Nifty sighed as she boiled the water and poured it into the tub. The time period they were in required them to boil water to prepare a bath so she had to spend some time prepping it just so it was the right temperature.
She was still not used to the primitive technology of this world but she decided to try and make the best of it. Once she had finished adding all the water she turned and called out to Alastor,"Al, I got the bath ready. You can come in now."
Alastor entered the bathroom and slowly approached the tub. He then turned in the direction where Niffty was standing and said,"Thanks darling for preparing this for me...It's greatly appreciated."
"It's alright, Al. I know you need help with these sorts of tasks due to your condition and I'll do what I have to so that your life can be a bit easier. Come on now, it's time to undress…"
Al flinched,"Oh…"
"Is there a problem, Al?"
"I was just not expecting you to stay here while I changed. It's not necessary, I'm certain I can take a bath by myself…"
"Al, no offense but given your lack of sight I believe that it'd be best for me to be with you until you can care for yourself…"
"Niffty, I'm not helpless. I'm blind, not incompetent."
"I never said that, but I don't want to risk you drowning or getting yourself hurt on accident. It's just a safety precaution and I want to be here in case something happens to you."
Al sighed,"I suppose you are right, dear…It just feels so different than what I'm used to."
"I understand your hesitancy, Al. But I promise that this is for the best. Come on, let's get those clothes off and into the tub…"
Niffty then began helping Alastor undress himself piece by piece. It was a bit of a slow process as Niffty wanted to ensure she didn't snag a part of Al's clothes anywhere or cause him to trip but eventually once all the clothes came off, she helped Al get into the tub.
The younger woman grabbed a scrubber and soap and began helping Al scrub his back while Al scrubbed the front of his body with soap and water.
Niffty remained determined at the task before her. She had never helped someone to this capacity so it was a bit uncomfortable given she was helping Alastor of all people clean.
In normal circumstances it wouldn't have come to this but with Al's vision gone Niffty had to assist him in a task he wouldn't be able to do on his own without severe difficulty.
She held her breath as she tried to avoid looking at Alastor's….other body parts while scrubbing his back. Sure, they were both adults and Al was older than her but she still wanted to give the man some respect since she knew Al wasn't fully comfortable with being exposed like this,
She had never been this cloth to Alastor unclothed. In all the years she had known him, Al was always wearing layers of clothing and the most contact he allowed from others for long periods was hand-holding.
Holding hands was one thing but washing the man's back was another and she couldn't help but look at his body now that he was de-clothed. It was kind of a requirement given she was scrubbing his back but the more...perverted part of her mind had started acting up by eyeing his back excessively given his attractive build.
Given how she was looking, it was probably a good idea Al couldn't see her ogling him. Definitely would put a strain on their relationship if he was aware.
Alastor's back had some ragged scars that were usually hidden under his clothing. The deep ones were on his back though there were still a few gashes on his arms that had never healed.
"Hey Al?"
"Yes?"
"Does it hurt?"
"Does that hurt?" He asked, sounding somewhat confused by her question.
"Your scars. They look like they hurt…"
"Oh...those…" He murmured before sighing,"Those were from the damned dogs that got me all those years back. Hunter mistook me for a deer and sent his dogs after me. Tried to fight them off but it was futile, there were just too many of them. Thankfully the pain has since subsided but the scars still remain…"
She tensed at the heavy subject at hand, the conversation taking a far darker turn than she would've liked,"Oh I'm sorry, Al. I didn't mean to bring up a painful memory."
He shrugged his shoulders,"Don't be. It's not your fault it happened. I just got unlucky that day. No matter what, it's been so long since that fateful day that it's nothing more than an unpleasant memory to me at this point…"
There was a moment of pause before Alastor said,"By the way, can you scrub a little higher? That spot's been bothering me and I'd like it if you could get rid of that itch for me…"
"OK then…" She said, slightly relieved at the change of subject. She continued to help scrub Alastor's back, reaching all the spots that he couldn't or would have trouble reaching on his own. She then asked if she could clean his hair and while Al was reluctant, he ultimately agreed and allowed Niffty to scrub his hair….
