Prepared and determined, the reptile approached the clinic with his tail wrapped around his right leg with his hands raised in the air. He wanted to show the demons inside the clinic that he was no danger to them, or at least Vashian would understand he was unarmed. The demon wanted to talk, and the reptile would allow him to speak.
‘Let him in.’ One of the demon’s ordered from the second floor. As Jackson entered the building, he was welcomed by two towering figures wearing iron plated armour painted black with leather pockets stapled onto the chestplate. It was a cheap imitation of modern combat vests, but Jackson could understand why they would make armour and equipment to replicate Heaven and Earth's modern capabilities. They wanted to garner respect, even when they lacked the resources, production, and knowledge to make it possible. But they weren’t without innovation, their crossbow was a self-reloading semi-automatic weapon capable of firing 30 bolts a minute. Another benefit of their signature weapon was also its different types of ammo to take on a variety of threats.
Lucarian Knights came from the elite armies of every Kingdom of Hell, a joint unit that could have warring and opposing kingdoms like the Succulabra and the Metallurgy working together. Like the Order, the Lucarian Knights were united to defend Hell from every threat, domestic and foreign. Everyone would doubt the technological capabilities of the Knights, but no one would ever question their skills. It was believed that those who fought with little often made the finest warriors.
The dark green demon with shaven horns scanned the reptile. ‘Keep your hands up!’ The demon demanded and Jackson kindly abided. However, after patting the reptile down, the demon found the bug. Jackson emotionlessly looked at the demon without dropping their arms. ‘That’s a strange clip.’ The demon said before the demon asked in sign if it was indeed a bug.
Jackson gave the demon a nod of confirmation. ‘Want to try a new style.’ The reptile lied, one that was so bad even the demon couldn’t help but pull a face of disbelief. If Jackson didn’t nod to the fact that it was a bug, the demon would find it idiotic as to why Vashian wanted to speak with Jackson specifically.
After the second demon left the room, they came back to signal Jackson to follow them to where Vashian sat. A demon of white skin, his horns long and curved like a goat. His red eyes shone the moment the reptile set foot in the room with his yellow pointy teeth radiated with joy. He jumped from his seat and ran to hug Jackson, who didn’t reciprocate his welcome.
‘My green friend! It is good to see you again.’ Vashian spoke with a raspy voice, but his excitement made him sound young.
Vashian was joyed as he noticed Jackson seemed well. How the reptilian’s green scales were badly scarred from conflict, some Vashian knew well, others he could tell were fresh. Despite Jackson’s short, round, and jagged looking snout, or him having three toes on each foot that could act as a hook. All of those features would subtly change over time or look deformed from combat or being exposed to raw magical energies. What never changed about his short friend was his blue eyes.
‘Same here.’ Jackson blankly responded, his tone void of expression or care which made Vashian take a worried step back.
But he couldn’t let his doubts take him, he knew his friend was alive and well. ‘Please, take a seat.’ Vashian gestured to a chair near a table with a bottle of Hanik and two glasses at the side. As soon as Jackson took a seat, Vashian sat across from him and poured him a glass of Hanik. ‘I never thought the rumours were true, to hear that the great Abernu was alive.’
They both raised their glasses to each other before drinking the black viscous. The alcoholic beverage was made with the blood of a Geryon. An overly bitter and foul drink that even made Jackson scrounged his face from disgust. ‘That never changed.’ Jackson commented.
‘No, and that is the best part about this piece of shit of a drink.’ Vashian chuckled before he poured another glass for both of them. ‘But you, my reptilian friend, you…’ Vashian paused for a moment like he wanted to go back to that thought at a different time. But it was clear to Jackson that his tone became sour. ‘It’s been a while since we sat together, just chatting about our lives and what is going on. Do you miss that as well?’
‘A bit,’ the reptile coldly replied.
