∼ News ∼

Chapter - 080

‹ Nyx ›

Waddling down the musky and dark hall, his oversized backpack not doing wonders for his balance, Nyx peered into every room he passed. As he was about to arrive at his destination, he glimpsed a familiar figure in one of the rooms. Swiveling on his feet and nearly toppling over, he walked inside as the smell of sweat, blood, and sickness assaulted his nostrils almost the moment he crossed the threshold.

Down the room that stretched to a considerable space, on beds separated with only white drapes or a thin wooden wall, were a multitude of people who were in various states of injury. An infirmary of sorts. One curiosity that Nyx noted was that not even one of the many injured groaned a sound pain. No matter the grievous wound or festering infection, everyone kept an eerie calm.

Wasn't all too surprising, however, considering all the men in this infirmary were amongst some of the strongest the Orphans had to offer. Those who had reached far beyond their average human kin. Nyx even took a moment to marvel at a man missing both his left arm and leg, leisurely eating soup as his bandages bled through. As if eating breakfast like any other day. It was enough to impress even Nyx, despite it being a stinkin' human.

"Nyx!" A voice gasped. From the far end of the room, the hooded figure of Aria rose to her feet from where she had been attending a patient. Charging straight at him, the demon had barely any time to react as he had been glaring back at some of the injured men who scowled at the fake gnome.

With the force of something that belied her small, petite frame, she crashed into Nyx with a fierce hug. Almost toppling him. However, the softness and warmth of her body were a soothing comfort he hadn't felt in a couple of weeks now. It kinda made him want to take a nap right then and there, like the good old days. Thinking back on the journey, days spent alone on the road - he really had missed her...

Wait, no he didn't! "Let go of me!" Nyx screeched indignantly, flailing as he attempted to dislodge himself from the touchy elven girl.

Letting go of him just enough to give him a teary-eyed up and down, making sure he wasn't injured, she simply smiled. Just as she was about to say something though, Shank, the twin, appeared by the door. "Good, you're back. Zach wants to speak with you."

Nyx paused before they followed the twin as Aria stole another quick hug from the displeased demon. Walking down the hall, Aria was all too happy to see Nyx again, but the fact that he hadn't come back to check in between commissions remained a point of reproval, and it seemed he wouldn't be hearing the end of it for some time. Making it a note to make sure that he checked in on the elven healer once in a while, Nyx stopped resisting her wiles. Because as much as he wanted to fervently deny it, he truly had missed the pestering girl...

Led into the office at the end of the corridor, Zechariah as usual sat behind his desk, reading documents and scribbling signatures. Shank didn't waste time going back to his usual routine as poured himself a glass of liqueur, kicking his feet up on his brother's desk and then summarily began ignoring their existence as they stood before Zechariah.

"You've already begun to make quite the name for yourself amongst the mercenaries," Zechariah said, putting down the papers and his reading glasses.

Almost embarrassed, Nyx rubbed the back of his head, a shy but toothy grin underneath his shrouded hood. Zechariah paused though, eyes ever so slightly narrowed. "Your partner, Ignatius. I heard he died. Can you tell me what happened?"

Nyx looked at Aria who looked surprised if not a little worried before shrugging innocently. "Monster ambushed us. You already know what happened." He explained in his scratchy voice, not quite meeting eyes with the man.

"Do I now?" Zechariah mused, watching Nyx with cunning eyes that seemed to say a lot more than his words did.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Zechariah just peered at the demon from over his desk. He then sighed. "Tragic thing. But I suppose that's what happens in the line of such dangerous work." Ordering some papers on his desk, he leaned back in his chair. "I brought you both here because I have some news."

"About Eric?" Aria asked hopefully, completely forgetting about her suspicions about Nyx's partner and taking a step forward.

Zechariah nodded. "I've just received word that he's been spotted in the city. He has successfully infiltrated their ranks."

Aria was ecstatic. However, when she saw how he was looking at her, she paused. "That's good, right?"

Zechariah and Shank shared a look that made Aria worry. "Well... there is something strange." He said.

"What is?"