Afterwards, Alastor got out of the tub and dried himself off with a towel before putting his clothes back on. Out of respect, Niffty turned away and allowed Al to dress himself, only helping to adjust his robe and fix up his hair.
"Thanks for the help darling."
"No problem. It's what I'm here for. By the way, there's food out near the kitchen. Everything is made of stone so you'll be able to sense it."
He nodded his head,"Thanks...Though are you certain you don't need help? It'd be odd not to return the favor..I could always help you bathe…"
"Uh...No thanks, I can do it myself…" She stammered, blushing slightly, she knew Al didn't mean it that way but she couldn't help herself."I'll be fine, Al."
"Oh...OK then. I'll see you soon then…" Al then took his leave and got some breakfast. Just as promised, all the tools were made out of stone so Al could sense where they were and began to dig in.
He would've liked to make his own meals...but that wasn't exactly a possibility right now given his state of being. Right now, the best he could do was deal with what was put in front of him. Thankfully Niffty was an amazing cook and could even make the best out of the few ingredients she had.
Once he was finished, Al headed out of the door. The moment he got outside he felt a familiar presence through the ground and turned,"Striker."
"Damn, for a blind kid you are perceptive," He admitted,"Can't even see me yet you identified me within a flash..Perhaps you will be worth the trouble…"
Alastor narrowed his eyes,"What do you mean?"
"The fuss you made with Satan has got everyone talking about you at the Palace. You may not have noticed but I have. You're a guy with a big mouth, aren't you?"
"I suppose I do. What's it to you, Striker?"
Despite not being able to see him, Al could tell he was smirking confidently,"Damn, feisty aren't you,kid? Ain't everyday you encounter someone with nerves of steel. Most wouldn't dream of confronting Satan like you did. You're looking rather promising, though I gotta check if you're really worth the trouble of keeping around…"
"How so?"
"Coming with me for a mission."
"What type of mission?" He asked as Striker began walking forward, now following right beside him in an effort to keep up.
"It's rather important," Striker admitted,"Honestly I was debating bringing you around given you were a rookie but Satan convinced me to let you tag along. He says that some bastards he's been working with have been deceiving him from behind his back and have been taking money from under his nose. He says he wants them...taken care of if you catch my drift…"
"Why can't he do it himself?"
"Big man doesn't like getting his hands dirty," Striker said,"Why do you think he hires people like me in the first place? If he were willing to do the deed himself he wouldn't need servants and the like but since he believes he has better things to do, he has the little people do his dirty work."
Al flinched the bitterness in Striker's voice, it had caught him off guard. Up until now, Striker had been rather affable so the sudden tone shift did make him a bit uneasy.
"But don't worry, that's just what we do nowadays. It's our 'place' in the hierarchy so to speak. The Lords sit above us and do as they please while we do their dirty work for as long as our heart beats. It ain't nothing new and it's been this way for who knows how long. We ain't the first and we sure as hell aren't going to be the last who do this sort of thing. Understand, kid?"
Al nodded his head, tempting to speak his mind but ultimately decided not to, something in the back of his mind telling him to not continue the conversation with Striker.
Eventually they made their way outside and headed to where Bombproof was being kept, having his own pen. Striker patted his horse on the head before saying,"Alright boy, it's time to go. Come on kid, hop on, I promise he won't bite."
Al reluctantly got on Bombproof and Striker followed after.
"Kid, hang onto me," He said,"Because unless you wanna be sent flying, it'd be in your best interest to hang on tight."
Al made a face before reluctantly holding onto Striker for dear life. Despite having done it before, the ride still felt as terrifying as it had been the first time he was muttering curses to himself the longer he was riding.
The former overlord considered it mercy when the horse finally stopped and he was allowed to drop down on the ground. Al then paused, not recognizing where they were. It didn't feel like the areas he and Niffty had wandered in and the ground felt a lot more polished.
"Where...where are we?"
"Don't know this place?" Striker chuckled,"Figured as much. You were only familiar with the...more improvised area of this Kingdom. However, this place is a lot more...upper class if you catch my drift."
"I...I still don't understand. Why are we here? Shouldn't we be after those people?"
