Blue

by Silenta-Atestanto

The history of our world is a simple one. An Overlord emerges to terrorize mankind, before a Hero rises up to slay him. So the cycle went, until it was broken when a succubus claimed the mantle, seduced the Hero sent to slay her, and created the stalemate we recognize today. But history is rarely ever so straightforward. I should know. I saw the events that would unfold for myself.

24. Chapter 24: Rift

For two weeks, the young men wandered the wilds surrounding Neith. They slept under trees or rocky outcroppings for shelter, subsisting on what small game they could catch with their knives. Though Baligant was used to trekking over the hard terrain outside the village, Sai- having lived his entire life inside the village- struggled to keep pace with the older boy. But not once did a word of complaint pass the younger boy's lips. In fact, neither boy spoke much at all during those long days of wandering.

When they left Neith, Baligant had vowed they would find General Ixion, and make him tell them why he was looking for people with black marks on the back of their hand. But now, those words felt like nothing but empty bluster. Baligant couldn't even be sure they were going the right way. But he had to put on a brave face, for his brother's sake. He didn't regret his actions in Neith- the only thing he would have done differently was take his hunting bow with them before leaving. At least then they could defend themselves properly against bandits or predators. And one could only eat so many lizards before growing weary of the taste.

But one day, as they climbed a rocky ridge to survey their surroundings, the two spotted something out of place: a column of black smoke, rising from the earth. Sai leaned forward, squinting as he tried to get a better look. "Is that a village?"

Baligant squinted in turn. "It's something, alright. Come on, let's go see."

By the time they reached the smoke column, the sun was high overhead, beating down on them and the surrounding wilderness without mercy. The smoke was rising from a village surrounded by farmer's fields- but the crops growing from the soil were robust and colored a brilliant green, as opposed to the withered brown stalks that sprouted from Neith's fields. The homes next to the fields were different as well- small, but sturdy cubes built from brown bricks, rather than rough shacks built from wood scraps. And surrounding the village was a high wall built from those same brick, tall enough that even if Sai were to stand on Baligant's shoulders, their combined height wouldn't be enough to peer over the top.

A guard stood atop the wall, watching the horizon. He was clad in armor of worn bronze, a spear gripped tightly in his hands. When he saw Baligant and Sai approaching, he called down to them, his voice booming. "Hold! State your business!"

Baligant paused. In all honesty, he hadn't put any thought into what they would say once they arrived at the village. But now that they were here…

"We were chosen as tributes for Lord Ixion," Sai quickly said. "But our escorts were killed, and we don't know where to find him."

The guard grunted, before pointing to his left with his spear. "Circle around to the gate. Someone will meet you there."

The two followed the guard's instructions, reaching a large wooden gate large enough for a cart to fit through. As they walked, Baligant leaned in and said, "Why'd you tell 'im we were tributes? Why not just say we were travelers?"

Sai shrugged. "Well, it's not like anything we said wasn't true. I was a tribute, the General's men are dead, and we can't find the General if we don't know where he is."

As if on cue, the wooden gates swung open, revealing more guards. One stood out from the others, though- he had a short cape dyed a deep red fixed to his left shoulder. He must have been in charge, something which was confirmed when he was the only one to speak. "You're tributes for the Lord General?" he asked.

"That's right." He showed the mark on the back of his hand.

The guard gave a cursory glance at the mark before nodding. "We don't have the manpower to escort you to the General's fortress. But we can tell you where to find it. And we can spare you some supplies from our garrison. It's the least we can do for those chosen to serve our great General. Follow me."

The caped guard led them to a squat building not far from the gate, which seemed to house more soldiers than civilians. It was here that Baligant and Sai were given rations for the road- dried meat, hard bread, and water skins. Baligant's request for a bow was declined, however. As they were escorted out, the caped guard gave them instructions on how to find Ixion. "To the north of here is a river. Follow it west until it turns to the northwest, then keep following the river until you reach a mountain. You can't miss the fortress- it's built right into the mountainside."

Once they were out of the barracks, Sai wanted to set out right away, but Baligant was more intent on exploring the rest of the village. There was a sense of life to it, one that was almost completely absent in Neith- there was a marketplace where vendors shouted about their wares, and children laughed and played in the streets… so many children. Baligant had never seen anything like it. How could their village be so close, and yet, so different.

And of course, there was the question of the massive plume of black smoke which led them to the village in the first place. Was there some sort of festival happening? It could explain why the guards were so accommodating. They had celebrations in Neith too, but only a few times a year, and none warranted lighting such a massive bonfire. As a stranger passed by, Baligant stopped him to ask, "What's all the smoke from?"

The man raised an eyebrow at the question. "Did you not hear? There's an execution today. Some maniac claiming to be a traveling doctor killed a farmer's boy. Butchered him, if what the guards say is true. I'm just glad they caught the killer before anyone else was hurt."

With that, the man hurried off, leaving Baligant feeling hollow. It wasn't a celebration or a feast that brought them here, it was a death. This new land was certainly different from Neith- and while it might be better in many ways, it seemed it still had its share of horrors. But even so, there was a certain… curiosity that welled within the young man. Though murder was not unknown in Neith, it was something that only happened "somewhere else," or "long ago," well before anyone residing there had been born. And it seemed Baligant was not the only one whose curiosity had been stoked.

"I've always wondered what kind of person could kill another human being," Sai said. "Should we go see?"

Baligant wanted to protest, to say that wasn't the kind of thing Sai should be interested in. But his curiosity won out, and he found himself nodding in agreement. So instead of continuing their journey, the two joined the crowd heading towards the source of the smoke. They soon found themselves in a square surrounded by people- on the far side, a large pyre had been erected, a brazier burning nearby, the flames within dancing excitedly, like a child eagerly awaiting a bountiful feast. At the center of the pyre stood two poles with chains dangling from them, waiting to receive the condemned.

The villagers murmured amongst themselves, pointing to where a squad of guards dragged a prisoner into the square. Their clothes were little more than old rags, stained with blood, a hood over their head and a mask on their face. The prisoner fought against the guards surrounding them, but they were too small to fight off four trained soldiers. Once they reached the posts at the center of the pyre, the prisoner fought even harder, knowing full well their fate. For an instant, they slipped past one of the guards, who reached out to stop them, but only managed to grab their hood and yank it off.

Beneath the hood wasn't some skull-faced hag, or an animalistic brute with fangs longer than their fingers. Beneath was the dirt- and tear-streaked face of a girl- perhaps around Sai's age, with hair as dark as coal, eyes wide in terror. She was recaptured by the other guards, who wasted no time in chaining her between the two posts.

The gathered crowd hurled insults at the girl, while Sai and Baligant stood in silent horror. This… this couldn't possibly be right. She couldn't have been any older than Sai- she didn't look like someone who could take another person's life, much less butcher them like an animal. With their prisoner secure, one of the guards turned to address the crowd, his voice booming across the square, his words echoing ominously.

"In the name of Lord Ixion," he began, "for the crime of murder, we sentence thee to death. A life, for a life. May the flames of justice cleanse thy soul!"

With those final words, a guard took a torch from the brazier and held it up towards the sky. The crowd roared, their calls for blood echoing throughout the square, as the guard threw the torch onto the pyre. In a matter of moments, flames climbed up the pyre, as if eager to consume the condemned. The girl's screams were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd, and she desperately pulled against her chains, trying to escape the fiery embrace.

Baligant turned away. He couldn't bear to watch. "Sai, we need to leave," he whispered.

But Sai didn't respond. In fact, he didn't seem to hear Baligant at all. His eyes were wide, fixed on the scene laid out before them. His mouth was moving, but strange words Baligant didn't recognize. But then he noticed that Sai's eyes were… off. Bright blue veins ran through them, almost shimmering with a strange light. And with his eyes still fixed forward, Sai began moving toward the pyre, still uttering those unintelligible words. "Sai, wait!" Baligant tried again, tugging at his sleeve. "Sai, stop!"

But again, there was no response. Instead, Sai marched directly toward the pyre, shoving bystanders aside with a strength that was both surprising and completely at odds with his normally gentle demeanor. The guards took notice, and moved to bar his way, but the younger boy shoved them aside as well, knocking them back. Baligant had no choice but to follow, pushing and shoving his own path to the front of the crowd. By the time he got close enough, he saw Sai reaching out, his hand nearly touching the burning pyre.

A loud crack split the air, followed by a burst of light and a rush of cold air. Baligant flinched, expecting the worst, but when the light faded, the flames were… gone. But… that wasn't the case. The flames were there, but they were… frozen. As if turned into ice cut into the shape of dancing flames in a single instant.

The guards stared in shock, the crowd fell silent, and even the condemned girl ceased her struggle and looked on in disbelief. But Sai didn't falter- with a wave of his hand, the frozen flames melted, leaving only blackened wood and ashes behind. He then ascended the pyre, reaching out for the girl- she flinched, but Sai touched the chains binding her, shattering them like glass.

