April 19th, 1566 ME
Elise Maxwell
"Anti-Mamono Zone" of Floria
The past twenty-four hours had been nothing short of a nightmare. Apparently, Eryn had secretly been a mamono sympathizer for a long, long time behind my back. The copy of the Wandering Scholar's encyclopedia on monsters in his room, his conversation with the Amazon during the home invasion, and his insistence on being incubized, even when I taught him that he would eventually lose himself and become a mindless sex slave. And if that wasn't bad enough, Amias had taken his side too, stating that she could worship the Chief God and be friendly towards monsters as well. I remember lashing out at them angrily, before running to the nearest bar to cope the only way I knew how. Hopefully Roseann would understand.
When I woke up the first thing I felt was a splitting headache making me wish I had never woken up in the first place. My vision was blurry and unfocused, everything melting together in an unpleasant whirlwind of colors. I rubbed my eyes, which seemed to make things slightly better, allowing me to at least make out my surroundings. I wasn't at home, instead I was in some random alleyway. With a tremendous amount of effort, I managed to get to my feet and stumble awkwardly out of the alleyway.
At least I recognized where I was. I was a few blocks away from the bar, which meant that home wasn't too far away. As I walked back home, I realized how empty Floria felt. There was nobody on the streets, despite it being midday. There would usually be a few monsters walking around, but it appeared I was the only one outside.
Was there some sort of mass evacuation last night? Why? Was the Order coming to liberate the city?
Amaya and Delilah didn't seem like the type of people to back down from a fight. Looking around, there was no evidence of any conflict at all. No destroyed buildings, no discarded weapons, no blood or corpses, nothing.
"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone here?!"
"Hello? Is anyone here?!" My voice echoed back. Something was seriously wrong. I began sprinting in the direction of my home as fast as I could. I didn't even question why I was sprinting, considering how I was struggling to walk just a few minutes ago.
I reached my home a few minutes later, tearing open the door and entering the foyer. "Christos?! Amias?! Eryn?!" I shouted frantically into the house. Nobody answered.
"Where is everyone?!" I said to myself, frustrated and worried.
"Right where you left them. They're here, in this house." I spun around, looking for where the voice was coming from. Standing against the wall of the kitchen, was an angel. Even stranger, the angel looked like me. The same hair, same eye color, same height and build. The only difference being her clothing. She wore a long white and gold robe that went down to her knees. On her head, her halo casted a bright yellow glow on the kitchen.
"I… Your grace, what can I-" I finally sputtered out.
The angel stopped leaning against the wall, walking over to me. "Elise, where do you think we are right now?" She asked, completely ignoring both of my questions.
"We're at my home right now…?" I answered slowly.
"Yes, and no. Take a look at this." The angel snapped her fingers, and in the blink of an eye we were back in the alleyway I had woken up in. Laying on the ground was me, lying unconscious in the exact same position I remember waking up in. I just barely see my chest rising and falling with each breath I took.
"What is happening?" I muttered breathlessly as I registered what was in front of me. "Is this a dream?"
"Dream? Well, I guess you could say that. It's more of a wake-up call from someone who is taking pity on you. Right now, you're still unconscious in that alleyway." The angel continued, sitting down next to my unconscious self.
"Wake up call? Did the Chief God…"
"Elise, your life for the past month has been complete hell. Your beloved home city was sold out by one of your own to the enemies you swore to fight against. You're being hounded by a psychopath in a wolf mask. And to top it all off, your only family left hates you, and wants to join your enemies." The angel explained, her tone becoming more and more somber. "And no, the Chief God did not send me. I came here of my own volition."
"Why are you here, then?" I asked cautiously.
"I'm here to convince you to start a new life. Away from Floria." I pondered the angel's words. I didn't want to leave my home. Eryn needed me. My mother and father had made me promise to take care of him right before they passed away, and I had no intention of breaking that promise. Even if Eryn hated me, I would stay by his side.
"Aw, that's so caring of you. But you're forgetting something." The angel said, seemingly reading my mind. She snapped her fingers again, the scenery changing once again with a flash of light. Suddenly, I was back in my old childhood home. I was right outside of my father's room, the door open. Inside, I could see myself and Allen, talking to each other. I tried entering the room, only for the angel to pull me away from the doorway.
"Watch. Listen." The angel spoke, pointing towards the door.
"Ariana and I talked about something the day we heard that Eryn had Noble's disease. During that conversation, we discussed something that would cure Eryn forever." Allen said.
"What?! You knew a way to cure Eryn and you never thought to use it?!" My replica shouted at him.
