It was times like these that I was glad that I wasn’t like the old Max anymore. The workaholic version of myself would have burned out and been beneath the boots of one of our many enemies by now. Things were touch and go for a while, before I had accepted both Ren and that I could take a step back occasionally and enjoy what we had earned over our journey here.
Now, instead of rushing ourselves straight to Candlekeep, we were laughing and exchanging stories with the other groups we had become attached to. I still wouldn’t describe myself as a social butterfly, but I echoed the relaxed atmosphere now that everyone had warm food and a couple of drinks in them. I still had my humanity.
Perhaps that sounded like something odd when I could turn into a demon, but we had killed and ground ourselves into dust for so long that sometimes I wasn’t sure if I could be anything close to normal again. But we were. Even Ren was all smiles, only scowling as I regaled them all with the tale of how I made it out of the black market cave.
The only thorn in this otherwise amazing experience was the fact that Wolf wouldn’t tell us what his Guardian powers did. His mood took a while to improve, but he looked more of himself now that he had been filled with plenty of food. Normally, I wouldn’t be such a stickler for prying, but I had only been partially truthful about the different Guardians having the same power.
Well, they granted strength based on the wishes of the recipient—that was true, and in fairness I wasn’t entirely sure… but it was possible that the theme of the Guardian also influenced how the powers were given out. The Siren was about desire. Part of me screamed out to break away from my old life, the restraints of being a magician haunted by being unable to put on that last great show for his mother. I had been granted my demonic powers, fully merging all the parts of my existence here. Now I could rise above my prior struggles.
I wasn’t sure which one Ren had. She had wanted to be equal to me, share the slice of bullshit pie that the System granted me. It had been something she had said long ago, on the beach—a memory still as clear as day to me. The Chameleon was about change. Given that Wolf hadn’t seemed any different, perhaps it could also be about a lack of change.
Not to say lack of change sounded like a power.
“You alright, trickster?”
I turned my unfocused eyes back to the elf. She really was dazzling, even back when she had the permanent grumpy expression, but now she was almost angelic. I wasn’t sure how we had ended up married, but if this was still some manner of coma dream, my brain had good taste.
“I’m considering a brief holiday in hell,” I said, watching her blue eyes for a reaction.
“You’re thinking that time dilation would give you a few extra days of training before we reach Candlekeep.” Her poker face didn’t budge by a hair.
She could always read me as if she was writing the script herself. “Perhaps. I know there are no more levels to be gained, and our time might be better spent getting Power Tokens on the way to the Crimson Shadows… but you know I’m a workaholic.”
“No.” She leaned back and put her legs up over my lap. “Pretty sure I beat that out of you.”
“You can take the credit it you like.” I smiled and glanced over at Wolf. “Actually, I think most of us don’t have the appetite for hell, and I don’t intend to vanish from the group again.”
“I have the appetite for one thing in hell.” She smiled and closed her eyes. “When this is all over, though. Now that we’re back in the real world, I’d like to save it before getting into all the many, many fun things I have planned for you.”
I stared at her, hoping she’d open her eyes so I could read into that more. She kept them closed. Perhaps I could rush in and kill the Lady as soon as possible. Maybe before sundown if I was quick.
There was a time when our unseen antagonist had tried to win me over once I had received my Guardian powers. She must be shaking in her boots now that we had three of them on our side. She had two at most. Our efforts on cutting out the strongholds of her power had surely weakened her overall control on Candlekeep.
I was prepared for war.
“I’ll just pop in to hell to make sure things haven’t fallen to shit already,” I eventually decided. “Probably a good idea for me to check in once a day, given that it’s a handful down there.”
“Go on then, my king.” She opened one eye as she removed her legs from me. “Just don’t have too much fun without me.”
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“I shall hate every second we are apart.”
She rolled her eyes, and I stood up, stepping away from the gathered campfires everyone was gathered around. Almost seemed a shame to leave them, really. Most weren’t even interested in why I had moved away from the group. Which was okay. I didn’t need to be the focal point of every situation.
I cleared my throat for no reason.
Hand waved through the air, and the same doorway appeared. Part of me worried that I’d come back to find the camp in disarray, bodies strewn around the place as something had taken advantage of my absence. Another ego thing, as Ren and Wolf could protect everyone, even without me.
I opened the door and stepped through into hell.
Warmth washed over me, as the crimson tone of the foul place filled my eyes. I turned to see a small demon sitting on my throne.
With wide eyes, he gradually slid from it, back onto the floor. “J-just keeping it warm for you, your m-majesty.”
