Shadow of the Abyss

"I greet you, Vale King!"

The Vale King smiled, revealing a mouthful of pristine white teeth. "How is your hunt?'

"Excellent, I caught quite the fish," Tasha said, gliding an eye to Elena's terrified expression. Her lips perked into a devious grin. "My Lord, shall I prepare the young lady a pair of clothes to stay the night?"

Elena felt her face burn. She dared not look him in the eye. She made herself look small, not daring to raise her head in defiance.

"I haven't the strength to taste such an unripe fruit," The Vale King said, though his gaze appeared to strip her of all her pride. "Though I suppose I don't necessarily have to do much."

Tasha crawled forward, finding his cock beneath his trousers with her lips. With a single kiss, she had it hard. "My Lord appears to still be strong." she reached her hand up to lay down his trousers, but his hand stopped her.

"That'll be enough," Altair said, rubbing his temple. "Elena, you may leave."

The young girl scampered off her knees, closing the door on her way out, breathing a sigh of relief, but the terror in her chest did not seem to lessen now that she was out of his sight. She was trembling, biting back the tears streaming down her cheeks.

When she was gone, Altair sighed, confused about where the desire to torture others came from. He pulled himself away to avoid her mischief.

"We still have time, My Lord. Would you like to fuck me in the dirt? Mark here can watch., I'm sure he'd like it. Perhaps you can explore my other hole for the first time."

"Tasha…" Altair said, unsure if he should blush or not. It was awkward enough speaking before another gripping his cock, while he smiled towards the sky. The last thing he wanted to do was have sex in front of him or anyone else who wasn't a woman.

His cock betrayed him, twitching hard against the linen of his trousers.

"We need to focus. I have but a few Ninth Circle Cores with me. I don't suppose that'll be enough to activate the formation outside."

Reluctantly, Tasha pulled herself from her knees, brooding. "No…" Her voice was flat. "I'm using my blood. It should be powerful enough to activate the Formation. We don't have to use major resources—not when we have a renewable one."

Altair believed her, at least for now. He wasn't that knowledgeable about blood laws. That had been Reina's specialty, not his.

"Then I shall be watching," Altair said, glancing at Mark one last time.

"Can I keep him?' she asked in a pitiful voice as if she were talking about a stuffed bear.

"Do what you please," he said, making his way to his bed to rest.

***

It was a painful sight to see his brothers butches like cattle, their bodies left to the crows. No one had survived, he knew. Hunted down like dogs, they didn't even leave the horses alive.

Isgar had thought that perhaps it was the work of another Trow but dismissed the idea completely. Traitors did not exist amongst the Trow.

So, he made the journey to Ravine Fort on foot, where he last felt Muardral's presence descend. If he could make it there, then perhaps he could receive guidance. Three hours later, he arrived before the eastern gate, drawn open as if to welcome him.

He drew his twin scimitars instead before bounding through desolate streets in search of traps or formations; instead, he found Nox De Nier alongside his compatriots waiting for him at the village center.

"You're here," Altair said calmly. He beckoned him closer, curious about the pale grey skin and pointed ears. They were like elves but different, according to Tasha.

"You're the one behind the death of my men?" Isgar asked in disbelief. He glanced around but could not find a single Transcendent within a hundred miles of his position. He smiled.

Altair didn't respond to his question but spoke the same:" I have been learning of the Children of the Fallen Ones. According to my Sword Maid, there are seven of them, and the one who created you is called Muardral. Was it his presence that led you here?" Discover hidden content at empire

"It was my Master who led you here!" Isgar exclaimed exuberantly. He lured you here so that I might slay you!" The scimitars in his hands glowed with emerald flames that carried a strange aura, normal flames that didn't. They were reminiscent of Baelfire.

Altair didn't bother to explain his Sword Maids action. Rather, he was curious about something else. "Before you kill me, in this apparent trap, why are you so adamant I die? I've not ever seen an assassin so attached to his mission. Most would have abandoned the contract. But you… you stayed.