"That's the thing. You're a hero of the Chief God. What I'm asking you to do goes against everything you've been taught by the Order. It goes against the Chief God's will." Allen took a deep breath. "One of the most valuable lessons I learned was to never give up, but always have a final resort. If you can't cure Eryn by conventional means, take him to the nearest mamono realm and let one of the monsters incubize him. It should completely cure him." The two figures disappeared abruptly before they could finish talking.
"Sounds familiar? It's your parent's final wish. It's your brother's only hope at living past fifty. And you've been denying him that."
"Why are you… Aren't you an angel of the Chief God? Why do you want my brother to be with a monster?"
"...I left a long time ago. And before you ask, no, I'm not a dark angel looking to corrupt you. I'm simply someone who decided they wanted to choose their future for themselves, instead of letting a petty god past their prime choose their future for them." The angel's voice took on an aggressive tone. "I suggest you do the same. And I suggest letting Eryn do what he wants with his life as well."
"I can't just let him… Monsters see men as nothing but sex slaves to be used and thrown away when they're done with them…" I said, parroting the words that the Order had repeated to me so many times.
The angel sighed. "Come with me." The angel turned away from my father's room, and towards the exit of the house. As we left the house, the world around me changed. We were suddenly in the pro-mamono zone of Floria. Monsters and humans both walked around me hand in hand, not noticing me or the angel.
"Look at how they're acting."
To my left, a Devil Bug, her husband and many children paraded through the streets, the two adults struggling to keep the younger monsters under control. A few feet away from her, a Kobold laid on her husband's lap, the man stroking her head as the monster's eyes shut with a tranquil expression. To my right, a man tripped on a rock, falling to the ground. I watched as a Kikimora came to his aid, dusting him off and frantically asking him if he was okay. Every mamono that had a husband was wearing a ring of sorts.
"Do they look like they're going to throw their husbands away? Why spend money on a wedding ring, then?" The angel asked. "Eryn will be fine. Speaking of Eryn…"
Another flash and we were back where I had first met the angel. Only this time, Eryn and a Kikimora were sitting at the kitchen table. My jaw dropped as I realized who the Kikimora was. It was Amias. She had been monsterized, somehow. My eyes were drawn to an ornate looking half empty bottle in the shape of a succubus on the table.
"Amias!" I yelled at her, trying to get her attention.
The angel shook her head. "She can't hear you. Now, pay attention to your brother. Watch what he's about to do."
I gasped as Eryn stood up and began moving his chair closer to Amias. His wheelchair was sitting in the corner of the room, folded up. I watched as the Amias nuzzled Eryn, the man giggling in response. They were acting like newlyweds.
"I… what?"
"What's happening right now, is a simulation of what would happen if Amias was monsterized. Amaya even gave her that same monsterization potion two days ago. Right now, Amias wants to monsterize so that she can cure Eryn of his disease. The two of them are quite close, if you haven't realized that yet." The angel said.
"You, on the other hand, are stopping them from being happy. Your constant insistence that monsters are pure evil has made them uncomfortable. Of course, you don't believe that monsters are evil anymore, right? Your parents certaintly didn't. If monsters are pure evil, why would they ask you to give their only son to them?"
Norah, Dayna, Roseann, Ikaia, Alessia, and that Amazon from the home invasion last night flashed through my mind. Not a single moment I had spent with them indicated that they were evil. I had even witnessed Dayna care for her husband when I had visited Norah to apologize.
"See? Your brother will be fine. Let him make his own choices. Let him be happy."
"What about me…What am I supposed to do about all of this?" I asked, my head spinning.
Gabriel and Delilah both appeared in front of me, standing silently, but glaring at me judgementally. "What should you do? Simple. Leave the past behind, Elise. Forget your sentimentality for this place and start a new life. Nothing good will come from you staying here any longer."
"But what about Gabriel… He threatened Eryn's life. If I leave, there's nothing preventing him from killing my brother!"
The angel took on a satisfied grin. "I've sent someone to deal with that wolf-masked shithead personally. Let's just say, he's bitten off more than he can chew with the Lizardman."
"As for Delilah? She won't expect you to leave. She thinks you're going to actually stay in Floria."
Not having to deal with Delilah forcing me into military service is certainly a plus…
"So, Elise. What's it going to be? Are you going to stay in Floria and make things worse for yourself, or are you going to get a fresh start to your life?" The angel inquired, silently pressuring me to make a decision. I considered all that I had learned up until now.
"And, Elise? Just know that I'm not trying to convince you that Mamono are perfect angels incapable of doing anything wrong. Because they are far, far from being perfect. Both Amaya and Delilah weren't going to give Floria's inhabitants a chance before Nikolas convinced them otherwise. I'm just trying to convince you that your brother will be fine if he marries one of them. Even the most aggressive Ushi-Oni loves their husband dearly."