‘Oh,’ he sighed, hurt by Jackson’s short and almost detached remark. ‘Well, I missed them. I really did. Ever since…’ Vashian stopped himself before he continued to look at Jackson’s reaction. But all he saw was how empty the reptile’s expression was, how cold and unmoving to what he would talk about. He wanted to end the topic, but he knew he needed to bring it up. ‘Ever since Appleseed, I searched for you. I went far and wide trying to find you and what they might’ve done to you. But… well… I couldn’t find you. I’m sorry I couldn’t find you after all of those years.’
‘Don’t be,’ Jackson replied with his usual monotone voice, though deep down he regretted being unable to express any further.
‘Well, I did my best.’ Vashian took a drink from his glass and burped. ‘If it made you feel better, I wasn’t the only one trying to search for you. I worked alongside the House of Gabrial and members of the Order Diplomatics trying to find you, we searched every inch of land, looked through every MODOC file. Yet we found nothing. You were, to us at least, well and truly dead.’
‘I have my way.’
Vashian concernedly looked at Jackson. ‘Maybe you did, but I struggled with how you survived.’ Vashian examined the reptile one last time before he shook his head. ‘Since we heard that you were alive, we found your cell, the underground bunker. 75 years… 75 years underground with no food, water, and not even air for some time after the ventilation systems broke down. You should’ve died, Jack. I saw the marks on the wall of your cell, the list of names involved in what happened. But there was no way you could’ve been alive. So, I wanted… needed to know. How did you survive?’
Jackson kept his silence, for a moment, he wondered if he could tell the truth. ‘There is a risk to knowledge.’ He softly said to Vashian.
With those words, those soft-spoken words. Vashian’s demonic heart sank to the bottom of his multiple souls. He knew he couldn’t pry any further, there was no point. The knowledge of Jackson’s survival was best left buried and forgotten even if it would forever eat away at him. ‘Well, in that case, we might as well talk about something else. I am suffering from rampancy.’
The news to Jackson made his ice-cold demeanour break apart in an instant. ‘You’re too young.’
Vashian chuckled, ‘only 617 years old. I am at the minimum age where I will have my multiple soul's memories overlay my own.’
‘How bad is it?’ Jackson asked.
Vashian jokingly waved his hand as to wave away Jackson’s concern. ‘Manageable, the apothecaries said I have about a few years before it gets worse. Let’s just say, it isn’t ideal.’
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‘I’m sorry,’ Jackson said. ‘I wish I could help you.’
‘We both know what my thoughts on immortality are, and besides I lived a good life. I want to let you know because I need a friend to talk to once my time is up. I expect to share drinks with you before my Death Day could happen.’ Vashian stood up and walked over to the other room. Soon, he dragged the demon boy and threw him next to Jackson with the Koncradam tied to his chest. Daylan squirmed and tried to break from his binds, he tried to scream but the magic seal around his neck made it impossible for him to make a sound. ‘But I think we should move on about our personal lives and talk about the real issue at hand.’ Vashian kicked Daylan’s stomach, causing him to cough out blood and gasp for air. ‘I think you are aware of who he is and what he stole?’
Jackson gave Vashian a confident nod. ‘I am aware he stole the Koncradam. I heard of the second, but not what it is.’
With a smile, Vashian poured himself another glass of Hanik. ‘You know the story; a young boy broke into the fortress-monastery and stole two artefacts.’ Vashian tapped the book on Daylan’s chest. ‘You know about the book,’ then Vashian tapped the boy’s head. ‘But not many people know that the second artefact stolen was the Rudian Tablet. I don’t think you need any introduction about what the artefact is and what it does, or that the kid here absorbed the tablet.’
The reptile looked down at the terrified young boy; he wanted to help him, but after being told about the exact artefact stolen, it became clear that it was impossible to save him. ‘I am under orders that the artefacts must return to the Order.’
Vashian gave Jackson a confident smile, knowing well that the reptile was only saying it to appear that he followed orders given to him. ‘We can’t let that happen, Jack. I am not sure what the current reports say in the Order, but Hell is gearing up for war. The Metallurgy and Succulabra are gathering allies for what could be a Third Great Hellian War. Every demon will be involved and called to honour their kingdoms and houses when the horns of war are blown.’