But any hope she may have had to escape was dashed when guards regained their senses and surrounded the pyre, weapons ready. Sai looked down at them unfazed, the blue veins in his eyes still shining. When he finally spoke, his voice was firm and commanding. It would brook no defiance… and it stood at complete odds with everything that Baligant thought he knew about Sai.

"This woman is innocent of the crime of which she has been accused. And in the names of Zehuti, Ptah, and Bes, I shall not permit you to harm her."

While little is known of the early history of Alondight, and by extension his first companion Baligant, much more is known of the first person to join them after setting out from Neith: Jibril, the Aquarion, often called the patron saint of alchemy, and the one who stood at Alondight's side the longest in his travels. According to recollections recorded by Lescatié, Jibril was born in a village named Bracca, and learned how to create medicines from her father, an apothecary who once resided in the Duati capital of Mayfil. After his death, Jibril continued her father's work, traveling between villages and towns of Ixion's domain as a doctor, mending injuries and treating illnesses without discrimination. During one such visit to the village of Teth however, a murder was committed. As an outsider, Jibril was the main suspect- she was accused, found guilty, and sentenced to hang in short order. But, on the day she was to be executed, Alondight and Baligant arrived at Teth.

Dragonslayer, Chapter 3: The Apothecary

---

The problems began almost the moment Sion said her tearful farewells to Neo and the Mistral hoisted anchor. First, unfavorable winds trapped them in Ulara's harbor for two days, until Captain Cid sent out rowboats to tow the ship to open waters. By then, the winds had begun blowing… from the north, forcing the ship to sail against the wind. Unless they shifted, the captain estimated conditions would nearly double the return trip's length… and that was before monsters began attacking in force. It began with harpies descending from the shore, dozens at a time, over three days. One crewman was killed, and another seriously wounded before the Mistral sailed far enough from the shore that the harpies couldn't pursue them. But the reprieve was short-lived- soon after, fish-men rose from the depths and swarmed over the ship like locusts. The sahuagin- as the crew named them- weren't dangerous individually, but they attacked in swarms numbering in the hundreds, clawing and biting their way onto the ship, intent on devouring everyone and everything in sight. Abel, his friends, and the rest of the crew were able to drive back the swarm, but not before another three sailors were overwhelmed and literally torn to pieces. After this, the surviving crew members began to whisper, claiming the sudden string of misfortunes was no mere coincidence. That it was the curse of Ulara hounding them, and that the only way to end it was to rid themselves of the strange girl that had been brought aboard at the cursed city.

But Liz and Captain Cid would not hear such superstition. The captain warned that any sailor who spread rumors or whispered ill of Sion would face a flogging- and any courageous enough to actually lay hands on her would see their courage "rewarded" by having the offending hands removed. After five days, the winds finally shifted in a favorable direction and the Mistral sailed north swiftly, but not before one sailor was flogged and another two lost a hand each when they tried to throw the elf girl overboard. As if being taken from the only life she knew hadn't been traumatic enough on its own.

At first, it seemed they would continue on without further incident. A day passed. But as the next day dawned, the sea swelled, the sky darkened, and the wind howled as if the sea itself was crying out in rage. The waves grew monstrous, towering over the Mistral like mountains of water, as lightning shot across the sky like glowing arrows and thunder rumbled like distant cannons. For hours, the ship rocked like a toy in stormy waters. Abel, his friends, the crew members- everyone- clung tightly to anything they could, praying for the storm to end before the Mistral sank beneath the waves…

And in time, the thunder died away, as did the rocking that threatened to break the ship into pieces. The Mistral had survived… but not unscathed. The sail was torn, rigging lines had snapped under strain, and the hull was cracked and leaking in several places. Even so, the crew did what they could to repair the damages, and the ship limped onward. And after twenty days- nearly three and a half weeks at sea, the Mistral finally dropped anchor in the harbor of Lohan.

The city was a welcome sight indeed; and almost the moment the ship was moored and the brow was lowered, the crew disembarked swiftly, weary and seemingly determined to put as much distance between themselves and the ship as possible. It was also here that Abel and his companions parted ways with Liz and Sion. The young merchant assured Abel that she would deal with the aftermath of the expedition, and that she would get to work reuniting Sion with her family. "The Company has contacts all over the continent," she had said. "If someone's looking for her, then we'll find them." She seemed confident she would succeed- for Sion's sake, Abel hoped she would.

But returning to port safely did not end Abel's troubles. There was another matter that needed to be addressed- one that had been quietly simmering as they sailed to Lohan, and which could now boil over at any moment.

Cardinal Szandor.

A few questions had been raised about the identity and the allegiance of the assassin during the voyage, but they were swiftly forgotten amidst the many other pressing concerns. But now that they had reached their destination, the questions would inevitably rise again. And more importantly…

The group quickly found an inn not far from the docks. After securing lodgings, and renting a private room, Abel, Raine, and Niel shared with Lailah everything they knew about the Cardinal. The man himself, the Archangels that served him, his encounter with Abel in Apollonia… no detail was spared, until they had nothing more to share.

Lailah sat in silence on the bed of the room they'd rented. Abel sat on the other bed, while Raine sat across from her in an old worn wooden chair, Niel seated on her shoulder. The priestess's gaze was turned to the floor, as she considered everything that the other three had shared with her.

"Alright…" she finally said. "Let me see if I understand everything correctly. That woman we met in Ulara was an assassin. An assassin employed by one of the Church's Cardinals, Cardinal Szandor, the head of the Inquisition. And he wants to kill Abel because he considers him a threat to Ilias's position as the Chief God."

"Not quite," Raine cut in. "It isn't Abel that Szandor sees as a threat- it's Bacchus. If Abel were to somehow slay the Overlord, Bacchus would get a lot of prestige, more worshippers, and by extension, more power."

"But, that doesn't make any sense," Lailah replied. "If this Cardinal is worried about Ilias losing prestige, why focus only on Abel? Wouldn't the other Champions be just as much of a threat?"

"Of the other six Heroes, four are Champions of upper-tier gods," Niel replied. "And the other two aren't seen as viable candidates to bring down the Overlord. Abel and Bacchus are the only true unknown factors, which makes them a threat in the Cardinal's eyes. Ilias might lose prestige if the Champions chosen by Ares, or Hephaestus or Poseidon slay the Overlord before Prince Roland does, but Szandor probably considers that preferable to Bacchus completely upending the balance of power in the pantheon."

"And, Monodominants like him have something of a personal vendetta against Bacchus," the witch added. Her gaze then shifted to Abel. "You remember why that is, Blue?"

It only took a moment of thought for Abel to recall the answer. "It's because… Bacchus gives blessings to all worshippers. Including those that aren't part of the civilized races. …Right?"

Raine let out a light chuckle and nodded. "That's right. Glad you were paying attention."

"So… what? Is the Cardinal afraid that if Bacchus gains more influence, she might convince other gods to start giving blessings to races other than the civilized ones?" Lailah asked.

"That's exactly what Szandor's afraid of." The witch leaned back in her seat, causing Niel to grip her collar tightly. "You might be surprised to hear this, Sis, but Bacchus is actually pretty powerful- among mid-tier deities, I think only Hestia has more pull. If she were given the right push- say, by choosing a Champion that goes on to slay the Overlord- she could easily break into the big leagues and displace one of the current upper-tier gods." Niel began pulling at Raine's collar with a very uncomfortable expression. "And if Bacchus were to gain more prestige, other gods might be tempted to follow her example." The former angel pulled Raine's collar more insistently, stamping her foot against the witch's shoulder. "And that's something Ilias and her loyalists would never stand for." Her gaze shifted to Abel. "Oh, Hestia's the harvest god honored by the Church. Real important, but she's not a big fan of violence, so she's never chosen a Champion." Niel finally reached up and slapped a tiny hand against Raine's face, making the witch scowl. "What, Parrot!? If you want something, just say it!"

"I-" Niel began. She was trembling, her legs squeezed together. "I need to… do business. Now. R-Right now!" she said in a very shaky voice.

"What? I thought I told you to go before the meeting!" Raine snapped back.

Niel began curling up. "Please, I…" she pleaded. "I can't… hold it…"

The witch let out an exasperated sigh. She stood and took Niel into her hands. "Alright, alright. Let's get you to the toilet. Don't worry, I'll clean up any mess you make." With that said, she set off with Niel in hand.

Abel couldn't help but sigh after what he'd seen. Niel was not adjusting well to the loss of her powers. Not that anyone in her position could be expected to- in an instant, she'd lost not only her power, but her independence as well. She had to rely on him and the others for almost everything- the former angel couldn't even cross a room without assistance. And suddenly having a bunch of physical demands thrust upon her must have been an enormous shock as well. And all of it was because she'd wanted to protect him. In a way, her current predicament was entirely his fault. "I feel terrible for Niel…" he said softly.

