"Aiven! Explain yourself!” Right off this morning, an angry lich wearing a frilly apron and waving a wooden spatula on Aiven's face barged on his sleeping quarters.
Delica have turned right back to being the nagging mother-hen slash adventurer-side of herself that her noble upbringing seemed to have been kicked out of her system for the time being.
Her way of switching roles and settling into them like a second skin was really unnerving sometimes that Aiven wasn't able to keep pace.
Two days, and already the five units made themselves useful. But there were still some hiccups now and then. Still Delica have been all over the place, as she supervised the littlest details Simos had overlooked from her familiars and keeping Aiven busy with all her antics and requests.
Ah, she has never changed.
“What?” he answered groggily as he tried to sit from his bed.
Aiven could see that she have already made most of the morning. She smelled of spices and grilled meat, and her heeled laced boots have been caked with mud. He won't be surprised if she have been wandering around their camp before first light.
“Nee," remembering the reason why she's here, Delica continued. "why have you been teaching nonsense to Master Mieu?” Her tone was oozing with sweetness, but the accompanied glare was so sharp it kept him in place.
Oh, that.
As if on cue, a small black-haired girl peaked behind Delica and worriedly looked up to Aiven. Her hair was tied in simple twintails and on top of her dress was an apron that's similar to the one Delica was wearing. She was showing an apologetic expression as if unable to understand the situation but was aware that she was the cause.
“Runsaer is black, Elrhondir is white, so Alvalar is rainbow.”
Aiven replied with all seriousness as if he didn't say anything preposterous.
Delica had a stupified look. "And here you are still spouting that nonsense! Argh!"
During her repeat interrogations of his teaching methods, Aiven had already folded his mattresses and blankets neatly on his lap and push it on his inventory.
He made an effort to start taking out his journals for his morning habit of checking and listing his tasks for the day when his eyes went to the aprons and the spatula on Delica's hand and his movements abruptly froze,
“...”
Tracing where his eyes went, Delica raised her spatula and was frowning.
"What?" This time it was Delica who felt uncomfortable on his stare.
"You...were cooking?"
Delica placed her hands on her hips and said sarcastically. "No, I was cleaning my teeth with an oversized spoon."
Soon after loud conversations and giggles caught his ears. Aiven glanced at the entrance of the earth cabin where slivers of daylight were already passing between the flap of the canvass.
He moved towards the firecamp disregarding the angry accusations from Delica and the activities going on around their camp.
Now fully awake, he was greeted by the warm dawn. There was a wagon stationed not far where a couple of Undead were busy tinkering with it. On the other side of the camp was another pair polishing some swords and armors. Their space so far was starting to be filled with busybodies.
On the makeshift kitchen were five girls preparing food.
Mieu, Ulna and a set of blonde triplets were all earnestly and cheerfully making breakfast of porridge and grilled chicken wrapped in bacon. It looked like the young demon have slipped off the cabin while Delica was doing her hysterics. Not really surprising especially with how Delica could rant on and on and on about a particular subject she might caught herself in.
The open kitchen uses the hearthstone from their firecamp, and there were two low tables set up. One was filled with all the ingredients lined cleanly and already peeled and sliced. The other one was an array of supplies messily dumped as if in a hurry.
They looked so peaceful, it would have put any person at ease,
She even made all of them wear aprons.
Apparently when little Mieu wanted to help with the food, Delica just went ahead of herself and shoved the frilly piece of clothing to the little girl and even dragged Ulna into it.
Delica had always been the one making their rations before. After she turned, Aiven has wordlessly took up the role as cook. But this was the first time she forced anyone to wear a set of aprons. He doesn't even want to think where she has gotten her hands on them.
Somehow the image of liches, demon lords and undeads on his head was getting warped.
And when he noticed the breakfast they were preparing, his heart sunk deeper. The porridge was a bubbling dark soppy liquid, and the bacon was far from looking anything edible.
The thing was cursed! Not once, have he thought he'll find a cursed breakfast in his lifetime. At this rate, he might witness all their supplies filled with hex marks and death traps.
"Oi, Aiven! You should take Master's education more seriously!" Delica said when she already caught up with him.