‘How does this concern humanity and the Order?’ Jackson bluntly asked.
‘The Cascade,’ Vashian drank from his glass. ‘Ever since that disaster, we have had demons escaping Hell to freely roam Earth pretending to be human. Some, however, have made their way to become members of the DOE. I am not too familiar with them, but an army of superpowered humans, some of which can fly and destroy entire armies would make for a bad shit show if they figured out Heaven and Hell existed when the demons living amongst them start returning home in droves. It needs to be avoided at all costs, for the sakes of my realm and the safety of humanity.’
Jackson paused for a moment, he wanted the information to sink into anyone who was listening in. ‘How can I guarantee what you are saying is true?’
‘We didn’t bring any of our members who are a Metallurgy or a Succulabra. If we did, there would already be a line of dead at the entrance of Olympus to this clinic. Don’t take this as a declaration of war, we already asked for the artefacts to be returned. It just so happened that our demands were ignored.’ Vashian reached for the bottle of Hanik but sighed in disappointment when he realised it was empty. ‘The two kingdoms are going aggro and are refusing every diplomatic approach, the only option to prevent an all-out war is to deliver the artefacts to their rightful owners.’
Jackson looked down at the young Daylan, he could tell the boy was trying to plead for his life as he begged to never be returned to a place that only brought him suffering. ‘The boy?’ Jackson asked.
Vashian’s face crumbled in disgust as he had to retell what fate the Succulabra had for him. ‘They will reforge the tablet, they will remould his flesh and turn his bones into the very wood that the language of the old world was etched onto. To put it kindly, it won’t be pretty. He will live, but that is the worst thing about it.’
The reptile stared at the boy, he knew the horrific fate awaiting him, how the masters of bio-manipulation would keep the boy alive virtually forever as one of their sick designs. In that case, it would be their holy tablet that once served as a teleportation device. ‘Take him,’ Jackson heartlessly said. ‘I will notify the Order that the Lucarian Knights will return the artefacts and they came here with good intentions when negotiations had failed.’
Before Jackson could leave the room, Vashian called for the reptile. ‘I want to say something, before you leave.’ Jackson turned around; his stone-cold face met Vashian’s upset eyes. ‘Thank you for understanding, it means a lot. But I need to tell you this because I know what you are doing.’
‘Speak,’ Jackson sharply said.
‘You’ve changed, Jack.’ Vashian took a breath before he could continue. ‘Throughout my 500 years of knowing you, you retired three times. Only leaving retirement once someone you cared for passed away.’
Jackson frowned, seeing where it would go. ‘Don’t continue this.’
‘No! You will listen to me, at least from a friend.’ Vashian pleaded, his voice trembling with worry. ‘Hannah’s murder was brutal, and you did the right thing by getting your revenge. But that doesn’t mean you have to fight for the Order again, to keep killing like nothing happened. You are too old, you are not as fast, not as strong, and I can tell that you are not healing as well as you are used to. There will be a time when you will pick up that cursed sword, not if, when. And when you do you will show the world the ugly side of who you are. Please, I am begging you, retire when you can. You owed the world nothing.’
The reptile paused for a moment, considering the words of his old friend. ‘Someone has to fight.’
Vashian looked at Jackson with sorrow, his words striking his heart a second time. But he knew better than to argue against the reptile, there was nothing he could do to reach out to his old friend.
As Jackson walked out of the clinic to give a debrief of the negotiations, Vashian stood in silence as he recalled his times with the reptile when he went by different names. Then, it struck him. The history of blood, the endless conflict against horrors, the periods of breaks. He never imagined the reptile would ever give up a life where he didn’t hunt down horrificas. But what terrified Vashian the most was when he never remembered Jackson being young, nor did he recall a time when anyone who met or knew Jackson when he was a child. He wished he would have known sooner, but he had to come to the realisation that the man he fought alongside and considered a friend could have a history that was far darker than he could ever imagine and that his survival was an act of a greater evil or some sort of cosmic deal not even I could know.