Azrael - Towering Cairns

Azrael was hiding in a locked room, not from a god favored individual, but from his own companions.

He cursed himself for the abrupt emotional episode, for thinking that he settled his mood swings back at the Ends Cliffs. Worse, he let his moment of weakness be witnessed by other people -- good people -- but still strangers if considered the length of their acquaintance.

Elira’s outlook in life had dazzled him; proud and unyielding, she despised those who had another say about her own choices. Add her educated background, she was the perfect person to emulate and learn from: in values and in Lochley knowledge. The only problem was how weak she was in the grand scheme of things.

Azrael needed strong allies for the inevitable arrival of his brother, the heirloom in his Shadow a guarantee of it. Fighting alone against the future Emperor of Ost was a sure way of killing himself and escape was nothing but a borrowed time.

‘Nevan would know what to do…’

He shook his head before the melancholic mood could take hold of him. His guardian was no longer able to give counsel and he only had himself for making decisions, a thought that made him both happy and nervous.

The need for sustenance and information made him leave his comfortable bed, the angle of the light from the windows indicated that it was almost noon. He was still embarrassed about facing his companions but he prayed that they ignore his previous eccentric behavior.

Azrael knocked on Elira’s door and entered after a muffled assent. He was surprised at a white creature made from energy, hopping around the cross-legged demon.

“Sorry,” Elira stood up and the creature disintegrated into specks of light, “I was practicing forming my energy.”

Azrael was curious about her talent in souls, “was that one of your abilities?”

“Yep, I formed the image of a long-eared rabbit and reinforced the shaped energy with soul energy,” Elira made her way to one of the wardrobes and commented on his late appearance, “you missed breakfast.”

“Overslept.” Azrael sat in one of the stool as he waited for Elira to change in the washroom.

“Come on,” the demon reappeared with new clothes, grabbed the connector near the bed, gave it to him, and headed straight for the exit, “let’s get you something to eat.”

Elira passed by their companion’s room without a glance and he inquired about the man’s affair, “We aren’t gonna invite William?”

“He’s looking for our fourth member,” she gave him a concise answer and instructed him to bring funds, “bring your fancy credit stone, we need to buy clothes for you.”

Azrael glanced at his pure black outfit, “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Its black, its suspicious, and it screams rich.”

The demon didn’t even look at his clothes but she managed to summarize it well.

Elira dragged him to a clothing store and told him to choose casual clothes that weren’t black. He stared at one of the cloth racks, unmoving, until Elira sighed and picked some bright colored shirts and pants for him to try on. After a ridiculous amount of fabric passed by his hands and body, the demon finally brought him to a place that served food.

Azrael eyed the multiple bags under their table, “I’m not gonna go broke from all these clothes, right?”

“The credit Serath gave you was equivalent to The Storytellers enchantment favor,” Elira saw his puzzled face and tried to change her explanation, “it’s equivalent to a weapon or armor that even a Saint Rank would want.”

He gave her another confused look so she just shook her head and answered his previous question directly, “no, you’re not gonna go broke from buying clothes, food, or even a house in the capital -- but you’re missing the point.”

“What point?”

“That you got yourself a favor from one of the Fallen.”

Elira leaned back on her chair and prepared for a long lecture, “Money starts losing its trade value the stronger you become, do you know why?”

Azrael answered with the first thought that came to him, “Because all powerful people already have lot’s of it?”

Elira nodded, “Correct, any other reason?”

“Because the valuable things can’t be bought by money alone?” He responded after a few beats of silence.

“Yes,” the demon smiled at his answer, “for example, to get the service of VI The Dimensional Witch or IX The Performer they need to owe you a favor or you possess other things or services they would be interested in.”

“Oh, I don’t think the books I gave them are that valuable.”

What Azrael handed to the Barrier Master were mundane books: cooking recipes, children stories, fictions, and other ordinary books accessible by commoners in Ost. He couldn’t part with the romance stories that Nevan loved to read so he kept them for himself, along with the other books restricted for royals and nobles.

“They may not be important but they’re rare,” Elira tapped a finger on the table to emphasize her next statement, “and The Storyteller is all about rare books.”

“What does she do with them?” Azrael narrowed his eyes at the demon, skeptical about the use of the books.

“Read them of course,” Elira laughed at his frown from the obvious answer, “nobody actually knows, but it's one of the few information about her.”

Elira enumerated the known information about The Storyteller:

“She is confirmed to be a woman, registered in the Merc Hall with an Imperator Rank to her name, enchantments that are well-known throughout the continent, and finally, her love for rare books and stories.”