With the supplies on mind, Aiven told her that they'll talk about Mieu's training later with his hand signals.
"No, Master always comes first!"
Aiven grunted and pointed at the food that could only be used as poison if they don't do anything about it. "Fine...but food first."
"Oh! I'll hold your word for it. So, what do you meant about the food?" she asked innocently, with a mischievious glint on her eyes.
Aiven sighed, not knowing if her being a Lich somehow affected her common sense regarding their vital necessities as mortals.
"I don't see anything wrong with your breakfast, Lesser Master." Aiven heard Ulna. She could still project an overbearing and cold posture even with the flowery apron. "hmpf, you should be thankful you are to dine with a banquet personally prepared by High Mistress!"
For Ulna, defending the results of her High Mistress and Her Highness' cullinary skills was enough cause to cut in their conversation.
"Thank you Ulna, but I did have a great assistant," Delica said and Mieu suddenly reddened in embarrassment. Delica quickly looked back at Aiven, "you really have to taste Master's specialty first before critisizing, you know?"
"I-it's not much as a specialty, uh, I mean, I just followed your instructions." Mieu countered, her cheeks still warm and not able to raise her gaze. Then realizing that she was fidgetting, Mieu straightened her shoulders and brashly added, "Knowing the roles and tasks of her subjects was one of the duties of a great ruler. This much is expected."
What is she coming at?
It was at that moment that Ulna passed the ladle to Mieu. The little girl dished a small portion and blew it over before pressing it to her lips. Her breathe instantly cleared the black liquid and it turned into a creamy substance.
"Hmm, maybe a few more salt?" and she started stirring. Suddenly it was covered with light, stripping the curse wisping from the cauldron. The aroma was starting to fill the camp.
He just stared at them. It was well known that anything created by the Undead would place a hex on the crafted. That is, if they had enough intelligence to use their hands in anything other than killing and infecting mana sources to feed on their miasma.
But with Mieu and her holy properties, the side effects would be extinguished just with her touch.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
"So~ what did you think of my training method?" Delica added, as she smiled at Aiven who was still brooding over finally having a solution at using the Undead for their daily chores and having Mieu as curse-deterrant.
Signing, he ignored the triumphant look on Delica's face and simply took a seat on one of the empty tables. The ones in the kitchen ignored him. It was filled with baskets of bread, potatoes, carrots and some onions. There was a neglected chopping board infront of him and he started clearing the skins and peelings left from their cooking.
"Capitate! It's the Lesser Master! We should all bow in greeting!" one of those triplets said, her grey eyes widening as she finally noticed Aiven, and when she saw the basket of trash on his hands, she quickly paced towards him and snatched the basket.
On her words, the other two surrounded him and also made the same dramatic concerns, picking on the small sacks of meat and potatoes strewn on top of the table, "Oh dear, Lunate, this is bad. We should clean up before the Lesser Master."
"Indeed indeed, Hamate, how unsightly to Her Highness!"
He was still overwhelmed by their onslaught of words and hands as they continued cleaning the table. He would like to reply but before he could make sense of their sentence, they were already on their next set of conversation. Delica however, after nodding to them with a smile, was already at Mieu's side.
The lively chatter continued from the group of girls, and he could also hear the eager voice of the young demon lord.
“Uwaaahh! I wanna see the floating continent! Are there really unicorns there?”
“Yes, of course Your Highness. You could even find all kinds of dragons and flying beasts in the floating islands of Nirvaim. It's beyond the waters of Bermuda so it could be difficult for us. Can you pass over the potatoes, Lunate?” Ulna asked to one of the triplets.
Another of the triplets perked up, and briskly made the errand with the potatoes already on hand.
"Difficult...not impossible." Mieu beamed, still stirring and not even commenting on the sudden transformation of their menu. "Nothing is impossible for the Demon Lord. Not only the Surface of Frear, but even the Floating Continent of Nirvaim would be under my rule! Then we could ride the unicorns all we want."
"As your will, Your Highness," the group of Undead chorused in high spirits.
The triplets continued on their own merry side of comments, "Do might I suggest the Hippocampus, Lunate? More claws less teeth. And the white gleams of unicorns would be inconspicoous during night aerial raids."
