CAIN. THE EXECUTIONER
Pain entered the Chamber, and his arrival grabbed everyone's attention. He strolled nonchalantly into a seat next to Abi.
PAIN
We will need to talk about Limbo later.
He telepathically informed him.
LORENZO
Are you alright?
Lorenzo asked, but Pain simply faced him with a somber expression.
LORENZO
Sorry, that was a ridiculous question.
PAIN
Why go back to the states?
He quizzed Lorenzo, resuming the discussion as if nothing had happened.
PAIN
What is there for you all? It is just as Abi said, even if you win this war and return, the other states will keep their eyes on you.
ABIMELECH
Incredibly so,
He eagerly joined in.
ABIMELECH
They will be reasonably wary of your strength.
LORENZO
I'm well aware.
He agreed, distracted by the broodmother's alluring gaze.
BEKA
I am still hungry!
Pain glared at him, mentally ordering an eloko to pounce on him. The eloko stabbed its footlong spiked bone protruding from its back wrist into Beka's thigh.
PAIN
Why is he still alive?
He demanded an answer from Lorenzo over Beka's echoing wail of pain.
LORENZO
Because I've decided.
He stated, with his focus still on the broodmother, who suddenly smiled at him.
PAIN
What is it?
He prodded.
LORENZO
I didn't want to demand their fealty, but it seems I have no choice.
He continued, ignoring the charming broodmother.
LORENZO
I am sure they are expecting it. So I've figured out a plan to deal with the city-states, and I've decided to spare the citizens of Dagon City—they'll be useful alive. However, one problem might arise from asking the other leaders for their fealty.
PAIN
We are listening. What is it?
Lorenzo clenched his jaws,
LORENZO
My apologies, but I can't seem to focus.
He admitted as his eyes fell back on the broodmother.
CLIFFORD
You're not the only one.
He mumbled as he studied the broodmother. A soft silence emerged as each of the gents eyed the broodmother for a moment. Mac ended the silence by laughing like an eloko.
PAIN
I could give her some clothes. But later...
LORENZO
Yes, she is a bit...
He glanced at her bosoms, and she wiggled them at him with a smile before he looked away.
LORENZO
Something.
Mac's crackling laughter intensified.
LORENZO
Would you be quiet!
He bellowed, bringing Mac's laughter to a feeble snicker.
Pain noticed Abi's gloomy demeanor,
PAIN
You seem bothered, Abi. Is everything fine?
Abi took a long blink and responded,
ABIMELECH
Oh yes, everything is perfect.
PAIN
Are you... jealous?
Abi scoffed and looked away,
ABIMELECH
Preposterous! Of course not. Why would I be jealous of such a thing? Ridiculous to even consider.
Pain held his gaze, but Abi ignored him and eyed the broodmother.
ABIMELECH
You must have a name.
He spat, and everyone ogled the broodmother in expectation.
JOANNE
Joanne Kathqueen,
She vibrated.
JOANNE
The name resonates deeply with me.
PAIN
I was shocked that you could speak. But then again...
Pain directed to Abi,
PAIN
I remember being attacked by griffins once, and they spoke.
CLIFFORD
You were attacked by griffins?
He sputtered.
ABIMELECH
Griffins are also intelligent by nature. They are among the few intelligent hivolves. As you and I noticed, your fiends and animals are quite intelligent. With the emergence of this hivolve, before your conscious waned, your Scan spotted a passive, Petty Focus.
And so Pain searched his memories—
PAIN
Yes, she does have Petty Focus.
MAC
Same here.
CLIFFORD
And so do I. What does it do?
He asked Abi. Abi glanced around, noticing everyone, including the unhappy Beka, was keenly staring at him.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
ABIMELECH
We are getting off-topic,
He sighed.
ABIMELECH
But if you insist. We are all hivolves—kinans, bains, ylguens, and many more. But unlike many more, we are born with innate Intelligence, considered a passive among fiends like the rocagle. For instance, a rocagle will not learn Hawk Eye, nor would fiends evolved from an eagle learn Eagle Eye—those abilities are innate to them. Due to our innate intelligence, the advanced passive Focus lingers above us. It is beyond me why she has such a rare passive. It has to do with your Recall Memory and Immortality.
Abi mentally noted this to Pain, who lowered his head in understanding.
ABIMELECH
But what it does is it gifts the user the ability to excel on specific topics.
LORENZO
So, to focus on a specific knowledge.
Abi nodded but then shook his head.
ABIMELECH
Sort of.
JOANNE
If I seek to become a Warrior, I will obtain the class at a quicker rate.
She quickly spouted off before catching herself.
ABIMELECH
Your memories? Where does it come from?
He questioned, and she shrugged innocently.
JOANNE
I just have them. I do remember my past life vaguely. The moment after my past life, I can not forget.
They waited for her to continue, and she shook her head and closed her eyes.
JOANNE
A sea of black flames—
Pain exchanged glances with Clifford and Mac, who understood.
JOANNE
—and nothing but tormenting pain.
PAIN & ABIMELECH
Limbo. | Limbo.
Joanne shrugged again, and a brief silence followed afterward.
LORENZO
As for my problem at hand,
Lorenzo steered the conversation.
LORENZO
I have to save as many as I can from the Neorine. If my actions turn the other two leaders against us? Will you and your familiars be at our side—
PAIN
Of course.