“That’s not a lot for someone considered well-known,” Azrael was expecting a whole book of information about the Fallen member but the information given couldn’t even fill a page.

“It’s clear someone is trying to control information and only disseminate the important parts,” Elira was unconcerned about the conspiracy, “like her love for rare books and the possibility of getting an enchantment through it.”

“Theresa?”

“Most likely.”

Azrael was considering the small, but influential, guild as his first choice for ally so he continued fishing for information, “are information about them as controlled as The Storyteller?”

“Only some of them, the others are quite popular and their information is spread through different channels.” Elira didn’t find his curiosity suspicious and proceeded to tell him other intelligence about the guild.

“The Bloodied Queen and The Indestructible Construct are considered to be the guild’s main combatants and they frequent the newsletter. You have to ask William if you want to learn more about them.”

The ordered food arrived and they ate in silence, left with their own thoughts. He was in the middle of considering Thirteens and befriending a True Dragon when Elira interrupted him with her own concerns.

“What are your plans for the near future?” Elira realized the vague question and clarified, “I get it that you’re willing to help with this team, but what about after?”

Azrael frowned at the question, “I… don’t know yet.”

“I should also remind you that we might travel around the continent for obtaining good missions,” the demon’s eyes widened when she realized she never asked about his opinion on the matter, “you’re fine with traveling for long periods of time, right?”

“I’m fine with that,” he was more than fine with the idea as traveling would be a fantastic way to learn about Lochley, “how long will the team operate?”

Azrael estimated that he had a few years to spare; as powerful as his brother was, the future Emperor of Ost was not without concerns.

He might notice the disappearance of the heirloom but he won’t be able to chase him immediately; war and politics would hinder him from leaving Ost. However, once the current war reached an end, he would be able to focus in suppressing their other sibling. The heirloom hunt comes after that.

Azrael realized that it was possible for his brother to send elites, to scout or capture him. He cursed himself for not making relations with the Wesh Enthusiast to monitor newcomers.

“... the surging -- you’re not even listening, are you?”

He ignored the demon’s exasperated look and asked, “Do you have any connections with the Wesh Enthusiast?”

“I think that between the two of us, he’d be more interested in making a connection with you.” Elira pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, “I thought he was visiting you every day after we arrived at The Bloodied Borough?”

“Yes,” he crinkled his nose at the memory, “but he stopped coming after the second day. Serath told me it has something to do with the Wesh Roots.”

“I can ask my Gigi but...” Elira waggled her eyebrows at him, “you can just ask Serath.”

“I’m trying to avoid the man,” he blushed at the playful smile the demon was giving him, “it’s not something personal… I just want to spite Theresa.”

Elira rolled her eyes at him, “For someone who’s supposed to be a noble, you act so childish sometimes.”

‘You are a child, nothing but a child…’

The sudden memory of a familiar voice made his eyes flicker with emotion. The demon sensed the tense atmosphere around him and was about to speak when a loud voice echoed in his head.

‘HEEEEEY! I found our fourth member!’

Elira flinched at the loud thought delivered by their telepath stones. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sent her own message after a deep sigh, ‘Don’t use too much energy, we’re eating in the Dancing Seafood so proceed here.’

Azrael was glad about the interruption; from his own thoughts and from the prying demon in front of him. He avoided opening up the topic by stuffing his mouth with food; the silent plea was acknowledged and the demon ate her own meal in silence.

A commotion at the entrance of the restaurant announced William’s arrival.

“What do you mean he can’t come in? He’s with me!”

The waiter was glancing at the rock-skinned man beside the restaurant’s new guest, “But sir… we don’t have any food for Orleys…”

“It’s okay, he won’t eat. We’re really just here for… Elira! There! We’re with her!” William’s loud voice echoed within the restaurant and everyone’s eyes followed the direction of his finger.

Elira’s face was now buried in her hands and Azrael wondered if it was pride that’s preventing her from ducking under the table. The brown haired man waved as he approached them; followed by a silent gley and a waiter massaging his temples.

The table and seats were rearranged to fit two additional guests and the introductions came after that. Azrael didn’t miss the other man’s attempt to avoid his eyes; it made him wonder how he offended the man.

“The demon is Elira and the.. uhm.. other man is Azrael.”

The gley glanced at demon before facing him, “Greetings. We are Drukvu.”

Azrael chucked William’s behavior to his eccentricity and focused on the non-human. It was his first time hearing an Orley speak and he found it fascinating that they didn’t need to move their mouth or jaws.

“You are weak.”