With that final remark, I made the hardest decision of my life.
"You've convinced me… I'm going to leave tomorrow."
The angel gave me a satisfied smile. "Excellent, Elise! You made the right choice. I promise you, this will be the best decision you will ever make." Slowly, the world began fading away. "I will take my leave now, Elise. I wish you the best of luck in your new life."
With that, everything went dark.
April 20th, 1566 ME
Elise Maxwell
"Anti-Mamono Zone" of Floria
I awoke in the alleyway, feeling much more refreshed. I laid there for a few seconds contemplating what I had just witnessed. For a brief moment, I considered staying. Maybe I could repair my relationship with Eryn.
Don't. Remember what I said? Let him be happy.
I closed my eyes. "You're right… I've been getting in the way of his happiness. No longer…" I whispered to myself.
I pulled myself to my feet and looked up at the sky. It was still dark out, which meant I had time to leave. I sprinted home, passing through the empty streets of Floria while taking in the surroundings. This would be one of the last times I would be here, after all.
I reached home in record time, quietly entering. I went up to my room and began packing immediately. Clothes, my armor and sword, some rations, a map, and other traveling gear. I knew everything I needed for a long trip away from Floria. After I finished packing, I sat down at my desk, and began writing several notes dedicated to everyone I knew. I wasn't so cruel as to leave them without any indication why. They deserved to know why I had left.
Dear Eryn,
If you're reading this, then you will never see me again. The past twenty-four hours have opened my eyes. Mamono are not evil, far from it. I'm sorry for getting in your way and making you suffer more than necessary. You deserve a normal life. I know you and Amias have feelings for each other, and I don't want to get in the way of that. I've been ignorant to your feelings for so long. But at the same time, I don't want to live in Floria anymore. This place has deteriorated so much that I barely recognize it as my home anymore. I can't stand by a hero that betrayed his entire country and views everyone that disagrees with him as idiotic. I can't stand by a Lilim that takes every chance she gets to try and coerce me into monsterizing. Know that I love you, and I will always love you. Enjoy your new life, you deserve it.
Dear Amias,
If you're reading this, then I have left forever. I appreciate everything you've done for Eryn and me. I've been treating you awfully recently, and I want to apologize to you as well. I know you're thinking about monsterizing, and you're free to do as you please. I wish you and Eryn a happy life together, monsterized or not. I've left you a parting gift in my room, under my pillow. Consider it a thank you for your hard work and limitless kindness. As I leave, I ask one more favor of you; Deliver the letters addressed to Nikolas and Kenton for me. They deserve to know why I left.
Dear Christos,
If you're reading this, then I have left Floria behind, permanently. In our small amount of time together, I've never felt more comfortable. You risked yourself going out in the middle of a Mamono-controlled city alone at night just to help someone you've never met. I wish we could've spent more time together, but I don't want to tear you away from your home city because of my own issues. You deserve someone better than me. Go ask Alessia or Ikaia, I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms.
Dear Nikolas and Amaya,
I have left Floria and will never return. In the past twenty-four hours I've gained a new view on mamono. I no longer see them as the evil, uncaring, hedonistic entitites that the Order describes them as. I know that they just want someone to love and will do anything to get a partner. While I'll still never forgive either of you for what you've done to Floria, I understand your motives slightly more. Do with that what you will.
Dear Kenton,
I am leaving Floria, permanently. Wherever you are, I hope you're doing okay. I wish I could meet you in person, but I understand you have to hide. While I commend you for your efforts, I beg you, give the mamono a chance. While the ones in charge may have usurped control of the city, not all of them are evil. They love, they hurt, they make friends, just like us. I know you follow the Chief God's teachings, but not everything they've taught us is true. I learned that the hard way; I hope you do better.
Dear Norah,
I am sorry, but I am leaving Floria. I owe the world to you. Without you, I would've wasted away in that cave, all alone. Congratulations on dealing with Gabriel. Do me a favor, bury him and then piss on his grave. He deserves humiliation for what he's done, the damage he caused to everyone. As for you, I hope you find someone that loves you. Who knows, they might like the prosthetic arm. I do, it looks cool.
Dear Roseann,
If you're reading this, then you'll never see me again. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for your help. You pulled me away from the edge when I was about to lose my mind from my friend's suicide. You were one of the first monsters that challenged my worldview, and I will always appreciate that. I haven't completely recovered from my alcoholism, but I'm working on it everyday. Your future husband will be lucky to have someone as thoughtful and kind as you.
It was done. I added one final note to all of the letters, to ensure that I would be able to start a new life without my old life creeping up on me.
Yours in infinite finality, Elise Taylor Maxwell.
