AN: Crap, this one came out much later than it was supposed to. I meant to release it a day after my last chapter but i was concentrating on editing my chapters of the other story so i could upload them to that site i mentioned before. Took a longer time than expected. I noticed a lot of mistakes. I also added a bit, too, so that didn't help...Then I had to type this chapter out while my hand was all sore and feeling rather stiff. I wonder if a heating pad would help? It doesnt hurt too much anymore though, luckily. More of a dull ache now.
Anyway, here is the chapter.
P.S: I feel like I left you guys expecting some fight or whatever, maybe some sort of conflict. But now i feel like i'm kinda trolling you guys with what is actually happening. Somehow i feel i made plot holes here...not sure. be on the lookout for any. And if you find some point them out, please.
P.P.S: I will edit later. Also remember to rate and comment on anything you wish. The next few chapters should be getting more things done...Thoughi recently had a thought that even if i suck at pacing i can at least try making the dialogue and stuff interesting. oh, and im thinking of making the next chapter start off with Gehenna, tell what she's been up to.
Also, I ask that any new reader to please, if the make it this far, leave your thoughts about the story thus far. I know the pacing is shit, so you can bash me for that if you want.
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With Grace in tow Roland and Fenris raced towards the origin of the yell. It was barely even a few seconds before their blurred figures found themselves up the stairs, the gap between the ground floor and second floor much larger than what one would assume from outside, gazing into a wide space.
Inside, what they bore witness to was a battlefield. That's right. A true-blue battlefield.
Complete with thousands upon thousands of soldiers of every race. It was like they stepped into a seperate dimension that led to a warzone
Roland had no idea what the yell he heard could have meant but he reacted instantly. He had not known what he would find when he ran up here.
But the sight that he, Fenris and Grace found...was rather shocking.
For a moment Fenris doubted her own eyes, looking towards the man beside her for confirmation she wasn't hallucinating. She was relieved that he, too, seemed surprised.
They don't know what they had expected, but this wasn't it.
To explain further, there was ten podiums. Five at the left side of the room, another five to the right. And they almost seemed to be floating, the battlefield full of bloodthirsty men and woman and other things happening much farther below. You could see everything that was taking place. There were also "lines" that seperated the zone beneath into large box sections.
It wasn't confined to the space of a room either. The whole battle spread for miles, it seemed. There were cliffs in the distance and some areas of the fighting were partially hidden by small clouds.
"Fuck!" Mephisto cursed. " Retreat! Leave the injured, they'll only slow us down! Get your asses to B5 now! Oi, Yaz, don't stand there, send a unit to E7 and keep those bastards occupied! Dammit, when did they finish cleaning up the fourth wave? That's cheating! James, what the hell are you doing, man? Don't let those seductresses fool you, they're damn smart! Remember all that your brother sacrificed so that you can live to see another day! Look, look at him, he's already...! ...All his men...They're... dead!"
The man cursed several more times, his face showing dismay and righteous fury.
After about another minute or so there was a triumphant laugh that reverberated throughout the room. The masses below stopped as if frozen in time.
"Ha! All your leaders are dead! Our win!" A feminine voice proclaimed. A girl to the other side of Mephisto's podium. She and three other girls were grinning amongst themselves while there was much cheering from the other dozen or so women behind them.
Mephisto's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? How! Mine is still...wait...his face! It's turning blue! You...that's...poison?!" "
Roland turned his head towards the voice just as it replied. " Indeed! You're own forces might have been unbeatable due to your keen tactic and excellent decision-making skills... but the others on your team are not as sharp leaders as you! I had Lizbeth send a small force into Natalie's territory. Since she controls your team's supplies I only had to make her let down her guard and, while I diverted your attention during my last assault, have my team slip certain "quality ingredients" into the water."
"Shit. I knew I should have protected the supplies myself...But I couldn't do what without spreading my forces too thin. If only had more men...Damn Saren, he had to go and get himself butchered. Trying to act like a hero, the fool...." He shook his head, sighing.
"...I'm still here, you know..." Saren muttered to the side of the man. He was ignored.
" But going back a bit...I WIN!" She shouted, ecstatic. " You know what that means, my Lord! A deal's a deal!"