"We are, it's just that Satan's arranged a little...meeting with them for us. They don't know we're planning on offering them and think this is just a standard business meeting. Regardless, I suggest you be on guard, they don't take too kindly to...newbies and they might think something is off if you don't act accordingly so try and keep that attitude of yours to a minimum, got it, kid?"
The way Striker said it made it less of a request and more of a demand. Al bit his lip before sighing,"I will."
"Good, now follow my lead and don't act until I say so. This'll go smoothly if you do exactly as I say and keep your head down so try not to cause any problems that'll make this more...tedious than usual."
Al nodded his head before following after.
They approached the building and Striker opened the door for Al. Despite not being able to see, Al was able to sense the presence of others through the polished stone floor and from the positions and noises he could hear, it sounded like they had entered some sort of bar.
"What is this place?"
"A bar, it's one of the popular attractions down here. Business is usually conducted here and a lot of things the public is kept in the dark about is discussed here. Do you know how many people are here?"
Al nodded, he could sense them all through the ground,"Thirty-five in total. Some of them are in more hidden locations than others."
"Good. And while I know you can't see it, a lot of them have their eyes on you so be sure not to draw suspicion. I'll do the talking until it's time to finish the job…"
Alastor sighed as he followed Striker. They made their way to the main area where a group of demons appeared to be playing poker. All of them were dressed in regal suits and appeared to be well-off given the quality of their drinks and food at the table.
Striker quickly played on his charm and smiled, clearly well-acquainted with the group from past experiences,"Hello everybody, long time no see, eh?"
"Striker," The leader of the group waved, smoking a cigar,"It's been a while since we've seen you face to face. Would've thought you had died with how quiet you were…"
"You know how it is, I'm Satan's best man and duty calls. Can't kill a man like me so easily," Striker admitted.
The leader then noticed Alastor and narrowed his eyes,"Say, who's the new guy? Never seen you with him before. Is he a friend of yours?"
"More of an acquaintance," Striker admitted,"His name is Alastor and the kid is here for business just like I am."
"Kid? Striker, this bar is no place for a teenager. Why'd you bring him here?"
Alastor rolled his eyes, his youthful appearance did have its downsides and the fact they kept mistaking him for a teenage boy was slightly irritating. Now he was starting to understand how NIffty felt every time someone mistook her for a little girl…
It was annoying. Very annoying. Still, he had to hold his tongue until the proper moment came. Striker was still talking and he had to wait to attack…
"Satan told me to babysit one of the maid's sons, he's blind and she doesn't want him wandering off on his own," Striker said, making up a story. Alastor was bemused for a moment but quickly realized it was part of the plan and remained silent.``He's a little quiet but I promise that he's gonna be cooperative while he's here, aren't you Al? You're gonna let the adults do the talking right?"
"Yes…"
"See? I told you he was fine. Now let's get to business."
Eventually they all sat down and got situated. Striker had been given a glass of alcohol while Al was given apple juice. It was kind of embarrassing but Al decided to ignore the fact he was being treated as a child and made it appear he wasn't paying attention.
"So…" Striker said,"I've been hearing some rumors flying around about you guys embezzling things under Satan's nose. I just wanted to know if those rumors were true."
"Course they aren't. You've just been hearing things from less trustworthy sources. I'd never betray the Lord…"
"You sure? Because Satan's been hearing otherwise...He's been keeping an eye on you and he's displeased to hear that these things are true…" Striker said lowly,"And you know Satan does with those who betray him. So...why don't you make this easy...either come with me and I'll toss you to Satan's heels or we'll do this the hard way and we both know you wouldn't like that…"
"Tempting but no, I've been living far too long to be stuck living under that man's boot and if you think I'll be letting you take me or my men in you've got another thing coming, Striker. You ain't turning me in and the only way Satan is seeing you again is in a casket. You're outnumbered, Striker and you'll be pumped full of lead in an instant."
"Try me," Striker teased,"I'd like to see you try…"
"Your funeral…" He growled.
Several of the men began aiming their guns at Striker and fired. So many bullets at once would've been instant-kill for even the toughest man. However, to the shock of all the henchmen, the bullets ended up avoiding Striker and instead hitting their allies in vital areas like the chest, head or stomach.
