Alaster kept an eye on Evelyn as she left the city to hunt. The Shadow Assassin was careful not to be seen as it followed close behind. Since Alaster had pointed out just how vulnerable they were, the Duke had doubled the guards quietly following behind. But in the forest filled with shadows, not one came even close to spotting the Shadow Assassin.

The meeting that was scheduled between Lord Ashborn and the Duke had already ended. It had been a short meeting. It was just so the two parties could express their wants, needs, and expectations. Azemar had already had Alaster memorize what the Alliance would want from any dealings with Lissura, so Alaster had not needed much.

After the meeting Alaster had returned to his suite of rooms. The Duke and others likely expected that he was conveying how the meeting went with the Alliance. But Alaster was checking in with his various parties while also keeping an eye on Evelyn.

The meeting was meant to be short, but after his display the night before, it was even shorter. It seemed that the Duke was still in shock. He had gone through the meeting without any real desire. Like he was just going through the motions.

Nothing of any real importance would have been said or decided in the meeting anyway. Alaster did not even want to do the meeting. What was the point of wasting everyone’s time? However, the same could be said for the majority of politics, so Alaster sucked it up and played along.

Alaster leaned back on the couch, mentally checking in with his Minions. One of his Death Knights had stuck with Lezrem as Alaster could not mentally communicate with the Lich. The Lich was in the process of tracking down the female Bandit, and with his vast hordes of Undead, it would not be long before he found her. Though it would likely take some time before he could actually capture her soul. His Undead were numerous but weaker and any Bandit group with an Expert was bound to be wiser than other Bandits.

Cathrine, the Leader of his Death Knights, had remained in his Soul Domain, continuing to train the Forgotten. While the Forgotten ironically did not forget their teachings and drills, they did have free will, albeit limited. Cathrine continued to drill them in order to maintain discipline as well train the weaker Forgotten. The ones that had started out as Novices.

The Rest of the Death Knights were scouting around various parts of the city. One of the Death Knights, had trained as an Enchanter before he quit to be an adventurer, and while his training was certainly incomplete, it was still better than the rest of Alaster’s servants.

‘I really should fix that. I wonder if I could kill a skilled Enchanter and raise them as an Undead.’

Alaster’s thoughts of murder were interrupted by the next one on his list to check up on.

“Alaster,” Fenrir called through their mental connection, “A few things have been brought to my attention as I have been working on his project.”

“Yes?”

“We have some serious problems that need to be addressed.”

“Those being?”

Alaster could feel his second body scoff in annoyance and sarcasm, “Well for one, it’s a damn woman! And we ain’t women!”

“Why is that a problem?”

“Because it will be connected to our soul! I know you might be a bit ignorant when it comes to women, but they are very different from men. Not just their bodies, but their personalities, their thoughts, their souls! How are you going to make this work?

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Because from what I can see as I am building this body, a very uncomfortable project I might add, one of three things are going to happen when you connect the soul of the bandit woman to the body and then to our own soul.

One, our Soul will leech through, corrupting the woman’s soul until its some freakish mix of our male soul and her female soul. Which will be a horrible mix and will likely be a torturous experience for that Soul.

Two, their soul will leech through, corrupting us. This is the least likely to happen, but if it does, I swear to all the Gods, I will kill you before it takes hold.”

Alaster interrupted, “If I die, so do you.”

“That’s the goal.

Now Three, it won’t work at all and the body, the soul, or both, will die. Making all this work pointless.”

“I have a way to prevent any of that.”

“Oh due tell,” Fenrir’s voice oozed with sarcasm, “It’s not like I am the one designing the damn body! Definitely don’t need to know something as crucial as that.”

Alaster rolled his eyes, “I am going to have Lezrem modify the Female Bandit’s soul, locking it in a way. From how I understand it, while our Soul will still influence hers, it will retain more of its original personality. Basically, it will be just like you, but a bit more independent and free thinking, though still bound to me.”

“That sounds ideal, except that its Lezrem we are relying on.”

“You don’t trust him?”

“I don’t trust anyone that is not bound to us. I trust the Death Knights, because they are incapable of defying us and if you die, so do they. But Lezrem, yeah he has sworn an Oath to us, but ultimately, he is only with us for his own gain. If we die, he is free. He could disobey us or manipulate things for his own benefit.”

“You think he will use this opportunity to turn the third body into his own minion?” Alaster said. It was not a question. They shared a soul, and therefore had similar thoughts.

“I would be disappointed in Lezrem if the thought had not occurred to him.” Fenrir grumbled.

“As would I. He has his uses, so long as he doesn’t over step, I don’t mind if he angles something to benefit him more. However, he knows the most about Souls. He has spent centuries studying them. Belgroth might know not the more technical stuff about Souls, but he knows enough to be able to tell if the modified Bandit Souls has been changed in a way that we don’t want. He just doesn’t know how to do the modification himself.”

“What the big bad ancient Demon can’t figure it out?”

“According to Belgroth, he could, if he had a few months. I want to have the third body completed within a single month.”

“Any reason for the rush?”

Alaster groaned sinking into the couch even further, “Evelyn’s birthday is in a month.”

“And? What’s the correlation? Do you have a gift for her yet?”

“I do have a gift in mind, its just a work in progress. But her birthday will be paired with a ball. I was able to get away with going solo last night as I was brand new to the city and everyone was wary of me.

In a month from now, even after I butchered Halligon last night, there will be also sorts of women throwing themselves at me.”

Fenrir remained quiet. For several moments, the silence grew heavy, almost oppressive.

When Fenrir spoke, it was slow, putting emphasis on each word.

“You mean to tell me, that I have spent the last twelve hours, only creating the standard physical body, a very uncomfortable process I might add, all because you wanted a date?”

“You make it sound perverted.”

“No! Perverted is being told to hand create a flesh and blood body of an attractive woman! How do you even plan on get this body through past that Castiel bastard. If I get too close, I start taking damage just by getting within two hundred meters of him. But in a ballroom, it would be within just a few meters. She wouldn’t be able to survive more than a few moments. Especially since she won’t be as durable as I am.”

“Why won’t she be as durable?”

“Alaster, you designed me to be a fighter. I am designed to be on the frontlines of any large scale battle. I am not nearly as fast as you, but I am much more durable, especially since I don’t actually have any organs or blood.

I still have a functioning body, but its based on Magic, not organics.

You want her to be designed as an infiltrator, assassin, spy, and what not. She needs to prioritize speed, agility, and stealth. Not strength, ferocity, and endurance like me.

While she will be more durable than most other stealth based people, because she doesn’t have nearly as many critical areas, she will still not be as durable and strong as a combat based person.

You know this, why am I telling you this?”

“Because sometimes it sticks better when someone else is saying it.” Alaster shrugged.

“We are technically the same person.”

“Meh.”