Chapter 14 Fine Dining

 

 

A cold evening blew in from a surprisingly quiet day, today's predicament left Sin yearning for a taste. His taste buds were none existent, in fact ever since he lost them, it left a decaying taste; something out of a rotting corpse. 

Sin sat peacefully at the dining tables, enjoying the crackling fireplace burning hell bark, a never-ending fuel source. The elongated table reached unnecessary lengths as he never had enough guests to fill all the seats. He picked at the marvelously cooked steak, delicately cutting the steak into pieces small enough to eat in a few bites. Impaling a small squared cut piece on a fork, raise to his opened mouth, hoping he will finally taste his servent's wonderful cooking. Down it goes, nothing, seating there mildly disappointed, Sin stands from his chair pushing it in gently and walking away feeling down about his situation. 

Exploring his domain he finds himself on the eightieth floor; the lounge, walking into a warm atmosphere to where the world seemed different. Most of his servants can be found here relaxing, Sun sat on her own chair made up of cushiony fire pillows, her legs crossed while humming a delightful tune at the same time she flips through her book. Moon on the other side teaching the bone puppy how to sit. A few new faces are talking to Phantom, they are a little put off by Phantom's size only to see relief upon hearing his kind words. 

Sin to himself: "A small elf boy, and the others seemed to be from orc and demon origins."

The three were directed by Phantom, seemingly showing them where they will sleep and eat. Sin waddled around, observing the cozy room until Moon tossed a bone from across the room. The bone flew overhead landing behind Sin, but that didn't stop the bone puppy who jumped through Sin's rib cage. Sun giggled from beyond the room before continuing to read her book about the Thunderous Kingdom and how it thrived through the years under its ruler. 

Moon: "I'm sorry master, I was trying to teach her how to fetch."

Sin gave a heartfelt chuckle: "No harm no foul."

He lets her go, pursing the puppy holding a bone in its jaws. Heading back through the portal, he catches Ven antagonizing Rex, she patted his head, with her black sharpened nails, and she scratched his neck only for it to make a metal scraping against Rex's metal fur.

Rex barks: "Could you knock it off already!"

He snapped at her hand, finding it funny she did it again, torturing the poor dog again, Sin made it a mission to stay hidden. 

Ven loving every second of it: "Aw is the poor Cerberus afraid of a scratch."

Sin dips out the way onward to the laboratory next to his room. The door is hidden with the help of magic but everyone knows where it is and how to get in so it kind of defeats the purpose in the first place. Sin holds a claw to the concrete wall, a purple summoning circle forms at the center of his hand. The wall gives away, sliding open to a room filled with a dark that eats light, a few candles lit on the wall provided zero light. 

Sin: "Light."

Coming to life, the room absorbed the fire of the candles brightening the room to the point that there wasn't a crevice of darkness; even under his desk was well lit. Sin smiled in his soul, eager to start up his experiment once again. 

Almost a giggle: "Time to have some fun."

Getting to work, the oversized undead pulls out bottles and vials filled with all sorts of potions, a few potions held inside a glow as they sit in a bundle alongside a potion that can't pick what color to stay with. A murky black potion moved around on its own, a cork held the contents inside, probably keeping it from coming out. Then there was one last potion he pulled out of a locked chest, slowly and carefully cradling it to the table, the material of the bottle is obsidian, a purple glint shined off it while it sat quietly, waiting for it to be used. 

Sin starts off small, opening a dresser door, a deep pocket of ingredients all filled in order to a to z. Picking a dragon scale and a glump of ectoplasm, a diluted potion of pain resistance is placed on a countertop away from the rest of the potions. Sin drops the clump of ectoplasm giving new life to the dull orange potion, after letting it absorb the ingredients he cuts up the scale with a blade glowing black and blue. Sliding the crumbs of the scale into the potion, a rapid flash of dark and light orange. 

Sin writes down on his notepad: "A greater pain resistance is expected but it still excites me every time."

Jogging his memory, in sudden quick movements he races for ingredients taking out an unholy amount of undead parts from the drawer, a boneclaw's claw slams the counter along with Spector dust in a jar. Seating up once again, holding a piece of wraith cloth in one hand and the other is vile of blood. Opening an abyss portal to get another bottle for his new potion, letting it close as soon as he pulls the big bottle out. 

Sin pops his neck: "This is getting me fired up."

Using a weak water spell to summon enough water to fill the bottle three-quarters of the way, Sin attaches metal clamps to the bottle holding it in place just in case.

Sin: "This could be one of the greatest potions I made or I am finally going to sleep for good."

Fighting the urge to just dump all the ingredients in all at once, one by one they go in. Crushing the claw into dust they all eventually make it into the bottle with precise timing, from time to time, the bottle grows violent, shaking as he steps back away from the possible explosive potion. After taking a few minutes hiding behind a magic barrier, the bottle's coloring finds a color that it likes, holy white. It looks as if the gods bestowed it to him themselves. 

Sin cautiously: "Looks can be deceiving, you aren't the only one that picked a nice color and turned out to be a curse potion in disguise."