Mephisto made a pained sound. "Damn demoness, have you no conscience? This here earing was a gift from a good friend of mine who risked his life to acquire it, giving it to me the day I proposed to my wife!"
"That damn thing was mine first! That old rogue, he pick-pocketed it from me even after I helped him take down that blasted magical beast he pissed off! If not for the fact that I was tired and hungry from chasing down another evildoer the day before, it would still be with me. I tell you now, it's special to me! It was a token from my first love who's now rotting seven feet in the ground!"
A very young-looking girl in light blue pajamas, the one closest to Roland and the rest, spoke up. " Mika, you're the one who killed him. "
"I know that, Day. That scoundrel, he shouldn't have been trying to get into my mother's pants then. He's lucky the only thing I did was kill him. I kept the ring as a prize. It's mine." The other girl, Mika, said.
"But I thought you said you killed him because he was seeing another woman? No, wait, wasn't he married? I think that you were the other woman?" Another girl, a dark-haired one with pink highlights, voiced her thoughts.
Mika let out a small noise. "Huh. Is that how it went? Wow. I think I almost feel...bad...Well whatever. In any case, give it here!"
Mephisto let out a cold snort. "Fine. I never liked it anyway, the gaudy thing. How did you know I even had it...?"
"Oh, I would recognize the thing anywhere. It's special, I soaked it in my blood. We're connected~. Lets out a nice smell, no?"
"Hmm...I did always wonder why it faintly smelled like rosemary and cinnamon...So that's why. Well, here. That damn guy, giving me something he stole from another...I'll have to go pay him a visit sometime. "
Mephisto clapped his hand once and the entire battlefield, along with the podiums, disappeared instantly. In it's place was a normal-looking living room with white couches a red carpet near the center. A wide glass table holding several cups sat in the heart of the room.
Everything looked very clean, very orderly. It gave off a mature, sophisticated feel.
The man then raised a hand to the side of his head. He moved his long locks of hair to reveal right ear, upon which hung a small gold-colored earing that was thick and holding a sizeable green gemstone with a blood-red dot inside.
Taking it off, he put out his hand. A slender beauty with a long pixie cut, who exuded an energetic air, walked towards him cheerfully. Her smile was wide and full of smugness as she recieved it.
" Thanks mate." She batted her eyes at him as she accepted it. "You know...It's said that the victor can decide the fate of the loser. I think i'll be taking a bite out of you, you know, since I won. In fact, I might just keep you around for a while. It isn't every day I get to enjoy the taste of someone as strong as you, my Lord Mephisto...."
"No thanks. I have a wife, you know. Although perhaps in my younger and more wild years I would have allowed myself to give into the temptation...I refuse to betray the trust my dearest has placed on me. Sorry, my annoying and seductive little friend, but I'm going to have to disappoint you."
"...Che!" She clicked her tongue. " Fine, fine. I didn't think you would let it happen anyway. Too bad, I could have really gotten a good deal of power from even a single night with you. Truly a pity."
"Well now that we got that out of the way...why don't we go and get some grub? I'm starving. Ah...Saren, James, do you know how long have we even been here? Feel's like ages. That guy will probably be wondering where you-- Ah!" Out of the corner of his eye he caught three figures by the entrace to the room and made a surprised look.
"...What the hell is going on here?" Fenris and Roland asked in sync.
Grace meanwhile eyed the women with a wary, suspicious look
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"...So Natalie and Yazmin" He motioned to the blonde and brunette women who sat next to James and Saren respectively. "Came back while the three of us, the boys and I, were chattin. Then they invited us to their place. Why? Cuz Mika here caught a faint whiff of that ring on the girls. Weird, since I barely was withing an arm's distance of either of them...but anyway, stuff happened. The girls were sent back for me specifically but chose to bring the boys too since they took a liking to them."
"And then?" Roland prompted.
"Eh...It was alright at first. Some pleasantries. Some light conversation. A good few beautiful women. Some snacks were also involved. You know how it is. These guys are alright. Most of their race are kind of scheming or hard to get along with other than in the bed. But these ones? Nice enough... for succubi." This last part earned him a cold glare from Mika, who sat on one of the couches with a mug of coffee in hand.
