After returning to my world, it was quickly brought to my attention that Stephanie and Anabel were in sincere need for a relaxing vacation of their own. I completely understood why after all they had both gone through. Besides, Anabel was such a hard worker maintaining my mansion and keeping everyone fed and attending to us. That’s not to discount Stephanie though. She had really stepped up since the loss of Higgins. She was handling all my worldly affairs while I was away. Not only that but she had ambitions to actively grow my wealth by using our influence. But more on that another time.

“Yeah, Eric. I just really think we need to get away for a while,” she started to ask me,

“would it be okay if Anabel and I took a trip somewhere?”

“Of course. Think nothing of it. As far as I’m concerned, my money is just as much as the rest of yours. Take a week or two and go wherever you want.”

“Oh! Thank you!” she said, as she gave me a quick hug, “I’ll let Anabel know and we’ll start booking something right away.”

Stephanie ran off out of the fitness room where Arduwan and I had been working out when she asked me. She had overheard my conversation with Stephanie and decided to ask me something as well.

“Eric, I too have a favor,” she asked.

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“I need you to come with me for this though,” she said, as she led me out of the fitness room and into the drawing room. She took me by the wrist and sat me down on an armchair. Then she backed away and kneeled down in front of me and bowed her head before asking, “Master Noble. May I have permission to visit my people in Callist. I wish to learn of a way to be freed from my Life Debt to you.”

Well this was sudden.

“Arduwan, why do you suddenly want this? I’ve told you before that you’re free to be released from the debt at any time.”

She looked up at me and said, “yes, but it’s not so simple. The barbarian life debt transcends time and space. It can only be released under the proper circumstances and we have not met those yet. So perhaps my father will have a recommendation.”

“Okay, okay,” I laughed, “why exactly do you want out of it now?”

“Well, you see,” she blushed, “it’s not that I don’t mind serving you. In fact, my life at your side is quite exhilarating. It’s just…”

“Go ahead. Don’t be afraid to speak freely,” I assured her.

“It’s just…I wish to court Lord Wraith, sir!” Now this was a surprise.

“Arduwan…have you thought this through? Now, Wraith is my friend. And I certainly acknowledge he is quite skilled. But I think maybe you mistake a lot of his boastfulness with grandeur.”

“Oh no, Eric. I understand perfectly well that he is likely holding back much of his true nature so as not to outshine you in front of me.”

That’s not at all what I was talking about. But you know what? I’m not gonna argue this. So I stood up in front of her and said, “Very well. Go now, Arduwan, Barbarian Princess. Seek ye the answer thou…seeks.”

She looked up at me with a look of surprise on her face and her mouth wide open. But then it turned to a smile.

Suddenly, we heard Stephanie scream. What now? The two of us ran down to the basement where we discovered something unexpected. There she was, being held by a man in a dark suit. Dripping wet and with a gun to her head.

“Stephanie!” I shouted.

Tears were running down her face. She cried out, “Eric, help! This is the man that shot me before!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

That’s right! I dealt with Anabel’s killer but we never found what happened to the one who shot Steph. He must’ve been sent by Alabaster to another world. This was bad.

“I don’t know how this broad survived, but I won’t hesitate to shoot her again,” he said, with a gruff voice.

“Just relax,” I urged, with my hands extended up.

“Where’s the boss?” he asked, “he sent me to check out that other world and to come back after a couple of months if I didn’t hear anything.”

I needed to act quickly. We just revived Stephanie using the Goddess of Second Chances. There won’t be a third.

“Arduwan, get ready…Heat Metal!” I shouted, as I cast a spell that caused this goons gun to heat up bright red.

“Ouch!” he yelled, as he dropped the pistol to the ground and Stephanie ran into my arms.

Arduwan sprang forward and manhandled the guy. She could be so scary sometimes.

“Wait, Arduwan! Don’t kill him,” I remarked, as I moved Stephanie to the side and went for his gun once it cooled off.