Admiring the potion from afar as it slowly lures him for a taste, licking his nonexistent lips for just a sip. Releasing the bottle from its shackles, he holds the bottle like a baby. 

Sin caught in the potion's trap: "I can't help it, it's in my blood."

Taking a sip for a moment, then greedily downing the rest of the potion, the holy liquid floats down to his core circling it before seeping into it. The elder lich's greed has finally got the better of him, the bright fire in his eyes fades out leaving dead sockets just as he comes cascading down to the floor. His death was a stupid one but at least he died doing what he loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A human awakes, his vision blurred to the point that he can't even make out what is in front of him. Rubbing his forehead to numb the pain the teen grabs a countertop to pull up from.

Boy: "What happened, I feel so weird."

Hanging his head as he props himself up, vision, at last, returning to him. Staring blankly at his hands for what seemed like an hour.

Boy dumbfounded: "My hand. It. Has. Skin."

The energy begins to pour into him: "I am alive, I did it! I can't believe it!"

Dancing around the laboratory swinging his oversized coat around, freezing in place just as a thought popped into his mind.

Sin with a child's voice: "I can eat."

In a flash, the boy runs out of his lab, completely forgetting to close the door. Sprinting down the hall with reckless abandon, all his servants saw a blur race towards the dining hall. Thinking an intruder made it inside they also rush to catch the perpetrator. The boy slides off the dining table hitting a bell as he slides to the other side, waiting for the food to arrive he fiddles with his thumbs while wearing an oversized cloak that can be wrapped around him three times over. Everyone rushes into the room blocking all exits, everyone wears a shocked and awestruck face.

Sun: "Ash?"

Moon: "But he is just a kid."

Phantom: "He looks like a mini version of Ash."

Sin's pubescence voice comes out: "Hey guys, what is wrong."

Ven hops over the table squeezing him: "Sin it is you! I miss this cute little face!"

Her gigantic boobs suffocated him, releases her death grip on him but hang around messing with his hair.

Sun unable to control her voice: "WhAT HaPPEned!"

Sin with his hands up trying to ease everyone beside Ven who is enjoying his hair: "Okay everyone, I know it is weird that I am a boy, what happen was that I was experimenting with, potions again."

Drake walks out of the room: "And there it is! Of course, it was those stinking potions!"

Everyone showed uneasiness about his new look but his mind focused on the main goal at hand, FOOD. Ven snuggled him like a child holding a stuffed animal, Rex already knew this but it came off weird to everyone else, She had a thing for little boys. 

Sin moving around in his chair: "Ven can you give me some room, please!

Ven's eyes filled with adoration: "And why would I want to do that, a handsome little man sits here."

Sin looks up at her: "You do know I am still the ruler of this place."

Ven holding thoughts: "Oh, annnnnd?"

Sin looks away: "Nevermind."

His lavender eyes spot the chef moving cargo of food to the table, octopus slides plates to their precise spots. 

Sin motions his hand: "Please, take a seat."

The crew finds their spots while Ven stays in place fondling his hair, Sin tries his best to ignore her antics to the fullest. Everything is set to be served, the head chef stands beside Sin, gently laying down the dish to start this evening off.

Chef octopus: "Today sir we have, *pop* cooked hydra meat, seasoned and cooked to perfection."

The metal platter was oversized for the right reason, opening it took four chefs to lift it together. The smell just as they uncover the darken blue meat gave a salty sea scent, Sin forgot the sense of smell many years ago. The sense brings back many memories that were lost to time, one such memory that he cherish forgotten, buried by his own self-pity. They all get a serving, a medium-sized portion of the hydra that took most of the plates room. 

Sin stares down the meat, taking it all in: "This is going to be the first time I ever tasted real food after becoming a lich, it is almost surreal."

His allies wait for him to take his first bite, a long silence commences as they wait for him. Sin jabs the fork into a cut piece of hydra, lifting it up and finally snapping down on the bite-sized meat. The taste is slow to show but raises its head leaving a piquant flavor in its wake.

All Sin can do was smile: "It is soo good!"

Everyone cheers, dinner has now started with his mates, they all talked together coming up with plans for their next meal or how Phantom was caught checking himself out in a mirror. Ven kept messing with him, teasing him with inappropriate expressions. Sin tried moving over to the chair next to him only to be snatched right back. Sin enjoyed his food and friends around him in peace, just taking it all in. 

Sun keeps taking a glance at Sin every so often eventually Sin catches her a second time.

Sin in a child's voice: "Is something wrong Sun?"

Sun lets it out bluntly: "Why are you so little."

Sin: "Well this is the time I became a lich, I died when I was young only to be resurrected by a demon."

Moon points out: "Why do you look like Ash's little brother."

Sin comes up with no answers: "I, don't know, coincidence I guess."

The meal continued on, and more chatter came from each other, until Ven told a story about Sin and Drake launching an Eldritch death ball, she told it with such description that some felt uneased about it.