Striker grinned as he began shooting some men with his pistol before turning to Al,"Nice job, kid. Mind getting rid of the entourage for me?"
Al nodded before making quick work of the armed fiends. He used the earth to his advantage, summoning the ground and going as far as to use the men as ping-pong balls and thrashing them about, moving his arm left and right.
Some tried shooting Al directly however Al used a sheet of stone to protect himself before launching said block at them without even bothering to turn around. Striker watched in amazement as Al began mastering the henchmen without batting an eye before saying,"Duck."
Striker did as he was told and watched a bullet narrowly miss his head. He saw it heading straight towards Al and was about to warn him,"Kid, the bullet-"
He didn't get a chance to finish when Al suddenly slowed the bullet down and held it in his hands. He then 'looked' in the direction that it came from and approached the man in question, the boss that Striker had been talking to.
He was now quivering and shooting his gun several times at Alastor who continued to walk at a leisurely pace."Stay back you monster!"
Al didn't slow his pace, expression understandable as he continued to approach. When his gun eventually ran out of bullets he attempted to flee, however Al titled his head to the side and the pillars that held up the door had collapsed.
The man turned around and shivered,"H-Hey...listen, we can talk, kid. I'll give you money if you let me go. I've Got loads of riches, I'll let you have it. Please, just let me go. Show mercy, I beg of you."
Al didn't seem fazed and just stared at him blankly before turning,"Striker. Does Satan have any use for this man alive?"
"Even if he did, he doesn't like traitors. Once you mess up once, you're done. Do you want me to do the honors, kid? I'll gladly take this kill of your hands if you want…"
Alastor said nothing before turning back to the man and then held up all the bullets that had been fired at him during the confrontation and suddenly threw them all at that man, forcing the bullet through his skull, chest and stomach.
Blotches of blood landing on Al's face and clothes. It was such a familiar sensation yet it felt so different….
He collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood and Al merely said,"It is done, Striker. There are no survivors."
"Damn, that's brutal...I like your style, kid. You did a flawless job. I knew you were worth the trouble," Striker then playfully hit Al's shoulder and Al sent him a glare at the unwanted contract,"Something wrong? You look tense."
"Refrain from touching me. If you wish to display your gratitude then show it in less touchy ways. I prefer not being touched if you don't mind, Striker ..."
"Eh, fair enough. Though how about a drink, kid? You look like you deserve one. I know you're probably too young to have alcohol but considering your parents aren't here to stop us, why don't we get you an adult drink?"
"Sounds fine by me…" Al said.
They then left the building and took their leave, but not before Al decided to 'finish' the job so to speak by allowing the entire building to collapse once they were out of sight…
Say he overdid it, but Al just wanted there to be a permanent reminder of his victory and the rubble left behind was enough to satisfy him, even if he couldn't physically see it.
'First mission was a complete success…' He thought,'Guess that's good progress. Hopefully things will stay that way because I don't trust this place…'
Under the Ocean, Seviathan and Helsa had made a lot of progress with sign language. They had learned languages before so it didn't take too long for them to understand it. It was still a bit of a struggle at first but working together had made it a lot easier.
"Alright Helsa," Seviathan said,"Try giving me a full sentence. I want to see what you've learned so far."
Helsa put her hands up and began to 'speak' through sign language,'Hi, my name is Helsa Von Eldritch. How are you?'
Seviathan nodded his head,"Good job. You're making great progress, already able to speak fluent sentences without hesitation. At this rate, it'll be like you never lost your voice in the first place."
Helsa made a face.
"Yeah, I know it sucks but at least the rest of your body works. It could've been worse…" He admitted,"Besides, assuming this world is magical, perhaps there are mystical ways of returning your voice back in some way. All we have to do is find it…"
Helsa seemed...hopeful? It was hard to tell but the idea of her voice being restored through magical means did interest her. Still, the ever present doubt overpowered her hope and Seviathan could read his sister's skepticism.
"It sounds far fetched but there's still a chance…"
She cocked an eyebrow,'How would you know? You don't even know if such properties exist, let alone where to find them…'
"A little research wouldn't hurt. Maybe there's something useful in that dusty library for us to use…Come on, let's see if there's anything of value in there…"
Seviathan and Helsa swam towards the library and began searching through the sections. There were fiction books, fantasy, romance, the works. Had they been back in their home timeline they would've taken the time to read through them, however the twins had more important things going through their minds.