P.S: Please, don't try to find me. You won't.
Finally, I took off my Order-cross eyepatch and placed it with Eryn's note, as something to remember me by. I replaced it with a spare one I kept in my closet. I took the finished letters and slid them underneath the doorways of their recipients, making sure to be quiet so they wouldn't wake up. I then went back to my room, grabbed my stuff, and slowly left the house. I looked around, taking in the scenery for the final time before I left.
I'm going to miss this place…
The angel's voice echoed in my head. I know. It's natural to feel that way. But you're making the right decision by moving on.
With a heavy sigh, I turned around and began heading towards the front gate, leaving my home forever.
April 21st, 1566 ME
Nikolas Mason
"Pro-Mamono zone" of Floria
I stared at the letter blankly. My captain had left Floria. Forever. Judging by the contents of her letter, she had figured out the truth. In our time between our last conversation, she must've had some sort of revelation about monsters. I was proud of her, but I wished she would at least come talk to me about it.
"She's gone? Just like that?" Amaya asked, the Lilim standing next to me and staring at the letter with a similar shocked expression.
"Looks like it." I handed the letter to Amaya. "I'm going to miss her."
Amaya looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "Is that so? Elise called you every insulting name in the book. She hated you."
"I know she did. But I still consider her my friend." A single tear rolled down my cheek. "It just hurts that she can't see that I was acting in Floria's favor. Floria is… well, half of Floria is so much happier living with mamono."
Amaya wrapped a wing around me. "Please Nikolas, don't cry. You did the right thing. There's no way to make everyone happy with how divided Floria was."
"Did I…? I could've offered the pro-mamono citizens a place to live outside of Floria… We could've given the anti-mamono citizens more time to leave… We could've made things better for them. Maybe Elise would still be here if we had just been nicer." I choked back sobs, trying desperately to maintain my composure.
"What's done is done, Nikolas. The best thing we can do is be the most benevolent rulers we can be." Amaya slowly sat me down on the bed. "I'll try and send a Harpy or a Wyvern out to look for her. Maybe we can convince her to come back."
"Don't. Just let her go. We've made her life hard enough as it is." I interjected.
Amaya looked surprised. "Really?"
"I'm sure."
Suddenly the doors to our room flew open, a furious looking Delilah stomping in. The Malef Dragon was covered in sweat, and her hands were clenched in fists. Faint wisps of smoke came from her nose.
"Have any of you seen Elise? She's nowhere to be found! She was supposed to report to the barracks yesterday!" Delilah snarled, her eyes darting back and forth. "I've searched everywhere. She just fucking vanished!"
"She's gone, Delilah." Amaya told her.
"What do you mean 'gone'? Did she die? Did she leave the city?! Is she hiding somewhere?!" Delilah yelled loudly.
"She left Floria, permanently." I mumbled. "She didn't want to live here anymore."
"Oh, that cowardly fool… If I ever get my hands on her, I'm going to pour an entire-"
"Delilah, enough." Amaya growled, a hint of anger in her voice. "We were too aggressive towards her, both of us. I believe this is a sign we should give the anti-mamono citizens-"
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Delilah roared, the entire room trembling. I covered my ears, yet Amaya didn't flinch. She stared the enraged dragon down with a look of pure determination and resolve.
"...As I was saying, we need to give the anti-mamono citizens more protection from aggressive monsters, but also allow monsters more chances for a relationship-"
Delilah stomped towards Amaya, the floor breaking slightly under her weight. "Those people you're so insistent on protecting, took away my husband! I demand retaliation! I will not tolerate this diplomatic bullshit any longer!"
"Delilah, stand down! That's an order!" Amaya sternly tried to talk the Malef Dragon down.
"You don't get to order me around, Amaya. I helped you get to where you are right now, and I can take that away just as easily. You wouldn't have your precious husband if it weren't for me. I made you."
"We made each other. Try me, I dare you." Amaya spoke, her voice low.
Delilah let out another roar and rushed towards Amaya. I reached for my blade, but Amaya stopped me, putting herself between me and Delilah. She stretched out her hand and uttered a single word.
"Sleep."
Delilah's forward charge slowed a bit as she stumbled. Her eyelids began to droop. "No… No, you can't do this to me…"
"Sleep." Amaya repeated.
Delilah stopped completely, falling to her knees. She still tried to crawl forwards towards Amaya, claws outstretched. She stopped a few inches away from Amaya's feet, before losing all consciousness.
"You forget yourself, Delilah…" Several Dragonewt guards rushed out into the room, their eyes widening as they saw Delilah knocked out on the floor.
"Perfect timing. Please, escort Delilah out of here and to a safe location. Don't go easy on the restraints." Amaya ordered.