" After that was done Mika brought up the real topic she wanted to talk about. She was being a bit bitchy, to be honest. Ranting about an earing. Once I understood a little more, she demanded I hand it over. I got a bit miffed and refused. Then she issued a proclamation of war. We made a wager. Board games, card games, video games, rock-paper-scissors...amazingly it all ended up in ties. It was really odd..." He trailed off. "...Ah, so, by that time we were both pretty annoyed. So I just thought, "Hey, why not just solve this on the battlefireld?"
I therefore set up a game I and Sol used to play a long time ago. Like a game of chess, I guess? A sort of virtual war? Hard to explain. But you probably saw, right? At least the last part."
"...Yeah, we do. You know, that game actually seemed fun. Even I wanna play." Fenris remembered the realistic-looking battle. It was all an illusion, of course, but it was damn cool. She played chess before, didn't like it. If it was this type of thing thought she would probably enjoy it.
"I see. I get it now. So that's what happened, huh..." Roland spoke his thoughts aloud. "Must have taken a while, it's already morning."
"Yeah, we lost track of time. The games went on for a while...but that last one started... When was it. Oh. Hm, at least several hours ago. Damn. Really, where did the time go?" Mephisto sighed.
"...I thought It would never end." James muttered.
"Right? Watching them go at it was mind-numbing. And that battle...So much blood, severed limbs everywhere..." Saren shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind of something he wished to forget.
"I know. That game was way too realistic...What was with those things they said before they died? It was creepy."
"It was, really creepy. That one lieutenant...He said something about his neighbor's wife right as the light left his eyes. Was it really an illusion...?" He spoke his doubts.
Mephisto laughed. "Sorry, that was my fault. It was a pre-set type of illusion spell that Sol taught me. Really intricate stuff. It seemed to give all the characters backstories...Like, literally all of them. That guy, he really has too much time on his hands, making things like that. Those people don't have any consciousness but to have made such details...he really has a few screws loose, that man. It was pretty interesting though. I even saw on of the foot soldiers wet themselves! Go on, just try and tell me that isn't quality work right there."
The boy's looked at him with guarded expressions. They really disagreed. To them such great detail just made them feel bad. It was a game but it made them feel awfull each time they sent their soldiers to die. Saren, that time, didn;t save his brother's forces to be a hero. Rather, he wanted out of that infernal battlefield. James envied him for that, really. He felt that he should have thought to do that first.
"All that aside though, you tracked us down using Fenris, huh?" Mephisto looked at the girl in question.
"Yeah. Well, no. We were going to look for Loki first. I just checked the boys' rooms before we left and didn't find them so I decided to do that first. Make sure everything was fine."
Roland looked at the boys. Everything really did seem okay...but he was concerned. He didn't know how long until their curses might activate. For now it showed no signs of it but he couldn't be sure if there was something that he couldn't see through in regards to them. These curses were not simple, he knew.
Saren raised a question. "Who's Fenris?"
He sort of already guessed who and what the person was, but he wanted it confirmed.
" That would be me." Saren saw the girl who arrived with Roland, a stunning dark-haired beauty with an almost wild aura about her, raise a hand. Saren and James had been captivated by her the instant Roland and her had made their presence known.
She was truly one of the most breathtaking women they had ever seen. She definitely stood out even amongst the various beauties that this place was home to. If they had to say, she was at the level of Lady Morrigan whom they had briefly met a few times previous to this.
Lady Morrigan's looks were like a masterly done sculpture of ice. They also reminded one of a crescent moon, captivating but anattainable.
While this girl before them gave a similar impression her's was a little different. Instead of moon, this Fenris was more of the night sky itself. Deeply magnetic, making a person want to stare even more as time went on to discover what secrets ahe may hide.
But that was only when her looks were uninfluence by her overall manner. With it, the girl seemed...very animal-like. Untamed, energetic, maybe even teasing.
"Yeah, that's her. As she said. Boys, met Fenris. Daughter of Loki." Roland made a short introduction.
The mouths of the two boys nearly fell open. Along with the succubi in the room, who had felt the woman's face looked strangely familiar.
"Yo." Fenris put up two finger to make a peace sign at the boys, something that Roland felt was very like her. "Nice to meetcha. Indeed, it is I, Fenris. Daughter of Loki Jotunheim. Feel free to bow down and offer your undying loyalty. Or don't I don't care." She shrugged.