The twins' gazes were fixated on the historical section of the library. Seviathan's eyes caught sight of a book labeled 'Historical Landmarks Of The World' and quickly picked it up. He began to skim through the pages looking for something worthwhile and grinned when he found what he was looking for.
"Helsa!" He shouted,"I think I found something you'd be interested in! This book could be of use to us…"
Helsa peered over his shoulder and read the page he was pointing at, eyes narrowing at the print.
On the page read: Holy water from the oasis of the Holy Lands is capable of healing physical wounds and wounds to the soul. It is located far out in the Holy Lands and is very sacred. Rumor has it that there is a being who guards it fiercely and doesn't take kindly to visitors…
"So...what do you think?"
'Sounds too good to be true…'
"Fair enough, but it's still our best for restoring your voice. Unless you have any other ideas, paying a visit to that place would be in our best interest…"
'But how? We don't have legs and even if we could go on land, we have no idea where the Holy Lands are in particular. It could be much farther than we realize…'
Seviathan's face scrunched up,"You're right...but that doesn't mean we can't consider it an option. Maybe we can try going out, see if we can get an idea of where it might be…"
The twins then tried to head outside however they were stopped by the guards,"Where do you two think you are going?"
"Uh...out?" Seviathan asked,"What's it to you?"
"We're under strict orders to keep an eye on you two at all times by orders of the Queen and King."
The twin's faces fell, Seviathan's jaw dropping,"What!? Why?"
"They don't want you two running away again. Your absence caused a controversy and they want to avoid that as much as possible…"
'Of course they do...Always caring about their image…' Seviathan gritted his teeth,"Are we allowed to go out with someone watching us?"
"As long as you two have someone accompanying you and keeping you within the gates of the Kingdom then yes."
"Then can we go with you two since we can't go by ourselves?"
"Yes. Come along…"
The twins made irritated looks as they followed the guards. The guards gave them a boring as hell tour but refused to let them outside of the Kingdom's gates, rendering them more or less prisoners within their own 'home' so to speak…
When they got back, Seviathan and Helsa sighed before he said,"We've gotta get out of this place...Else we're going to be trapped here forever…"
Helsa nodded, though both twins weren't sure how long it would take before they were given a chance to leave on their own. And something told them that they were in for the long haul…
Vaggie and Charlie served their latest customers before going on break. It was still a struggle but Charlie was slowly getting the hang of the basics. She was a far cry for being able to prepare a decent meal but she was at least able to clean up after the guests and wash dishes.
It was small progress but it was still progress nonetheless.
During the latest customer's visit, Charlie had been clearing off their table when she noticed something had been left behind in one of the chairs. The person who had left the book had long since taken their leave so she didn't bother attempting to return it and instead decided to take it with her out of curiosity for what it may hold.
The book was called 'Myths, Fantasies and Other Parts of History' in Italics.
As Vaggie put away the dishes she had cleaned, she noticed Charlie entered the kitchen with the book in hand.
"Hey Hon, where'd you get that book from? You didn't steal it, right?"
"Relax, Vag," She replied,"I wouldn't steal something, not intentionally anyway. One of the last customers we served left their book behind after they left. I doubt they'll be coming back soon so I decided to take it with me before someone else decided to grab it."
"Is it anything interesting?"
"Hm...It appears to be...a book about the history of this world," Charlie flipped through some of the pages,"Some of the things are about elemental powers and the types that exist. At least...the known types from what I can tell. There are the standard elements and then there are the...unconventional ones…"
"Unconventional ones?"
"Phantom. Glass. Shadow. That sort of stuff...Though I can't seem to find one that might be connected to me..unless I really just don't have one…"
"Hon, even if you're not an elemental, you're still special. You're strong in your own way…"
"But I feel so weak without any powers….I just want to have something…"
"Can't have everything, Charlie. Even if you did have one, it's best not to push yourself. The vast majority people in this world don't heave elements so you might just not have one."