As I watched the Dragonewts take Delilah away, I began thinking of ways I could help make Floria a better place for both humans and mamono. Ways that Elise Taylor Maxwell would've approved of.
April 20th, 1566 ME
Amias Solis
"Anti-Mamono zone" of Floria
"I don't know how to feel, Amias… We're never going to see her again." I put a hand on Eryn's back in a vain attempt to comfort him. It didn't seem to work. Eryn began sobbing, only to be enveloped in a gentle hug by Roseann. She had come over for Elise's weekly therapy, only to find out that she was gone. She held the letter addressed to her in her oversized hands, a faint bit of sadness evident in her eyes.
"Shh… It's alright, Eryn… She knows the truth now. Elise wouldn't want you to be sad."
"I just wish I wasn't so hard on her. I was so frustrated, I was so close to having a chance to be able to walk again, that when she struck that Amazon down, I just… lost my temper, and…" Eryn rambled. "I snapped at her."
"I do wish I could've talked to her one last time. I would've come with her. She could use someone to accompany her on her travels." Christos somberly remarked. "She seemed like such an interesting person…"
"Look on the bright side, Eryn. She wants us to be happy. She's even okay with us monsterizing if that makes us happy. Which reminds me… I have something to show all of you." I went up to my room and retrieved the Lilith's panacea that Amaya had given me, and showed it to everyone. Everyone gasped at the rare artifact in my hands.
"My god…" Christos mumbled.
"Where'd you get that?!" Both Eryn and Roseann said at the same time.
"Amaya gave it to me. In short, it will monsterize me or incubize Eryn if we drink it. I had already made my choice before Elise had left, but now… I can't think of a better time to use it than now."
"Are you sure? Once you drink that potion there's no going back." Roseann remarked.
"I know. I'm ready." I pulled the stopper off the bottle and retrieved two glasses, pouring a small amount of the liquid into each. I handed one to Eryn. "You saw what Elise wrote. Enjoy your new life, you deserve it." Eryn seemed to brighten up significantly, flashing me a content smile.
The two of us held our glasses up high. "For Elise, and our new lives. Cheers." The two of us drank at the same time.
The effects of the potion were instantaneous. My body began heating up to an insane degree. I nearly fell off my chair, but I felt a soft hand catch me and place me down on the floor gently. I began squirming around from the sheer amount of pleasure that I was experiencing. As time crawled on, the pleasure only seemed to get more intense. Eventually, I began feeling a strange but not unpleasant pressure on multiple parts of my body, namely my ears, my behind, my arms, and my legs. I felt something soft and fluffy touch my legs, which themselves had morphed into hard, birdlike limbs.
The feelings gradually faded away, leaving me panting heavily on the floor. Christos helped me to my feet and sat me down on the chair again. Meanwhile, Eryn finished his "transformation" into an incubus, the only noticeable change being his clearer skin. He looked over at me and gasped.
"You look beautiful…"
"I do?"
Christos held up a small mirror in front of me, giving me a full view of my new form. Tufts of dark brown fur covered the sides of my arms. My hair had gone relatively unchanged, with the exception of my ears, which had morphed to become floppy and dog-like, and my breasts, which had grown at least twice as large from when I was human. Between my legs, I could see a large plumy tail swishing around lazily.
"Eryn… No, master… Do you love me?"
"Of course I do, Amias. How could I not after everything you've done for me?"
Roseann and Christos looked on in slight jealousy as the two of us hugged each other tightly. Eryn stroked my new ears, causing me to shiver in pleasure. He chuckled, continuing to do it harder.
"S-stop!" I said, unable to stop myself from giggling. He withdrew his hand.
"Heh. Sorry. Let's see if I can walk now…" Eryn slowly got off his chair, and attempted to walk. He gasped in awe as he took several slightly wobbly steps forward, but he got the hang of it relatively quickly.
"How does it feel to walk again, Master?" I asked him, my new instincts unconsciously replacing the word "Eryn" with "Master".
Eryn sighed happily. "Liberating… I only wish Elise was here to see this…"
April 22nd, 1566 ME
Kenton Liu
Hidden Order Safehouse
"Sir." I put the book I was reading down, seeing one of my spies in front of me.
"Bit early for a status report on Amaya and Delilah, don't you think? You submitted one only two days ago now. Has something happened?" I asked, confused. My spy usually spent all of his time in Floria, only coming back to the safehouse in weekly intervals to update us on the city.
"It's not them, it's Elise."
I quickly got up from my chair. "Elise? Did something happen to her? Is she a traitor?" I asked anxiously.
"She's vanished. None of the spies have been able to locate her recently. We've searched everywhere. We did, however, recover this from her room. It's a letter, addressed to you specifically."