"Ahh Capitate, but what they lack on teeth, they make up with fangs."
"Exactly Hamate, aren't they adoringly perfect?
The identical little girls overlapped with each other that the moment you blinked, you would get lost of who said which even if they never failed to address each other especially now that their weapons were all stashed on their [Soul Gems].
"Oh, pray tell, Capitate. Which raids should we launch with our fictitious herds of disproportioned uglies of manabeasts?"
"Uglies? You dare, Lunate! The fishscales of those sealined horses far outshone any Siren!"
"Don't be daft, Capitate. Scales against the mighty horns that could pierce the night's veil? Rubbish and bullery. A unicorn could very well piss a pool for your seahorses to swim."
"Now now, Lunate, Capitate. I would suggest our very own Sleipnirs, since I have no neighing mane-bearing beast to contend with. Can't you see how fitting Her Higness Mieu would looked with the Godblood Hellhorses?"
"Sleipnirs are overrated, Hamate, and High Mistress already command a number of them. If I should say so myself, Hippocampus are beasts of earth, land and sea, clearly the perfect bearer for the conquerer of all living and the dead!"
"Huh, but Capitate, I have to give it to Hamate. Sleipnirs do have six legs more than your Hippocampus."
"My sister gone traitorous! How can you equate the number of limbs to a horse' value? Mind you, even your precious flashing horseflesh fall short on the hooves department."
"My my, what better show of power than to submit an vile detestable creature as unicorns?"
The three looked physically ill all of the sudden, even the one vying for unicorns was having the same expression.
"Hmmm, on that I could agree Lunate. Unicorns really are the worst. They're so bright and pristinely beautiful my eyes hurt."
"Seconded, their vain holiness grates my insides, I could puke."
They seem to have lost interest on their discussion as quickly as they put up their argument. Do they have a dark traumatic history with unicorns? Or is it a shared knowledge among the Undeads?
Aiven was still processing the flow of their mutterings--argh, just listening to them already made another wave of migraine, when suddenly Ulna voiced out, "that's the spirit, now why don't you three duel to know which saddle would better fit our Queen?" She said it in an offhanded tone as if shooing some children off to play tag,
At the word of duel, and its outcome regarding the young demon lord, the three looked at each other for a brief second and with a flurry of command spells their [Corpse Armory] activated and their weapons were suddenly out in the open.
"Hoh ho, a grand suggestion, don't you think, Capitate?" Lunate said gripping a huge black metal warhammer with its head already resting on the ground. Her bobcut blonde hair shifted silkily against the partial helm lightly covering the left side of her face. The rest of her armor, fitted her perfectly in designs of black and grey exoskeleton.
"Indeed. Shall we Hamate?" Capitate asked, the weight of her dark-forged axe that rival's the warhammer's height, shifted effortlessly on her shoulder. She also has the same armor pattern, but the headgear was in mirror-image of her sister.
Without any warning, Hamate smashed her knuckles against each other creating a resounding clang, the same effect as a starting bell, or a firing pistol. Drowning the word of warning from Ulna about seeking approval first for the duel.
"On three then, Lunate?" Hamate asked, already positioning herself between her sisters. Two metal-linked and fortified gauntlets were equipped on both her petite hands. The gauntlets was designed larger than her head, and extends disproportionately down to her knees and covered up to her elbows in jagged cross of dark metals.
Aiven was on the act of putting a stop to all this when Delica put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She was smiling while shaking her head for him to leave them alone and watch for awhile.
Before the fist strike could fall, Delica shoved Mieu in front, with an encouraging push, her smile only widened in confidence.
The little girl staggered while making a yelp of surprise and made a stop at the very center of the battle. She was holding both her arms outstretched. At first she was panicking but when she saw the situation, she glanced at where Aiven and Delica was standing. Delica only made gesture as if saying, [i]I believe in you, Master![i]
Mieu gradually calmed down, drawn a deep breathe and took her stance.
"Lunate, Hamate, Capitate!" Mieu shouted with all her might and a burst of holy mana enveloping the girls. Instantly, disintegrating part of their armory and chipping some layers of their flesh.
At hearing their names, the three girls froze and visibly deflated. All their weapons hidden in a heartbeat. "We deeply apologize!"