The gley’s next sentence left him and the other table occupants dumbfounded. He didn’t feel offended as there was no emotion accompanied with the statement but it still made his eye twitch.

Azrael couldn’t blame the gley. His distinct energy was being used for recovering his life energy and anyone curious enough to peruse it would find it lacking.

“Bahaha!” William shook with laughter and slapped Drukvu’s shoulders, “you’re straight forward eh?”

“Don’t worry about his qualifications,” Elira regained her calm and started the discussion about the team, “he has other… ways… to get around. Did William tell you about the team’s goal?”

“Travel. Prove strength. Increase rank. We are the same Phasol Child.”

“Address me by my name,” Elira turned to William who was reading the menu, “did you test him already?”

“Yea.. yea… what’s good to order?”

The demon rolled her eyes, ignored the man’s question, and decided to ask the gley instead, “How did he test you?”

“Block attacks. None passed through.”

Azrael raised his eyebrow at that; William’s energy bullet was efficient but it wasn’t hard to block. Elira saw his expression and smiled, “Looks like you’re also guilty of underestimating your teammates.”

He blushed at his own hypocrisy and gave a half-hearted defense, “There weren’t really many battle instances for me to draw on…”

The demon ignored his mumbling and turned her attention back to the rock-skinned man, “You’re fine with joining our team?”

“Satisfactory. Heard reputation. We are willing.” Drukvu moved his head up and down in a stiff motion, imitating the human’s gesture for approval.

“Good. Then we’ll register as an official four-man team in the Merc Hall and request for a guided mission,” she turned to his direction and explained before he could ask what kind of mission it was.

“Guided missions are one of the ways the Merc Hall use to prevent too many deaths in their workforce. They assign a higher ranked individual to supervise aspiring teams who takes mission harder for their current rank.”

“Don’t forget to request for a Thirteens supervisor,” William piped up after the waiter delivered his food, “Dunno about rocky and blacky but we still need to impress them and make connections before the annual recruitment.”

Azrael gave the man a withering glare for the nickname but William just kept eating and ignored him; though, he did notice the brown haired man’s reddening ears.

“I’m planning to, but don’t expect them to send someone just because we asked,” Elira glanced at the two humans and stood up, “Drukvu, accompany me to the Merc Hall. I also need to brief you on other matters.”

William widened his eyes and stuffed the remaining food to his mouth. It didn’t end well for him as he choked and became on the receiving end of hard slaps on the back from the rock-skinned man.

Azrael was now sure that the other man was avoiding him. He raised an eyebrow at Elira who just gave him a wink and stopped William from standing, “Finish your food properly. I’ll pay for the food on our way out.”

The pair of part-human and non-human left the restaurant, leaving two humans and their awkward silence. Azrael tried to guess what Elira was planning but he remembered he did have a topic to ask William about. He didn’t know why the other man was conscious around him so he ignored his discomfort and asked.

“Can you elaborate how powerful The Bloodied Queen and The Indestructible Construct are?”

William’s stiff face morphed into a full smile directed at him; it was so sudden that Azrael had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“Jasmine, The Bloodied Queen, is a celebrity!”

William pushed his chair closer to him and started his excited ramblings:

“She’s the most active Fallen member in terms of doing missions, interview appearances, and promotion shots. She debuted during XI Couturier’s showcase and had been a staple part of idol’s newsletter after that. I could show you my coll--”

“How about her battle capabilities?” Azrael interrupted him as he wasn’t that interested in perusing dubious collections.

“Oh…” William paused, confused about his lack of interest, but continued after a few blinks directed his way.

“She’s a bonafide Guardian; meaning she can expand her personal bubble and take hold of every unowned energy in the area, manifest her energy to its true form, and is contracted to a Guardian Being.”

Azrael’s eyes widened at the capabilities of a Guardian as it sounded like the requirements for a Royal Guard and Field Generals in Ost.

If Serath was a Guardian, then Fallen would already have four people that could contend with the elites under his brother. He didn’t know Theresa’s exact power but he knew she was strong and tricky to fight against.

He decided to initiate contact with the guild to sound out their characters and motivations. It would be risky but better than waiting for other options present themselves.

Azrael retrieved his connector from Shadow and asked William who was giving him curious looks for his sudden actions, “Do you know how to join a chat group?”

“Yea,” the other man nodded, “but you need to know the group’s name and password if it was set to private.”

“Can you help me join one?” He wasn’t familiar with how the connector works and he didn’t want to ask Elira as the demon would tease her for having The Barrier Master’s invitation to a chat room.