"He was last seen guarding a person of interest. One of great import to the figurehead of the Stained Tooth." He leaned forward, fingers interlinked. "And from what our sources say, he's also been given quite the unusual position within the gang. Currently, he stands as a captain, an officer within their pecking order, and one in charge of some of their best fighters as he not only personally acts as a bodyguard but also works as an escort to Crowley's very own daughter."

"W-what does that mean?"

"We don't know." Zechariah admittedly simply.

"But you know everything!" Aria snapped, weeks of pent-up anxiety finally too much for the timid healer. "So what do you mean, you don't know?! You put him in this situation. If something happens to him-"

"Calm down," Zechariah cut her off. "We're not omniscient. You have to remember, you came to us asking for help and agreed to the cost."

She bit her lip, muttering under her breath with teary eyes. "As if we had the choice not to..."

"Listen. There's no real reason to think Eric's in danger. There's no way Crowley would entrust the safety of his daughter if he wasn't sure that Eric wouldn't hurt her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near her."

"Is it not a trap then? To see where his loyalties truly lie?" Aria countered. "He is steadfast, stubborn, and most of all - strong, but not that strong. He only recently got his class. How could he possibly be given the rank of an officer, a captain? Did you yourself not say that Crowley had those in his employ who have already specialized in their classes?" She argued, having been a resident of Arcanum and seen what people of that level and beyond were capable of. One who had advanced their class simply couldn't even be compared to those who hadn't.

"It's definitely odd but there is a feasible explanation for this." Zechariah paused, looking at Shank with an unreadable expression. "The only one that makes some sense, at least."

Shank then surprised Aria and Nyx as he spoke with a deep sigh. Despite usually never doing whenever his brother was talking. "We believe Crowley might've seen something in the kid that we did not. That I did not."

Aria frowned, wringing her hands nervously.

"It might also have had something to do with one of Crowley's right-hand men." Zechariah clarified. "It's possible that he's getting Eric ready to take one of those spots. Testing him. To see if he's fit for the job."

Even Nyx was nonplussed at this news. "Eric's becoming a hand-human?" Though for a completely different reason...

The conversation paused, everyone, looking at Nyx with unreadable expressions. Even the secretary, Elanor, stopped her seemingly eternal work to glance at Nyx. Looking around, confused, the conversation slowly picked up again - Nyx's question being decidedly ignored.

"We've recently gotten word that Elijah, one of the highest-ranking people in The Stained Tooth, is refusing to come home in fear of punishment. It should be the man you described seeing in Guard's Crossing. He's the one leading the caravan searching for you outside of Boreas. He had already begun to fall out of favor before even this failure according to our sources. But now, it would seem that, unless he apprehends you and retrieves the magical artifact, Crowley won't let him live another second. However, knowing that man, he'll probably do much worse to Elijah than merely put him to death." Zechariah caressed his grisly scars as if in phantom pain.

"But still," said Aria. "Eric's just an illegitimate son of a far-removed baron. I myself know he is special from spending so much time with him. I have seen both the grit of his character and his shortcomings. But what could this Crowley see in him that would make him go to such extremes after barely even having the time to meet him?"

Zechariah sighed, almost regretfully. "Crowley has a knack for... scouting potential. If he has taken to Eric as such, I believe that young man will become very fearsome in the future. It's a great pity, I'm afraid. A mistake on my part."

"A mistake?" Aria echoed.

Zechariah paused, eyes narrowing. "If the boy were to turn. To join Crowley for good that is. I fear that he'll be a great foe. One that I've personally offered to them.”

Aria staggered. "Nonsense! Eric will never betray us. He is as stubborn as they come."

"Crowley has a way with swaying people. A tendency to win over people to his side. He hasn't amassed all his wealth, power, and influence by his own strength alone. No... that man. He's a demon in human skin." Nyx blinked, feeling almost as if that had been some indirect jab at him. "He possesses a devious cunning that puts him above most in this city. Even the Archduke does not bother with him purely for the repercussions that could follow angering that man."

"But Eric will not turn," Aria said with surprising seriousness. "I know him far better than you. A man as ruthless and evil as that, he will never be able to taint Eric's nature."

"We can only hope you're right, Miss Aria."