She harrumphed looking down at the girls, the royal attitude on point, "And may I ask why are you apologizing?"
"Eh, ah, Lunate? Is it because we broke the rule not to fight before breakfast?"
"Neh, Hamate, you think it was because we didn't took a witness before the duel?"
"But Capitate, we couldn't possibly remember everything Suzerain Simos briefed to us about the honor of dueling! And we did tried the pretense of debate before trying to kill each other?"
The three continued murmuring with each other while kneeling infront of Mieu in a neat row. Then Mieu pouted, she's still clutching the hem of her apron in a tight grip and with a swoop of her hand, the three became silent again.
"I am your Lord." Mieu tried to say as regally as possible even with how high pitched her voice was, "and you blatantly disregard to ask for my approval for the duel, or any of my minions.\," she held her chin up and nodded towards Delica and Aiven, acknowledging their position. "I am unsure if you are worthy to be part of my army."
The subsequent scene was followed by begging and remonstrication of their fealty to Mieu and the Demon Lord's Army. It has all the proceeding of a court in trial, but only staged in the middle of nowhere with the camp no more than dirt and woods.
"She's wonderful, isn't she?" Delica swooned, her eyes brimming with pride.
Aiven was simply watching like a good audience when Simos appeared behind him. "What did I missed?
"Playing royal court," Aiven said, pointing at the spectacle that they were watching.
Simos relaxed and chuckled, "I say, does this courtly life has food in it? I'm starved."
"About that..." he let his voice trailed as they both turned towards where the kitchen is. "Delica has been cooking."
"She what?" Simos asked beside him.
“She has Maou, she'll purify it afterwards."
"I don't think that's the problem here." he replied weakly, scratching his heead, "but...hmmm, that's another curious situation. Hey, you think if we eat purified holy porridge, would we get additional holy attributes?”
Aiven shrugged his shoulders, having no idea what would happen if they did in fact eat something that has been circling from being cursed and purified as the ingredients get handled back and forth by a
But if they do get additional holy affinity, then the better. It'll definitely help him deal with these stupid Undeads.
A grumbling noise came from Simos and he reddened, "Can't they wrap it up faster? I'm hungry I could eat a horse!"
Aiven rolled his eyes, not wanting to comment. Simos went closer to the kitchen and greeted Ulna an amiable 'good morning' which she answered just as politely. He was smelling a scoop of the cursed thing while talking with Ulna about his run for this morning. Possibly about the state of the Familiars and his training.
Aside from breakfast and the mock trial, their morning was not as eventful as before. Mieu, out of her benevolence, had forgiven the three and they were only subjected to a beheading. An excellent verdict that was nodded and approved upon by the majority of the Familiars who have already gathered watching as the three made their plea.
Their sentence was made right there and then, and was delivered by Ulna herself. It was not the beheading that the three was mourning about, it was the three months non-summoning punishment to them. They call it a sentence, but it was more like dispelling their summoning by having their life span reverted to zero. Hardly harsh really and as Delica pointed out, a healthy practice of the Demon Lord's power and authority over her subjects.
For Aiven, the less he have to handle her familiars the better, specially the noisy ones.
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Note:
UNDEAD CONSTITUTION
YELLOW BILE
summer - Blaze Equinox
liver
kholé
ambitious, leader-like, restless, easily angered
more yellow bile like lung - AGI
BLOOD
spring - Leaf Solstice
heart
sanguis
courageous, hopeful, playful, carefree
more blood like muscle - STR
BLACK BILE
autumn - Stone Solstice
spleen
melas kholé (?)
despondent, quiet, analytical, serious
more black bile like bone - WIS
PLEGM
winter - Frost Equinox
brain
phlégma
calm, thoughtful, patient, peaceful
more phlegm like brain - END
In general, there are four types of proper spirit: One is brutal spirit residing in the heart and it is the origin of all spirits. Another – as physicians refer to it – is sensual spirit residing in the brain. The third – as physicians refer to it – is natural spirit residing in the liver. The fourth is generative – i.e. procreative – spirits residing in the gonads. These four spirits go-between the soul of absolute purity and the body of absolute impurity.