Edited by: tommyjl7

The devil was locked down in Johann’s cellar, far away from the moon which was the source of its power. I have personally supervised the process of setting up the protective glyphs in the cage he was put in, it would be quite a problem if the beast were to break free in the middle of the village. As soon as I was sure everything was made in the right order and devil would not escape its new prison, I focused on Giselle.

Poor thing was unconscious for a whole day, wounds made by corrupted werewolf’s claw took much more time to heal, also chances of infection appeared to be higher. The medicine I gave them made her sweat a lot. Her body was fighting the miasma contamination with a fever. This is why I spent the last few (dozen) hours sitting by her bed with a bucket of water and piece of cloth wiping the sweat off her body over and over again.

Her skin was no longer pale, instead, it was unnaturally reddened. She kept breathing loudly, as an exhausted person would, yet each time I treated her, she would sigh with relief. This single thing kept me by her side over and over again.

- “In the end, you do love her…” I didn’t hear Lanele opening the door to the room. She was standing there with back resting on the wall and her arms crossed over her chest

- “It almost sounded as if you doubted it.” I answered not even turning back

- “It’s just… sometimes you are so immature… no, pardon me, you are acting immature all the time, and I just find it hard to believe that you can actually be so dedicated.”

This time I did turn around.

- “I am immature?”

- “You didn’t even realize?” she chuckled moving from her spot. She sat on the chair from the other side of Giselle’s bed “… all these jokes, especially about this whole… whipping… and such. To be honest I thought you are a that merely lust for one another.”

- “Jokes are important. They help to ease the tense mood of ca…”

- “No. For you, they are an escape mechanism. When something is too hard for you to handle, you tend to turn it into a joke, to convince both – their conversation partner and yourself, that the problem is not that serious.”

I looked at her annoyed

- “Sometimes I forget you are an old, nagging granny.”

- “W-What do you mean by that?! I am merely 112 years old! I have barely reached the age of adulthood!”

- “Fossil…”

- “That’s just rude!”

- “Dust-farting artifact…”

- “You are doing it again. You want to change the subject so you try to offend me, yet you don’t want to break our relations, so you offend me in a joke.”

This little…

- “Stop psycho-analyzing me, please.” I sighed

She only smiled proudly as if she defeated me. In the next second she would lift Giselle’s night-shirt checking on the wound, then she said something in elvish, something that sounded really vulgarly.

- “Should her wound turn purple?” she asked concerned

- “Yes, the side effect of juniper’s berry. It helps to fumigate body. It also hurts like hell and may cause minor hallucinations… let’s just say I wouldn’t use it if she wasn’t unconscious.”

She nodded a few times. For few more minutes, she continued to help me around Giselle, before…

- “Say…” not this again “…how do you feel about Giselle?”

- “I don’t understand the question. Too many ways of interpretation.”

- “Why are you together…” I raised my brow “.. don’t get me wrong! You two are adorable… I’m just…”

- “Trying to understand?” I finished instead of her.

Another nod.

Elves have bit different approach to love. Especially those from higher royalty. I doubted that Lanele would ever share the bed with someone she actually liked. Damn politics.

- “You are aware that I am not telling you everything about… well, pretty much everything?”

- “Indeed. A few times when you were talking with Giselle in the camp you stopped in the middle of a sentence before looking at me. I am not stupid, Zariel, I can add two and two.”

She was also nice enough to not pry on the matter.

- “I am not a human.” I said after a moment.

- “I already know this much. There are very few humans that can actually shape-shift, and even that is usually either part of the curse or… that’s not the subject of our conversation. In conclusion, I am aware of that.”

- “When someone learns what I am… they tend to… act… let’s say…”

- “Not-very enthusiastic?” this time Lanele tried finishing instead of me.

- “Violently. Jericho would kill me on spot if not the paper from the Senate which stated that I mean no harm to human society.”

Her eyes sparkled with undeniable curiosity.

- “Every single one of my friends needed a few days, sometimes weeks, to finally start acting like usual after they would learn the truth.”

- “But not Giselle?” she indeed was fast to join stains.

- “I have never met someone this… naive in their pureness, and pure in their naivety.” I stopped talking.

In the meantime, I started peeling an apple. Later I would feed Giselle with it.

- “When we first met, or actually even before that, she wanted to pulverize me into the dirt. You know, she wanted to abilities of someone who Jericho took as the second student…”

- “The two of you had a duel, which you won and she accepted you as her per?” Lana already started living some romantic history of her own. I only snorted

- “Like hell! I kept avoiding her! If the two of us would happen to meet in guild, I would either pretend that I was wounded, or that I just picked the quest and needed to be in the best condition possible!”

The aura of disappointment could be almost seen all around priestess.

- “Then, we would slowly start doing quests together, or actually, she just forced herself into every quest I took. And eventually, I would slowly start noticing, that when she is not running in amok to test her abilities… she is actually a very caring person. I have never seen her abusing her strength. I have never seen her mistreating fellow adventurers even those with much lower rank. The time would pass and I would start considering her acts of clumsiness and... well, stupidity as cute, till the night when…”

Wait, wait, wait…!