"Pay her no mind. She's not exactly playing with a full deck."
"Hey!" Fenris sent a mean look towards Roland, the perpatrator of the small insult. " That just earned you a two point deduction, mister!"
" Oh no, please, anything but that." He monotoned.
Fenris stared at him for a few seconds. "...Fine. As long as you understood what you did wrong. I will let this slide since it's your first offense but don't think I'll be so merciful next time!"
"Yes, yes, thank you for your kindness O Great One."
Mephisto was looking at them with a peculiar expression. "...Huh. They've got a pretty good rapport going on don't they?"
Maybe they were just a naturally good fit. Loki would probably lose his shit if he saw how well they got along. That guy was truly too protective of the girl.
But really, these two were like ketchup and fries. Good on their own but damn tasty when put together. Or in this case, amusing.
...Great. Now he even more hungry.
Mephisto sighed.
"...Oi. You two done? Good. Now that we've gotten past all that can anyone tell me why this delectable-looking little munchkin keeps staring at us like we're mortal enemies from our previous lives? " Mika cut a glance towards Grace, who was eyeing the women ever since she met them. The young girl's gaze was really full of mistrust and slight hostility.
"Don't mind her, she's a bit wary of people she doesn't know." Roland didn't know if that was true but he had to make an excuse for her.
"Daddy...be careful. These women are bad people." Grace whispered to him. It was low but many of the others caught the words as well.
Fenris knew the dozen or so women took no offense.
On the contrary they seemed to fawn over her. Once Grace had made her presence known there were several girls who went up to her while smiling and trying to talk to her, some even patting her head or lighly pinching her cheeks.
Grace's current words had no affect on them. They appeared to like her even more since they finally got to hear her voice, going, "She spoke~! How cute~! Ah, what a lovely sound~! I just want to eat her up~!" Among other things.
Fenris dubbed this...The Grace Effect!
Some children were simply so adorable that it was very hard to not gush over their every action. And Grace certainly qualified. Her doll-like face and slim frame coupled with her long, snow-white hair and azure blue eyes had quite an impact. Fenris, even, wanted to simply rub her own face against her's and hug the girl due to her cuteness the first time they met.
"Grace, you shouldn't say something so rude." Her father admonished.
Looking at them now, up close, Fenris could really feel how well they fit together. Especially now that Grace's hair was made black by a spell from her father.*
"But daddy..."The girl whispered once more. "They keep glancing at you with weird eyes. If mommy were here she would definitely be displeased. Also...they keep touching me. It's so bothersome!"
To Fenris' eyes tthe girl had a dark aura around her at the moment. Like she was ready to blow at any moment. Although it was still kind of cute seeing her pouting face displaying such obvious discontent Fenris was indeed worried that she might do something rash if it kept building like that.
At Grace's words one of the women, the one with pink highlights, spoke up. "Huh? Wait, I thought that girl over there was her mother though?" She pointed towards Fenris, whose mouth dropped open.
"M-mother!" She exclaimed, nearly choking.
"No, she's not..." Roland frowned, denying it.
Grace also shook her head. "Sister Fenris is my sister, not mommy."
"...Sister?" The woman looked at Fenris doubtfully. "Oh. I get it." Her eyes then lit up as she had a realization. " You must be older than I thought." She said to Roland.
"I'm 19." He smiled, amused.
"...Oh."
"They have a close relationship" He explained. " So I guess Grace just likes to call Fenris sister?"
"Hm, I see. That makes sense. But 19? Is that right? Are you part god, then? I feel like a person so young can't feel this strong otherwise..." The girl instead focused on that instead of questioning how Grace was so old in comparison to her not-all-that-much-older father.
As Roland expertly diverted the discussion onto various other topics between them all Fenris was still hung up on the previous misunderstanding.
...Mother...
Mother, she said.
Did Fenris appear to be her mother? Was that how an outsider who didn't know any better would see the three of them? It was true that Fenris did have black hair like what Grace and Roland had, after all...
She supposed that even though she didn't share Grace's facial features, people would still make that assumption when they saw her dark hair. This misconception would likely be reinforced when they witnessed the friendliness that she and Grace shared.