“Uh… sure,” William moved to the seat next to him and guided him through the process, “you need to make a connector account first…”

After answering several basic questions, he entered the information needed to join the chat group.

Connecting to Chat Group - Ascension

Please Wait…

“That’s a weird group name,” William frowned at the screen, “anyway, connecting to the group would take a while. You can close the lid of the connector as you wait; it would take a couple of minutes depending on the location of the group maker.”

The two decided to leave the restaurant and wait for Elira back at the inn. They made their way to their own room and Azrael decided to take a quick nap while waiting to be connected to the group.

The sun was setting when he woke up from his short sleep. He rubbed his eyes and noticed the blinking lights of his connector in the dark shadows of his room. The dazed man made his way to it and opened up the screen:

… Connected to Ascension.

[Az has connected to the group]

[Six other users are currently connected to the group]

Fight Me: She was crazy!

Fight Me: Chopped me up to pieces while laughing!

Fight Me: But she was a real babe

Fight Me: Almost worth it, getting chopped up like that.

Fight Me: HAHAHA

Fight Me: SHITTY GODS SOMEONE ELSE IS HEREE

Lovely Eyes: Hi Az, did you miss me?

Fight Me: Oi kid, someone invaded our group!!! Your invention suckkkk!

Fight Me: SPY! Fight me!

Fight Me: Blind woman you know the spy?! Traitor!

Miss Her: I gave the invitation to Azrael.

Fight Me: Did you finally get tired of the book lady?!

Fight Me: Ohhhh Angelman this the new housemate I keep hearing about?

Fight Me: You finally got over that dead woman? HAHAHA

Lovely Eyes: I told Jasmine to connect.

Fight Me: change your nickname to Trashed Her… or FUCKING A NEW ONE

Fight Me: Az, leave the boring man and come to me if you want to be satisfied. I’m goood.

Fight Me: Fuuuck you Theresa!

[Fight Me has disconnected]

[Five other users are currently connected to the group]

Lovely Eyes: Goodness, finally some peace and quiet.

Miss Her: Azrael, I apologize for our guildmate’s behavior.

Miss Her: And well done on handling Jared, Theresa.

Lovely Eyes: Azrael isn’t chatting.

Lovely Eyes: I’m gonna kill Jared if he scared Az away.

Kaed: Is he the one you invited to the guild Theresa?

Kaed: and you were not supposed to hand out chat group invitations Serath.

Lovely Eyes: Yes.

Lovely Eyes: Oh, you’re always such a killjoy Kaed.

Miss Her: Mary agreed when I asked her if I could invite Azrael to this group.

Kaed: That’s because you agreed to do barriers for her experiments.

Lovely Eyes: Ignore Kaed, Az.

Lovely Eyes: You’re welcome here.

Kaed: You guys are easily bribed.

Lovely Eyes: Yomire loved your books!

Lovely Eyes: She’s only read a quarter of it.

Miss Her: Azrael might have left the connector open.

Just a Kid: Another lurker.

Lovely Eyes: Kaed, is Raea heading to Az now?

Kaed: No.

Kaed: She’s too busy to bother with your whims Theresa.

Lovely Eyes: Rude. My invitation was genuine.

Kaed: Stop concerning yourself with the world traveler.

Kaed: He will find us if he wants to join and we will consider it then.

Kaed: I need to get back to my duties.

[Kaed has disconnected]

[Four other users are currently connected to the group]

Lovely Eyes: But he’s already here!

Lovely Eyes: You’re here to join, right? Azrael?

There was no more chat after that and he decided to close the connector. Azrael tossed the rectangular metal back to his Shadow and curled back in his bed, thoughts of true dragons floating in his mind.

‘Maybe befriending a dragon doesn’t sound so crazy after all.’

End of Chapter 16

Energy Manipulation

Awareness - Detect the energies around you.

Reinforce - Use distinct energy to amplify your own body or weapons.

Discharge - Release distinct energy outside your bubble.

Form - Shape distinct energy for practical use.

Transmute - Change the nature of your distinct energy.

Absorb - Convert unowned energies to aid your distinct energy.

Substitute - Use other types of energy other than distinct energy.

[Saint Requirement] Manifest - Culmination of all the experiences in energies and the Wesh. Embodies your energy into something that is utterly your own.

[Guardian Requirement] Field - Spread your bubble and take every unowned energy in the area as your own. Creates a territory full of your own energy and tailored for your advantage.

[Guardian Requirement] Guardian Being - Sentient creatures of the Wesh that holds great power. Can be contracted with an individual.