Lailah let out a small hum. "I'm sure she considered her actions very carefully before doing what she did, Abel."

"I… I don't get it, though," Abel admitted. "Niel was always… it felt like she- I don't know. Resented me? But, she also wants to protect me? I mean, I guess she is supposed to give me advice, but… I don't understand. Why would she do all of this for someone she doesn't even like?"

"I don't think Niel hates you Abel," Lailah replied. "Or that she resents you. It's just how some people are. They're harsh toward the ones they care about, to hide that they're actually worried about them. She cares about you- I just think she has a hard time showing it. I mean, if she didn't care, she wouldn't have given you her blood. She wouldn't have saved you."

Abel sighed again. He still wasn't fully convinced that there wasn't at least some part of the angel that resented him… but Lailah had raised some fair points. But before he could ponder further, Raine and Niel returned, the latter looking incredibly relieved. "Sorry about that," Raine said as she sat down. "Now where were we?"

"Personally, I'd like to know how long that assassin made it onto the Mistral's crew" Lailah suggested. "Someone that unhinged should've stood out like a sore thumb."

"Infiltration has always been a specialty of the Inquisition," Raine answered. "Even today, they send operatives to act as spies in suspected demon- or Overlord-worshiping cults. If she hadn't made a move, we might've never known she was even there."

That was a terrifying thought. But with it came a question. "If she could get on the Mistral so easily…" Abel began, "why did she wait so long before trying to kill me? She could've cut my throat while I was sleeping. Or just blown up the whole ship."

The witch leaned back in her seat. "Psycho buzzing around you all the time could've thrown off her original plans. Or maybe her ego got in the way- people tend to trip themselves up when they're more focused on showing off than on getting the job done. And that assassin clearly wanted to make an impression. But it's not like her reasons matter now. She tried to take out Blue, and she failed. And that's one less assassin Szandor can send after us."

"Sure, the assassin failed," Niel began. "But how long will this reprieve last? For all we know, the Cardinal already knows his first assassin failed- the second could be on their way to us as we speak. We need to start preparing for our next encounter with these… Archangels."

Raine raised an eyebrow at Niel. "I doubt Szandor'll move again that quickly. Even if he had an informant watching for our return, it'll take at least two weeks for a message to reach Lescatie from here. By the time he realizes something's off, we'll be long gone, and he'll have to waste time tracking us down again."

"Running away isn't a plan," Lailah said sternly.

Abel rubbed his chin, unsure of what to do. He wasn't just going to wait for Szandor's assassins to find them, but it wasn't like he could fight against the Cardinal directly, either. Not without bringing the wrath of the entire Church down upon them. But at the same time, the Overlord couldn't be ignored. No matter where Abel turned, it seemed some threat was waiting for them. But he remembered something Niel had said, after his first encounter with Szandor: You delivered the message from Hermes. You received your Relic, and the blessing of the Praetor. You met your patron goddess, and you know about Alondight's altars. Regardless of what the Cardinal says, you're a Hero, Abel. You have your mission. You can't abandon it now that you've come this far.

So there was only one thing to do.

"We'll keep moving," he said. "We'll find the rest of Alondight's altars. And then face the Overlord. That's what I'm supposed to be doing."

Lailah shot to her feet. "You're just gonna ignore the Cardinal!?"

"'We can't fight the Overlord and the Church at the same time,'" Raine replied. "Blue himself said that, remember?"

"Abel's right," Niel added. "If Szandor's assassins get in our way again, we'll deal with them. But Abel has a mission. And it isn't fighting the Church."

Lailah glared at the witch and the former angel, letting out a faint growl. But, she sat down. "Fine then. So where do we go from here?"

Raine answered the question with one directed toward Abel. "Blue?"

Abel pulled out his amulet and focused, directing it to find the next of Alondight's altars. The pendant slid on its chain and pointed somewhere behind him.

Raine tilted her head. "East? It was pointing north on our way back from Ulara." She glanced at Abel. "Are you sure?"

Abel focused harder, but the pendant's direction didn't change.

Raine's brow furrowed, before she shook her head. "Well we can figure that out later." She stood abruptly, causing Niel to lose her balance again. "So, was that everything you were hoping to learn, Sis?"

Lailah looked toward the witch with an icy glare. "That depends. Does that mean I'm part of your little circle of secrets now?"

Raine smiled mischievously as she drifted to the door. "Yep. Welcome to the club, Sis. We meet twice a week. Oh, and every Ektos-" There was a sudden scuffling from the other side of the door, as if someone had been listening and ran away when someone approached. "…Right. We need to figure out what to say to the others."

"Why not the truth?" Lailah asked flatly. "That usually tends to work."

"You of all people have no right to demand that from others," Niel shot back.

Before any more heated words could be exchanged, Abel cut in. "We'll tell them that the assassin was from a cult," he said. "One that worships the Overlord."

"Good thinking, Blue," Raine said. "I mean, it's not all a lie. Now…" She opened the door. "Let's find out just who was snooping around our doorstep, eh?" And then, she stepped out, leaving Abel and Lailah alone.

There was a long, and uncomfortable silence between the two. Lailah was the first to break it. "Abel. I want to ask you something. And I want you to answer honestly. Were you ever planning to tell me about those assassins? About the Cardinal?"

"Wh-What? Of course I did!" he stammered in surprise. "It's just… I was waiting for the right time… if I told you too soon, you would've gone straight for Szandor. And Niel's right. We can't fight against the Church. Especially now. Now that I know… what you are…" He spoke the last part quietly, in case someone was there to overhear it. "If anyone was to find out, the''d hunt you to the ends of the earth. They'd kill you! And they'd kill me too, for trying to protect you. Even our friends could turn on us! I- …I just wanted to keep you safe."

There was another long silence. The priestess didn't reply for what felt like a lifetime. Then, she stood. "You wanted to keep me safe," she repeated.

"Of course!" His response was almost immediate. "You remember what I said back in Caral Marsh, don't you? When Niel and I found out the truth?"

Lailah smiled faintly. "You wouldn't fight to protect a world where you and I had to be enemies," she answered. But there was something strange about Lailah's expression. She was smiling, but… her eyes were devoid of warmth. Then, she stood in front of Abel, lifted him to his feet, and slid her arms around him, holding him in a warm, gentle embrace. It was surprising, but Abel didn't resist. Which only served to make the priestess's next words to him all the more shocking.

"If you really want to keep me safe, then you can start by treating me like an adult."

Abel looked up at her, his eyes wide in surprise. He tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. The warm embrace vanished, replaced with something altogether more threatening.

"I'm not some helpless damsel who needs to be rescued, Abel. You should know better than anyone that I can look after myself." She finally released Abel. But the coldness in her eyes remained. "If keeping me safe is really that important to you, then treat me like an equal. Or I'll find another Hero who will." Without waiting for his answer, she stepped around Abel, and left the room.

Abel let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, a cold chill gripping at his heart and driving him to his knees. He looked down at himself, expecting to see bloodstains on his clothes, with how deeply Lailah's words had cut him.

How could he be so stupid? She was right, of course. He had kept secrets from her. He had treated her like a delicate flower that needed to be sheltered from the dangers of the world. Even though she'd proven her strength. Even after she'd saved his life… more than once. She was the most important person in his life- the first to show him true kindness… and this was how he repaid her for it? He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cry as he thought about everything Lailah had told him. At his own foolishness. At how, in trying to 'protect' her, he had only driven her away.

How was Abel supposed to fix this? A part of him wanted to go after Lailah, to apologize. To promise that he wouldn't keep things from her anymore. But another part of him, a much larger part, was reluctant to chase after the priestess. After all, an apology was just words. And at worst, she might see his apology as an attempt to manipulate her by making her feel guilty. Perhaps it would be better if he… let Lailah be. She didn't need his protection. And she didn't need him interfering in her decisions. If she wanted to hear him out, she would come to him.

When she was ready.

Taking a breath to steady himself, Abel climbed to his feet on shaking legs. With his head bowed, he too left the room, Lailah's words echoing in his ears.

Treat me like an equal. Or I'll find another Hero who will.

---

"Hmm… this one's looking for guards for a caravan going to Surija… but we probably don't want to go too far from Lohan. What do you think?" Seth asked. When she received no response, the thief moved on to the next billet. "Oh, this one's from the Lord Mayor. It says a detachment from the city watch was sent to clear out a lizardman encampment but never returned. And now they want someone to find out what happened to them." But again, she received no answer. She looked back, frustrated. "Abel, are you even listening to me!?"