Charlie sighed,"You're right...Still, there's got to be something in this book that's useful to me..To us…" Her eyebrows then furrowed as she turned to one of the pages,"Hey Vag, one of the pages of elementals...it's missing…"
"What do you mean?"
"Someone must've ripped it out. It's gone…" She showed the torn page,"Wonder how that happened. I doubt that was always there."
"It's probably a library book. Those always get torn up, damn kids can't resist tearing and ripping whatever they get their hands on. I wouldn't overthink it…"
"But why would they take this specific page? All the other pages are in pristine condition and yet this one is just torn off. And given the age of this book...it's likely been like this for a long time."
"Who knows? Unless you can find the person who tore that page out, the chance of finding out what it said is low. Who knows how many people have had their hands on this thing. Anyone could have that page by now…"
The Princess narrowed her eyes,"Still...there's gotta be something we can do with this book...There has to be something worthwhile in here...There has to be…"
Charlie began skimming through the pages and Vaggie peered over her shoulder before noticing one in particular,"Hey, Hon, go back."
"Hm?"
"Go back, Hon. I swore I saw something odd in there…"
Charlie did as she was told and turned to a page in particular that stood out from the rest.
On the pages it read:
The Tower Of Blessed Desires: A mythical tower that is said to be in the furthest part of the Holy Lands, where not even the bravest souls dare travel to. Legend has it that those who reach the top are granted their greatest desire. Rumors has spoke of this Tower yet no one has returned to tell the tale of whether this legend was true.
Perhaps one day, a foolish and young soul will prove otherwise. Until then, it will only just be a mere legend, as no one is aware if the Tower exists at all….
"Woah…this sure is something. What do you think, Vag?"
"Sounds like a myth," Vaggie stated,"This sounds too good to be true."
"But what if it is true?"
"You don't know that," Vaggie huffed,"They literally admit in the book they don't know if the Tower truly exists at all."
"And if it does?" This could be our ticket out of here, Vaggie...We need to take any chance we can get…."
"Even on the slim, near nonexistent chance if IS true, we don't even know where it is. We have no clue how to get there and who's to say we won't encounter more problems by getting there? Whose to say that it's true or that there isn't some sort of cost?"
"It's at least worth a shot. Do you want to stay here forever?"
"No…I don't but I don't trust this…"
"I don't think we have much of a choice. This is probably our only way out of this mess..I don't trust it either, but do we really have that many options?"
Vaggie looked ready to say something when they heard the bell ring at the front counter,"Break's over. A new customer has arrived. Let's get to work…"
"Of course…" Charlie sighed before putting the book away. She peered back at it and narrowed her eyes,'Soon...we'll leave this place...not now...not tomorrow...but soon…'
Thanks for 2,384 views, tell me what you think below!
Enigmus-288: Al and Niffty need a consistent income and a place to stay. Until now they've just been wandering the streets aimlessly.The reason they call Al kid because A. he looks young and B. people with disabilities like blindness often are...treated younger than they are and looked down upon, especially in less modern times. Seriously I imagine Al without his glasses looks less mature so him being mistaken for a teen aged boy is pretty reasonable.
R-Doll: Creepy but cute I suppose. And Charlie being...weakened kind of does make her vulnerable and she's gotta learn to defend/do things for herself since she's been living the life up until she got here. It's a huge change and it's hard to fault her for not knowing how to handle things.
I mean, Angel has no real incentive to quit drugs, he's just turning to making them from scratch since he no longer has anyone supplying him and it's not like he can make a modern batch anyway. If you can't something you may as well start from scratch and make the next best thing. Seviathan and Helsa are...inching towards each other family wise. It's not perfect but it's something and Striker is...Striker. He's always questionable no matter who he's with.
Gotta start somewhere. Al doesn't scare easily IMO so him just not being affected by Satan makes sense even if it's worrying. Doesn't help he's blind so he can't see him and how intimidating the guy is. Satan finds people who can actually think for themselves useful so Al kind of lucked out and yeah, Niffty controls glass, cool power. Charlie's trying to make the best of it since she doesn't have any abilities and Vaggie's trying to keep her out of harms way while still improving and Vox and Velvet..have seen better days.