"Give it to me." The spy nodded, handing over a small envelope. I practically tore it open, almost ripping the letter in half. As I read through it, my blood began to boil over in anger. I only got to the part where she had told me to "give the mamono a chance" before crumpling it into a ball.
"Sir, are you-"
"How fucking dare she do this!" It infuriated me that she was sympathizing with the very creatures that had taken away my parents. My mind raced with several different possibilities as to how she had changed her opinions. Had Nikolas poisoned her mind with pro-mamono propaganda? No, the Bogey she met with once or twice the past week had to be responsible for this…God damn it, Elise… I looked up to you. I followed your every order. I helped you adjust to fighting with one eye. And you go and do this to me. It reminded me all too much of Suvina. She must've had a crisis over her beliefs and ran away.
The door to my room opened, Valerie entering. "What's going on, Kenton? I could hear you from two rooms away."
I uncrumpled the letter and gave it to her. "Read it. Elise absconded. Even worse, she wants us to reconsider our views on monsters. If she was here to see the incident with Kirsten, she would've never gone down this path…" I said.
Valerie finished reading the letter. "It's… upsetting, and I understand why you're angry, Kenton. But this means nothing. Our plans for Floria will keep moving forward. We should just be glad she left, and didn't get corrupted by Amaya or Delilah. They would've used her as a tool to get closer to us."
I took several deep breaths. "You're right… You're absolutely right. It could be worse…" I repeated, trying to calm myself. Valerie patted me on the back.
"Pull yourself together, Kenton. Our job isn't done yet. The Chief God will reward us for our efforts, I'm sure of it." Valerie and the spy left the room, leaving me to stew in my thoughts.
Elise… If you ever come back here, I will make sure you regret your choice to abandon Floria in its time of need. Mark my words, I will kill you…
April 21st, 1566 ME
Norah Mercia
"Pro-Mamono zone" of Floria
The wolf-masked bitch is in the alleyway near the armory, on Main Street. Go kick his ass. You have my blessing.
I awoke, a sudden rush of strength flooding through my entire body. It felt like I could take on the entire Order and defeat them barehanded. The faint voices I heard before I woke up, told me the location of Gabriel. This had to be a sign. But from who? Ares? The Chief God? All I knew was that I would be stupid to pass this oppportunity up.
It was still early in the morning. I grabbed my new mamono realm silver longsword and combat knife, as well as a knife made from normal steel. Opening Dayna and Hal's room open a crack, I could see them sleeping peacefully together. They wouldn't be up for another few hours, and when they did wake up, they'd probably be in the mood for sex. I had enough time to deal with Gabriel and get back home without them realizing.
Exiting our house, I began sprinting to where the voice said he would be. Coming up to the armory, I could see Gabriel idly playing with his cleavers. He looked over at me, and immediately took a fighting stance.
"It's the fucking lizard again. Of course. What were my words to you the last time we met?" Gabriel growled angrily. "Ah, I remember. Leave. Don't come back. Or else you'll be losing more than your arm. What do you not understand about that, lizard?"
"I pity you."
Gabriel tilted his head sideways in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I pity you. You don't get any enjoyment out of anything but hurting other people. You take enjoyment in being a blight to society. It's sad, really. Your parents should have taught you better." I held my longsword up. "I would toss you to the nearest single mamono, but I don't think you're worthy of being a husband to one. So I'm here to put you out of your misery."
Gabriel laughed. "Like I give a toss about what you think about me. And 'put me out of my misery'? Are you out of your mind? You realize what happened the last time you tried to fight me? You got your ass handed to you."
"Things have changed." I gestured for Gabriel to attack. "Come get me."
The masked man stared at me for a moment, before rushing forward, uttering out a cry of rage. He leapt into the air with both of his cleavers aimed at my head. I parried the attack effortlessly with my new strength, sending a scaled fist into his gut, sending him stumbling backwards.
"The fuck?!" Gabriel yelled, before lunging at me again. I sidestepped the attack, before quickly bringing my blade down on his left arm. He screamed in shock, dropping one of his cleavers.
"Y-you… How did you get so-"
"I don't know. All I know is that I'm going to kill you."
Gabriel burst forward once again, grazing my stomach with his cleaver, leaving a tear in the clothing and a superficial cut. I grabbed his working arm, fighting to disarm him. He fought back just as hard, but my new strength won out in the end. I managed to wrench the cleaver from his hand and jam it into his stomach. He cried out in pain, falling over and clutching the blade.
"Time to end this." I muttered, drawing my non-mamono realm silver knife. As I was about to finish him off however, he began laughing weakly.