Ven: "Sin had just sold his soul to our old buddy giving him the power of the undead, we were fighting a Demon King who managed to kill Sin's significant other leaving him absolutely furious. He burned away his body completing the process of becoming a lich just to gain even more power from the soul contract completely bypassing elder lich to King lich." 

Everyone was caught in the story, unable to do anything else but listen, the food wasn't even touched.

Ven: "A metal armor covered him, freezing the very ground as he towered over everyone. His armor was the blackest steel, but it was battered, giving it a white look on the edges due to the fact that it was used from the older lich kings before him."

Sun showed child characteristics, she stared at Sin holding fascination in her eyes all the while Sin ate his food at a measured pace. The group waited for Ven to continue, so bought by the story that Oliver the head chef slowly cleaned up the plates, tagging along with him is squid butlers precisely nabbing the plates underneath the others. The cleanup crew leaves the room spotless, the only plate is Sin's who seems to be enjoying himself with a story to go with his food. Ven pats his head like a dog giving him a sly look.

Ven: "I didn't think he had it in him, his power, the way he threw everything he had left just to obtain it was marvelous. The Lich King ripped the Demon king apart, leaving no mercy in his wake, truly a sight to behold, And fantasize about."

Moon didn't catch the last part: "What was that Ven."

Ven: "Oh nothing!"

Ven cleared her throat: "Now, the demon king regenerated his body back, sending the cold lich king over the edge. Despite what he had left of his humanity, he asked Drake to lend him a hand. Lich held his hand out forward forming a ball of black-eating light, it had a purple glint around it like a casing around life-eating magic. Drake held his hand beside Sin's, side against side, the ball expanded ten times taking up houses worth of room! Draining them of all their mana, they used all their strength to push it, sending it hurling at the demon king, the ball ate him, tearing him piece by piece until there was nothing left."

Sin finished his hydra, content with all the food he ate and the story about his greatest triumph, talking among themselves he has time to get away, escaping away from Ven and her fingers. Sneaking into the kitchen, a few squid butlers hang outside the kitchen on break. they spot the kid in oversized garments quickly retreating while talking to each other in their language (Something like bubbly mummering). Sin enters the swinging doors unbeknownst to him that he just entered hell. A few knives flew overhead along with an octopus flying through the door, Oliver the giant octopus was the culprit, swinging a knife twice the size of the normal octopus with one tentacle while tossing plates with the other seven. The other octopuses handle the pressure like pros, leaping in the air to catch the plates and somersaulting around the squids washing the dishes. 

Sin caught the eye of Oliver: "Sorry Ash but this place is dangerous."

Sin: "Oh I am not Ash, I am Sin."

Oliver let out a hearty french laugh: "Oh Ash, that is a nice joke!"

Sin: "No seriously, it's me Oliver, Sin."

Slams his tentacle out of shock: "Is it really you sir, What happened!"

Sin: "Potion."

Oliver catches on: "Oh okay, we are lucky you didn't kill yourself with those ridiculous potions."

He asks while climbing the ceiling to him: "What does my pint-sized master need from the kitchen."

He falls to the ground but shrinks down to sizes just as he lands before Sin, about the size of an average man, the tuxedo octopus bows.

Sin can't hide his enthusiasm: "I am craving a vanilla ice cream!"

Oliver makes a pop sound with his suction cups like he is snapping his fingers, a ninja octopus flies towards them, bowing quickly then straightening his posture.

Oliver: "I need a vanilla ice cream for our master here."

He slaps a tentacle to his forehead before disappearing out of thin air and then reappearing in the same exact spot. A vanilla ice cream in a cone in his tentacle and a bubbling sound to confirm that his mission is complete.

Oliver: "I don't know, you were pretty slow."

The poor octopus made an even straighter posture, sweating.

Sin taking the cone: "He did a wonderful job, leave him be."

Oliver: "Fine, you may go."

The ninjapus bowed and vanished to do more chores around the kitchen. Oliver sat there waiting for Sin to dine on his food, Sin didn't take notice of Oliver's excitement only the pure goodness of this ice cream. With a nibble to the puffy soft ice cream, the light in his eyes grew. Sin wore a smile of pure bliss, his head in the clouds.

Sin warm inside: "This is sooooo good!"

Oliver shook his hand out of gratitude: "Thank you thank you thank you, sir, you don't know how much this means to me!"

After spending a few minutes enjoying the ice cream and talking to Oliver about new ideas about food, he leaves for his room. Upon dodging Ven, the room is in sight, just down the hall but it is surrounded by everyone searching for him. He waits them out in time they move on to his lab then onto the next out of sight. He makes a break for it, hopping to it, the door is in reach just to be yanked back by the cloak's neck.

Ven: "Gotcha!"

Sin comes loose from his cloak, running from the monster in his birthday suit, opening the door just enough for his body to squeeze through and slamming it shut, locking it. 

Sin huffing: "That was close."

Ven on the other side of the door: "Oh Sin~ let me in."

Finding his bed, he lays down pulling the covers over him and falling asleep in the oversized bed.