So, to be clear...They would think Fenris is her mother. And of course Roland is the father...
Hmm...
Fenris made a secret smile.
Mother, eh?
She had always wanted to be a mother. But because she needed to find a suitable mate that fit her strict standards, that was never a possibility. She had not even found a mate yet...not to mention a child of her own. That looked too far off for the current her. Though she was saddened by this fact, and hated it, it was still true.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Fenris had to admit to herself that maybe part of the reason she became so attached to Grace when they first met was due to a sort of maternal instinct or something.
Of course, Fenris wasn't so foolish as to consider Grace like a daughter to her...
For a moment, though, she idly fantasized what it would be like if she was the girl's mother. More like, she placed herself in Morrigan's shoes. Morrigan had a mate and a daughter. Though Fenris wanted many more children than that, it was still much more than what she currently had.
Which was neither.
She supposed that if she were Morrigan, or rather if she were in Morrigan's place, then she would be extremely happy even if she only ever had one child, Grace.
But then she remembered how last night she was awoken by the strong, heady scent as the husband and wife entered the room.
It was different from arousal. Stronger. It was even more pungent than mere arousal too, an intoxicatingly spicy and sweet scent that made her head swim and body tingle with the force of it. What was this scent called, you may ask?
It was sex.
And it covered the two like a thick shroud. Displaying their prolictivities for all too see. Or smell, in her case.
Even now Roland still had that scent on him. And was partly why Fenris was, if she was being perfectly honest, a tad flustered in her heart when she came to her senses in the young man's arms not too long ago
And now after having remembered that scent, Fenris unconsciously began wondering what sort of sinful things would have to be done in order to make it thick to te extent that the smell lingered even after so much time had passed...
The thoughts made a fair bit of blood rush to her head. This was because Fenris was, in that moment, putting herself in Morrigan's shoes. Which meant she would obviously think it was actually she and Roland who were...
...Well, did she really have to say?
Fenris was deeply ashamed for having that thought. She felt like a vulgar woman for thinking of it even for a moment. Though it was not entirely her fault for doing so, she still kicked herself mentally, shaking her head to clear the embarrassment and lewd images away.
She blamed that woman for this. If she hadn't made such a assumptions this never would have happened! Fenris was not like her mother, who undressed any man she takes a fancy to with her eyes.
What's more, Fenris had those thoughts towards a man who had both a daughter and a wife. A daughter that she, Fenris, was quite close to, so mush so that it was almost like they were sisters. A wife who, although they weren't close to each other, Fenris had known for ages...
Fenris wanted to apolgize both of them, mother and daughter. She wasn't sure if she wanted to apologize to Roland, though. Because while it was only for an instant, and it was not the real him...or even the real Fenris...the image of that man doing such base, vulgar things to her was still fresh.
Although it was completely unfair towards him, she was a little angry at Roland because of what the fictional him had done.
Honestly, that man, just doing as he pleased like that... being absolutely shameless...
What was he thinking?
Also, It goes without saying that Fenris had no romantic interest in him. She liked him a bit, but that was by no means something that could be classified as romantic in any way.
If she had to say, she simply felt he was a decent male. He seemed strong, at least. Though she couldn't be entire sure how strong since she never fought him. She thought that if she went all out she would be able to take him, however. Still, to be hanging out with her father, not to mention Solomon, Aries and Mephisto, he couldn't be weak.
On that point he was good. As for personality... that, too, seemed pretty good. So, yes. A decent male, a fine specimen. A very fine specimen. But she only had those kind of feelings, nothing more.
The only reason she probably had such thoughts towards him was because of who he was. Grace's father, and Morrigan's husband.
He had earned Morrigan's approval, which was a testament to his capability. Morrigan, that woman, was always cold and had never before cared for any male that came before her. To think that she would come to love someone in such a way was incomprehensible to those who knew her. But Roland had accomplished it. Somehow. To an extent that even in this life she pursued him. Despite him not remembering her, despite that problem he had.
So because of that, Fenris would know he was a man of some quality even if she hadn't realized it already. As for Grace...Fenris was close to her. Due to this fact alone Fenris would likely establish a good relationship with her father as well. Simply put, the girl was their "link"?