Abel returned to his senses. He'd been standing in front of the board in the Fighter's Guild where jobs had been posted, looking at them but not seeing them. He'd been so lost in his thoughts about Lailah that he had''t heard a word Seth said until she shouted at him. "I- I'm sorry," he said faintly.

The thief narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the one who suggested taking a job from the Guild. You could at least pay attention."

He nodded guiltily. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry." He glanced at the board, searching for a job. As he did, he asked, "You said there was one looking for missing soldiers?"

"Yeah," Seth replied, before repeating, "They were sent to clear out a lizardman camp, but haven't returned."

"What does it say about the lizardmen?"

Seth read the bill more closely. "…There is a bounty if the lizardmen are still alive, but finding the soldiers-"

"Excuse me," a new voice said. Abel and Seth turned, to see a woman with light brown hair tied in two braids behind him. She wore a blue vest atop a white shirt and a black dress that reached her knees. She had been behind the counter when they arrived at the Fighter's Guild, speaking with someone else- the receptionist, if Abel had to guess.

"Is there a problem?" Seth asked.

"Well…" the receptionist began. "Some of the other visitors have complained about your partner. Will you… erm… be staying much longer?"

"Huh?" Abel looked over, to see Fiann glaring out at the rest of the guildhall, hostile intent radiating from her like heat from a massive bonfire. It abated slightly when her gaze shifted to meet his eye, before returning in full force. The intensity caught Abel by surprise. Had she been doing it the whole time?

"Uh, y-yeah… we're finished," Abel said quickly. "Seth, we're taking the job to find those soldiers. Should be easy with my Relic." The three then quickly left the guildhall, billet in hand. But the hostility emanating from the bard did not subside once they left- if anything, it seemed to only intensify. And eventually, Abel had to ask, "Um… Fiann? Is something the matter?"

She wrote something in her journal with harsh and rapid strokes, barely taking her eyes off the surrounding crowd, making her words sloppy and hard to interpret, even with his power. [There could beanother assasin. Watching yo at this very mment.] She added a moment later, [I WONT LET THEM COME NEAR YOU].

Two days had passed since Abel, Raine, and Niel had disclosed the truth about Cardinal Szandor and his assassins to Lailah. Shortly after, the witch had gathered everyone to share a… revelation about Baraquiel. Certain details were altered (she was now tied to an Overlord-aligned cult rather than the Inquisition, and Szandor's involvement was omitted entirely), but the general idea was communicated: she had been an assassin sent to kill Abel, and others would likely follow.

The news had unsettled the group, and even Raine's assurances that it would take time for the "cult" to learn their assassin had failed did little to put them at ease. They wanted to leave Lohan as soon as possible, but quickly ran into yet another obstacle: the Princess Louvia was missing from Lohan's harbor. According to the harbormaster, Captain Baird had been putting to sea intermittently since the Mistral's departure, catching fish far from the shore, and had departed for another round of deep-sea fishing shortly before Abel and the others had returned. These excursions could last for days on end, meaning the group had no choice but to wait for the Princess Louvia to return to port. They waited one day. Then another. As the others grew increasingly restless, Abel suggested taking a job from the Fighter's Guild to fill their time, and keep their combat skills honed. However, only Fiann and Seth volunteered to join him.

In reality however, the job was merely a distraction, a way for Abel to keep his mind from dwelling on Lailah, and her parting words.

"So…" Abel began. "Is there any other information about those missing soldiers?"

Seth looked over the bill once again. "The lizardmen's camp is to the southwest of Lohan- I assume it's close if the city watch was sent to clear them out. Apparently, they were under the command of someone named 'Captain Haytham.' Beyond that, there isn't much else."

Abel focused, impelling his amulet to find Captain Haytham of the Lohan City Watch- being specific so it didn't lead them to anyone else who happened to be named Haytham- and the Relic immediately began pointing toward its target. "Looks like we've got a lead," he said, "Let's grab some supplies before we head out."

As they made their way back to the markets, Abel couldn't help but notice how tense Fiann remained. It wasn't just her constant scanning of their surroundings, or the hostile aura that continuously emanated from her; she clung to him as if she were a second shadow, never straying more than a few steps away. It was a bit unnerving, and far above and beyond the usual amount of protectiveness she showed him, almost bordering on paranoia. …But, Baraquiel had demonstrated just how close an assassin could get without any of them realizing. Perhaps some level of paranoia was justified.

The three purchased the supplies needed for their excursion- a few days' worth of rations, extra waterskins, and several bundles of arrows for Seth. With their preparations complete, they set off, entering the badlands outside the city. The pull on Abel's amulet quickly led the three away from the road and toward the rocky hills, the terrain becoming rougher and more desolate with each step.

Hours passed, and the sun was sinking toward the horizon rapidly when Abel, Seth, and Fiann finally stumbled across the lizardmen's camp. It looked exactly how Abel expected it would- a nest of tents and crude huts with the remains of a fire in the center. There were signs of a fight, and a recent one at that- a number of bodies, both human and lizardman, were strewn across the ground, slowly rotting under the sun in pools of dry blood, spears and swords still clutched in their hands. Abel recognized the red cloaks the humans wore- these were the missing soldiers they were looking for.

Abel approached the camp cautiously. "Captain Haytham?" he called. There was no answer. He focused, and his amulet pointed toward a tent that was larger than the others. It was just as still and silent as the rest of the camp. Drawing his sword, Abel pushed aside the flap and peered inside. The tent was empty save for a single body- a man, bald, with a thick dark beard, his face twisted in agony, a large wooden shard driven into the side of his head. Abel's pendant pointed directly at the body.

"Did you find him?" Seth called.

"Yeah, I-" Abel abruptly stopped. As he began to sheathe his sword, something inside the tent had moved. He glanced around, seeing nothing out of place. But every fiber in his being screamed that he was being watched. He slowly withdrew, keeping his eyes forward and a hand on his sword, until he heard it. A breath, short and raspy.

Abel didn't wait, bringing up a free hand. "Angel Fire!" White flames erupted from his palm engulfing the interior of the tent… and the lizardman pressed against it, its scales colored to match the canvas perfectly. It screeched in agony as the flames melted its flesh, tearing through the tent with its claws and stumbling into the open, before an arrow pierced through its neck, and it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Seth and Fiann rushed over, their eyes going wide when they saw what had happened. But there were no time for words, as a chorus of angry hisses erupted around them. Lizardmen emerged, their scales colored the same brown as the rocky ridges surrounding the camp, or the earth beneath their feet- some of the "corpses" even rose to their feet.

An ambush. And they'd stepped right into it.

One of the lizardmen darted forward, thrusting its spear at Fiann. But she grabbed the spear's haft and ripped it from the lizardman's grasp (quite literally- the bard tore off several of the lizardman's fingers along with its weapon), before driving it back into the lizardman's own chest, all before drawing her axe. The lizardman fell with a gurgle.

The rest of the lizardmen rushed the three, claws slashing and teeth snapping. Fiann slowly advanced at the largest lizardman in the horde, cutting down any others that tried to intercept her. Seth held her ground, firing arrows one after the other, dropping lizardmen one by one… but the lizardmen were faster than the thief's hands, and they closed in within a matter of moments. One swung its sword at her- more a stick topped with a crude metal blade, but the blow would be no less deadly if it connected. She ducked underneath it, only for another lizardman to swing its massive club overhead, aiming for her head.

The air was filled with a crack, and the lizardman stumbled back as its swing was deflected. Before it could recover, Abel swung his sword, burying its blade in the lizardman's skull. He spun, thrusting his hand out, and spraying a gout of white flames at another lizardman, burning it to ash where it stood. Another lizardman charged toward him, wielding a spear- but as it drew back its weapon, Abel charged, ramming his shoulder into its chest. The lizardman flew backward, landing on the ground with a yelp. Before it could rise, Abel sent out another burst of white flame, incinerating it where it lay.

He looked up, seeing Fiann knock a massive lizardman to the ground with a single swing. Then she reached down, grabbed its arm, and planted her foot on its chest. In silence, she tore the arm clean off, spraying a mist of black ichor into the air and over herself. The remaining lizardmen paused, as if in horror of Fiann's feat… which left them all vulnerable to Seth's arrows. The thief didn't waste any time, picking them off one by one until there were none left standing.

Abel sheathed his sword, letting out one last breath. "Do you think that was all of them?" he asked.

Fiann looked around, eyes sweeping over the carnage around them. Her face betrayed no emotion; her expression cold and focused. Then, she turned back to Abel, nodding.

"Lizardmen that can change the color of their scales…" Seth began. She laid a hand on one of the bodies- in response, the scales surrounding her hand changed color, matching the shade of brown of the thief's hand. "We need to tell the Guild about this."

"What about the soldiers?" Abel asked. "The Guild will want proof we found them."