The other girls ran downstairs to see what all the commotion was. Anabel cried at the sight of the man and coddled Stephanie.

“Emily, take those two upstairs.”

“Got it.”

“As for you,” I said, pointing the gun directly to his head as Arduwan gripped his arms behind his back, “you caught me at a good time. I’ve recently gotten over some bloodlust, no thanks to your boss, and I’m trying to relax. You’re going to tell me everything you’ve been up to for the past couple of months.”

“Alright, alright, ahh!” he shouted in pain as Arduwan tightened her hold, “I went to Canvas. But there’s nothing special there. The boss was hoping I’d find someone for us to do business with. But the place is straight-laced.”

Canvas. That’s the seventh world that I had not visited yet. It was the first world that my father and Higgins had defeated a Devil in, according to the journal. So it was of little concern to me since another Devil wouldn’t arise for a full generation. According to this lackey, it sounds like everything is still in good order there.

“Alright, Arduwan,” I smiled and said, “I know you’ve got to get going to Callist, so if you could just help me for a few minutes I’ll send you on your way.”

“What are we gonna do with him, Eric? Bury him in the garden with the other one?” she asked, evoking an audible gulp from the man.

“No. I have a fate far worse in mind for him.”

* * *

About an hour later, the man was walking in front of me with his hands on the back of his head. I held the gun pointed at his back and walked a good five feet behind him. Up ahead you could hear the faint singing of certain cereal box characters.

“What are you gonna do with me?” he asked.

“Just shut up, okay,” I said, “whatever I say, you agree with. The moment you don’t, I’ll ice you and throw you in a soda pop lake. Got it?”

We soon found ourselves down the Marshmallow Road in the presence of a certain happy go lucky former Devil Queen by the name of Josephine.

“Oh, hello, Eric!” she greeted, happily.

“Hi, Josie. Hope you’re not upset with me after that little tussle we had some time ago.”

“Oh, that? No, not at all. I may have gotten a little carried away. So I don’t blame you for what you did. Your knife hurt me though. It reminded me of the booboos I got while fighting your dad.”

Wow, she was so agreeable.

“Sorry about that. But I have a favor to ask you.”

“Sure! What’s up?!”

“See this guy. This is…what was your name?”

“It’s Frank,” the bewildered man said, still at my gunpoint.

“Frank!...Frank’s been really naughty. I brought him here for you to take care of him for me. You see, Frank has a thing for clown girls. Right, Frank?”

He looked at me in fear and nodded his head yes.

“Frank also tells me that he likes Dr. Pepper and is quite the submissive type. He’s looking for a lovely, cheerful mistress to simp to and have her tell him what to do all the time.”

Josie held her hands to her chest and with a shine in her eyes asked, “Really?”

“Yes. I think Frank would be the perfect candidate for the Scepter of Jubilation. Think of it as a good faith gift for stabbing you and a replacement for not letting you zap Emily.”

Frank looked really worried now. He didn’t quite grasp what was going on.

“Oh, thank you, Eric. I accept and will always cherish and remember your thoughtfulness.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Frank here for volunteering. He might act a little reserved at first but once you get him to the Temple of Jubilation, you’ll be able to take care of that. And just remind him, that if he decides that this isn’t the place for him, he can come on back up to my world and we can go back to our alternative arrangement.”

That last statement caused Frank to look back at me fearfully as I sneered. But Josie looked overcome with joy and took Frank by the hand and started asking him what his favorite color was as the two of them walked off together.

* * *

When I got back to the house, Arduwan had already left for Callist. I found the other girls upstairs and went to console them.

“You alright?”

Stephanie replied, “Yeah. Just all the more reason to get away for a while. I went ahead and booked us a train trip for tomorrow to Monaco for a week. I don’t even travel down that damn well and stuff is trying to kill me. I don’t envy you.”

“Not to worry. I’ll drive you to the train station myself in the morning. I want the two of you to have a wonderful time.”

“Thank you, Eric. You’re the best,” Anabel said.