Chapter 8 The After Party

A good month passes as the crew continues doing their own thing,

"Moon, reports on the outside world," Sin's boredom got the best of him.

Moon: "Sir there seems to be a woman in a red trench coat and a metal hand at our door."

The description scared Sin, he booked it to the door swinging them open.

Woman with her metal hand: "Aw, and here I thought you forgot about me."

She plays with her dagger, tossing it in the air then catching it by the tip of the blade: "You don't have to be like that Sin, you saved my brother. That pretty much makes you family, come on give me a hug!"

The fit lady in red picked up the undead skeleton with a hug.

A male voice: "Watch out, she bites."

Another voice comes from behind them, she releases him.

Woman: "No, I only drink blood, not bone."

The voice came with a body, Ash and multiple portals behind him opened up.

Ash: "I managed to get the crew back together."

He lifted his arms as everyone slowly walked out of their portals. Astrid comes through behind Ash as well as an old face.

A woman with wings: "Darling have we arrived!"

Her energetic mood gave Sin chills: "It is great to see you, Sam."

As a tingle goes down his back.

Sin: "It seems you girls made a compromise on how to share your man."

The two smirk, and out comes a little girl about waist height. She huddles against Ash with her holy white wings wrapping around his leg.

Her sweet little voice whispers to Sam: "That guy is scary."

Sam leans to her: "Do you want me to kill him."

She summons a ball of water.

Ash: "It is okay, he saves daddy from your mother."

She hangs onto his hand with a tight grip as Ash walks to Sin.

Ash: "Sadie, say hi to Sin."

The little angel revealed her full body, her right eye was covered with an eyepatch. She had black pigtails and a white dress to match her feathery wings. Sin looked behind him catching the eye of Sun.

Sin whisper: "Ready twenty chairs and plates."

She nodded and went to work. He turned right back around to see the little Sadie eyeing him, he holds out a hand.

Sin: "Nice to meet you, Sadie, I am Sin, a friend of your dad."

His voice doesn't help his case, he freaks her out more. Sin retracts his hand, hiding it away in his cloak.

Sin targeted someone else: "How is life, Astrid."

She looked nauseous: "Don't answer that, I can see that anything you say might bring something up you were trying to keep down."

Astrid nods in agreement, and a man in red pops his head through the portal: "Am I in the right place!"

A dagger flies towards him nicking him in the cheek: "I guess I am."

His dark red hair and fiery spirit have Sadie jump for joy: "King!"

The shy girl died, bringing a very talkative little angel: "How was your day King, did you fight a dragon or how about gods! Oh oh Ummm how about an army of million soldiers!"

She fluttered her wings, showing how excited she got just like a dog wagging its tail.

Sin: "I guess she does take after her mother."

Sin gets away with his little remark: "Okay, everyone the tables 'should' be prepared, all who have arrived please, come in."

Astrid walked in with Rose giving her a hand as they go up the steps.

King: "Hey Sam, let's go inside and chat about life, I will talk to you later kiddo."

King patted Sadie and walked off with Sam to hear about her day.

Ash: "Come here princess."

Lifting her upon his shoulder: "Sin, do you remember fighting the gods for power."

Sin: "Like it was yesterday, why do you ask?"

He waits for a little before answering: "We went on all these adventures together, put ourselves in danger, but it was fun. I hope we can do that some time again but this little one can come with us."

She looked down, staring at his young face, not a single hair on his smooth face.

Sadie: "Can I see your eyes dad."

Her eye that was covered glowed yellow with curiosity.

Ash: "Sure honey."

Hopping off his shoulder with a flap of her wings.

Sin: "I can't miss this!"

A man child of a skeleton lord stood beside Sadie.

Ash: "Ready guys!"

He stepped back as they nodded, he unloosen the tie for his blindfold, as it came off, black lightning struck all around him. Everyone who hasn't come out of their portal sprinted out.

Isabel: "Is everything alright!"