She didn't love him or hold any sort of romantic interest in him but, she was forced to admit that he would indeed be an "ideal mate". Becasue of Morrigan, Fenris knew he was a man of some worth. Due to Grace, she also knew he would give strong, healthy children.
Grace even served as that which would probably be a catalyst for Fenris and Roland someday growing closer as friends.
Since Fenris thought of Grace as a sister she never had.
Without those two by his side to supply these good points, it was doubtful Fenris would ever have such thoughts towards him ordinarily even with that woman's misunderstanding.
Still, for having that thought at all...once again she felt the need to apologize to Morrigan and her daughter. As for Roland, upon further thought, she almost wanted him to be the one apologizing to her. Which was idiotic since he did no wrong. The fictional version of him was the one who had been so licentous and merciless towards her.
...Though that version of the man was spawned from Fenris' own mind...Meaning any action he did was something Fenris herself had made him do.
But Fenris refused to acknowledge this little fact.
"...And so ended the reign of Sir Dick-Waffle the third, the first and last ruler of the Suck Me Empire. That was a damn good prank, though. Can't believe Loki pulled it off. Odin lost his damn marbles when he found out one of his favorite planets got Loki'd like that. I tell you, that boy knows how to get a good laugh. Every good-humored god from every well-known pantheon clapped him on the back for that one. That's one stain on that planet's history that won't be washed off anytime soon." Mephisto chuckled. "...Huh. Actually, I'm rather curious as to what happened to Dick-waffle after he was deposed..." He trailed off, wondering.
Mephisto had just gotten done with some nonsensical story, and Fenris had no idea what he had said up to that point due to her thinking of other things.
" I honestly can't believe I never heard of this tale before. You said it was what, 500 years ago? Only? I would have expected Loki to be bragging about it every day." Roland commented.
"Oh, he did. It's just that his dear old dad got so angry and annoyed at being reminded about it that he forbade him from talking about the whole debacle. Made him swear on the river Styx, even. The condition was that if he did then Loki jr. would fall off. Now if the topic is ever brought up the guy will be likely to cut off his own tongue. That way he don't slip up." Mephisto explained.
"...Daddy, that man seems like a bad influence...I thought so before, but now..." Grace expressed concern, holding her father's sleeve to draw his attention. A move that made her new fangirl gush even more. Fenris thought they were really geting annoying.
"What, Loki? True, he isn't all that sound of mind. Funny though."
Fenris finally spoke up. " Hey, watch it. That's my father you're talking about. If you wish to insult him in my presence you need to pay up."
Mephisto and Roland looked at her in surprise. She had been quiet so long they thought she was entirely lost in her own thoughts.
"So cold, Fenris. To say that about your own father..." Mephisto shook his head with a small grin, light in his eyes.
"Just for the record, what is the price anyway?" Roland asked, genuinely curious.
" When I think of it I'll let you know. But i'm keeping a record. I will collect on this later, rest assured, boss. "
"...Okay then. Well, " Roland stood up. " I think we have taken up enough time here. Mephisto, we're going to continue looking for Loki. What're you gonna do?" This announcement made the women pout. It meant their time messing with the young girl would end soon.
A pity, truly a pity, they thought. Such an adorable little girl...
" I don't know, I don't really have much else to do. Though these two boys are kind of likeable I still don't entirely want to babysit for longer than I have to. They can't be left here, so are you going to take them?"
The boys, Saren and James, felt offended by his use of the word "babysit".
Mephisto, on his end, didnt want to leave them in this place, succubus den, even thuogh he had grown to know that he ones inside are not entirely bad people. Except that Mika, the insufferable woman, the rest were okay. And those two, Yazmin and Natalie, did seem to take a fancy to the boys. For whatever reason.
Still, leaving them in the care of succubi, the natural enemy/ultimate temptation of all men...That would be stupid. If Mephisto stayed with them then it would be fine. But he wanted to do his own thing, so he didn't feel like it. Roland wouldn't let the boys stay here by themselves, either.
" They can come with us to look for Loki, if they want. Or go back to our place. But before that..." He looked to he boys. " What do you want to do?"
Saren and James considered. Then James spoke up. " I don't want to stay locked up in that room." He said shortly.