"You're not going to kill me. Monsters don't kill people. Not anymore."
"What are you on about?"
"Your precious Mamono Lord made it that way. She would never forgive you if you broke her sacred rule of not hurting humans." Gabriel reasoned, trying to sound strong.
"There's always room for exceptions. Besides, I think the Mamono Lord would understand why I killed you." I began moving the knife closer to his neck.
"Hey. Hey, wait-"
I plunged the knife into his neck mid-sentence. Gabriel's eyes went wide in shock, before weakly attempting to remove the knife. He didn't get far, his hands dropping to his side. I retrieved my bloody knife and sank down next to the body, my stomach threatening to empty its contents. Taking a human life felt awful.
But why? He was nothing but a psychopath who hurt others for his own enjoyment! I should be happy right now, or… No, even if he was a psychopath, I could've… thrown him to a Krampus, or some other monster that specializes in correcting bad men…
The same voice I heard before waking up called out to me, from my own mind. Don't be conflicted, Norah. You've done the right thing. Why not tell Elise what you've accomplished?
"Elise…" I immediately perked up. "Yes, Elise will be very pleased to hear about this!" I got up, leaving Gabriel's corpse in the alleyway behind me. I rushed towards Elise's house, eager to tell her the good news.
I knocked on the door. "Elise!" I shouted enthusiastically. "Elise, I have good news! Open the door!" The door opened, revealing a Kikimora. Strange. I never recalled Elise having a Kikimora maid.
"Do you know where Elise is? I have something to tell her!" I asked, trying to look past the Kikimora into the house.
"...What's your name, miss?" The Kikimora asked.
"Norah."
"Norah, I'm afraid Elise Maxwell is not here anymore." She shook her head sadly. "She did, however, write this letter addressed to you. Here, read it." I took the letter from her hands and began reading. I couldn't stop myself from gasping. Elise had left Floria, permanently. On top of that, she somehow knew I had killed Gabriel before I had even confronted him.
But how…?
"Do you know who this 'Gabriel' person is, Norah? It says you've killed him…" The Kikimora's voice took on a concerned tone. Mamono weren't supposed to kill people, unless…
"Extreme circumstances. That's why I had to kill him, if you were wondering. I wouldn't mourn him if I were you. He was a terrible person that deserved what was coming to him. Nobody is going to miss him. But enough of that, do you know where Elise went?"
"I wish I could tell you, Norah. But I don't know where she went. She doesn't want anyone to find her." The Kikimora responded, her tone somber.
"...I see." I spoke after a beat of silence. "Best we can do is honor her wish. She left this place for a reason and we shouldn't try to drag her back. Anyways… It's been nice talking to you, Miss…" The name of Elise's maid eluded me.
"Amias Maxwell. I've just married Elise's younger brother."
"Oh. Uh, congratulations, then." I said, keeping my voice as heartfelt as possible. "Like I said, nice talking to you. Have a good day."
"...You too, Norah." I turned around and walked away from the door, my mind brimming with places Elise could've gone.
One year later
April 20th, 1567 ME
Caitlyn Gardner
Mamono Friendly Town of Naporia
I yawned as I came home from work from my job at the local bakery. The work was relatively enjoyable, and most importantly, it was stable. There wouldn't be a time where people didn't want pastries or fresh bread, ever. Naporia certainly wouldn't run out of demand for such things. Speaking of which, the mamono-friendly town had been the perfect place to start a new life. A friendly mixed human-mamono community, low crime rate, and decent weather. I had gotten a small, one person house that was cozy, comfortable, and had everything I needed for a quiet life.
Even better, there were no Order or Extremists looking to push their beliefs onto the town, just the occasional Eros or Ares worshipper looking to start a church. A couple Dark Priests had passed through our town at one point a few years ago, only to leave because we were "too boring".
Yeah, take your religion elsewhere. Last thing I want is a repeat of last year when-
I shook my head. No use thinking about the past. I started thinking of what I should make for dinner to distract myself from reminiscing. The weather outside was beautiful and the sun hadn't gone down yet.
Perfect time for a picnic…
As I was preparing for my picnic, I heard a knock on the door. Part of me was always worried when that happened. Perhaps it was Amaya or Delilah, upset that I had abandoned them. Maybe it would be Kenton, looking to drag me into his resistance efforts-
Stop. Relax. Nobody knows where you went. You even changed your name. I consoled myself. I opened the door, seeing my Unicorn neighbor Tasha standing there, holding something in her hands.
"Hey Caitlyn!" The Unicorn called out cheerily. "It's been one year since you've started living here, so I thought I might give you a gift to celebrate!"