- “… why am I even telling it to you?! It’s a private matter!”

She-elf’s eyed burned.

- “No! You are not leaving me here! We are getting to the best part!”

- “Lanele, I am greatly indebted to you for your help, but now, please, leave. I want to take care of Giselle…”

- “You bastard! Bully! Meanie!” she cried, while jokingly hitting my arm.

- “This is how fellow priestess treat the Oracle?” I decided to play dirty.

- “Pfth!” she snorted “… you literally never thought seriously about your new responsibilities, yet now you hide behind the power of authority!? That’s low!”

Yet still, with a smile on her face, she got up and moved toward the door. Before leaving the room, she hesitated, stopped, turned around and opened her mouth wanting to say something. Yet she did not say a word. She just shook her head, as if she decided that matter was not urgent enough and closed the door behind her.

Once again I was left alone with Giselle. I started playing with a single strand of red hair. Somehow, this awoke the dragoness. Lazily she opened her eyes, her vision was still blurred, I could tell.

- “Z-zari?” she asked half asleep. Her gaze danced all over the room trying to locate me.

- “I am here, baby-girl.” I gently squeezed her hand.

- “You did not leave me, did you?” she asked with real concern in tone

- “F’course that no! Why would I?”

- “Because I was not strong enough… To protect everyone. To protect you…”

At the same time, my heart pleasantly skipped a beat, yet my dignity of a male suffered a serious blow.

- “I find it offensive that you even think this way. I am angry at myself. I should have finished the spell earlier, I should not put you into such risk…”

- “No. It was always this way. When I was not strong enough I would lose something… or someone… Friends… Mom… Zari, I don’t want to lose you too…”

- “You will not. You hear me? I am not going anywhere.” I wanted to scold her, yet I kept my tone as warm and reassuring as it was only possible.

- “Promises?” she asked like a child.

- “I do.” She purred contently.

I couldn’t stop myself from chuckling.

- “Now, say !” neither could I stop myself from treating her like a child.

She obediently followed. She would chew on the apple, yet after a moment a disgusted look appeared on her face.

- “… Zari?”

- “Yes?”

- “… it was not meat.”

… this woman…

- “You need to eat vitamins, your body right now is…”

- “I want meat.”

- “Giselle, meat does not have many vitamins…”

- “This is why I have to eat lots of it!”

… there actually is a logic in what she just said.

With a sigh I poured a warm liquid into the cup from carafe I prepared earlier.

- “Drink it.”

- “What is it now?” she asked full of suspicions

- “Herbal infusion.”

- “I hate those! They taste like water from under the grass!”

- “You will like this one.” I assured her

Despite lots of resistance, she would eventually allow me to give her the potion.

- “This… actually wasn’t that horrible.”

- “Probably because, I made it especially for you, I added a little whiskey.”

- “A little?” she asked.

- “A lot.” I corrected myself.

The smile that bloomed on her lips was the only rewarded I needed.

Few hours later.

It was already a mid-day when I moved toward Johann’s house, or more precisely – his cellar. On my way there I quickly checked the notification log, which erupted with messages after battle with werewolf.

Your party has defeated [Johann the Possessed] and [Ageroshi - the Frenzy Unbound] Level 61Your party has obtained:725 00 expYou have obtained9 250 exp.

Your skill [Fire Magic Usage] has leveled upYour skill [Fire Magic Usage] is now level 11Fire-based Magic effects:+ 7.25%Fire-based Magic mana cost:- 5%Cooldown time reduction:- 2.5%New spells manifestations available:- New variation of [Coat of Fire] available - [Imp's hide]

- New variation of [Fireball] available - [Infernal ball]

- While [Imp's hide] is active, you may use [Fiery Storm]

Your skill [Nature Healing Magic] has leveled up Your skill [Nature Healing Magic] is now level 15 Nature-healing-based spe...

Skip.

Your skill [Nature Manipulation] has leveled up twice Your skill [Nature Manipulation] is now level 8 Nature-based magic effects: + 5% Nature-based magic mana-cost: - 3.33%...

Skip.

Your skill [Summoning] has leveled up twice Your skill [Summoning] is now level 10 Conditions met: Your familiar [Black Warg - Kaito] can now evolve and obtain new vessel Conditions met: Your familiar [Marrow Eater - Walter] can now evolve and obtain new vessel Conditions met: Your familiar [Dawn Stalker - Gilbert] can now evolve and obtain new vessel Conditions met: Your familiar [Dusk Stalker - Remus] can now evolve and obtain new vessel

Now, that’s a good thing! Apparently I have to level it up some more before Sebastian would get better vessel. Though the way you level up summoning is a mystery to me. At first I thought that it levels up simply when I have materialized familiar by my side, then that when they perform task I give them or when they kill things. Yet lately by doing it this way I got barely any experience via these methods. Surprisingly, I once discovered that the skill exp of Summoning sky-rocket on its own though I did nothing summoning-related. I have a few theories, one is that my summoning is somehow bound with my Spirituality attribute, and when I do not level it up, the tempo of Summoning leveling up decreases… Though these are all theories for now.