Isabel and two others dashed out of their portals. A paladin and an elf followed behind Isabel with blades and magic at the ready. A great grey dragon soars past them leaving a man in white wearing an eyepatch.

Old man: "What happened Ash, is everyone in one piece."

Everyone gathered around him.

Ash: "I am fine, just showing Sadie my eyes."

Kneeling to get to eye level with her, he stares with his yellow eyes, the sclera is pure white leaving the glow of his irises and dancing runes.

Ash: "Now it is your turn."

Her amazement was overshadowed by shyness: "But everyone is watching."

The lightning incased them leaving Sin, Ash, and Sadie.

Ash: "There, now only me and the big skeleton can see you."

Sin tried to give his best cheery attitude: "It is okay, I will keep your secret safe."

She built up the courage, lifting her eyepatch a strong gust of wind canceled Ash's lightning. Her eye glowed bright matching her father's, Ash summoned black lightning at the palm of his hand. He made it dance around her turning into all kinds of shapes and forms. Ash's eyes shift slowly to red, as they did he wrapped his eyes back in the blindfold.

Ash: "Okay, I think that is enough for now."

After tying his blindfold tightly he slowly slid down her eyepatch.

"Way to go, Sadie," the girls bombarded Sadie with compliments.

"So you still can't control it after all this time," Ash ignored Jax's comment.

Ash: "I see you can never ditch the white old man."

A chuckle came from Jax: "Who you calling old, you are older than Athena."

Ash: "Ha, very funny, you look as broken as your old dragon up there."

They went back and forth with the jabs until the girls intervened: "Hiya Ash."

The teenager elf popped into the conversation.

Ash: "Oh hey Cass, how is adventuring going."

She summed it up with one word: "Great!"

The paladin was next: "Long time no see Ash."

Her armor shined bright.

Ash: "Glad to see you make it Sophia."

She smiled warmly: "Glad to see you too Ash."

Sin also join the little reunion: "Sorry to kill the mood but I think it would be better to go inside."

His hand pointed at the towering mansion behind them.

Ash: "Yeah, I think that is a good idea, come on little one."

Sadie flew to his side admiring his eyes: "You have beautiful eyes daddy."

He held her hand as they walked in: "You too little princess of darkness."

Sin turned his attention to the girls: "I haven't met you, Cass was it?"

Cass greeted him in a dignified way: "Greetings Sin, I am princess Cass of the Thunderous kingdom."

She bows, Sin laughs: "Hahahaha, you don't have to do that, I am just a skeleton looking for sleep."

Cass: "But you are a lord also, even if your kingdom is a mansion."

He hasn't thought of it like that: "Go inside, I will be there shortly."

The girls walked inside chatting it up. Now that everyone is inside Sin freaks out: "I, have, nothing, set up for such a big party!"

He smashes his ideas together into one: "I got it, GATE!"

A colossal portal opens in front of the mansion.

Moon peeks her head out the doorway: "Sir what are you doing?"

Sin: "Moon, keep our guests busy please, this will only take a moment."

Moon: "Yes sir."

She makes it to the pool where Sun is taking care of everyone's needs: "How about it everyone, brighter or darker!"

Everyone shouts in unison: "Brighter!"

She puts a makeshift sun in the air warming up the pool house.

Moon: "Sun, where is the rest of our guests."

Moon only counts Ash, Sadie, Sam, Jax, and Astrid.

Sun: "Oh, they wanted to use our arena on the fifth floor."

Moon: "I will see if they are all okay."

Moon goes through a portal and on the other side are explosions.

"LOOK OUT!"

A red fireball blasts behind Moon. Moon quickly rushes to the sidelines where a barrier protects the audience.

Isabel: "Sorry!"

Isabel waves Moon down while fighting Cass and Sophia. King jumps in with a leap, slamming the ground with his sword.

King: "Alright girls, free for all, let me see what you got."

Sophia takes on King while Isabel faces off with Cass.