"Neither do I. I think we'll just leave with you. At least it would be better than being bored out of our minds."
They didn't even want to stay in this place. The was some of the women looked at them made the two feel very threatened...like they were predators eyeing their prey...
And they had no idea how to treat either Yazmin or Natalie....
This was not a situation they had ever faced before.
"Alright then. It's settled." Roland, Fenris and Grace--who's face seemed eager to go--got ready to leave.
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After saying their good-byes to their hosts the group left.
Mephisto went his own way, saying something about going to look for some souveniers.
As for Grace, she was glad to be out of that place. Those women, they were really getting on her nerves. Trying to pat her, making those constant small squeals and other noises then staring at her...
Ah, she was truly happy to be away from there...
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James was curently facing a small problem.
A literal small problem.
Which was the young girl, Grace.
When they left, the girl looked at he and his brother curiously.
It seemed that the young girl was interested in them. Apart from a few others the two boys were the closest to her in terms of age. She hadn't met many people close to her own age so she was naturally drawn to those who were.
Her father very young too, she understood. But he didn't count. He was her daddy, her father.
Going back to James, he was feeling a bit disgruntled, or more accurately, uncomfortable because the little girl was asking many questions about him. Or, no, actually the majority of the conversation was not questions but meaningless things that served no real purpose other than to say them.
What scared them was that she had also once asked how many magical beasts they killed. Which was weird. No kid would normally ask about such things, right?
She had said that she keeps count. That the exact number was somewhere around 2,429...around that number because the two of them hadn't paid attention, still a bit put-off by her cavalier attatude when talking about the subject.
The girl said that her mother said most magical beasts are very dangerous and the ones who are not very powerful usually rage about and destroy things. They lack real intelligence at the lower stages of power, the girl told them. So they are very territorial and whatnot, liking to go killing people.
Which was true. Magical beasts were very dangerous. Any of them. Even the onse considered low in terms of power can be very deadly. The brother's knew that.
The girl went on to talk about how she once saved a small city--Or was it a village?--from being destroyed by a magical beast. It was during a time when she was trveling with her mother, not all too long ago. The thing was really full of malice, breathing fire down on people's homes.
Using it's tails to smash boulders and throw them towards the city.
So she killed it.
With a wave of her hand. It wasn't hard, she said. The thing was being very rude so she had felt the need to help.
The brother's felt that despite her appearance and her childish manner this girl was actually a very scary existence. Maybe she didn't even understand how amazing, in various ways and levels, her thought process and actions were.
Obviously her common sense differed greatly from the boys' own. Because if they faced a magical beast like that they would not fight if they had the choice. Thet were not cowards but they were pretty realistic. They didn't want to die, after all.
Also, the girl pestered them, saying they should lay down. That they were really very sick.
She said that one of them had a very serious cold, while the other seemed to be coming down with a terrible fever. Her words sent chills down their spines, somehow.
She said her daddy felt a bit hot and cold sometimes too. It comes and goes, she said to them. She spoke her concerns. However, she seemed to think her father was indomitable.
They learned that her mother had rarely talked about him but sometimes let slip that he was really strong.
Grace was strong. And her mother was strong.
So daddy must be much, much stronger, right, because he's someone whose strength was acknowledged even by mommy? This is what she questioned them with, though it wasn't really a question at all.
So she felt her father could overcome anything eventually.
The two boys also got that feeling from him sometimes, that he was not someone to ever underestimate. Though the girl seemed almost to worship her mother and father. Not too odd. Children did that often, thinking their parents were invincible.
Though Grace's mother and father, unlike other childrens' parents, probably were. At least from what the brothers knew about Lady Morrigan, which wasn't much, just stories, she was pretty much on the upper levels of power even for gods.
Really, though, how would one measure a god's power?
They boys didn't know. Maybe there was no clear way to measure it. A god was a god. To them they were an existence that was incomprehensible.
Loki, Morrigan, Aries...Even Roland who wasn't a god...they were really just so far above them that their actions and thoughts were just completely unknown to the boys.
Take Mephisto, another non-god, for example. The whole thing he did with that illusion or whatever. Turning that room into a battlefield. One where they controlled men and women, among other creatures.