Seth shook her head. "Grab the captain's cloak. It should have the Lord Mayor's emblem sewn onto it as proof of his rank. That should be enough to convince them."

Nodding, Abel returned to the tent where he'd found Captain Haytham's body, and removed his cloak- it was covered in blood and had some burns, but was largely intact. Sure enough, it had a symbol absent from the cloaks worn by the other soldiers: a black diamond, surrounding a black bird with spread wings. When he showed it to Seth, she confirmed it was the Lord Mayor's emblem.

By now, the sun was only minutes from setting- as close as they were to the city, trying to cross the rough terrain in the darkness would be foolish, and that was without the possibility of being ambushed by another group of lizardmen. They decided to rest for the night and set out at first light, moving away from the lizardman camp and settling for the evening once they found a suitable shelter. Fiann sat near the small fire they made, sharpening her axe with a stone, while Seth kept an eye on their surroundings. Abel, meanwhile, stared into the flames, lost in thought.

Something tapped Abel's shoulder, and when he looked, Fiann was facing him, journal open. [What are you thinking about?] she'd written.

Abel hesitated, then took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying. "I was thinking, about the last time we were in Lohan. We took a job hunting lizardmen back then, too. At the time, I couldn't even kill one on my own. But today, I killed four without breaking a sweat."

Fiann tilted her head, as if confused. [Isn't that a good thing? It means you're stronger than you were before.]

Abel looked down at his hands, still covered with flecks of black blood from the battle earlier. "I guess. But, I don't… feel any stronger, though. From how I was back then."

Behind them, Seth scoffed. "What exactly were you expecting, Abel? That you'd kill a hundred monsters, and then a glow would surround your body and a feeling of unearthly power would surge through you?"

In all honesty, that was almost exactly what Abel expected. But hearing it be put into words like that made it sound ridiculous. He shook his head, not sure how to answer.

"When Kamash disowned me, and I began working to bring him down," the thief continued, "there was never a moment where I suddenly felt I'd mastered climbing, or picking locks, or archery. Looking back, I can see how much I improved, but in the moment, it didn't feel any different than it had when I was just starting out." She sat down next to the fire, near Abel and Fiann, warming her cold fingers. "But I was improving, even if I couldn't feel it. Just because you haven't experienced some grand epiphany doesn't mean you haven't been growing stronger."

Abel nodded slowly. Seth was right. On some fundamental level, he knew that. He wasn't the helpless boy he had been when he left Seles. Who'd needed Niel to guide his hand when facing his first real enemy. Who squeezed his eyes shut in fear when swinging his blade. But it was difficult to shake off the doubts. To feel a sense of growth when seemingly every threat they faced was followed by an even greater threat.

Every foe by an even stronger foe.

The night passed without incident, and in the morning, they set off for the city once more, turning in the cloak to the Fighter's Guild receptionist and marking where the bodies could be found on a map provided. Though they slayed the lizardmen responsible, without proof of the deed, they couldn't claim the extra bounty. But that didn't bother Abel- he hadn't taken the job for the money, after all. But there was something surprising once they'd finished their business with the Guild- Raine had come to meet them, to share two pieces of information. First, the Princess Louvia had returned to port- once they restocked their supplies, they would be ready to depart as soon as Abel gave them a destination. Second, and more curious, was that Liz had come to visit. She had some sort of news, but she wouldn't share it until Abel had returned.

The four made their way back to the inn. In the common room, Liz and the rest of their party was waiting. The young merchant sprang to her feet as soon as she spotted Abel, face flushed with excitement. "There you are! You're not gonna believe this, but I found Sion's family! Or… well, they found me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Abel asked.

Immediately after, Claire said, with a decidedly unimpressed expression, "What, that's it? You could've told us that without making us wait!"

"Hang on, I wasn't finished," Liz replied. "It turns out that Sion… is a princess!"

There was a moment of silence as Liz's words hung in the air. Then, Claire burst out laughing. She was the only one. After several moments, she managed to collect herself and said, "I have to admit, Miss Liz, you have a rather wicked sense of humor. But seriously, what's going on?"

"I was being serious," Liz replied, frowning. "Sion is the princess of the Gaspari Kingdom. An envoy came to bring her home not long after I started asking around."

Raine rubbed her chin, brow furrowing. "I was right, then. That girl really was speaking Zudutzu."

"Zu… dutzu?" Seth asked. "What's that?"

An answer came, but not from Raine. "It's the language of the dark elves that live on Eunomia," Claire explained, "one of the islands of the Kingdom of Faetón. Their nation, the Gaspari Kingdom, is one of Faetón's constituent states." She added, more quietly, almost as if speaking to herself, "But, that doesn't make any sense. The Gaspari Kingdom's princess went missing, but…"

"Hang on…" Holly began. "Liz, you said Sion was a princess, right? Then, there has to be some kind of reward for finding her."

Liz turned away, letting out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, about that…"

"I'll tell you what I told the degenerate" Claire interrupted. "Most elves view humans the way humans view orcs. We'll be lucky if they even acknowledge it was a human that found her."

"You sure about that?" Raine asked, skeptical. "I thought Gaspari elves had positive relations with humans. I mean, they're the only major elven nation on the continent that has regular contact with them at all."

"Elves are still elves, wherever they live," Claire then said. "We should just be thankful they didn't accuse us of kidnapping Sion." She glanced over at Holly. "And there's our reward, mercenary: not being executed for a crime we didn't commit."

"This… envoy…" Abel began. "Are you sure he was sent by Sion's family?"

Liz nodded. "Pretty sure. It's hard to argue with a message signed and sealed by both the Queen of Gasparis and the King of Faetón."

Indeed, Abel had no response to hearing that. All he could say in reply was, "Well… I guess that's one less thing to worry about."

"So, where do we go from here?" Seth asked.

That was the question. Captain Baird had returned, but until his ship was ready, there was nothing they could do. Nothing substantial, anyway. But, they could at least start making preparations.

Pulling out his amulet, Abel replied, "Raine, can you help me figure out where we're headed next?"

---

Abel awoke to see an unfamiliar ceiling hanging over him. He bolted upright, looking around. He wasn't in his room at the inn, or the grey room he had visited when Edelweiss spoke to him in his dreams. The room was richly furnished, with wooden panels and lamps casting flickering shadows across the room lining the walls, a large chest of drawers on one side of the room, a table with plush seats on the other, all made from dark wood, and all very expensive looking. Abel himself was laying on a large bed that was easily the size of four normal beds put together, and he seemed to sink into it as if it were made of clouds. The sheets were soft and cool against his skin, and he felt well rested for the first time since… well, possibly the first time ever.

He looked down at himself- he was in his normal attire, save for his lamellar jacket, and his sword belt. But there was another odd addition: a black ring on his left index finger. It glinted in the light of the lamps. He didn't remember putting it on. …Then again, maybe he hadn't. And for that matter, where was he? He, Seth, and Fiann had defeated the lizardmen and reported back to the Fighter's Guild. Liz had come to tell them about Sion, and then… what happened next? He tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.

Cautiously, Abel climbed off the bed, and focused, trying to call a sword of light to his hand. Wherever this place was, if whoever brought him here had to do it while he was sleeping, then he doubted their intentions with him were benevolent. But… no matter how hard he focused, a sword wouldn't form in his hand. In fact, he could feel the mana in his body flow elsewhere, toward… the ring. Abel realized it must have been suppressing his mana somehow. He gripped the ring, and tried to pull it off, but no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge- it seemed more likely he'd pull off his finger instead. So he glanced around, looking for anything that he could use as a weapon.

But at that moment, the door across from the bed opened, and two figures stepped into the room. The one on the left was shorter, pale, her dark purple hair pulled into tight spirals that hung from the sides of her head. The one on the right was taller, with bronze skin and long, sweeping hair colored a dark color somewhere between red and brown. Both were dressed in outfits not unlike Minze's, though in black rather than green, and each had their own personal flourishes: the red-haired maid wore long sleeves and a black skirt that brushed against the floor, while the purple-haired maid had her sleeves and skirt cut considerably shorter.

"Welcome, Sir Abel," the maids said together, bowing their heads, the purple-haired one in a bubbly and energetic voice, the red-haired one in a rough and raspy voice.

Abel's eyes darted around the room, still searching for something to defend himself- or at least an escape route. "Wh- …who are you?" he stammered.

"Servants of the house," the red-haired maid replied.

"And… whose house would that be, exactly?" There was no escape route- there were windows, but they were too small to squeeze through. And even if he did manage it, there was no telling how high up he actually was, a risk he wasn't about to take without his wings.

"Our master will explain everything in due time," the purple-haired maid said. "However, she is preoccupied with other matters at the moment. She has asked that we… entertain you until her business is concluded."

Abel tilted his head. "'Entertain?'"