"Tasha, It's fine really, you don't need to-" I looked down to see that she was carrying a wine bottle in her hands. One of my favorite brands as well. "Oh. Nevermind what I said, thank you so much for the gift."
The Unicorn flashed me a wry smile as she closed the door. "I knew you'd like it! Have a good night, Caitlyn."
I can see why some of the Order tolerates Unicorns… I thought as I finished preparing the rest of the food for the picnic. On the way out I grabbed my favorite blanket and headed to my favorite spot in the town, a grassy plane next to a small pond. I laid down the blanket, took out my food, and began eating. The sun was shining through the trees, there was a warm breeze blowing, and the birds were singing. It was the very definition of tranquil. I ate slowly, wanting to enjoy the atmosphere.
"Hello, Elise. How have you been?" A familiar sounding voice came from the trees.
I practically spat out my food, whirling around to face the source of the voice. I began panicking. The fact that whoever was here used my old name meant that they knew who I really was.
"Relax, Elise. Or Caitlyn. Whatever you want to call yourself. It's just me." I finally located the one talking, an angel. More specifically, the angel that had spoken to me through my dreams a year ago now. She sat down on the blanket, her wings fluttering around.
"You scared me for a second there…"
"My apologies. I got curious about you, and decided to check up on you. Angels with access to heaven have the ability to locate anyone they please. It's quite useful, as you can see."
"I thought you didn't follow the Chief God anymore. How do you still have access to heaven?" I asked, confused.
"I just pretend like I follow her. She just doeesn't know that, so she hasn't kicked me out of heaven yet. It's surprisingly easy to hide things from an inexperienced goddess." The angel laughed.
"Interesting… By the way, you never told me your actual name."
The angel looked at me, confused. "I didn't? Goodness, excuse my rudeness. I must've been preoccupied with guiding you around your dreams. My name is Eliza."
"Eliza… Elise… What a coincidence." I poured some of the wine Tasha gave me into a glass and handed it to Eliza. "Want some?"
Eliza shook her head. "No thanks. I don't like to drink."
I shrugged and put the wine glass down. "Suit yourself, then. You're free to try some whenever you want. It's really, really good." Eliza never responded. Neither of us really knew where to take the conversation next. The two of us stared silently at the clouds rolling by for a minute or two, bathing in the atmosphere. The sun had begun to set, bathing the landscape in a beautiful orange light.
"Elise… Can I tell you something?" Eliza finally said, breaking the silence.
"Go on."
"I was once in the same boat as you. Not knowing which side to choose, questioning my loyalties and everything I've learned. You reminded me of my younger self, in many ways. That's why I wanted to help you." Eliza sighed. "I remember seeing one of my fellow angels succumb to the Fallen God's influence. Cerdona, was her name. The last I saw of her was her flying away with the hero she was supposed to train to fight monsters. The Chief God told me she was dead, that there was nothing left but a puppet for the Fallen God's influence."
"Let me guess, you encountered her much later and found out that she was happy without the Chief God."
"...She had become a full fledged dark angel by the time I met her again. She showed me around her hometown, which she had converted into a mamono realm by her own hands. I noticed everyone was genuinely happy, but at the same time it felt… off. I realized the Fallen God had permeated every part of their lives. There was no restraint or decency whatsoever. People were having sex in their homes, but in the streets, in the bar, in the restaurants, even underwater somehow." Eliza spoke, her voice low and shaky.
"The worst part of it all, was that Cerdona was zealous in spreading the Fallen God's influence. She wanted to corrupt more humans, go for bigger targets. She told me she had found her life's calling, that she was more content under the Fallen God than she ever was under the Chief God. She tried to corrupt me, so I fought back. I tried to incapacitate her, only to accidentally kill her. Her husband begged for me to put him down as well so he could join her."
"Oh… I'm really, really sorry Eliza… That must've been traumatic for you."
"It was… But it didn't compare to what came a few weeks later. I was sent to investigate a mamono-friendly town the Chief God suspected would become a mamono realm. I… I…" Eliza struggled to speak. "J-just… All you need to know is that what happened there changed my perspective on monsters forever. I went rogue behind the Chief God's back a week later."
Both of us stayed silent, uncaring that it had turned dark. "I experienced the worst both sides had to offer in less than two months. If there's anything you should take away from this… It's that it's okay to not take a side."
"That's what I'm doing. I'm grateful you came for me that night, Eliza. I don't know where I'd be without you."
Eliza flashed me a weak smile. "I'm glad I was of help to someone." She looked up at the sky once again. "I must take my leave now. I wish you the best of luck in your new life."
"Likewise, Eliza. Stay safe out there."
Eliza nodded, before disappearing with a puff of white particles. I watched as they floated up into the sky like embers from a campfire, until they all vanished.
At peace...