I was quickly distracted by the sheer crystal-like clarity of the stream as we stepped across.
The waters looked so cool. Refreshing even. I could clearly see the bottom, the stone illuminated beautifully by the glowing rocks. It was hardly waist-deep, even for me. If I took my shoes off I could just dangle my feet and relish in the sensations. Were there little fishies in there just waiting for me to settle in? Would they nibble and tickle at my toes? It-
I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood, and I held the bleeding flesh between my molars even while my Phenex regeneration tried to flare and fix the damage.
Fucking dangerous- a God-ow!-damned cognitohazard!
The moment we crossed the threshold, however, the waters suddenly became far less enticing.
What was once serene blue waters burbling happily was now a steaming, roiling stream of black tar. It hissed and spat as bubbles of noxious black fumes erupted like a mud pit, and I could swear I saw a skeletal hand slither out of the surface as if beckoning me forward.
"Good," Clarissa's voice drew me away from the wretched stream of perpetual misery, and as I released my cheek I felt a warmth in my heart at her relieved and yet proud visage, "That was the first true test. Now that you have seen it for what it truly is it will never cloud your sight again."
I wanted to brush it off, to laugh and shrug my shoulders. However, I knew that I could not. Would not.
"How many others failed and died?" I asked, finding it impossible to keep the quaver out of my voice.
Her expression morphed into something more somber, "No one that you would know unless you've studied the family tree; we haven't had anyone fall victim to its charms since your great-great-Aunt Thalia. It was her passing that raised the age in the first place, though your Lord Father and Mother have deemed you fit for the trials."
I hadn't actually looked at the family tree in any capacity, as it was relegated to the family vaults and thusly could only be opened by my Father and the Heir, and while I did have a curiosity it didn't burn deep enough within me to bug either of them about seeing it. I would have my chance when my studies came around to it, and thus I was content to focus on my personal endeavors for the time being.
Without preamble, she raised her arm and a magic circle of violet light spread out from her palm, and the twin oak doors in front of us creaked open.
There was no light that I could see... only an ominously yawning maw of darkness.
"Wait, trials?" I asked hesitantly, though my eyes could only stare into the abyss.
"This, my dear boy, is the last of the Trials of Adulthood for House Phenex," She placed a hand on my shoulder and gripped me firmly, "Though you are far from strong enough to be considered a man in the eyes of the family, you have shown that you have the willpower and mental fortitude to test yourself against the darkest pits that we can safely expose you to."
I had a feeling that 'safe' was a relative term.
My hand clasped onto her own, but despite my hindbrain screeching at me I took my first step towards that gaping hole of shadow. Then another. And another. And another.
The moment I crossed through the threshold I felt a chill slither down my spine as something other locked onto me.
'Yes, yes. Venture into the dark my sweet little Phenex. You will learn from the depths in which your firey light was birthed. There is no escaping your birthright. Burn brightly, lest you find yourself snuffed out. Huuhuuhuu~.'
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," I muttered to myself, and the doors creaked shut behind us.
[Marcus Phenex]
Marcus Phenex licked his lips as he watched his third-born son and his Queen venture into the Dungeon.
The moment the doors closed he dropped the subtle illusion and placed his hands on his hips, and with a heaving sigh he took a few steps forward and sat down in the comfortable chair behind the messy desk.
"Do NOT interfere, husband!" Elise Phenex hissed as she swiped her hand out in front of her, "I've seen it! He will succeed! Do NOT stifle his growth! Do NOT stand in his way!"
Marcus winced as he placed a palm on his temple and wished that- not for the first time- the famed Phenex regeneration could help with stress headaches.
She had been adamant. Spitting mad. Raving mad, almost. In a way that he'd never seen before. The sheer vehemence she displayed when he thought of denying their son entrance to the Dungeon was something that had taken him aback.
A vision had sparked behind her eyes once Regenald had let slip of the Dungeon's mere existence- a misspoken word to his dear baby brother passed off as a jest when questioned about effective training methods for growing stronger.
He wasn't wrong, as the Dungeon had a way of forcing you to grow in strength, and Marcus and his two sons had been known to journey to this wretched, hallowed ground of Devil-kind on occasion to keep themselves sharp or to make some last-second improvements before a Rating Game but... Riser was too young.
He was still just a boy. A boy!
His boy.
He shakily unclenched his fists, and with a wave of his hand, a small temporal spell rewound time a few seconds so that the desk was no longer cleft in twain.
Too young. Too inexperienced. Too soft. Too weak. And yet... and yet... he had made it all of the way down here without any prodding, hadn't he?
Marcus leaned back in the chair and ran a hand along his face, his fingers scruffling his beard.
Neither Ruval nor Regenald had made it nearly as far on their first attempt. Nor their second, or third. In fact, Regen waited almost four whole decades before making his final attempt. Ruval had been much faster, with him accomplishing the feat at 31 years of age, and Marcus? He had been twenty-two when he made his way down the stone staircase, but that wasn't because of pride or a desire to grow stronger... it was out of necessity- with his father dead and brothers disowned there was no one else but him to take up the Mantle of the Phenex.
The mantle which clung to his very soul like a heavy cloak.
It was a heavy weight that he bore for the sake of his family, and only when Ruval felt he was ready would he pass it on.
He was young yet, only three and a half centuries old. Let him enjoy his youth for a little while longer...
Marcus Phenex's golden eyes bore against the wooden doors with a firey intensity, and he flared his demonic power strongly.
'Be kind to my boy,' He threatened, the man reigning in his cloak of power until it settled back onto his shoulders, 'Honored Grandmother.'
A sultry, malicious chuckle greeted him in response, and he gritted his teeth before settling in for a long wait.
Special thanks to Lmc9389, Artillery, AuraofCalm, Mioismoe, Southmonk, Darkarma, Acrimonius, T. Balewood, Randall Randall, Dominyx Black, CyberCrisis, Blue, Russ Stilter, Legion_13, Mike Fatal_Bullet, P. Nguyen, J. Ricardo Passos, K. Weierbach, R. Alderman, A P, Arrorn, Empty Shelf, PbookR, Mortaegus, Nevets309, Jake95044, Jackson R., G. Johnson, T. Dewitt, M. McGuire, DragonShark-Eater, Big-Tofu, Alexei A., Brandon B., David B., Grant L., Anti-Akuma, Cailk, Robert H., Jigawats, Joseph M. Teti, Konb, Stelliferous, A. McGregor, Jasticus, C. Wiggins, M. Compean, Dynrakmos, Lictor Magnus, Coolman59223, John the Gamer, AND J.Goncalves for being Patrons!
You guys rock!
A/N: The Bold, Italic'd, and Underlined portions in the Dungeon scene are meant to be sort of a subconscious message, one that is felt and understood without being actually known.