Pain answered quickly.
PAIN
I have no explanation for it, but I can not deal with the death of those I am fond of. As far as I know, you and your vampires are already part of Dagon City, and I see you all as my allies. I will do my darndest to protect my allies.
SAKURA
Thank you!
Sakura blurted. Pain smiled broadly in response.
LORENZO
I will be sure to pay my debts when the time comes.
He eyed Sakura,
LORENZO
You and your fellow refugees will be staying here—
SAKURA
But—
LORENZO
You're not ready yet. Pain, I will be staging a platoon of forty within the city. They will be tasked with helping rebuild and coercing the Kinans.
PAIN
Feel free.
LORENZO
We are certainly in your debt. Is there anything else we need to discuss?
He asked the group, and silence followed.
ABIMELECH
There is one more thing,
He broke the silence as he eyed Pain.
ABIMELECH
Cain and Dean.
Pain rolled his eyes in annoyance.
PAIN
I am not bringing them back to life.
LORENZO
Cain?
He repeated, but Abi and Pain continued to bicker.
ABIMELECH
You do not have to keep them alive.
PAIN
So, bring them back to life, siphon their memory, and then what?
ABIMELECH
They will be valuable assets—
PAIN
Never!
Pain bellowed as he despised the idea of cuddling up to the two that made his life painful.
LORENZO
Cain... that sounds familiar...
He murmured to himself.
PAIN
They deserve the torment of Limbo! Every second of it!
ABIMELECH
Then send them back to Limbo when you are done.
Abi suggested, attempting to alleviate the shouting. Pain looked away in disgust. Abi studied Pain's expression before continuing.
ABIMELECH
They are brimming with knowledge of the Fire Kingdom that we all need. They know of the Kingdom's future plans and your past. Do you not wish to know where you came from? Your parents? The dealings regarding you and Locness.
Abi waited along with everyone. Their gaze locked on Pain, prickling his dome with their stares.
ABIMELECH
Young master?
PAIN
Fine!
Pain shouted as he sprung to his feet and stomped over to the ritual. Refusing to reveal his Celestial: Wukong's Black Staff, Pain clasped his hands together to form a dense ball of Earthly mana. Pain's anger seeped away as he saw how effortless it was for him to keep the red-brown sphere of mana stable. This was because of Abi's training.
As he stared at the brown and blue warping sphere of mana, Pain threw away his hate for Dean and Cain and placed his trust in Abi. Anger does not solve anything, Pain told himself. If Cain or Dean decided to test his temper, Pain would be sure to make them beg for death.
Pain drifted the Earthly energy onto the pedestal and, with his other hand, brought forth Cain's soul. Pain studied the soul's silhouette walking in place, but as he allowed it to hover on the northern pedestal, it collapsed into a bluish-white orb.
Pain prepared the pedestals with their corresponding puri elements, summoned an undead kinan as the catalyst, and positioned himself to start the ritual.
MAC
I'll stand back if I were you all.
Mac commented from behind the stone barrier.
MAC
Who knows when that black lightning will strike again?
And a few edged backward at those words, fearful of being cursed. Emily bounced around the barrier and tucked herself behind Mac with a childish grin.
The white arachnids' limbs moved in a flurry, for they were excellent at symbology and could draw any form of magic. However, symbology had its downfall and was lengthy to prepare, but these arachnids were in communion, combining their mana and mimicking each other's movements perfectly to draw Blood.
LORENZO
To think I will live to see the day white arachnids perform in communion.
He mumbled.
EMILY
Luckily for us, they're not wild fiends, or we'd be dead!
She squeaked from behind the barrier.
LORENZO
Be quiet.
He chattered as he watched the pool of Blood form into five-ringed star pentagrams that hovered over the ritual.
Pain raised his left hand to chest level. He crossed his second finger over his first and his third finger over his pinky. He then touched the tip of his pinky to his thumb. Elokos surrounding the ritual mimicked him perfectly, and Cain's distasteful image filled Pain's mind. Pain grimaced, clenching his jaws in annoyance.
Curious, Pain scanned Cain's abilities and saw that he would come back as a vampire with a few advanced abilities. Nothing Pain could handle at the moment. Pain glanced at Abi's face of surety before commencing the ritual.
Everyone flinched at the sudden wildness of the mana energies. Several of the Vampire Knights sought shelter behind the barrier while the rest watched in defiance. Sakura was slightly shielded by two bains—Kiefer and Belknap—as the elements raged among the pedestals.
Black lightning sparked at the top of the ritual several times, causing Lorenzo and the others to retreat several paces. But the lightning ceased, and a pool of mana was siphoned from Pain and his elokos.
The ritual was nearing its end, and the Chamber began to quiet down. The undead catalyst began to take shape. Its body bulged with mass and muscle. Short auburn hair sprouted from its dome. Its skin faded into a dark gray and was patterned with red triangular shapes. His eyes formed and were entirely pitch black, forcing his pupils into obscurity. Cain, the Executioner, seemingly thirty-nine years old, was revived.
He raised his head and laid his pitch-black eyes on Pain. He clenched his jaws and bared his fangs and teeth. A boiling rage erupted within him, and his mana energy clapped several times against the air around him as it released into a thick red aura around him. Pain met him halfway, releasing his own purplish energy, and the thick forces between the two collided, trembling the room with authority.
CAIN
You fucking pain in the ass.