I wanted to summon them right away, but I had no idea what they would turn into this time, as I was in the middle of the village, I preferred avoiding being the cause of unnecessary havoc. Especially as I have already drawn lots of villagers’ attention.

- “Good day, Oracle! May the mother be blessed!” one of older villager bowed.

- “May your day be blessed.” I greeted him with a gesture of a hand. Tha. I am pretty sure that this is the first time in his life when he praised the Mother’s name. Bigot bastard.

- “Praise Aira, Oracle!” another villager greeted

- “Peace to you, and your house.” Once again I praised with hand. Two days ago I saw you on the first bench in Luxia’s chapel. Stupid ass-licking wench.

- “Ah! The oracle! Praise the three moons!” fucking wonderful. Another one.

- “For three are one, and one is three. As at the beginning, so in the end.” I had no bloody idea what I was talking about, but it sounded wise and these people appeared to buy it.

- “The oracle! G…”

- “Pardon me, good people…” I wanted to spit on the ground after uttering these words. . Good people my-ass. “… but I haste to banish the existence that does not belong in this realm.”

They only nodded with understanding.

I already fucking hate this village.

I got to the place, entered the hut, and started walking toward the trap door on the floor which lead underground.

The ceiling was quite spacious, very dark and extremely cold. Or it should be, for the darkness was cast away by dozens of white crystals which flooded the whole room with unnatural, eye-hurting light. What was annoying for me must be agony for the devil. Especially the one who took the vessel of a night creature.

- “Ah, Zariel, we are ready to start.” Head of the brotherhood party greeted me with a slight bow of his head.

The first greeting today that didn’t make me flinch in disgust.

- “How’s the devil?” I asked

- “I WILL CUT YOUR STOMACH OPEN! I WILL RIP YOUR HEART OUT OF YOUR CHEST AND FEAST ON YOUR LIVER!” a yell was heard from the deeper part of cellar

- “Softening.” Rupert smiled with the corner of his lips “… to be honest, I did banish evil spirits from possessed people before, but devil… that’s completely different story.”

- “Cheer up. Its like with losing virginity, hurts only in beginning… unless you are a devil. In that case it hurts all the time…”

- “I have no idea which virginity you lost, oracle, but when I was losing mine it didn’t really hurt. Hey, don’t give me that look, I do not judge! Everyone has their own preferences!” His eyes sparkled

- “Ha-fucking-ha. Let’s get down to the business.”

- “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I WILL DRAG YOU INTO DEEPEST PART OF HELL AND…”

- “When you got your ass handed back to you by Sebastian, we learned that you quartered in Limbo. Last time I checked it was literally on the opposite end of the hell.”

I said entering the storage room inside of cellar where cage with beast was located. If werewolf could blush, he would surely do.

- “You son of a….” voice froze in his throat.

- “You can’t lie, do you remember? My mama ain’t no hoe, and you know ‘bout it.” I decided to tease him again. “… now, before we get all comfy and intimate, I want to ask you few questions…”

- “I WILL MAKE YOU BURN! I SHALL FEAST ON YOUR BONES, I…”

I grabbed a silver hammer laying on the table nearby and smacked beast’s kneecap. Monster yelped, not because of physical damage, but upon touching silver.

- “Focus, Ambroży...”

- “AGEROSHI!”

- “I hear you Alojzy, I do, I need to ask you a few questions before we start, mostly because now your mind is clear and can easily remember things. And we are about to turn you into such a mess, that learning what we want will be impossible for you. Also, in huge stress, the tortured tends to share a pieces of information as they hope to reduce their pain, this is something that I learned from certain inquisitor… well, I can’t believe I say this, but I need to thank Uncle Bob.”

I reminded myself of the man that “interrogated” me at inquisitor’s castle.

- “Now. How did you enter this realm. Why did you chose this specific village. Where is Johann.”

- “I can already answer you the last question. Johann is no more!” werewolf smiled like a beast he was “… He became an animal! He hunts with our hellhounds as one of them! Reduced to nothing but the blood-thirsting dog he is!.. and. He. Loves. It. He knows no greater pleasure than chasing his prey, than burrowing his fangs in its neck, then drinking its blood!... then fulfilling commands of his new masters. He is quite famous there, you know?”

… Devils. Can not. Lie.

Still, I promised Marie that I would bring him back.

Johann, you pathetic bastard, you better prepare your sorry ass for good spanking, for after I would get you back I am going to beat your sanity back in your brain.

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Chapter RSS About the author 2 Fictions 0 Posts 0 Threads Anuel Follow Author Saturday, September 29, 2018 12:31:55 AM

Bio: Some people want me to write with Style, some people want me to write with Passion, some people wish to see me using logic, yet I... I find madness to be much more alluring.

Srsl tho, I am kinda crazy, ya know?

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