That was not normal. At all. The brothers thought they could even smell the blood, sweat and tears of the people who were battling.
The one who actually created the spell might have been that Solomon person--who the boys still feared for all the stories they heard about the man--but still. Also, the tales he told them all not long ago....they were insane.
In short...people Like Loki, Roland and Mephisto...not just gods...but simply the type of people they were...were all "unknowns" to Saren and James.
The two could not comprehend their thoughts and what moved them. They were unpredictable. Well, Roland was a bit more down to earth but sometimes the things he would say or do left them speechless.
Like how he created Etherium out of thin air.
Something they still couldn't believe had actually happened...Then calling it useless....like trash...
...No.
They chose not to think further about that matter. It hurt their heads everytime they thought of it.
Grace, too, was like that. A strange person whose common sense, again, was vastly different from normal people's like James and his brother Saren.
-------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile.
"Hey, Roland." Fenris turned to him suddenly, a furrow between her brows. As if remembering something.
"Yes?"
"Apologize."
"...What for?" Had he done something wrong?
"Just do it. ".
"...I'm sorry?" He frowned in confusion.
"Thank you. I don't accept."
"..."
"You really do have to learn some restraint, boss. You do understand that, right?"
"... Fenris, had I done something to offend you?"
"What? Of course not."
"Then why--"
"Don't ask."
"...I see. Well i'm glad we have put that behind us. Whatever "it" is. "
" As am I."
------------------------------------------------
"Lord Loki~"
A orange-haired beauty cooed into his ear.
Loki let out a laugh. "Calm down, my pretties, there's enough of me for everyone!
"But my Lord, it's been so long since your last visit. We feared you would have forgotten all about us." Another girl, a curly-haired blonde, pouted.
Loki who's favorite and current form was, as always, in his adolescent years, made a disappointed click of his tongue.
" Some you you ladies. How could I, Loki, forget such fine, delicate flowers like yourselves?"
The girls surrounding him lowered their heads in shame, asking forgiveness for doubting him.
Loki smiled, his eyes bright as he took used a hand to hold up one of the girl's head and raising it to meet his gaze.
"I truly am sad you all had such little faith in me. I think a punishment is in order..." He lowered his head, reaching down to the girl's face while the others blushed and had their eyes locked on the scene before them. Staring at the girl enviously...
A loud boom then resounded throughtout the room right as his lips were about to meet the girl's own...
Loki, startled, jumped up and summoned his Gungnir, ready for anything.
...Then he witnessed who it was that knocked down the door...
Fenris looked at the entire thing with a coldness that was downright appalling. Looking at her father contemptuously, she spoke.
" Hou? What do we have here?" She smiled, the expression not meeting her eyes.
Roland then stood beside her. Knowing what Fenris was thinking of doing, he quickly followed up with a little somethng of his own.
Fanning the flames.
"It's obvious this is some type of crime, is it not? To think that my friend and your father, Loki, would kidnap so many girl and lock them up in this dreary place to play with. And look at the poor things, their red faces, their gazes hazy. Obviously they've been drugged. I'm ashamed to say it took this long for me to realize this man's true colors..."
He shook his head, sighing sadly.
Loki stared, not quite knowing what they were talking about at first. Then he knew he was being set up.
"...Now hold on just a minute. Don't you two even dare try to sully my good n--"
His daughter cut him off. " It really is a shame, isn't it, that such a vile crimial would continue walking the streets?"
"Quite so. I think a purging is in order, don't you?"
"My thoughts exactly, boss. I sure do not wish to be known for having shared blood with a beast like him. We owe it to all the women he's ruined to make him...disappear."
Loki felt deeply wronged by their words, making him out to be some sort of--of sexual deviant!
Meanwhile, the girls were too stunned by the sudden intrusion and odd discusssion that they were silent all throughtout.
"Yes, that's for the best. We need to bring the poor women some justice." He cast a sympathetic gaze to the girls inside the room.
"Let's get started then, shall we?"
"After you, my dear."
"Thanks boss."She smiled at him, this one much warmer than the one before by several magnitudes.
"Don't mention it." He nodded easily, as if they were old pals.
"...."
Loki tried to teleport out while they were bantering.
He couldn't
...Fuck.