“I am well within my right to tear you in half, slowly.” I ran my tongue across my lips. “But you should just leave instead. Do not mistake my mercy for weakness.”
“Y-yes, your majesty.” The small demon grasped at his head dramatically as he ran down the steps and toward the large doors of the throne room.
I watched him leave, his small feet padding against the stone floor. About ten feet away from the exit, my patron burst up from the floor, the long sword blade slicing the escapee in half cleanly.
My head tilted to the side at the group of similarly impish demons sitting around a table playing cards. Ever since my entrance, they had remained frozen in place, as if I could only sense movement.
“Have I really been gone long enough for the throne to have squatters?” I asked rhetorically.
They were smart enough to remain still and quiet.
“May I make a suggestion, Master?”
I turned my eyes to see that the speaker was none other than my sword. Their voice was muted - hollow and sinister. “Oh, so you are able to to talk.”
“Only in hell, Master. The demons are not used to democratic reason. If you assign me as the Voice of your Will, I will command them in your absence.” He floated closer to me.
As much as that sounded like a blasé excuse for him to hold sway over hell, it took the matter out of my hands and gave my patron something to keep him busy.
“What is your name?”
“Hori the Unquenchable, Master.”
“Hori, you are now the Voice of my Will. You are going to gather the six strongest demons, and the six most cunning demons in hell. They will form the council that determines the politics of hell. If one of the strongest kills one of the weaker, then execute all twelve. If one of the cunning ones tries to betray another on the council, execute all twelve.”
The eye on the hilt stared at me. “It is likely we will go through many council members, Master.”
“As it has to be. Eventually we will get a workable group. The first edict is to replenish and rebuild. The war to usurp the previous king weakened and destroyed a lot of hell, so the first thing to do is work toward prosperity and power as a whole.”
“As you command, Master.”
“Also, kill these dumbasses.” I pointed a finger at the panicked gamblers. As my patron whipped through them in short order, I shook my head. “I need to be respected, despite my absence. I’m giving the denizens a chance to have some self reliance. If I have to rule with an iron fist, then I might as well give the crown to someone more bloodthirsty.”
“Unfortunately, Master, only your death would allow the crown to part from your head.”
I exhaled through my nose as I regarded my patron. We hadn’t had the time to bond or really get to know each other. I didn’t think he wanted to lop off my head to take the crown for himself, but it was an option on the table. Certainly not as affable as Roger, but likewise not as insolent. So far.
“If I have detractors, then set up a tournament system. Strongest three challengers will get to face me when I make my visits to hell.”
“As you command, Master.”
I had no intentions of losing, but giving them a goal would focus their strength, and a tournament would weed out all but three of my potential enemies. Gave me an outlet to show off my power to the masses and burn some calories at the same time.
“That will be all, Hori. Thank you.”
The floating sword dipped as if it was giving me a bow. “Welcome, Master. The prior king did not have your foresight or shrewd intellect. Serving you will be much more fulfilling.”
I gave him a nod as I waved a return portal into being. “I will call on you when your services are needed.”
Then I was through it, back into the much cooler market square of the town by the temple. Ren was up beside me before my eyes had even adjusted.
“I missed you so much,” she whined. “We’ve never been so far apart, even though it was barely a handful of minutes. Tell me everything.”
Blinking away the dazzle in my eyes, I smiled and put my arm around her. “First, I killed some dissidents, then I appointed my patron as my official spokesperson. After that, I arranged for more controlled, constructive violence to take place. Maybe some blood sports on occasion.”
“Ugh,” she put her arm around my waist in return. “Sounds hot. Wish I had gone to fawn over you.”
“Plenty of time for that in the future, moonflower.” I glanced over at the groups. “How’s the mood here?”
“Mostly trying to ignore the fact that we are about to go to war. Tanya was showing me the map, and there are a few stops along the route that can help get us some extra power before we get to Candlekeep.”
That sounded good. I gave her a nod. We were almost at the limits as to what strength the System would really allow us. No more skills, decent gear was unlikely, our stats may be static now with no further levels. Our Inventories were already full of potions and scrolls. The last thing we could do with were more Power Tokens to advance our skills.
I had no doubt that was exactly the sort of detours Tanya had arranged. I fully intended on getting anyone lower than Level Fifteen up to that as well. For as little as we knew what would be awaiting us in the city, I wanted to take no chances.
It was unlikely we’d get a second chance.
The group started packing up, while I went over to my Party. It was time to find out the first stop on our dazzling tour towards the city.