The two maids glanced at each other, before smiling. Then the red-haired one said, "Get his legs, Laraquel."

Then, the purple-haired girl lunged forward, her body distorting into little more than a dark, shapeless mass as she stretched across the room and wrapped around Abel's legs. Abel tried to retreat, only to call backward onto the bed with his legs pinned together. At the same time, the red-haired girl slithered across the room and wrapped around him. Literally- under her skirt, she didn't have legs, but a serpentine body with red scales, which quickly coiled around Abel's torso, pinning his arms to his sides. She pinned his shoulders against the bed with her hands, mouth wide in a predatory smile that showed her long, gleaming fangs.

Abel screamed in terror, louder and longer than he ever had before- than he thought was possible. He was going to die here. He was going to die, and he had no idea where he was, who was about to kill him… he didn't even know if the others were still alive. He couldn't even defend himself. Even against Zechariah and the other boys in Seles, he had never felt so helpless. He squirmed against the snake-woman, but his efforts were futile. "No! No don't eat me!"

The snake-woman grinned. "Oh, I do love screamers," she said in a low voice, before leaning in, her breath hot against his ear. "You'll scream some more for me… won't you?" Then, her jaw opened wide, and she plunged her teeth into Abel's neck.

Air rushed from Abel's throat. But there was no sound. The fear had stolen his voice completely. And… there was no pain. All he could feel was a pressure as the snake-woman sucked gently on his neck, drinking his blood.

Then, the purple mass shuddered and pulled away. "Ah- pttp! Oh, god, he pissed himself!"

The snake-girl pulled away to glare at her companion. "Just suck it up and deal with it! Have you never eaten someone who pissed themselves before?"

The purple mass drew itself up, as if to look the snake-girl in the eye. "Doesn't mean I like doing it, you scaly bimbo!"

For several moments, Abel was completely oblivious to the two monsters' exchange. He simply lay in their clutches, twitching. He was dead. He would never see any of his friends again. He never even got the chance to make things right with Lailah. He wished he had at least said something to her.

Abruptly, the door slammed open, catching both the snake-girl and the slime-girl by surprise. "Wha-" the snake-girl choked, before there was a sound of someone snapping their fingers. "Oh come on! We were-" the snake-woman began, before she was cut off by the sound of snapping fingers again. The snake-woman's shoulders slumped, and she let out a disappointed "Ohhh…" as she uncoiled her body from around Abel and slithered through the door and out of sight. The purple mass surrounding his legs retreated, taking on a form similar to the maid she'd been previously, though her entire body was a very slightly transparent dark purple, and followed the snake-woman.

Several moments passed before Abel realized that he was not, in fact, dead. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he was soaking in a puddle of urine, but he was still very much alive. But what could have driven the two monsters away? Cautiously, he sat up again, to find a third maid standing at the door. This new maid wasn't human either. But, unlike the others, that was readily apparent from a glance: she… didn't have a head. It wasn't that her head was cut off, though. There was no hole in her clothes for her neck, and the space between her shoulders was flat, as if she'd never had a head to begin with. But in spite of her missing head, the maid showed no difficulty in crossing the room to the foot of Abel's bed, and extended a hand to him. Abel shrank away from the headless woman. She thrust out her hand again, more forcefully, as if insisting he take it. But again, Abel refused to go near her. Seemingly frustrated, she reached out and grabbed Abel by the wrist, and dragged him to the edge of the bed. He tried to pull away, and break for the door, but the headless woman quickly pulled him back and wrapped her arms around his waist, lifting him off the ground so he couldn't run.

Abel twisted, kicking his legs as he tried to pull himself from the headless woman's grasp. "Let go! Let… go of me!" But she held him firmly. The snake-woman at least had decent muscle, and the slime-woman was… a slime. Combined with the element of surprise, he could understand how they had overpowered him. But the headless woman had only an average build at most. How in the world was she so strong?

The headless woman carried Abel- kicking all the while- out of the room and down a short hallway. As they approached a tall wooden door, it swung open, revealing a massive room with white walls, thin veins of gold running through them. Just like the room Abel had awoken in, it was filled with expensive-looking furniture, a massive bed, and various other amenities. But there was a major difference- on the far wall were massive windows, looking out onto a balcony, which itself looked over a massive black city. Between the windows, a desk had been placed, set below a large black mirror. Seated in front of the mirror was a figure with long white hair, their back turned to Abel and the headless woman.

"My Lady," a stern voice said. "I have brought our guest." It came from somewhere to Abel's right- he looked, and recoiled when he saw a head set on a low table atop a small cushion. It looked human- black hair pulled into a tight bun, glasses with thin wire frames, a small nose- but her eyes were white, lacking any pupil or iris. And of course, there was the fact that it was resting on a table several paces away from its body.

The figure seated in front of the mirror replied, "Let him down, Brynn," still turned away.

"As you wish," the head sitting on the cushion replied, and the headless woman dropped Abel. In an instant, Abel leapt to his feet. In spite of himself, he focused with all his might. He could feel his power flickering, struggling to come out… but whatever enchantment he was under was too strong, and his wings, his sword of light were dispelled as soon as they had appeared.

"There's no need for that," the figure in front of the mirror turned to face Abel, revealing herself to be a woman- no, she seemed closer to a girl than a woman. Though calling her either seemed like an insult. She was beautiful beyond anything Abel had ever seen before. She also wasn't human- her skin was blue, her eyes were red, the whites of her eyes a solid black, and a pair of small, curved black horns sprouted from her temples- but those features did nothing to detract from her beauty. Her long white hair fell across her shoulders and down her back, and wore a black dress that clung to her like a second skin. When she smiled at him, the expression was kind, yet somehow ominous.

"You needn't worry," the white-haired woman continued. "I do not intend to harm you." She then looked Abel over- the conspicuous stain on his trousers, the way he trembled- and shook her head. "I see my attendants took my instructions to 'entertain our guest' as an excuse to amuse themselves instead. I pray you will forgive their impertinence." She then held a hand out toward Abel. "Soft Wash." All of a sudden, Abel's clothes were dry, all stains gone, as if he'd just pulled them off a line after drying.

Abel stared at the girl, still trembling slightly. "What… who are you?" He asked, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. She could have killed him with ease, but… she hadn't. She just… cleaned his clothes instead?

The answer came, not from the white-haired girl, but the head on the cushion. "You stand in the presence of Her Ladyship Luxuria, agent of Lord Baphomet's Black Hand."

The Black Hand. Then she was one of Guillaume's comrades. And nothing she said could be trusted. Anyone who could call that… man an ally…

"What do you want from me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He tried to put on a brave face, but he was utterly at Luxuria's mercy. If she decided she was finished being hospitable, it would only take a wave of her hand to end him.

Luxuria smiled kindly. It was a beautiful smile, one that made her seem like an angel, yet at the same time it sent chills down Abel's spine. "What I want…" she replied, leaning forward in her seat. Her eyes bored into him, and suddenly he felt exposed. Naked. Helpless. He wanted to look away, but couldn't. He couldn't even move. "…is for you to protect my daughter. To watch over her, and see that no harm comes to her. That is all I ask."

Abel blinked, silent. There had to be some trick here, something he wasn't seeing. This woman, Luxuria, was a demon after all- and in the stories, demons were masters of using words to manipulate others. And if Lailah had left her, he imagined that the priestess had very good reasons to do so. But still, there was something about the way Luxuria looked at him, the way she spoke… it didn't feel like she was deceiving him.

Looking her in the eye, he could almost believe she had no ulterior motive.

…But he had to remember who he was dealing with. Luxuria a servant of the Overlord, "an ally of Guillaume Rouque, a demon. No matter what she says, her intentions can't be trusted." Abel abruptly blanched when the demon began to speak his thoughts out loud, as if she were reading them out of a book. She gave him a small smile, which only made him more uncomfortable.

"You are right, of course," she purred. "I am a demon. An agent of Lord Baphomet's Black Hand. And yes, I once called Guillaume Rouque an ally. But my goals fell out of alignment with the Overlord's long ago. Now, my only desire is to protect what little of my family remains."

Abel was quiet again, carefully weighing his words. Her request was… well, not simple by any means, but something he swore he would do. But there had to be something else. Something he wasn't being told.

"What is it you really want from me?" he asked.

Luxuria's smile faded, and she rose to her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, but for several long moments, she said nothing. "You wish to know my true intentions?" she finally asked, a hard, menacing edge creeping into her voice. It chilled Abel down to his bones. "I desire what all demons desire." She grinned, her mouth suddenly full of sharp fangs as white leathery wings sprouted from her back, her eyes shining with a brilliant red light. A long black tail, tipped with a barbed stinger, snaked around behind her legs. Luxuria spread her arms, her hands turning into claws covered in black, plate-like scales, sharp enough to rend flesh and bone alike. "To dominate the feeble, pathetic races favored by the Chief God, and revel in their pain and suffering for all of eternity!" A wave of pure malevolence suddenly surged from the demon, powerful enough to almost knock off his feet. But just as suddenly as it came, the malevolent aura was gone. Luxuria stood before him with her arms still spread, now wearing a decidedly unamused expression. "There. Now that I've said the things you wanted to hear, can we continue our discussion like mature adults? Or will you insist I embarrass myself further?"