Isabel uses her magic: "Superspeed level five."

Isabel sprints all around her making images.

Cass: "Nice one, but it is my turn, Ice wave level four!"

A wave of red ice encircled her then pushed outwards getting everyone's attention. Isabel hopped from ice shard to ice shard jumping over the wave of ice, Sophia slammed her gigantic weapon breaking through the ice.

King shouts: "LEVEL FIVE, Lava blast!"

A mass of blue lava burned straight through the ice and covered the surrounding area in molten blue lava. Moon marvels at the spectacle she is seeing.

Rose: "It is a lot isn't it, well I guess it is my turn."

Rose steps into the arena immediately turning heads: "Who wants to take me on!"

Isabel appears in front of her: "Me!"

Rose cracked her knuckles: "Alright, let's do this little speedster." 

Sin shouted into the portal: "Everyone, Listen up." 

Sin: "I have guests over who mean a lot to me, I need these things retrieved by the hour or else there will be consequences. Got it, good, NOW GO!"

Creatures of all kinds come swarming out of the liquid portal, they scour the area looking high and low for the items on the list.

Sin: "Gate."

A portal to the kitchen opens up.

 Head chief octopus the size of a house greets Sin: "What do you need sir." 

Sin: "A shipment of food will arrive in an hour, make food of every variety, please."

Head chef: "Right away sir, okay everyone get to work! Hurry up or else we will have an octopus on the menu!"

All the octopus people and squid butlers clean dishes and start fires as the portal closes behind Sin. A skeleton dragon drops a hydra by Sin.

Sin: "Gate."

A bigger gate opens into the kitchen. 

*Splash, Sam and Sadie jump in the pool.

Ash: "No magic in the pool Sam."

Ash is resting on a chaise lounge with his eyes closed.

Sam: "What is a little water magic going to do."

Sam whispers in Sadie's ear and giggles follow soon after. Sadie swims towards the edge of the pool, she lines up her shot.

Sadie: "Water shot."

(Sam was born with a gift to use magic without saying the incantation and so it is passed down to Sadie) Sadie shot a burst of water at Ash, hitting him in the face.

Ash almost falls over: "What the."

He hops out of his chair and dives into the water, he pulls Sam under the water.

Then resurface behind her: "Hey Sadie, how about we go see what the others are up to."

She agrees to hop out of the pool, Sam and Sadie's wings are all soaked.

Sun: "Here let me help."

Sun hugs Sadie, drying her off. After a few seconds, she stops hugging her already drying her.

Sam felt left out: "Hey what about me."

Ash griping her from behind: "Don't worry I got this Sun, Warm embrace level two."

Ash hugs Sam, drying both of them together.

Astrid sits up: "Ash you didn't tell me about that one."

Ash's magic was limitless. No one knows how much knowledge he knows about magic, he created countless spells, some for war others just for his little baby.

Sun could only give a compliment: "I am amazed by the arsenal of magic you have Ash."

Sun opens a portal to the arena: "This way everyone."

Astrid uses Ash as a shoulder to lean on while Sam gives Sadie a piggyback ride. Sun enters first, they end up in the stands away from the fight.

Sun: "Hey, Moon what is going on!"

Moon's face, as she turns around, is pure fatigue: "They won't stop fighting, it is like they never get tired!"

Sun calms her down: "It is going to be okay, they will stop eventually."

Ash chuckles: "Probably not for a while, they can't fight like this in the outside world so this is the first time in ages for them to release all the energy."

Ash helps sit Astrid down: "How about this, I will join in."

Ash leaps into the arena slamming into the ground.

Sadie cheering him on: "Go get them, dad!"

Now that Sadie's cheer is inside Ash, everyone looks at Ash a little worried: "Wanna play."

Cass slips out of the arena and joins Astrid on the sidelines.

Astrid: "Good choice Cass, he hasn't had fun in a while so get ready to see beautiful fireworks."