Why?"

"Dead men do not need answers," he said, bounding forth at a speed that no one but Tasha and Nia could track. They counted the steps, their pupils reacting almost simultaneously. Suddenly, Seven Swords of Infernal Light tore themselves from the earth up, up up, as if to pierce the heavens.

Infernal Qi shrieked like a beam of light, striking the tip of each blade to form a pentagram, when several hundred Infernal Runes glowed brightly, turning the clouds heavy enough to bleed a river of blood from the skies.

"Infernal Swords of Chaotic Night," Tasha intoned, staring curiously at the still man's face, bound in place. Such was a formation the Eighth Monarch had created to spite the Archangel Ariel, or so the story went, she knew. He had created it to combat their Heavenly Sword, said to freeze the axis of all space and time.

Infernal Swords of Chaotic Night Formation wasn't nearly as powerful, and it was heavily restricted to Royal Devils to cast it, but it was enough to kill a few Angels if used right.

Tasha sauntered forward, snatching the scimitars from Isgar's hand before running them through his heart. She twisted them before carefully taking her time to cut through each of his tendons with infernal intent to ensure his wounds would never heal. When she was done, she took a step back to her position to her master frozen in time.

She kissed him and stood behind just as time resumed. The battle ended before it started.

The blood rain that only just began missing as if it were an illusion.

They saw Isgar spew blood from his wounds, which seemed to appear out of nowhere, collapsing in a slide that brought him to Altair's feet.

Altair felt a chill invade his very soul. If not for his state of soul exhaustion, he was tempted to peer into the veil for answers.

"What…What… what just happened?"

"Devils, your Grace, are at the top of the food chain," Tasha said, looking down at the Trow. "When I awaken my sigil, I ought to be able to cast such a formation without prep, just like the angels."

That hadn't explained anything to Altair as he watched Isgar moan in a growing pool of his blood. He was alive, if just barely.

"Stand him up."

Nia and Aurora obeyed his will, pressing him to his knees as a single pillar of blood streamed from his lips. He looked up, unable to connect to his Mana, much less his body.

"Well damn," Altair said, looking At Tasha. " I was expecting a great battle. Not this."

Tasha couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Your Grace, royal devils were originally created to kill and corrupt angels. Killing a Trow is no different than asking a human to crush an ant with his boots. Give a Devil like me time, and we can take down just about anyone. If you like, I will destroy this realm. It'll only take about half the blood in my body, but…"

"That won't be necessary," Altair said hastily before he gave her any strange ideas. He turned to the Trow, fading quickly, and opened his hand as Tasha placed Gram in it.

The moment Isgar saw the Infernal Runes across the blade's spine, carrying his patron's aura, he knew. A bitter smile graced his lips as his consciousness began to slip in and out.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Tell me. Who sent you after me? Enemies, though, we might be. I needn't tell you what it means to carry Muardral's blade. Give me a name."

"...Shadow…Tower…Gor…Gor…." As death came for him, Isgar relinquished himself to the reaper's embrace.

"Have any of you ever heard of the Shadow Tower?" Altair asked.

No one had.

"Master, we must be getting back," Aurora said. "I—"

Altair waved her off. "If you must go, then go, but do give Father and Uncle my regards. I should be seeing them in a few days. Before I head back to Inka."

"Of course, Your Grace," she said, opening the Dimensional Rift to the Serpents Outreach. Aurora shouted the names of all who needed to return, with Nia and Talia being the main contenders.

"Alyssa and Therion can sta. The rest will need to catch up on all the work they missed. Let's go!"

Waving off his Shadows, Altair glanced at Tasha and smiled. She was still brooding. Shaking his head, he had her wheel him back inside his room for the night.

"Isgars Corpse," Altair said languidly. "Destroy it… danger… even… in…death." muttering a few more words that were incomprehensible, he fell into a deep sleep.

Tasha bowed. "By your will, my Master.