Abel swallowed nervously, taking a step back. Again, some time passed before he replied, but not because of fear. Not entirely. Rather, it was because he seemed to have spontaneously developed a keen talent for offending others. He needed to tread carefully. He'd already offended Luxuria once- he doubted she would be as forgiving to a second offense.

"Lailah…" he finally said. "…your daughter… she's strong. Stronger than I am. She doesn't- …she doesn't need to be protected. If she needs my help… then, she'll ask for it. She doesn't need me to watch over her."

For a long while, Luxuria didn't answer. The more inhuman aspects of her body began to recede, her claws retracting, the leathery wings vanishing, until once again she appeared to be just a young woman with white hair… albeit one with blue skin and horns. Her eyes remained red, but they were no longer filled with malevolence. Instead, there was sadness in them. A deep, soul-crushing sorrow.

"My first daughter was strong. And so was my second," she said quietly, her voice cracking slightly. "They were strong. They didn't need to be protected. But even with all their strength, I lost them both, forever." She looked at Abel, her eyes boring into him, tears streaming down her face. "My girls- my precious Lili, my clever Mina… they're gone. They've been gone for twenty years, but every day since has been a reminder. A reminder of how I, their mother, failed them." She let out a shuddering breath, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I lost two of my children," she continued, her voice steadier now. "I cannot bear the thought of losing another. That is why I ask you to protect her. Not because I think she is weak. But because I know that this world is a dangerous place. And as strong as Laxi is, my Lili and my Mina were stronger still… and yet, all their strength still wasn't enough to save them."

Abel swallowed hard, not sure what to say or do. He didn't see a demon when he looked at Luxuria. He saw a mother, grieving the loss of her children, terrified of experiencing that loss again. He couldn't find it within himself to deny her request. And yet…

"I…" he began, his words soft and hesitant. "…I can't."

Luxuria's eyes narrowed, flashing a dangerous red light. But after a moment, her anger faded, replaced by something else entirely. Something closer to disappointment. "Even after baring my soul to you, you would refuse my request?" she asked- her words were quiet, but Abel could feel the rage lurking beneath them. "Is my daughter's worth so little in your eyes?"

Abel backed away, shaking his head. "No! Its not that!" he said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. "I can't agree to your request, because…" His hands fell to his sides, and he turned away from the demon's gaze. "…because I'm not strong enough to protect her."

For a long while, there was silence. Luxuria stood before Abel, her expression unreadable. "You claim my daughter doesn't need your protection," she said at last, her voice even and measured. "But what would you do if she was faced by a danger she couldn't overcome? Would you allow her to succumb to her fate while lamenting your own weakness?"

Abel hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Wh-What?"

Luxuria's expression darkened, her eyes flashing dangerously bright. "Is that the sort of man you wish to be!" she demanded, stepping forward. "A coward, unwilling to defend those he holds dear? Is that the legacy you wish to leave behind!?"

In the blink of an eye she was in front of him, her face contorted with anger, pain, loss, regret… a million conflicting emotions all twisting into something monstrous.

But he pushed her hand aside. "It's not that simple!" he shouted. "How can I promise to protect someone when I can't even protect myself!? When she's the one always protecting me!?" He took a step back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

But Luxuria's response was immediate: "Then change it!" she commanded, her voice trembling with emotion. "Become stronger! Prove to Andralaxia- prove to yourself- that you're capable of protecting her! Of standing by her side as an equal!"

She stared at him intensely, waiting for his answer. For a moment, Abel felt like he could crumple under the weight of her gaze. If this were a story, this would be the moment where resolve would well up within him, and he would vow to become stronger. To rise to the challenge she laid before him.

Instead, he simply bowed his head, and replied meekly, "I- …I'll try." It was hardly a grand, heroic declaration worthy of being inscribed on a monument somewhere, or of being enshrined in song by bards, but… he meant it. For Lailah… he would try.

But Luxuria took Abel's hand, gripping it tightly as she removed the black ring from his finger. "No," she said sternly. "You will not try. You will become stronger. You will protect my daughter." She glanced back, her expression softening slightly. "And you will prove that my faith in you is not misplaced." She raised a hand, drawing a circle with her finger. "Gate." Suddenly, a glowing red circle appeared under Abel's feet, and he fell into it as if a trapdoor had opened under him.

Abel awoke with a start. He was… in his room at the inn. Sitting up, he rubbed his temples, head spinning. A dream? It wasn't as though nightmares had been uncommon in his quest so far. But this one had been much more… intense.

His ruminations were interrupted by a knock at his door. "Blue, you awake yet?" Raine said from outside, before stepping inside. "It's almost noon, how long are you-" She abruptly stopped as soon as she saw him. "…What's that?" she asked, with a knowing grin.

"What's what?" he asked in turn, confused.

"That!" She jabbed her finger right into the base of his neck. "Did you go out saving people behind our backs again?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Now Abel was thoroughly confused.

Raine crossed her arms and gave him a smug grin. "Oh, come on, Blue, don't play dumb. I know a hickey when I see one. So who's the lucky lady?"

"A-A what?"

"C'mon Blue, do you really not know what a hickey is?" Raine suddenly drew close, wrapping her arms around Abel's waist. "It's when someone does this." She then proceeded to press her lips against his neck, sucking softly.

An image flashed in Abel's mind: the red-haired snake-girl lunging at his throat with her fangs bared. He immediately shoved her back, shouting "Stop it get off me!"

"Whoa! Hey!" the witch cried in surprise as she stumbled back. "No need to overreact!"

It took several breaths before Abel calmed himself. And a few more before he realized what he had just done. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I just…" He trailed off.

A moment passed before she replied. "Hey, don't sweat it, Blue. I'm not a fan of people touching my neck, either." She smiled reassuringly. "I'll… let you get ready on your own. See you downstairs." With that, Raine left the room.

As soon as he was alone, Abel looked at himself in the mirror. There was a mark at the base of his neck, exactly where the snake-girl had… "bitten" him. It wasn't a bite mark, but it most certainly was real. Which meant that everything else…

…he had to tell Lailah. Keeping this a secret would only cause problems later. And maybe, just maybe, it could be the first step in rebuilding trust between them. Or at least, that was what he hoped. So, he left the room to begin his search for the priestess.

The search would not last long. As he stepped out, Lailah was ascending the steps leading up from the inn's common room. Their eyes met, and she seemed surprised for a brief moment, before her expression became guarded. Abel approached her, but she retreated to the room next to his and shut the door without saying anything.

He followed the priestess, stopping outside the door. "Lailah," he called, swallowing hard. "I need to talk to you."

There was no reply. So he knocked. "Please. It's important."

A long moment of silence passed. Then, the priestess asked, "What is it?" Her voice was cold, and slightly muffled by the thick wooden door.

Abel glanced around. The hall was empty at the moment, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way. "Can I… step inside? Just for a moment? I don't want anyone to overhear this. Please?"

"If it's that important, then you can tell me from where you are right now."

Abel drew in a long breath. "I… I met your mother."

His words were met with silence. Eventually, the door creaked open, revealing the priestess. Her eyes were narrowed, and she gestured for him to enter, shutting the door the moment he was inside. And once he was inside, she said bluntly, "You didn't meet my mother, Abel."

"What!? But I did!" he protested. "Her name's Luxuria, and she's part of the Black Hand, like Guillaume!"

"Abel," Lailah began, a thoroughly unimpressed expression on her face. "My mother lives in Xibalba, in Akheros, at the very heart of the Overlord's domain. The entire city- no, the entire continent is saturated in monster miasma. Without protection, a normal human would die within minutes of setting foot there. And do you really expect me to believe that you traveled to the other side of the world and back without any of us noticing? I don't know what you think you're trying to do, but-"

"I met her servants, too!" Abel cut in. "The slime-girl, the lamia, and that one whose head isn't attached to her body! And, she mentioned your sisters! Lili and Mina! And she told me your real name! It's Andralaxia!"

Lailah's eyes widened, her anger and disbelief melting away almost instantly. "How… how do you know all of that?" she whispered.

He hesitated for only a second. "Because I saw them for myself. And, because Luxuria told me." He paused for a moment. "I-I don't know how I got into her… space, but she sent me back with a spell. Its name was… Kyda. I'm guessing that's how she brought me there, too. And that she used her magic to protect me from the miasma."