Ash stretches: "Alright all of you against me, come on four versus one." 

The last bit of food is retrieved, all that is left is preparing it, and a portal is left open as a way for communication.

Sin: "Oliver, it is your turn to pull through, don't mess this up."

Head chef Oliver: "Sir yes sir."

The octopus gets down to work throwing fish in the air chopping it, and all the sorts. 

Sin: "Good it should be done in a few hours, now the problem is entertaining the guests. I should see what they are up to."

Ash: "Magic nullification level five."

Ash's spell activates leaving the four to use their weapons and fists.

He taunted them: "Bring it."

Isabel and Sophia teamed up striking first, Isabel did a sweep kick, going for Ash's legs, Sophia charged up an overhand. Ash hopped up and took Sophia's punch head-on, pushing him back. he lands on his feet still in a blocking stance, Ash burst to Isabel landing a front kick, sending her back. Sophia with a right then left, Ash bobbed his head out of the way. He used her punch for momentum as he tossed her on her back.

Rose appeared behind him, shoving him forward then disappearing again. Isabel drop kicked Ash, the magic wore off giving back their magic.

Ash: "Alright I may not be able to take on all of you at once but I sure can beat all of you with my magic."

He pulls himself up, King sends three blue balls of fire at Ash.

Ash unmotivated: "Level five tidal wave."

Water washes over the whole coliseum covering all in deep blue water.

Ash goes for a combo: "Now let's finish this, LEVEL FIVE, ICE CASCADE!"

A wave of ice from above rains down smashing into the ground.

Ash following up: "I'm not finished yet!"

The water evaporated and the ice still buried them. He pulled his katana made of the purest black metal, Ash jumped up slicing open the ice with one slash. The ice split open revealing, King and Rose had their fire active, and the group had multiple barriers up all cracked, on the verge of breaking. The barrier finally gives out and the group collapse on the floor tired.

Ash huffing: "Has everyone had their fun."

Sophia used her knees as support before falling back to relax on the ground: "Jeez Ash, you didn't have to go all out."

Ash: "I know you guys wouldn't behave because of all that extra god energy."

From the stands: "Yay, dad won!"

Moon got light-headed: "Sun, I don't think I can take any more excitement for today."

Sun looks her in the eyes: "Breathe Moon, You can do this, I need you."

She takes deep breaths: "Okay, Sun, I can do this."

A portal opens next to them, Sin walks out: "Ah, I see Ash had some fun here, may I join in."

The group picked each other off the floor, all in pain from the ass whopping Ash gave them.

Isabel and the others declined: "Maybe another time bone man."

Sin: "Sun is the tables set up."

Sun: "Yes."

Sun: "Good, Moon, kill the intruders who should be arriving. Then absorb them all."

Moon stammered, "B..but sir!"

He looks over his shoulder: "But nothing Moon, any other day I will allow them to live but today of all days they choose to attack has got to be the worse day. Sun, if you want, you may aid Moon in this slaughter just leave most of them to Moon."

Sun put on a face of dignity: "Yes sir, Gate, come on Moon."

Sun walked through with Moon in tow, Moon felt that it was wrong just to kill them outright.

Ash overhears the conversation: "What was that Sin."

Sin: "It was nothing Ash, just a slight inconvenience, you got nothing to worry about."

He gets everyone's attention: "Everyone, I am glad you are enjoying my home, we have plenty of fun rooms to keep you all entertained until the big feast!" 

Sun comes through the portal to a dark forest, it was the entrance of the mountain.

Moon getting goosebumps: "Sun, I..I...I feel different."

Moon's clothes started to change form, a chest piece and plates formed. an upper plate for her chest and an underplate for the rest of her body. Her armor was is a dark metal resembling the color of coal, a crown formed on top of her head.

Moon grows a wicked smile: "I feel, Good."

The flicker of shyness has faded away living an elegant fire spirit and a bloodthirsty shadow.