For a long time, Lailah was silent. She stared at Abel, her gaze flicking over his body, as if searching for something. Eventually, she sighed heavily, before asking, "What did she… want from you?"

Abel rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "She… asked me to protect you."

"And… how did you answer?"

Abel swallowed. He knew what he had said. What he wanted to say. But at the same time, the words wouldn't come. They seemed to stick in his throat. And even when he managed to force them out, they came in a stuttering, halting, barely coherent stream: "I-I …told her I… couldn't. Th-that I… wasn't… strong, enough. That you don't need- …my protection. Th-That if you needed it, you would ask for it. But she wouldn't… she kept pushing, a-and I… I told her t-that I would… try. But I didn't-! I didn't say I would protect you. I-I couldn't! Because, I can't. I can't- I can't protect you. You're always- …always protecting me, so it wouldn't be right for me to make promises I can't keep, right? R-Right!?"

It was only when he finished forcing out his words that Abel realized he'd been shouting. And the whole time, Lailah just stared at him, in a stunned silence. Eventually, she turned away. She didn't say anything for a long time. As more and more time passed, anxiety welled within Abel, until he felt as if someone were crushing his stomach in their fist. His mouth opened, preparing to apologize, to say that he didn't really mean what he said- that he knew Lailah didn't need or want his protection. But, he couldn't seem to put the words together. So he didn't. He stood in silence, waiting for Lailah to say something.

Then, she turned to face him again. She was not angry. Nor was she upset, or frustrated, or hurt. Her face was an absolute mask. Her tone was perfectly even and measured when she said, very clearly, and in a tone that brooked no argument:

"Leave."

Abel blinked. "Wh-What?"

"I said, leave," she repeated, her voice slightly louder this time, but still calm. "Now."

Abel didn't need to be told a third time. He almost tripped over himself as he stumbled out of the room, leaving the priestess to her thoughts. But once he was in the hall, he stopped. He put his back against the wall, and slid down to the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and burying his face in them. The world around him seemed distant, unimportant. All that mattered was the feeling in his chest. A terrible, gnawing emptiness that grew larger with each passing second.

All he'd wanted… was to make things right. To treat Lailah as the adult she was. And he thought the best way to do that… was for there to be no secrets between them. But he'd messed up. Again. All he'd done was deepen their rift. And now he had no idea what to do. How was he supposed to fix things when it seemed every choice he made was the wrong one? When every word that came out of his mouth only served to drive them further apart?

Abel wanted to go back into Lailah's room. He wanted to say… but what could he say? An apology? An explanation? A plea for her to understand? None of those felt adequate. And when he played out each option in his mind, each one ended the same way: with him saying exactly the wrong thing, and making things even worse.

He wanted to cry. But there was nothing left. No tears, no hope, no motivation. Finally, after an eternity of sitting, he forced himself to stand. With leaden steps, he trudged into his own room and laid on the bed, sinking into the mattress as if pulled down by the weight in his heart. There he lay, staring at the ceiling, words and promises echoing in his head. He'd once said that he wouldn't fight to protect a world where he and Lailah had to be enemies. The thought that they would ever actually be enemies never crossed his mind. Not even for a moment. But now, it seemed he'd managed to bumble his way into making Lailah hate him. He didn't care if the Church was determined to make him their enemy. He didn't care if the other Heroes looked down on him. He didn't even care if Niel, Raine, Holly… if all of his other companions- all of his friends- turned their back on him.

But Lailah… She was the first person he could remember that showed any concern for his well-being. Her belief in him was the whole reason he had even started this quest in the first place, even if her true intentions had been less than noble. Now he was alone again, in a world that had always been, at best, indifferent to his suffering. And the worst part? It was entirely his fault. And as much as he wished there was, there was no magic combination of words that would make things how they were, no spell that would turn back time and let him prevent himself from making these mistakes. All he could do was press on, hoping that somehow, someday, he might manage to regain Lailah's trust. But how? He didn't even know where to begin. He couldn't fight the problem like he could with a lizardman or a bandit. And he couldn't just talk it out either. At least, not in the way he knew how to talk.

He let out a long breath. Why did this have to be so hard?

But, in the room next to Abel's, as soon as he was gone, Lailah's mask fell, and she sank onto her bed. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and her shoulders sagged as she pressed her hands against her face. A question repeated in her mind, over and over again:

Why am I like this?

She wasn't angry with Abel. He was only trying to do what he believed was right, by telling her about his encounter with Mother. She couldn't deny that his noncommittal answer to her mother's request had stung at her heart… but, she had only herself to blame for that. She had told him she didn't need to be rescued… and yet here she was, feeling hurt when he didn't immediately leap to her defense. It was completely unfair to him- she couldn't tell him one thing, and then be upset when he acted according to her wishes. She couldn't be angry when what she had told him to do wasn't what she actually wanted him to do. And she wasn't… well, she was still angry that Abel hadn't told her about the Cardinal and his assassins, but her anger had cooled considerably. Considering her initial reaction, and how Raine and Niel had seemingly predicted it, perhaps they felt that withholding that knowledge, at least temporarily, was for the best.

And at any rate, she could hardly be angry with him for keeping secrets… when she'd fully intended to keep her heritage hidden until her dying breaths.

But she'd slipped up. She'd lost control. In Caral, he had seen her for what she truly was. But even then… Abel had defended her. He had told Niel- the avatar of the god who would see all her kind dead- that he wouldn't fight for a world where the two of them had to be enemies. And his words, his actions, his acceptance of what she was… stirred something within her. It made her… want things. Things that she couldn't, and shouldn't have. Things that were… dangerous, for both of them.

Then Lailah shook her head. She was letting herself get distracted. No, she wasn't angry with Abel. He was an unintended victim, caught in the path of her anger's true target: her mother. Luxuria.

The thought that her mother would set out to reclaim her had always been lurking in the corners of Lailah's mind- after all, she had run away from home. But what was she hoping to accomplish by going after Abel? Was it really simply a request to protect her daughter, or was there something more insidious behind it? But more importantly, if Mother could find Abel, then she surely also knew where Lailah was as well. Why not simply take her daughter back? And if that wasn't her goal, then what did she want?

…but then, Lailah thought, what if she wasn't Mother's target? She'd seen the mark on Abel's neck. What if her goal was to seduce Abel into serving the Overlord? True, he wasn't as strong as the other Champions, but his power was impressive, and he had potential to grow stronger. And Abel was at an age where most young men were almost powerless to resist the charms of a beautiful woman. She'd seen how he stared when he thought she wasn't looking. And not just at her, either- his eyes seemed to linger longer than they should on all of their traveling companions. Sure, she may not have been as tall as Fiann, or as brash as Raine; her bust might not have been as big as Holly's or Claire's, or Violet's; she may not have had Minze's grace, or Seth's shapely legs and slender waist, or…

…Wait, what the hell was she doing? She had to focus- her mind was wandering again.

Lailah rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself and think rationally. Mother wanted Abel for something. Or, at least, she had some interest in him. …A very strong interest, if she really had abducted him for a face-to-face meeting. But again, what was her goal? It couldn't possibly have just been to ask him to protect one of her daughters. And if Mother's objective was to kill him, then she would've done so without ceremony- whatever her intentions were, Abel was more useful to her alive than dead. But what were Luxuria's intentions? Tempting Abel into siding with the Overlord and against the Church seemed like the most obvious answer, but Mother had never been one to make the predictable choice. It had to be something else. Something one would never expect.

But, what if… the answer was right in front of her? Mother was trying to seduce Abel, not for the Overlord… but for herself. The evidence was right there, at the base of his neck. And Mother was a succubus. Even if she herself hadn't laid hands on him, she had plenty of servants to perform the deed in her stead- Brynn, Honette, Laraquel, Joanna… perhaps even Korzanna. And the the thought of one of them- maybe even more than one- slithering around him like snakes, putting their hands all over-

Without thinking, Lailah brought up an arm and sank her teeth into her wrist, the pain driving away those foul thoughts. But as she pulled her arm away, her mouth full of blood, she knew her reprieve was only a temporary one. After all, it was… her nature. As a succubus. To seduce, to tempt. To drain, and to consume. It was ingrained in her very being, as much as she wished to deny it. And she knew that the reason her thoughts always seemed to return to Abel was because he… was her prey. Her feelings toward him, whatever they may have been… weren't real. Her desire to be close to him wasn't born from any true affection, but… a predatory instinct. And any jealousy she felt, when anyone else was near him… was a reaction to others trying to steal her prey.

But even so… even though she knew her "feelings" were nothing more than pale imitations of true affection, that she would endanger him just from being close to him…

Letting out a breath, Lailah fell back on her bed. She looked at the bite on her arm- or rather, the faint scar where it had been. It had been no more than a minute or two, but it was already almost completely healed. She sighed again.

Why did this have to be so hard?